By Rick Shepherd, RMHC of Central Ohio Communications Manager
David Herman discovered his passion for photography later in life and has found it to be a rewarding hobby. He is skilled at capturing the essence of a moment, whether it be a bird in flight, a pensive child at the Ronald McDonald House, or the excitement of someone winning a handbag at one of our Handbag HULLABALOO!™ fundraisers. David has always been motivated to make a difference in the lives of others.
After serving in the Army for over 25 years and teaching computer science, programming, and networking, David retired and began teaching line dancing classes with his wife. They teach locally and via Zoom, with dancers from all around the world.
“We’ve donated annually to both RMHC and Nationwide Children’s for some time. I acted as a community fundraiser for Nationwide Children’s for several years, raising over $40,000 by raffling off small woodworking projects at line dance events around the country,” David said. “One day it dawned on me that $40,000 for Children’s was a drop in the bucket, but an amount like that might be more meaningful with a smaller charitable organization.” He later decided to focus his efforts on RMHC of Central Ohio.
David began donating items to RMHC’s fundraisers and eventually offered his photography expertise. He photographed various events and took portraits of families staying at the House. He says he wants his photographs to invoke intrigue. “When I get it right, you should be able to look at one of my photographs and start wondering “What was he/she/it thinking?” I add the “it” because I love nature photography. But if I’m photographing your family or families at The House, the goal is the same: capture emotions, not just snapshots.”
David’s contributions were appreciated by the families, and he decided to take his support of the charity to the next level in 2024. He plans to continue holding Family Portrait Nights, taking photos and videos at some of the RMHC fundraisers, and will become a business partner with RMHC of Central Ohio starting a cause marketing relationship with RMHC.
How you can help David help RMHC keep families close:
David’s work can be bought as framed prints and photos on mugs, t-shirts, phone cases, ornaments, towels, and more. Through his website, https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/12-david-herman, he receives a monthly check for his sales. He then donates half the total to RMHC of Central Ohio. Businesses can commercially license photographs through Getty Images and VCG, and David will also donate 50% of those proceeds to RMHC. David says anyone can contact him directly to purchase photos or about on-site photography. “I usually let them set their price, with half coming to me and the other half going directly to RMHC of Central Ohio,” he says. For commercial (use in advertising, marketing, etc.) licensing, you can view David’s curated commercial use portfolio here or Getty Images for licensing purchases here.
But for most all other work, click here: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/12-david-herman for direct contact to arrange custom work, or to retain David for freelance photographer assignments email him at weeartsandimages@gmail.com.
