This month we are shining our photographer spotlight on Darcy of Darcy Graf Photography. Darcy lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and two children (Titan and Athena). Darcy and her husband also own and operate a martial arts school and fitness facility. A lover of light, laughter and coffee, she is either at the gym or at a shoot (or if it’s dark out, she’ll be at her computer editing). Darcy loves using her passion for photography to give back and the best way to do that is by capturing the beautiful connections between families. Those priceless moments that they can always look back at and cherished.

How would you describe your photography?I’m a lover of natural light and I really seek to let my subject’s personality, emotions and true essence shine through. I want to make images that make you FEEL. Images that make you smile. Images that let you feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Images that bring you back to that moment. Photography to me is truly bottling a moment in time and it means so much to be able to capture precious moments for our Fighter families. 

What made you want to join The Gold Hope Project as a volunteer? 

I found out about The Gold Hope Project last September during Childhood Cancer awareness month. The moment I read about the organization and what they did to support so many little fighters as well as the education and research funding aspects,  I knew I had to get involved immediately! It seemed like such a beautiful way to be able to help in even the smallest way. I also own a martial arts school with my husband and around the same time, I found out that one of our martial arts students is a pediatric cancer survivor.  It hit so close to home for me. You would have never known what she had been through-her smile just lights up a room every day yet she fought so hard for her health. I wanted to be able to give the Fighters not only special images of themselves and their families, but to have a day where they could just relax, enjoy themselves and feel fabulous. To truly enjoy the process. To not worry about doctors or tests or anything but snuggling with their family. At our sessions, I do whatever it takes to get laughs, sometimes that means knock knock jokes or my really bad dancing but hey, we have a blast together. My goal is always to have the families walking away smiling and usually covered in sand since we are in Florida.

What is your favorite thing about being a Gold Hope photographer?My favorite thing is definitely meeting such amazing people. The fighters and their families are truly amazing and each one of them has left a huge imprint on my heart. I love getting to know as much as I can about my Fighters, what they love, their passions and dreams. It’s truly so special to be able to connect with such amazing people in this way. I still keep in contact with each fighter and they’ll always have a piece of me. 

Has working with children with cancer changed anything in your life?Absolutely. I don’t know how you can help but be impacted but working with such amazing people. The Fighters I’ve worked with show such fortitude, such resilience and still such joy, it truly makes you look at yourself and how you lead your own life. Every session I leave, leaves me with valuable lessons and it just makes me want to give as much as I possibly can. These Fighters are so strong-they fight every day, they smile and look ahead and I know they’re going to do BIG things in the future! It’s just an honor to be able to work with them.

What is one thing you hope the families you photograph for the project can take away from this experience? I hope the families and fighters can take away some joy and happiness from the time spent together. The images they’ll receive are important but when they look back at them, I want them to remember what it felt like to be there in that moment, laughing, snuggling up and being together. 

Be sure to follow Darcy online!

Darcy Graf Photography | Facebook | Instagram

A big thank you to Darcy for choosing to give back with us. Want to follow her lead? Apply to be a volunteer photographer here.