As many people in the Coastal Bend look to get back to work, they will need to make a good first impression.
At Shoocha Photography, the owner, Shyqeri Kuqi, giving back to the community by offering professional-grade headshots for free.
"During these hardships that our Coastal Bend is facing at the moment, the best thing I could do is give back to the community," Kuqi said.
Kuqi has been a professional photographer for years. He has traveled the world mastering his craft, and now he is looking to capture the hardworking people of the Coastal Bend.
"I want to bring as many smiles as possible to the Coastal Bend," he added.
Those who qualify for the offer are those who were furloughed during the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline workers and teachers.
Marty Gutierrez is a medical-field student at Del Mar College. He hopes to be surgery technician once he graduates. While he is not a frontline worker just yet, Kuqi gave him free headshots anyway.
"Having a picture like this taken by a professional really helps my profile," Gutierrez said. "When I apply to jobs they can see how professional I am about it."
Gutierrez's classes are not cheap, and between books, living expenses, etc., the expenses can run high. The free head shot crosses one expense off of Gutierrez's list.
Kuqi wants anyone who might be skeptical to know, this is a genuinely free offer: He said there is no upcharging and this is not a gimmick, just a simple offer of help.
"Come in, make sure you follow our sanitation procedures and get ready for one of the best headshots you could possibly have," he said.
He is offering the discount until the end of August, but he said this will not be last time he does something like this.
"This will not be the first or the last giveaway that I do," he added. "I believe in our Coastal Bend and I am here for a very long time, so I plan to do this a lot more."