Rochelle Green, Fort Dodge native, and her husband Jeffrey Halter have come up with a new way to say thank you and give back to the local parks. On Sunday, June 13 Green will be holding a fundraiser called "Portraits In the Park" at Loomis Park.
Green is a local photographer who's studio, Green Door Photography, opened in the fall of 2006. She is highly sought after to capture the special moments in the lives her clientssenior portraits, weddings, new babies and families. Many of the images Green shoots are done in local parks. "I am usually in at least five different parks each week shooting photos," Green said. "Fort Dodge has a great resource in the number and variety of parks we have."
Because she sees these green spaces so often, Green and Halter wanted to find a way to give back to the community. They envisioned dedicating a day to shoot family portraits in one of the parks and donating some of the proceeds back to that park. They went to the Fort Dodge Parks and Recreation Department and the Parks Foundation to discuss the idea and see what projects they could help with.
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The goal for the first Portraits In the Park project is to raise $1000 for the Park Foundation's on-going improvement fund. Green is donating all of the sitting fees collected that day, along with ten percent of the profits from her sales.
"We chose Loomis Park for this first fundraiser because the Parks Foundation and the city have been making so many great renovations. In its hey day, Loomis was one of the most popular parks in Fort Dodge. It will be great to get more families to visit the park and see what a great place it has become again."
On June 13 (the rain date is June 20) the Loomis Park Boathouse will be open for participants to sign in. There will be refreshments and space for changing clothes.
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To book a family portrait session and support Fort Dodge's parks on June 13, call Green Door Photography at 515-576-6435. The studio is located at 1442 S. 21st Street in Fort Dodge. Visit the Green on-line at www.rochellegreen.com.
During the spring and summer months Green is busy photographing high school seniors and weddings. Portraits In the Park will give her the chance to set aside time to capture lasting memories for families. A second session will be held in another of Fort Dodge's parks this fall with plans to continue the program in the years to follow.
Green grew up in Fort Dodge and graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High. She attended Iowa Central Community College and the University of Northern Iowa where she earned her bachelor's degree in art. Green worked in a studio in Las Vegas where she also taught elementary school art. Her husband, Jeffrey Halter, is also from Iowa and eventually the couple moved back to Fort Dodge in order to be closer to family. Opening her own studio, Green Door Photography, in Fort Dodge fulfilled one of Green's lifelong dreams.