Exciting Stuff!

This coming week is so exciting for me because I am taking a much needed vacation and I am (kind of) taking you with me!

I left this morning for Yosemite National Park to meet up with a handful of talented photographers and experts from across the country. We will be sharing trade secrets, testing our skills, getting creative and breaking out of our boxes to develop ourselves further as artists and bring you photography that is anything but ordinary. Along the way I will stop at a few inspiring locations but you will have to check my blog to find out where!

While I did not have room in my proverbial suitcase for all of you (I was barely able to get all of my equipment in there!,) every day of my trip I will be posting on my blog about my experience; complete with photos, of course. On top of that I will feature one photograph from that day in my blog post for all of you to vote on and when I get back the winning photograph will be available for FREE to download as your screensaver!
You can find out more on what I will be up to at www.findyourfocus.org/event.htm

In the mean time, Adelaide will be manning the studio and preparing our October Fundraising Event to benefit Operation Smile. We are teaming up with PPA Charities, a branch of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) that has become a force for positive change by allowing imaging professionals to combine their individual efforts to make an even bigger impact on the lives of children and families everywhere.

My studio is running a special throughout October to contribute as much as we can:
50% of All Special Sessions scheduled for October will go directly to Operation Smile (which is actually a local non-profit located in Norfolk!) This is an organization you have likely heard of, but if not you can see how they have changed over 150,000 lives in the last 30 years by providing life-saving surgeries that would otherwise not be available to these children and families at www.operationsmile.org.

To participate call and schedule one of the following sessions to take place in October:

Basic Studio:
One 30-minute studio session and 5×7 print for $48 (Normally $170.00)
– A $24.00 donation to Operation Smile, we only need 10 of these sessions to save a child!
Standard Location:
A 45-minute session held at a local park, garden or your own home with an 8×10 print for $89 (Normally $220.00)
– A $44.50 donation to Operation Smile, 10 of these sessions pays for nearly two full surgeries!
Premiere Beach:
This hour-long beach session comes with an 11×14 print (and a HUGE value) for $175 (Normally $410.00)
– An $87.50 donation to Operation Smile, one surgery is covered by less than 3 of these beach sessions!

There is more about this huge effort and what it makes possible for children and families across the world online at www.saveasmile.org

I hope you have all had a wonderful summer, that you are able to join us in October and keep an eye on my blog… it is going to be an amazing trip!

-Ritchie