Photos for Action - Raising Money for Syrian Refugees

I am selling my photography and donating all profits to the refugees that are arriving on Greece’s shores every day.

The people in need are fleeing a brutal war as well as a devastating famine, and desperately need our help.

Who am I:

My name is Julian Benabides. I’m a backpacker with a nice camera, and I wanted to help people in need. I don’t have enough money for this, but I figure I can sell some of my travel photos and raise money that way.

A fire show in Thailand. One of many pics available for purchase!

Please click here to see the photos available.

I volunteered in the Idomeni refugee camp in Greece (See my blog about it here), and was astonished by the people I met. They were just like my friends and family back home. Young people who liked video games and wanted to finish their studies in University. Children who wanted to play. Adults who wanted to feed their children and continue their careers. They were scared and frustrated, and just want to know they had a safe place to sleep at night.

I was also astonished to see that most of the support these people are receiving is from aid organizations- not from the government. So much of what's keeping these people alive is coming from every day people like you and me. Every dollar counts.

Needless to say, I was really touched by my time in the refugee camp, and by the people I talked to. So I intend to return to volunteer in Greece, but would also like to raise funds for the people there.

 I want 100% transparency with this project, so I am listing all the details below, under the HOW IT WORKS section.

 So please, buy a photo for yourself. Or give it as a gift. And every time you look at it, know that you’ve helped to care for people who have lost everything. You have helped save lives.

And if photography isn’t your thing, then just share this page, and talk with your friends and family- help end the negative stigma that refugees have been labeled with. They’re not terrorists, or people looking for some free handouts. They are hungry families. Children. Men and women who want to work and feed their families. They’ve had a bit of crappy luck and they need some help getting stability in their lives.

We, as people who live in safety, who have homes and jobs, who know that we will have food tomorrow- we should show our appreciation for our incredible luck by giving to those who aren’t so fortunate.

 If you are interested in coming to a refugee camp to help out, I would be delighted to connect you with some people.

If you would like to help in any other way, or just want to chat, please contact me on Facebook, or through my email: JulianBenabides@gmail.com.

How it works

I will be selling both digital and printed photos.

Printed photos:

I will be selling photos through Etsy.com, which charges a 3.5% fee per sale. I will be using Mpix.com, a high quality printing service, to print and ship these photos. These are Mpix’s printing prices according to size (in inches):

4x6: $0.29

8X12: $3.49

12X18: $12.69

Standard shipping is $7.95 and takes 2-5 days.

I will be selling prints at these prices:

4x6: $5.00 + shipping.

8X12: $12.00 + shipping.

12X18: $25.00 + shipping.

So if someone buys two 8x12 prints and one 4x6 print, they will pay $29 + shipping (Total of $36.95). After Etsy’s and Mpix’s aforementioned fees, it will result in $21.73 going to the refugees.

Digital copies:

Seeing the roof of the world. Himalayas. More pics just like
 this will be uploaded soon!

I will also be selling some of my photos as digital copies. This opens me up to digital piracy, as people might take my photos and try to sell them as their own. But it lowers the overhead costs of printing and shipping, and gets more money going to the people who need it. (Worth the risk)

High quality digital copies (4000x6000 pixels) will be $19.99, and after Etsy’s fees of 3.5%, each digital sale will result in $19.29 going to the people in need. I will also be selling medium size digital prints (1920x1280 pixels and 1809x2804 pixels) for $5. After Etsy’s fee, this will be $4.82 going to people in need.

Once purchased, people can print the digital file at any size they want, or have it on their computer / phone / tablet. The high quality photos can be printed up to poster size, while the small size ones look best as small prints, as well as on mobile devices.

 I will make public any sales I receive, and when I am in the refugee camps in Greece, I will tell you which organizations receive your money. 

Thanks for reading.

You can contact me through my Faceook page, or my email- JulianBenabides@gmail.com.