People and small businesses there do need your help.

Red Cross Donations:
At this time, financial contributions provide the greatest flexibility for a Red Cross response. Donations can be made at www.vermontredcross.org

The Vermont Irene Flood Relief Fund:
Administered by Central Vermont Community Action, will raise funds to help affected business owners get their doors open quickly. Donations can be made online www.vtirenefund.org

Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund: www.vermontcf.org/give-now/

Donate $10 to the Vermont Foodbank to pay for food that will go to food banks in communities most impacted by Irene. Text the word FOODNOW to 52000 to make a $10 donation that will show up on your next cellphone bill.

Photographer’s Role During Emergency Events

We are now living in a world where unfortunate events are beginning to happen more often. Just think about it: earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, forest fires, terrorist attacks, wars, famine, riots, occasional crazy people just blow up stuff or shoot others for no good reason. All these things of horrific proportions have happened just in the past 6 month. What is the role of photographer during these moments in time? You tell me.

In my opinion the camera gives us power to tell our own story.

Photo by Sasha Gitin. The end of the road. Rt100 near Wardsboro, Vermont. USA

Be ready for a disaster:

• Keep you camera bag in check all the time
• Batteries fully charged
• Cards formatted
• Carry the camera with you all the time (if you don’t want to drag dSLR around at least have a good point and shoot with you)

Photo by Sasha Gitin. “Lost Roof” Rt100 near Wilmington, Vermont. ISO 1600 time 0.6/sec f5.6

What to do with the photos?

Once you have captured your unique images, there are a number of ways to put them in good use:

• Publish them in newspapers: Simply contact your local newspaper and tell them you have footage of the resent events. Send images over asap. If you feel your images are of national or international significance then contact national or international publications. Its a good idea to start building your contact list ahead of time. So when the time comes, you will not need to spend time researching.
• News is no longer solely supplied by news corporations. Individuals have the power to share news and images instantly via. Twitter, facebook, flickr etc… And more and more people are turning to social media for news as appose to TV.
• Tell your own story and have your photos exhibited. 20- 30 photographs will make a good exhibition. Contact your local art galleries and put a show together.
  
• Contact other artists in your local community (look via camera clubs, creig’s list etc, see if other artists are working on the same theme and team up.
• You can use your photos to start a fundraiser or donate images to organizations that already have one going.
  

Photo by Sasha Gitin. “Drying up”. Rt100 near Wilmington, Vermont. USA

Share your images: If you photographed images during Tropical Storm Irene please post your shot here below using “Share Your Shot” link in comments. Please include the location and date.