Giving is Awesome

It seems like giving is on everybody's mind this week. The photography community is getting pretty creative in their ways to give and reward people for giving to help the people of Haiti. I'm impressed, and I'm excited to be a part of such a giving community.

Sometimes it's easiest to give money. I don't mind being generous with my money, but I don't often give my time.* And it takes both time and thought to think of someone who might have had a rough year, compose your thoughts, and write me an e-mail. I wasn't sure how this Giving is Awesome giveaway would go, but I am happy to say that two people chose to clear some time in their schedule to think of someone besides themselves.

Contest recap:
Nominate someone who lives in Indiana who has had a rough time of it recently or in the past year to win a Complimentary Portrait session with myself, $150 in print credit, and a CD of high-resolution images from the session- a $600 value. The nominator (is that a word?) of the winner themselves receives $150 print credit.

So who won?

I was touched by both of the stories that were shared with me. I would be honored to photograph either family, and so that's what I'm going to do. They both win. Someone nominated Dawn and her 5 children, and Denise nominated Josh and Amber. The nominators (should they ever wish to have a session with me) will receive $150 in print credit, and I will be contacting them all this weekend to thank them and hopefully schedule sessions (for sometime a little warmer maybe? :D).

Since this is a photography blog and this was a particularly wordy post, I'll share one of my favorite faces with you.

*I do not in anyway wish to disregard or diminish the value of monetary giving. I'm all for it. I was a support-raising missionary for two years, and I have heard many aid organizations saying that right now what they need most is money. Giving money is GOOD.