A one-day initiative that took place around the United States yesterday shows the impact photographers can have when they team up to make a difference. It’s called “10,000 Headshots,” and it involved booking and shooting free headshots for 10,000 unemployed Americans across the country in a single day.

The initiative was created by the website Headshot Booker, and it consisted of organizing 200 photographers across all 50 states to host a one-day portrait photography bonanza. The goal was pretty straightforward: “helping Americans get back to work by providing complimentary professional headshots for 10,000 unemployed workers nationwide.”

Interested workers registered for a 10-minute one-on-one headshot session near their home, which all took place on July 22nd. Prominent photographer Peter Hurley and his “Headshot Crew” were also involved in spearheading the initiative, and the day-of shoots seemed to go well based on the local news reports we’ve seen popping up online:

Headshot Booker called the effort “the largest, single-day photo initiative” and all participants walked away with professional headshot that they could use to update their resumes and LinkedIn profiles. This should have a big impact, at least according to LinkedIn, which claims that people who use professional quality headshots on their profile receive “21 times more profile views and nine times more ‘connection’ requests.”

Of course 10,000 headshots is a drop in the bucket when you consider the current unemployment numbers in the United States alone, but hopefully the initiative will do more than drum up some good press for Headshot Booker. With any luck, portrait photographers and their prospective clients around the world will see the success of this initiative and help turn 10,000 Headshots into many thousands more.

(via ABC7 NY and FOX 4 Now)