I love my job. Love it. Not only do I get to pay my bills with my camera (seriously, how cool is that? I still get giddy just thinking about it), but I also get to connect with the most amazing people.  Each of my clients touches me in some way, teaches me something new and leaves me with fresh insight into the art and craft of photography.

I get all sorts of clients.  Shy ones.  Goofy ones.  Quiet ones.  Loud ones.  Lots and lots of silly, giggly ones.  Every now and then I get to work with a family whose love is so sweet and tender that it flows through each and every interaction.  The Maston’s were one of those families.

Rich works for Lauren’s Institute for Education, and was the first one to contact me to take advantage of the matching print credit I offer for donations to their Rock The Budget campaign.  I met with Rich, his lovely wife Adria (isn’t that the most beautiful name?) and his two beautiful kiddos, Ryder and Maggie, at a local park.  We braved the heat, climbed some trees and explored the area to find some cool spots for pictures.  In the process I got the opportunity to observe the quiet, loving connection that Rich and Adria had with the kids, and with each other, and all I had to do was have my camera ready to capture it.

Did I mention that I love my job?

my silent auction display

A few weeks ago I had a chance to donate to a special silent auction fundraiser for Lauren’s Institute for Education (L.I.F.E.), which serves developmentally disabled children with unique programs such as music, aquatic and horse therapy in addition to traditional occupational and physical therapy. I happily donated a session, custom storyboard and print credit, but when I learned more about the Institute and the shortfall they are facing because of the recent budget cuts I felt compelled to do more.

From their website:

“Our philosophy of care addresses the whole child, not just traditional areas of need. Through our eclectic approach we believe that the child’s emotional well being, both social/emotional awareness and self expression, is as equally important to a child’s growth as is cognitive and physical functioning.

The staff recognizes and celebrates the unique characteristics of each child. Using evidence based practices, L.I.F.E. strives to provide highly effective techniques which generalize outside of the therapeutic environment and ultimately contribute to an individual child’s life quality.

It’s no secret that the US economy is taking a beating right now but that doesn’t mean children with developmental disabilities should too. You see, state budget cuts have left Lauren’s Institute for Education in a bad spot. These cuts mean we will lose over $500,000 in funding from March 1st to December 31st of 2009.”

The folks at L.I.F.E. have created an awesome campaign called Rock The Budget, encouraging people to donate just $5 to assist them in meeting their budgetary needs. To help them out, I’ve offered to match any donation of over $50 with an equivalent print credit (up to $200)  for any paid session completed before September 1st 2009.*

Please visit the donation site and check out the amazing work they are doing. And if you’ve been waiting to book your session – this is a great time to do it!

*(Please click here for terms and conditions)