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Free Portrait Photography for Veterans this ANZAC Day with Veterans Instameet
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3 min read
Veterans Instameet is a Sydney-based photography group run by and for veterans. For over 10 years, founder Mathew Bell has hosted photography events with the goal of connecting veterans and building a supportive community.
“The aim is for everyone to have fun and make connections to other people with shared backgrounds. Photography is in the background most of the time, we have the aim for everyone to chat, laugh and shoot photos.”
After being discharged from the Army in 2014, Mat and a fellow veteran looked around Sydney and could not find a veteran support network that engaged with their shared passion of photography, so they decided to start their own. Since then, Mat and the team have hosted dozens of Instameet events and built a supportive network across the nation.
This ANZAC Day, the Veterans Instameet crew have teamed up with the ANZAC Memorial in Sydney to offer free portraits for veterans and their families.
“ANZAC Day is generally one of two days a year a veteran will don their medals and wear them with pride. We are aiming to photograph as many veterans as we can between 10am and 3pm, giving each a lasting memento for their families to cherish.”
Mat says the biggest challenge has been organising the logistics of set up and equipment. “We are a small photography group and generally do our events outdoors and on the move. This is the first time we’ve tackled something of this scale and with such a big audience. The ANZAC Memorial had over 5,000 visitors through their doors last ANZAC Day.
“It was a concept I’ve had in the back of my mind for years, then over the past twelve months, the team at the ANZAC Memorial have helped me bring it to reality.”
Mat reached out to Flagworld to see if we’d could provide a heavy duty Australian National Flag to be used in the background of the portraits. We discussed the most suitable fabric for flash photography to ensure the flag would look its best in the photos, and made sure to choose an appropriate size for the backdrop.
“I read the reviews online for a few different businesses, I wanted someone reputable and Australian. It needed to be something good quality and not cheaply mass produced as it wouldn’t photograph well in a studio setting.”
Mat has received his flag ready for the event, and told us “I couldn’t be happier. Communication was amazing and quick and postage was a day or two from dispatch. I couldn’t have asked for more!”
Mat is excited for the event, and hopes to reach his goal of photographing 500 veterans on ANZAC Day. “So far the uptake from interested veterans has been great, our social media platforms have had a good response from people wanting to come along and get their photo taken.”
To get involved, follow Mathew and the Veterans Instameet team on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.veteransinstameet.com