May is National Photography Month (2018 Edition)

National Photography Month

Yes, among many other things, May is National Photography Month. This is not to be confused with World Photography Day which, in 2018, is 19 August. May is also National Mental Health Awareness Month, National Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, etc.... I have written about mental health and bladder cancer on my other blog - see Out of the Darkness - Suicide Prevention and Mental Health and Did you know - May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month?.

Let's celebrate!

Do you celebrate National Photography Month? If so, how? In the past I have celebrated in different ways - in a previous blog that I wrote I posted a photo or collection of photos every day during the month. That started out sounding like a great idea but ended up being a bit exhausting. In 2017, the first year of this blog, I wrote nine (9) articles covering a variety of topics - including "National Photography Month", an article that included several images and a little background on each. This year I am taking somewhat of a different approach.

My celebration

This year I decided to focus less on photography and more on using my photography to help others. I am doing that by volunteering my time to act as an Event Photographer for fundraising / awareness walks for two deserving organizations - both of which are new to me this year. This past weekend I covered the "Jersey Shore Walk to End Bladder Cancer" in Bradley Beach, New Jersey. I learned that May is, among other things, National Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, and the Jersey Shore walk has been held every year since 2011. I had not heard of it until last year when I heard Bill Doyle, the afternoon drive-time co-host on NJ 101.5 FM, talk about it. He was coming back after a long battle with the disease and talked about participating in the walk. To be honest, I had a lot going on last May and when he stopped talking about it, I stopped thinking about it. This year I decided to do something about it and contacted the organizer, Mary Ann Aregood. Mary Ann's husband, Jack, succumb to the disease in 2008 and she started the walk in 2011 in his honor. I wrote about the walk and my experience on my other blog, From the Mind of Joe Valencia. You can read that post here - Did you know - May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month?.

The other event I am covering in May is the 7^th Annual Mary's Place by the Sea Walk-A-Thon to be held on May 19^th in Ocean Grove. I have been aware of Mary's Place by the Sea for quite some time and knew they had an annual fundraising walk but the timing was never right for me to volunteer. This year all of the stars aligned and I will get my chance. They are a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support women who are receiving treatment for cancer. Since their inception in 2009, they have helped more than 8,000 women and help more each day. I am looking forward to this event but, like all things I cover for the first time, it has me a bit nervous. I'm always excited about a new event until my participation is finalized and then I think "What have I done?" It isn't that I regret volunteering, it is all about the unknown. I don't know how many people to expect, how long the event lasts, how receptive people are to my photographing them, etc.... The uneasiness (apprehension) melts away about 5 minutes after I get started and I have never had an issue in the more than 10 years I have been volunteering. I will write more about Mary's Place and the walk in a few weeks. Stay tuned.

So, that's it for now. This post is a bit different than what you might otherwise expect to find here but I want to bring attention to these important organizations and events. If you are interested in participating, volunteering, or just want more information - check out the links below. Thanks for stopping by. As always, I would love to hear your stories and comments - please leave comments below.

Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) - http://www.bcan.org
Mary's Place by the Sea - https://www.marysplacebythesea.org/