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Hallmark Institute of Photography's Director of Education Named Exclusive Photographer For ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Turners Falls, MA (PRWEB) February 25, 2008 -- Hallmark Institute of Photography's Director of Education, Richard Barnes, has been named the Exclusive Photographer for an edition of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which is currently being filmed in Maynard, Massachusetts. Richard, a 1986 graduate of Hallmark, along with his wife Kristen, also a 1986 Hallmark graduate, own Barnes Portrait Design in East Brookfield, Massachusetts.

The Barnes', with the assistance of their photographic team, Scott Farmosa and Jenna Hollinger, also Hallmark graduates, began recording the week's events on Friday, February 22, 2008 when the Giunta family, of Maynard, surprisingly received the "door knock," which is when they learned the news that they would be the recipients of a new home. Since a car accident left him confined to a wheelchair, Paul Giunta has been living in a retirement development away from his family because their home is not handicap accessible. Over the next seven days a team of more than 500 builders, contractors, designers and hundreds of volunteers will race to completely rebuild the Giunta's home to accommodate a wheelchair so that Paul can return home.

The Giunta's Story

March 26, 2006 began as a day of joy for Paul and Renee Giunta, when at two in the morning, their baby girl, Brianna, was born. Nine hours later, tragedy struck. On his way home, with their young sons Dylan and Cameron in the backseat, Paul got into a serious, single car accident. The boys were fine, but Paul was not so lucky. Paul's prognosis was very dim to the point where doctors thought that he wouldn't last through the night. After he survived that first night, the doctors told Renee that Paul would never walk, talk or eat on his own again. Renee, knowing her husband, a former tri-athlete, told the doctors that Paul would never accept that diagnosis and that he would pull through this. She was right, but it hasn't been easy.

Paul has had four major brain surgeries since the accident and cannot fully walk on his own, requiring the assistance of a wheelchair and a walker. Although Paul has made great strides with his therapies, he still has a long way to go. Paul spent 16 months living and rehabilitating in the hospital in Boston. Because their current home is not handicap accessible, Paul and the family are separated. He is now living with his parents in a retirement development, which is handicap accessible. Besides needing the current home to be more accessible, other problems include broken water pipes, bad electricity, unsafe floors and a roof that needs major repair work. Paul desperately wants to come home and be with his family. Because this accident happened the same day his daughter was born, the two of them have never been able to live in the same home together.

The Photographers

Richard Barnes and his team will photograph the entire seven day creation of the show in a photojournalistic style from the surprise of the "door knock" to the excitement of the family when they return home to hear Design Team Leader, Ty Pennington, make his familiar call to "Move That Bus". Additionally, Richard has photographed the family's three children, Dylan, 7, Cameron, 4 and Brianna, almost 2, and he is currently in the process of finishing portraits that will hang in the family's new home.

Richard Barnes summarized his feelings about his involvement on the set by saying, "This process is both crazy and chaotic, as well as satisfying and heartwarming. I am extremely honored to share this opportunity with so many talented artists and craftspeople. This is people helping people! We're all putting forth our best talents to provide this family with a new home that will allow them to live together at last."

Giunta Family Build Design Team

The design team for this episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will feature Team Leader Ty Pennington and designers Paige Hemmis, Paul DiMeo, Michael Moloney and Tanya McQueen. The episode will air May 2008. Please visit www.extremehomema2008.com for more information.

About ABC-TV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), and is in its fifth season on ABC. Denise Cramsey is the Executive Producer; and David Goldberg is the President of Endemol USA. For more information, visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/.

About Barnes Portrait Design

For 21 years, Barnes Portrait Design has been committed to providing the utmost service, commitment and quality to discriminating portrait clients around the world. As a dedicated team, it is our goal to provide our clients with an image that captures the person's soul and personality, an image that speaks of the subject. Our philosophy that our portraits capture a moment in time to be remembered for all eternity is incorporated into each portrait. Richard and Kristen Barnes are both graduates of the Hallmark Institute of Photography. Richard has won numerous regional and national awards and titles for his portraiture as well as being named "Massachusetts Photographer of the Year" several times. In addition to teaching photographers from all over the world, he is considered to be one of the premier portrait photographers in the country. To learn more about Barnes Portrait Design, visit http://barnesportraitdesign.com.

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