VENTURA, CA – Professional portrait artists from Decadent Images of Ventura are donating their time to create portraits of the general public that can be utilized for social networking pages like Facebook and Myspace or other uses.

A $10 donation per portrait will be requested. All proceeds will benefit Straight Up Ventura County, a youth development organization funded by the Ventura County Behavioral Health Department Prevention Services. Straight Up representatives will also be on hand to answer questions or concerns about the use and safety of social networking sites.

Portraits will be taken on Sunday, August 9th from Noon to 4pm at Ventura Improv Company at 34 North Palm Street in downtown Ventura. No appointment is necessary.

"With increased use of Facebook and other social network sites, a person’s image may be viewed by hundreds of people a day. It is important to put your best self forward and stand out in the sea of sameness. This can be best done by having a creative portrait made by a professional photographer,“ says Sue Bell, owner of Decadent Images.

Katherine Kasmir, Program Director for Straight Up Ventura County, appreciates the opportunity to educate parents and youth about social networking. "There's a lot of misconception about these sites, like Facebook and MySpace. Parents can learn what these tools are and how to use them successfully; and youth can learn how to be safe online."

About Straight Up: Straight Up is a youth development project that promotes social change regarding underage and binge drinking using improvisation and interactive performance and workshops with engaging discussion, exploration of issues, and the development of personal and community solutions to these problems. more

About Decadent Images: Decadent Images is a Ventura based photography company. The award-winning mother/daughter team of Sue Bell and Grace Anderson, specialize in portrait, event and wedding photography.