Volunteer Photographer Luke Buchanan

Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes. When someone says they are a volunteer, it says a lot about their character. People who willingly donate their time for the benefit of others are prized and appreciated. Luke Buchanan works as a volunteer now but has a history of volunteer work.

When Luke Buchanan was a high school student, he volunteered for the Spanish Education Development center. The center served as a day care for underprivileged children in Kalorma, Washington, D.C. His experience volunteering in high school encouraged him to volunteer for many years to come.

Luke Buchanan attended university in New Orleans. He was a double major student at Tulane University in New Orleans, and after Hurricane Katrina Luke Buchanan worked with Habitat for Humanity. Luke Buchanan saw for himself the rebuilding that still needed to be done. When he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in the post-Katrina years, he knew he was continuing to make a difference and help restore lives destroyed by the hurricane.  Luke recounts, “it was a lot of hard-work, but well worth it after meeting with the future homeowners and seeing what a difference one can make in the lives of those in need.”  

Luke Buchanan continues to work as a volunteer but instead of volunteering with an organization, his services are provided independently. As a photographer, Luke Buchanan loves to photograph nature and animals.  Luke Buchanan became a volunteer photographer for the website petfinder.com, which he says is his favorite topic of photography.  “My goal is to update their pictures for petfinder.com so that they can put their best paw foreword in their struggle to get adopted,” says Luke Buchanan.  He photographs animals at pet adoptions and also for political events for HispanicLink.org.  

Many individuals perform volunteer work. Luke Buchanan is proud to be among those recognized for helping others. As a high school student, he volunteered for the Spanish Education Development center and later for Habitat for Humanity. Today, Luke Buchanan is pleased to merge his skill and passion for photography into a volunteer service. Thanks to Luke Buchanan, many animals that have had difficulties finding families before are given greater opportunity to be spotted and adopted thanks to his photography.