Creston photographer takes Haitian school photos

Shooting school or youth sports photos can be a challenge for photographers – from organizing the children in a team photo to getting each child to look straight ahead and smile.

It’s a type of photography that requires a love of children, patience and organizational skills, said Creston photographer Anna Sprouse.

However, no youth photo shoot has been quite as challenging, or rewarding, for Sprouse as photographing a group of children in Haiti.

“There were only a couple of people who knew both Creole (which is the language in Haiti) and English,” said Sprouse.

Sprouse had the opportunity to take her photography skills to Haiti in January with Pella based organization Many Hands for Haiti. The organization focuses on projects related to youth development, ethical feedings, economic development, clean water and health care.

In May, Sprouse opened a full-time, home-based photography business, TSS Photography, in Creston. TSS Photography has about 200 locations across the U.S. and specializes in youth sports photos and school picture days. TSS has been in business for almost 30 years.

Sprouse moved to Creston from Pella and married Creston resident Mark Sprouse. Before coming to Creston, she worked as a part-time photographer for TSS, while working full time at Central College.

Time in Haiti

Although the Haiti photo shoots were challenging, it was also a rewarding experience, said Sprouse. Unlike American children, Haitian children are not accustomed to school pictures. It was a heartwarming experience to watch the children see themselves in photos during a slide show, she said.

“They just went insane,” she said. “I have never cried so much in my life.”

Sprouse originally heard about Many Hands for Haiti when the organization’s executive leader Tim Brand spoke to a group at Central College, where Sprouse was working at the time. The organization was in the process of building a school in Haiti for the children and needed photos of the children to include with sponsorships.

Money from the sponsorships provides schooling, feeding programs and other activities for the children.

“I actually approached him about doing a picture day for them so they could have photos for their sponsorship,” said Sprouse.

Sprouse then approached her parent company about taking TSS Photography to Haiti.

“They paid part of my expenses and I paid the rest,” she said. “They also pledged $1,000 worth of printed items to go back to Haiti.”

In addition to sponsorship photos, Sprouse took family photos and soccer sports team photos. She also took a class picture of students who are attending a school.

Many of the Haitian children have never been to school.

“Most families cannot afford to send their kids,” she said. “It’s the difference between being in a program, having a feeding program and having the ability to get an education that can possibly lift them out of dire poverty.”

Indoor plumbing and electricity are often hard to find in Haitii. The normal average wage is $3 a day.

“If they’re lucky enough to have a home, they’re living six people in a 10 by 10 house,” she said. “Their possessions are meager. To have a family picture was a very big deal for them.”

Sprouse is hoping to return to Haiti next spring to help with sustainability efforts. One project MH4H is working on is re-establishing the coffee industry in the country.

“Haiti used to be very big in coffee production,” she said. “With everything that has happened in the last 40 years, their coffee industry has been decimated. What they are looking to do is go back in and enable these farmers to replant and start their own coffee industry back up where they can actually get a good wage for what they’re doing.”

She also wants to maintain TSS Photography’s presence on the trip.

Sprouse is seeking individuals interested in doing a missions trip in Haiti. She can be contacted at 641-780-5760 for more information.

TSS Photography

In addition to school photos, Sprouse will also be shooting some individual and family portrait photos through her home-based business. Sprouse does not currently have a studio, so will be doing her work outdoors or on location. Her coverage area includes Mahaska County, Ames, Des Moines and parts of southern Iowa.

The coverage area will shift slightly to southwestern Iowa now that she resides in Creston.

“I’d like to stay within a couple of hours of here,” she said. “It definitely takes a team to do this.”

Sprouse said she’ll be hiring a couple of people to work as part-time photo assistants.

For more information, visit www.tssphotography.com/noel.