“Her smile beams like sunshine, which fills our hearts with love.”

~ Birgit B

The bond among these three is quite evident.  I had a super fun sesh with these fab ladies!    Mia is so beautiful, and her eyes smiled several hundred times during out shoot, and I loved it!  What a special little girl.  Both girls are just radiant and have the best personalities!  Aren’t their eyes gorg?  I was so happy to be able to have a special Mother’s Day session for this amazing mother.  She is so very caring and loving–it was special to watch her with her girls.  Thank you for a fab-u session and for making the drive!  Enjoy your sneakie peekies!

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

~Winston Churchill

I am soooooooooo excited to announce the 2009 winner of the Giving is Awesome contest. If you’re new to my blog and have no idea what Giving is Awesome is, head over to THIS post for more details.
It was so difficult to choose just one from the pool of SO deserving nominees, but after much deliberation I am thrilled to share with you the winner. One of the nominations came from Charlotte Tanner. Her entry pulled me in from the first sentence and by the end had me in tears over the courage of the winning family.  I’m happy to announce that her nominee, Eric, is the winner of $1200 worth of custom photography! Eric and his family have kept an upbeat outlook despite a year in which their three year old son was diagnosed with a severe form of multiple sclerosis, his wife was found to have cancer and endured subsequent surgery and treatment, and the grandmother who raised him passed away unexpectedly.  Charlotte describes his amazing courage,

“The strength he possesses to keep everything together in spite of such adversity amazes me that he can still keep a sunny disposition and hope.  Giving the gift of photography would give a moment in time of their sucess of a family to be brave together and love each other.  I believe it will give memories of their family and bring joy to their family to keep…”

Eric and family, congratulations and an early Merry Christmas to you.  Your courage and perseverance are shining examples of the human spirit and I absolutely cannot wait to photograph you. For taking the time and full heart to recognize Eric’s strength, Charlotte also wins $225 worth of photography.  Thank you for all of you for being bright spots in this wonderful world.  Thank you so, so very much to all that took the time to nominate the shining stars in their lives.  It means so much.  Merry Christmas!

“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”

~Maya Angelou

I am super excited to be part of a worldwide photographic event called Giving is Awesome!  I have always believed in the importance of giving back, and I am so happy to be able to through the gift of photography.  Something that will make someone having a difficult time smile through it.  What is Giving is Awesome?

You know someone.

You know someone who’s experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can’t afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family’s spirit, love, and beauty.

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography — $1200 worth, to be exact.  The winner will receive a complimentary, custom session with me, a high resolution digital negative CD with print release, a DVD slideshow and $100 worth of prints.  Tell me their story because it deserves to be recognized.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a complimentary session fee ($125) and $100 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make the annual trip to Disney World does not qualify as sincere financial need.) 

* The nominee must reside in the East Valley, within 30 miles of 85295 (or the session must take place at a location that is). Tell me who you know, what they’re experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself.

*If you don’t know someone that could use this, pass the link on! Post it on your blog, facebook, myspace, email it to your friends and family because I’m sure they could spread the love to someone they might know.

* You must e-mail me the full story : laura@laurawinslowphotography.com by Monday, December 21^st at 2:00 pm.

*The winning sessions will take place between January and May 2010.  Happy New Year!

You have from today until Monday, December 21st at 2:00 pm to submit your nomination. I must be able to notify the winner with a surprise phone call on Christmas Eve. I will also announce it on my blog that same day–so get nominating! I can’t wait to read all of your entries!

The premise is simple: think of someone you know who deserves custom photography but can no way possibly afford it. Nominate them to win it. Enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling you brought to the world.

Open your heart to someone this holiday season — and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

laura

Learn more about Giving is Awesome project by checking out the website.  Want to nominate someone outside of this region? Check out the map for other participating photographers.