The fires in Los Angeles have caused horrific devastation across southern California, with property damage and losses at catastrophic levels.
A photographer's livelihood depends on their tools, as well as their portfolios. Which is why Claudia James Bartlett of Photo LA and Aline Smithson of Lenscratch have organized a fundraiser to help their recovery.
Writing on their GoFundMe page they say: “Our urgent goal is to raise $300,000 [around £243,000 / AU$476,000] to provide direct support to photographers who have lost their homes, studios and personal property that is not covered by FEMA, in the Eaton, Palisades, Sunset, and other fires in the Los Angeles area. We know many of you are looking for ways to make a direct and meaningful impact.”
They hope that the global photographic community will help and donate to their cause, adding, “We look forward to supporting the community during this difficult time, working with you to this end. We are asking for support from photographers, galleries, and collectors both near and far from Los Angeles. Our local community is already overwhelmed by the devastation all around them.”
The fires are estimated to be the most expensive natural disaster in terms of insured loss in California history, with analysts estimating that losses could approach $20 billion (£16 billion / AU$32 billion), and companies like Adobe are also donating to the cause.
Al Jazeera reports that private forecaster AccuWeather estimates total damage and economic loss between $250 billion (£203 billion / AU$399 billion) and $275 billion (£224 billion / AU$439 billion).
Bartlett and Smithson are gathering information to identify photographers and artists in need, and are calling on anyone who has experienced significant losses to reach out to them. Anyone affected can do this via their GoFundMe page.
They have so far almost reached their initial $40,000 (£32,300 / AU$63,500) target, and are hoping to get closer to their $300,000 goal to “help photographers rebuild their lives, replace essential equipment and reignite their creative passions.”
They add: “We are committed to distributing funds and contributions to those most affected by these fires, prioritizing based on need. Together, we can help rebuild and support the photographers who are vital to our creative community.”
You might also like…
Take a look at the best Adobe photography plan deals for Photoshop and Lightroom, the best photo editing software, and the best recovery software.
