Mini-Session Day Two! {Fairfax Virginia Children's Photographer}

Sunday brought our last and final participants in the Love for Haiti Fundraiser- we had a fun time with little Miss S and got some great images. Here's one of my favorites...


Thanks again to everyone who was a part of this- we have raised over $250 so far, and I'll be able to let you know the final grand total once all the orders have been placed. To put that $250 in perspective, let me remind you of these numbers-

"Thirst Relief's cost to build, deliver, and install a concrete Biosand water filter is $50-70, which in turn benefits on average 10 people in need. Our cost to repair an existing broken well hand pump is $300-$800, which in turn benefits 500 to 1000 people in need."

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your help and generosity, you really have made a difference in the lives of many many people.

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Mini-Session Day! {Fairfax Virginia Children's Photographer}

Day one of our Love for Haiti mini-sessions was a resounding success! Thanks to everyone who participated, we all got some really great images while coming together for a really great cause.

Your portraits will be online soon, but in the meantime, here's a sneak peek from today because I tend to be impatient and get excited to show you the work...





Looking forward to our final sessions tomorrow! Thanks to everybody who came out today in the icky rainy weather!

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Haiti Mini-Session Update

Hey everyone. I hope you all have finished digging out your cars and have not lost any small children in any snowdrifts... Looks like we're over the worst of this insane winter weather. Due to the storms in the past few weeks, we were forced to reschedule the Haiti mini-sessions for March 13th. The good news is- I've still got a few openings left, so it's not too late to sign up!

Here's me and my babygirl having fun in the snow! Hope you all remembered to get out there and enjoy it instead of just becoming stressed out!!!

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Love for Haiti Mini-Sessions

Details, details!

Alright everybody, I've ironed out nearly all the details for the Haiti fundraiser mini-sessions. Here's how it's going to work.

The mini-sessions will be held February 13th at my in-home studio. Since it is just the one day, session times ARE limited, so sign up ASAP to reserve your slot. Each session will last about 30 minutes. Within a week of your session, 5-10 of your images will be posted in a password protected online gallery, for your ordering convenience . The cost for all this is only $50, and your ENTIRE session fee will be donated to Thirst Relief International's Haiti Water Project. In addition, 50% of the proceeds from the sale of any prints will be donated.

To give you an idea of just how much good you can do with just one little session fee, check out this blurb from Thirst Relief's website.

"The Simple Solution for $5/Person

In most third-world applications, the solution to the clean drinking water need is found in the Concrete Biosand Filter. The Biosand filter has the ability to produce safe, clean drinking water from both contaminated surface water and ground water sources alike. As a result, this simple yet effective technology provides a long-term, sustainable, and economical drinking water solution for those in poverty stricken areas around the world. Where non-contaminated ground water sources are a viable option, Shallow Water Wells equipped with hand pumps provide an equally economical and sustainable clean water supply to entire villages. In addition, Hand Pump Repair of existing wells with broken hand pumps serves to multiply the production of clean water throughout a region.

Thirst Relief's cost to build, deliver, and install a concrete Biosand water filter is $50-70, which in turn benefits on average 10 people in need. Our cost to repair an existing broken well hand pump is $300-$800, which in turn benefits 500 to 1000 people in need. Our cost to drill a new well is $2,000-$4,000, which in turn benefits 500 to 1000 people in need. For less than $5 per person, we can provide the basic necessity of clean drinking water to those in need around the world."

Did you catch that? For only $50 (which happens to be the exact cost of your session) they can build a filter that will provide TEN people with clean drinking water. Not for a day. For good! Ten people! Ten people that YOU gave water to. How amazing is that?

So, call me. E-mail me. Hell, stop me if you see me at Target. Do what you need to do to book your mini-session today. This Valentine's day, let's show Haiti a little love. Let's do all that we can to help.


ps. Want to be a part of this but you don't live in the DC/Northern Virginia area? Be sure to check the Photographers for Haiti website for a participating photographer closer to home!

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Photographers for Haiti

Eight glasses a day. That's how much water "they" say you should drink. I don't know about you, but I'm forever forgetting. Around 4 o'clock in the afternoon I start to complain that my head hurts, and my lips are chapped, and I'm tired, and I just don't feel right, and my husband always asks me, "How much water have you had today?" Most days I think for a second and say "uhhh, none." Then I head over to the cabinet, grab a pint glass, and pour myself a nice big cool glass of water from the Brita filter in the fridge. Such an easy solution. So simple, and basic, and free!

But stop for a second. What if water was a luxury? What if you were really really thirsty, and so you headed not to the fridge, where a cold pitcher of clean water awaits you, but down the dusty road to a dirty stream and that was your only option? There are people that live like that. All over the world. Nearly 2 million people die each year due to waterborne-related disease (90% of which are children under the age of 5).

Even before the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12th, 80% of that country's population lacked access to clean, safe, drinkable water. Now their country is flooded with earthquake relief efforts, among those the work of Thirst Relief International. They will continue to be there long after the dust settles, working to bring long-term, sustainable, clean water solutions that will serve as a building block for the future of the Haitian people.

I am proud to say that we here at LaMartina Photography have, through an organization called Photographers for Haiti, joined in those efforts. We will be hosting a day of mini-sessions, and 100% of those session fees will be donated to Thirst Relief International and their work helping the people of Haiti.

I'm still working out the details, so check back real soon to find out all the specifics. I am very excited about this project, and hope to get tons of participation!

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