08 Oct Giving Back Through Photography: Portraits for Hurricane Helene Families in Asheville
This is Part 2 of our Asheville Getaway series. If you missed it, start with Part 1: Four Days in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
When Hurricane Helene swept through Western North Carolina in September 2024, it took homes, livelihoods and, for many families, the photographs that held a lifetime of memories.
Two years later, on the second day of our NAPCP Asheville Getaway, our group of photographers had the honor of creating Hurricane Helene family portraits for local families who are still rebuilding. It became one of the most meaningful mornings any of us have spent behind the camera.
A Morning at the Asheville Botanical Gardens
We gathered at the Asheville Botanical Gardens at UNCA, surrounded by tall trees, winding paths and the quiet green of early fall. Our host, NAPCP Mentor Valerie Eidson, helped organize the sessions and connect us with families from the Asheville area.
But before anyone picked up a camera, we listened. Hearing the stories of families affected by Hurricane Helene reminded us that photography is about more than beautiful images. It’s about connection, memories, and helping preserve the moments that matter most.
Here are the families we had the privilege of meeting.
The Hightower Family: “We Did Not Lose Each Other”
Candace and Chris Hightower have been married since 2007. Their son Cruz, 14, just started his freshman year, plays soccer for his high school and loves music and fashion. Their daughter Caris, 10, is a spunky, funny and compassionate girl who loves chess, sports and the family’s animals: Cabo, their Bernedoodle, and Luna, a Holland Lop bunny.
The family woke to the sound of massive trees crashing into their home. They took cover in the basement and listened as the storm tore through the house. Trees, wind, water and finally mold left their home unlivable and destroyed most of their family photos. Cabo stayed close through it all, comforting everyone during the storm.
For two years, the Hightowers lived in a one-room apartment on their property, facing the damage every time they stepped outside. This fall, they finally moved back home.
“We lost everything… but we did not lose each other,” Candace shared. For her, a portrait session marked something important: a fresh start for a family that came through the hardest season of their lives stronger and closer than ever.
The Clark Family: A Mother and Daughter, Reconnected
Elizabeth Clark married her husband Calvin in July 2024, bringing together a blended family of six children. For years, her parents, Ursa and Saiid Rabiipour, lived right in front of her home in Fairview. They had given her the back acre of their land to build on in 2017.
Then Helene hit. Her home suffered such severe foundation damage that the family had to leave, moving 45 minutes away to a small family home in Waynesville. Her parents lost their entire garage and many treasured keepsakes, and she lost photographs of her own.
What she misses most is the everyday closeness: waving from the car, stopping by on a whim, grandkids running next door, walking over to talk with her mom, who is also her best friend.
“Having my mom next door was such a blessing that I miss dearly,” she said. She joined us for a session with her mother, Ursa, to create new memories together and feel a little more connected across the miles.
A Young Family’s First Portraits Together
Our third family asked us to keep their names and images private, and we’re honored to share their story with that in mind.
This young couple lost their home in one of Helene’s landslides in Western North Carolina. Just weeks later, they welcomed their baby girl, who spent her first months in the hospital recovering from major surgeries. Because she was on breathing support, the family never had the chance to have newborn photos taken.
This year, they finally moved into a new home together. Their session was their very first time being photographed as a family of three, a moment they had waited for through so much heartache.
What This Day Meant to Us
Giving these families new photographs after losing so many of their memories felt like a small but tangible way to help. Each family left with images to hold onto as they keep moving forward.
For our group, the experience was just as meaningful. Serving the Asheville community together allowed us to use our talents to bring a little light and encouragement to families who have endured incredibly difficult circumstances. It was a reminder of why so many of us became portrait photographers in the first place: to preserve the people and moments that matter most.
Thank you to the Hightower family, to Elizabeth and her mother, Ursa, and to our third family for trusting us with your stories. And thank you to Valerie Eidson for making this experience possible.
Use Your Gift to Serve
Our morning in Asheville is one example of something we care deeply about at NAPCP: using photography to make a difference. Through our Purposeful Partnerships program, we connect photographers with nonprofits that serve families and communities in need.
Those partners include Help-Portrait, which brings photographers together to give free portraits to people in their own communities, much like we did in Asheville. Others include Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, Flashes of Hope and The Heart Gallery, each giving families a meaningful gift through photography.
If this story moved you, we’d love for you to find your own way to serve. Explore our Purposeful Partnerships and the nonprofits we support.
