I’m very happy to announce that the Madonna Long Term Care Residence, in Orleans Ontario, a suburb of Ottawa, has asked us to to share our talents with their residents!
We will initially start with their 90’s Club, residents who are 90 years young and over. This will involve a group shot and of course indiidual portraits.
At a later date we will return to shoot the other 115 residents.
I cannot thank the awesome talent pool of photographers we have here in Ottawa, especially the Ottawa Flickr Group, for all their contributions and their willingness to participate in this endeavor.
Pictures to follow and some video of behind the scenes action.
One thing we are looking for right now is a little bit of corporate sponsorship, especially for print services. If you know anyone who may wish to help out the Help-Portrait movement here in Ottawa, please let me know!
Thanks,
Jean
by Jean Labelle
Kyle Shrives - Really nice assignment man. Shame about this young life ending so soon. Keep up the good work 🙂
AJ - Jean… I saw this posted on Jeremy Cowart’s facebook. It hits so close to home. My 10 year old niece has been battling cancer and so I look at Heather and see her. The way you captured this little girl… it touches me beyond words. What a beautiful gift for her family. I am deeply sorry for their loss. Thank you for using your talent for this.
Jeremy Cowart - Man, this is powerful stuff. No words for it really. It reminds me why we’re doing this in the first place and gives me an entirely new passion for Help-Portrait. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this.
jeremy
Andrew Morton - God Bless you man
Sunnie McDennon - I just saw this on Jeremy Cowart facebook. Why I love photography – picture is worth a thousand words and none needed. You captured everything in this little girl both beautiful and sad. Thank you for sharing!
Jean Labelle - Thank you AJ.
I will say a prayer for your niece.
Jean Labelle - @Jeremy: I only have you to thank Jeremy for starting this movement. Thank you for bringing Heather into my life!
Jean Labelle - Thank you everyone. Much appreciated.
johnwaire | photo - this is powerful jean. as a parent…i’m in tears.
Maxine - What an incredibly inspiring shoot. Thank you for doing what’s uncomfortable and giving away what’s priceless.
Esther M Swaty - Wow! Thank you so much for sharing the pictures. Her family are in my thoughts. Definitely inspiration to get out of my self – and see those around me for who they really are. beauty.
Heidi Fazio - very moving portraits. beautiful girl.
val - Beautiful angel. your photos are so moving….it’s just as if you had managed to get a real glimpse of her soul. thank you for sharing them.
Patricia Vazquez - She is God’s precious, beautiful angel.
stacey - These are beautiful. What an incredible gift to them. And to you.
rumon - Jean: You – and Jeremy by extension – have left me flat on my ass and full of emotion with this post. You have wonderfully captured a soul – young, old or otherwise – and passed that enduring gift onto her family. Small, significant solace at a horrible time. Bravo.
Scott Paterson - Beautiful photos and a beautiful little girl. Thank you for sharing.
Curtis - Words fail to describe the grief I feel for this family. May God comfort her family.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
– Revelation 21:4
Curtis
Tam Daly - Thank you for sharing that. I am a pro-shooter in Australia, with a 20month young little girl. I reckon this calls for some like-minded action over here. Thanks again
Help Portrait « he8us - […] Ça ne coûte rien mais c’est un cadeau immense, un peu comme Jean Labelle l’a fait, ça aide à se souvenir, ça touche, ça émeut. La vie n’est pas forcément facile mais un peu d’espoir est toujours bon à […]
Rosemarie Songsong - Thank you for sharing this… What a wonderful shoot this little girl is absolutely stunning. My greatest sympathy to her family. They are in my prayers.
Hillary Shemin - Awesome, touching and simply beautiful pictures. I was made aware of this site tonight as I just signed up to take part in Help-Portrait in the Philadelphia area in December. I hope I can have the opportunity to give some joy in the form of photography as I am sure these photos are treasures for Heather’s family. Thank you for sharing these photos. Hillary
Janie Moltrup - These photographs are a wonderful gift to the family of this little girl. She also looks like she was enjoying the photography session. I can not think of a better use of the camera than to capture the image of a loved one. We never know when we will cross over to the other side and the images are so special to people left behind.
Great Photo’s
Barbara Mankala - I Barbara mankala family would like to Thank Mr Jean Labelle photos for the pictures of our daughter Heather and I would like to thank all of the people for their lovely comments about our angel Heather she was and always be missed always love by every person she seen in her life because she was special angel in every ones life Big Thank you MR.Jean Labelle for the pictures.
Amelia Thornton - WOW…this is incredible. I’m doing a Help Portrait session in December but I am so moved by what you have done here – simply outstanding. Perhaps everyone can consider a monthly HP session? I know I will.
To Heather’s family…I truly am sorry for your loss of this amazing little girl.
To the folks at Labelle Photo…cheers photo-friends…great work!
To Jeremy Cowart…thanks for inspiring so many photographers to help and to give back – you have created an amazing movement!
Michael - I am crying. So, so sad.
Ian Rudgewick-Brown UK - Made me cry! Well done, you did a great job, beautiful photos.
I did the same a few years ago, not sure if I’m strong enough to do another?
Must see if there is a HP in the UK?
David Lane-Ireland - What a wonderful set of portraits. My thoughts are with her Family and freinds. Help portrait is a wondeful thing. her family will cherish those photos.
Alvin Estrada - wow, such a great inspiration, thank you very much for sharing and I hope her family find peace.
Dug Shelby - Jean, thank you for letting God use you in such a powerful way. My friend just told me about Help-Portrait, and this is the first few minutes chcking it out, and it led me to this story. I have an 11 year old nice, and have worked with kids for years. I just sold my camera, and getting my new one around Christmas. It can’t come soon enough…thank you for this. I will pray for her family…
Nate - What a beautiful set of photographs. It is such a shame that her life was cut so horribly short. I’m sure these pictures will help her family and friends remember her in a wonderful and meaningful way.
This year is my first year knowing about Help-Portrait, and I cannot wait to get involved with one of the projects in my area.
David Stephen Kalonick - I came across this post on help-portrait while Camille and Piers Faccini played in the background. link –
I haven’t cried this hard since Thanksgiving, when my wife gave birth to our first baby girl. My heart goes out to her family. Beautiful work.
Adrian - Jean, thank you so much for sharing this.. i can’t help but shed tears, feeling the pain of losing a lovely angel. Your pictures had shown so much and expressed what a strong girl she is. My heart goes out to her family.
Thanks again for showing how picture can be so powerful and another good reason for me to appreciate photography not only as an interest. i will be involved in Help-Portrait here in Singapore this year, and every year.
Sherry - Wow! Beautiful!! I have a daughter about Heathers age, and i just balled as i scrolled thru the pictures. God Bless Heather’s family and the work you are doing for others.
Joseph Garcia - My eyes swole up and my 3 year old son asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was crying so he gave me a kiss. I guess it was because I could relate to her and her mother since a friend of mine lost her daughter who was around 2 year old from MS – multiple scrosis.
Joseph
Wes Aldridge - As I sit here reading this post preparing for our Help-Portrait in Nashville in the morning, I am humbled as tears stream down my face. This is Love. I am so glad you let it flow from your heart. Tomorrow has a new meaning for me.
Alan Nielsen - Great pics! I saw this on the Help Portrait site main page. You guys did a great job.
BLOGitse - Thank you for sharing!
Your beautiful pictures shows us how Heather felt being with you. She was happy, content…
Her fate reminds us – we all are going to die one day.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” Mark Twain
CaptainBuzz - Thanks for sharing. May she rest in peace, among all the little angels up there.
Karen - Just reminds me of how precious and fragile life really is and how it is not to be taken for granted. Beautiful pictures of a beautiful young lady. She is walking among the angels now.
Rachael - GORGEOUS. What a beautiful young lady.
Rev. 21:4
Skylar Hartman - God bless, brother. This is very sad but thanks for doing this.
Jessica Wilson - Thank God you were sent to her family. Those pictures are forever. I am so deeply sorry for her family & their loss of her, but I am so thankful they got such a priceless professional and personal memoir to always remeber her. Thank God you took the time to care. Thank you.
Kim - Truly one of the most extraordinary and compelling ways to share your gift! Thank you so much! May Heather rest in peace.
ajira - You captured this little girl beautifully… her eyes are simply captivating… like deep pools. What a wonderful gift for her family to have these images of her… especially now.
Pamela Viola - What a gift you have given Heather’s family. Your images are beautiful and will forever remind them of her spirit!
Jenna Meredith - These photos are so tastefully done. Great work. My heart breaks for her family, especially since my neice also has cystic fibrosis.
Glenn - what an amazing concept, I hope to be able to do something of that caliber in my community.. BRAVO!!!!
Kathy Greene - What a beautiful girl! There appears to be an old soul inside that young girl. Your photos are fantastic and what a gift to her family and friends! Keep up the good work and I plan on being a part of this in 2010.
Paul - You have made a record of this beautiful girl that is marvellous.
Heather will always live in the minds eye of her relatives and friends, that will keep her and these photos will help in that recall too. Not very well expressed but I hope you understand.
Heather Williquette - Amazing. Brought tears to my eyes. Words just can’t express…
Archie Kaan - What beautiful portraits of Heather! You have capture her spirit and thoughts into those photos. I particularly love the 10th photo (second last photo). I can almost read what she was thinking through those eyes and her smile.
Jess - what a beautiful, sweet girl 🙂
Greg Lynch - Amazing, wonderful images – they seem to capture the sweetness of this little angel so perfectly. Well done….
Tim Olsen - Jean, you did a beautiful job capturing Heather’s compassionate spirit… I see it in her eyes and smile. So sad that she had to leave us too soon. This little girl has stirred something in me and I will definitely be participating in Help-Portrait 2010. Peace to Heather’s family and friends.
Wes Brown - These are beautiful images and you should always be proud of this shoot. I’m proud for you. This young soul’s family has something to hold onto that I’m sure they cherish.
Very moving…so very moving.
Barbara Yasuhara - What a beautiful little girl and what a beautiful way to honor her memory for mom and the entire world. I look forward with great pleasure and humility of getting involved with HP!
Heather Mankala [March 10, 1998, October 1, 2009] » Labelle Photo - […] On this day, the one year anniversary of Heathers death, I still cannot explain fully the deep impact Heather has had on me. As a photographer, I can say that it was the defining moment whereby my work really meant something. It gave a memento to her grieving parents, brothers and sisters. It connected us, strangers, to one another through a bond I define as spiritual in nature. I wish I was a writer to eloquently express my thoughts and emotions, but I will try to let my camera speak on my behalf. […]