TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Navigating life after serving in the military can be challenging.
The nonprofit Portraits for Patriots is working to make sure veterans in Southern Arizona have all the tools they need to start their next chapter.
"It'll be a huge change. So I mean, for the last 20 years since I was 18, the Air Force has been my life," veteran Stephen Bratcher said.
Bratcher is looking to put his best smile forward as he works to get a job in the private sector.
"I've just got an old selfie picture and it's not great," Bratcher said.
Portraits for Patriots replaced his selfie with a professional photo, done for free.
Carlos Chavez, a volunteer for the nonprofit offers veterans time in his studio just like he would any client.
'We work through different outfits, different backgrounds just kind of get the vibe and the feel for what they want, the career that they're going to be going into," Chavez said. "And then we'll review the images, select them here in the studio, so that they know what they get. And then they get a final product of a professionally edited, professionally taken head shot that they can go use for any business purposes they meet."
According to Linkedin Talent Solutions, members with a profile photo will get 21 times more profile views and 9 times more connection requests.
"We're in a really attention-seeking society. And so you want to stop that scroll," Chavez said. "And if you don't have a picture, somebody's got not going to really stop and take a look at what you have to offer."
For more information on booking a Portraits for Patriots session, click here.
