The first winner is  Alexys Amuso.  Alexys was nominated by her Grandmother, Andrea Amuso, and is a Senior at  Ironwood High School.  Alexys’ mother was killed in an accident when she was just 9 years old. For various reasons her father was unable to care for her and her brother.  They were both adopted by her Grandmother, Andrea.

Her Grandmother wrote these words to describe Alexys:  “Never once has Alexys used this loss as an excuse for anything in her life. When she’s really missing her Mom, she sits down and writes poetry to express her feelings. She wrote her first poem months after her Mom died. It was published in a book of Poems and in a Poetry contest at her school. Lexi, as her friends call her maintains a 3.7 non weighted GPA at  taking Honors classes, and is Captain of her Soccer Team. She has been accepted into all three of the State’s Public Universities and is awaiting word from some out of state Universities. She wants to be a Neonatal Nurse and is very focused on that goal. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her. Her Guidance Counselor at Ironwood High School says she’s the most mature, focused student she has.”

The second teen to receive a Portrait Session is Sarah Poland, a Senior at Sunnyslope High School. The amazing thing about Sarah is that she was nominated not once but twice, by two separate people! Here is a little bit from what both people had to say about Sarah…

Sarah Doyle, Sarah’s Small group leader wrote me these words about Sarah: “She is a born leader and is able to influence those around her.  She can be straight-forward but also tends to guard herself until she knows she can really trust you.  She is kind and deeply loyal to her family and friends.  She has a sweet passion for developmentally delayed children and hopes to be a special education teacher or work with them in another way.  Sarah is currently the editor of her high school newspaper and plays on the varsity soccer team.  In the spring she will be on the track team where she will compete in triple jump and long jump.  She was a cheerleader for the first time this year during football season.  She is learning to play the piano in school and maintains a B average in her classes.  She is on our high school leadership team, and remains committed to my small group.  She goes to many of the Senior High events, went on the Mexico mission trip with our church the last two years, helped with VBS, and did Kid’s Club with Neighborhood Ministries this summer.  She works and plays hard in everything she is a part of, so much so that she loses her voice often from sheer exhaustion.”

And Sue DeForrest, a close friend, had this to say: “(Sarah) is a Senior at Sunnyslope High School and has dealt with so much in her young life.  Finances have always been tight for Scott and his family and over the years Sarah has dealt with their situation quietly.  In spite of all her struggles, Sarah has persevered. She has been on the swim team, soccer team, track team and this year she was a cheerleader. She has wrestled with and hung in there with God and is regular at ODF.  And best of all she will graduate in a few months with plans and hope for her future!”

Congratulations Alexys and Sarah!  I was blessed by hearing your stories and the wonderful things your loved ones had to say about you both. I am looking forward to meeting you and will contact you to schedule your free Portrait Sessions!

I also know that the High School Senior portrait season is upon us! I would love to pay the blessings forward by gifting a deserving Teen a Full Senior Session including all High Resolution Images on a disk. There are a ton of amazing teens out there who are achieving great things, serving others and going beyond what is expected. Maybe they are just a really great student who is going through some tough times in their family. Perhaps they have overcome hard circumstances and are making a difference just through their positive attitude. I want to give one of those deserving Teens a free portrait session!

I want to hear all about them! Tell me about the truly amazing High School Senior who deserves to win a free portrait session!  Tell me (in a few paragraphs please!) why this Teen is so wonderful and most importantly, deserving of a free portrait session. Me and my trusty nominations committee (READ: Me, my husband, my mom and a good friend!) will pick one lucky winner based on the entries. And yes, you can nominate yourself!

The What:
The winner must live here in the Phoenix metro area. Portrait session will take place between Feb 1 – March 30. 2010
The winning HS Senior will receive a 2 hour Portrait Session at a location here in the Phoenix metro area and the entire disc of all the final, edited images (usually 25-30 per session). There is no obligation to purchase anything! Wahoo!

The Who:
Nominate a teen in your life and email me as to why he/she is so wonderful and deserving of a free session. (and remember, you can nominate yourself!)
I must receive all emailed entries by Midnight PST Saturday, December 19, 2009. The Winner will be announced by Noon PST here on this blog and on my Facebook page on Monday, December 21st….just in time to make this a great Holiday Gift!

The How:
Send emails to sandi@sandishipleyphotography.com. Email me your entry by the deadline. Include your own full name and contact information. Also include the name of the teen you are nominating, how you know them, and why they are so deserving. If you want to include a small picture of the person you are nominating you may but it is not required! The winning entry will be emailed to make arrangements for contacting the winner. Tell a friend!

The Fine Print:
Emails MUST be received before the deadline. Entries received after Midnight on Saturday December 19th will not be considered. Winning Teen must either live here in the Phoenix metro area or be able to get here and session must be completed in February or March of 2010. Dates will be scheduled according to photographers availability during those months.

That’s it! Let the nominations begin!! Again…send entries to sandi@sandishipleyphotography.com

Todd and Teresa, a million thanks to you for letting me be a part of your day! Enjoy!

and more…

I was thinking about why I am so excited. It was the same rub-my-hands-together anticipation that I had earlier this week when I got to do a session with 4 week old triplets. Then again, for the most part I feel like a kid in a candy store before doing sessions. It is what I love. Really. Truly. Love. I love the connections between a pregnant woman and her husband, so full of anticipation and hope. I simply melt seeing a new father kissing his daughters toes and itty-bitty fingers. I am inspired by HS Seniors who are so ready to take on the world. Don’t even get me started on how I feel watching the unguarded play of families. I simply love the connections between people.

So tomorrow, I get the opportunity to capture and create tangible keepsakes for this couple. I get to be there with my camera when he sees her for the very first time as his bride. Ooohhh…and when they look at each other and make promises that will last a lifetime. And they will. Trust me on this one. I get to see her 5 year old daughter in a gorgeous dress, all dolled up just like her beautiful mommy. Sigh. Happiness. Pure Happiness. So today, if you hear me giggling randomly while grocery shopping or getting the mail, really, I am not crazy. Well, okay, maybe just a little…

First of all, I am so touched by the very positive response to the Holiday Mini Sessions! I am down to just a handful of open spots left. I most likely will open up a few more weekday spots, so if that is an option for you let me know. I have received a few questions about the Holiday Cards and I thought it might be easier to post the answers here for everyone to read. If I have left anything out, please let me know and I’ll be happy to get back to you!

What size are the cards? Are there any in 4×8?
1 cards design is done as a 5×5 TriFold, the rest are 5×7. I am not offering any 4×8 cards. I think the larger cards showcase your photos so much better! It gives me a great deal more flexibility in working with your pictures.

Is extra postage needed?
The envelopes for the 5×7 cards are considered a standard size and do not require any additional postage. The 5×5 cards, on the other hand, require hand sorting. The current postage to mail a square envelope is .64 cents. You can verify the current rate on the USPS website http://postcalc.usps.gov/

How long will it take to get the Holiday cards and pictures back?
Turn around is fairly quick for the mini session pictures. It’s a good idea to view the Holiday card gallery before your session. At the time of your session you can look at actual card samples and pick out 2 designs that you like. From there, it will take me about 1 week to get your proof gallery online. The gallery will include your images from your session as well as proofs for your cards. Once you let me know which one you prefer I send it off to my print lab. They usually have the cards back to me in 5-7 days.

Can I add a favorite saying or verse to the cards? Do you allow any changes?
You can change the saying on any card if space allows. Design elements on the cards cannot be changed. For example, a Snowman cannot be changed to a Santa. However Merry Christmas can be changed to Holiday Blessings, Happy Hanukkah or Happy New Years!

What if I can’t decide on one design or need more than 25 cards?
The mini sessions come with 25 Flat Press Printed cards. Cards come in sets of 25, but you can order as many sets you’d like. Mix up a design or two, have some fun with them! Each additional set of 25 cards is $75.00. You also have the option of ordering Folded cards as well for an addition fee of $20.00. Folded cards give you the option of adding in more pictures and a longer message if you desire. Each additional set of Folded cards can be purchased for $95.00.

Here is another card design where you can choose between layouts…

And one with the option of doing  5×7 Flat or Folded card. Choices, choices!

I am thrilled to announce the return of last year’s very popular holiday mini-sessions! These limited-availability sessions will be offered on three Saturdays during November. Mini-sessions are perfect for updating family or milestone photographs just in time for the Holidays. These sessions will fill up very quickly. Contact me soon to reserve your time!

Your Mini-Session fee of $225 includes:
- 30-45 min. shooting time, including a mix of traditional Family settings and candid shots.

- 8-10 Final, edited images in a private online viewing Gallery

- 25 beautiful press-printed custom Holiday/New Year’s cards*

- $50 Credit toward any Print/Product Purchases

Dates and Locations:

Option #1: Saturday, November 7, 2009
Saguaro Ranch Park, Glendale

Option #2: Saturday, November 14, 2009
Heritage Square in Downtown Phoenix AZ

Option #3: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Scottsdale Civic Plaza Park, Old Town Scottsdale

There will only be 4-6 sessions available per day, so please reserve your spot early.

Finally, if you have recently had a session and wish to purchase holiday cards featuring images from our time together, please e-mail before November 1st to order your cards.

*Additional Cards may be purchased in sets of 25: $75 for Flat and $95 for Folded/TriFold Cards