Photo Nights For Charity Helps A Child!

A few weeks ago Dennis Drenner spoke at Photo Nights for Charity at our Love Life Images studio in Savage, Maryland, where we raised enough money for the Mana Foundation to take an at-risk Colombian youth off the streets for at least 18 months. We are writing now to put a name, a face and a story to this youth.

Maryam Orozco, age 9, was born on Christmas Day near Medellin, Colombia. Despite such an auspicious start, her life has not gone well since.  Both of her parents have been in jail for drug offenses for over two years, and her grandmother has been struggling ever since to care for the girl and her siblings.  While well-intentioned, the grandmother does not have the authority, the energy or the finances to properly play the role of parent.  Since her parents have been gone, Maryam’s older sister, age 15, has attempted suicide, and her 12-year-old brother has been used as a drug-runner by Maryam’s shameless uncles.

Clearly, if Maryam continues to live in such an environment, her future does not look bright.  Fortunately though, with the help of the people who attended Photo-nights for Charity at the end of June, the Mana Foundation has been able to step in and start putting Maryam back on the right track.

Thanks again to all who attended and contributed!

For more information about the Mana and a link to make a quick and easy paypal donation, please go to:

http://www.dennisdrenner.com/weddings/blog/the-mana-foundation.html

Dennis Drenner tomorrow night- join us!

Don’t forget- tomorrow night Dennis Drenner speaks at our next photo night for charity. I hope you can join us and be inspired. 7PM at the studio.

Jennifer and Mary

Dennis Drenner to Speak at our next Photo Nights

We’re back!

Come see Dennis Drenner and his amazing vision on June 30th (Tuesday).  Details below.

In college at the University of Maryland, Dennis Drenner was studying to be a biologist when he began taking pictures for the student newspaper and fell in love with photography. Fascinated as he was by the workings of the natural world, Dennis found the observation of our own peculiar species even more compelling. By graduation, he had decided to trade in his microscope for a camera lens.

Dennis is an amazing photojournalist who has mastered how to run a business (regional editorial & weddings)  and still make the time to travel extensively all over the world (particularly in Latin America) on personal photography ventures.  Ventures that continually grow his unique vision of the world.

Oh, and he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.

View his work at http://www.dennisdrenner.com

Dennis’ charitable organization for the evening is the Mana Foundation.  If you have a few moments to see his short video during a visit, it will be worth your while.  http://www.dennisdrenner.com/weddings/blog/the-mana-foundation.html

We’ll also have a silent auction of some of Dennis’ favorite images.  100% of the funds received will go to the Mana Foundation and you get to leave with a beautiful image.

We’d also like to bring back the “bring a dish” to share.  There’s nothing better than eating yummy food and talking photography!

Here’s the evening’s specs

June 30, 2009 at Love Life Images studio (8600 Foundry Street, Savage, MD, 20763), 410.491.5433

7:00 pm:  meet & greet, silent auction opens

7:30 pm: Dennis shares his work

Please stick around to chat!

We anticipate a large group tomorrow, so be sure to bring some good food with you. If you like to procrastinate, lucky you because there is a supermarket AND a liquor store right around the corner. You can stop there on your way here and pick up something to share in the potluck. Starts at 6:30 with speakers starting at 7:30. I promise the traffic from DC is really not that bad. If you take 95 instead of 295, you will be better off.
See you all tomorrow!
Jennifer Domenick

The details

Alrighty there photo night folks. We’re getting ready for next week. Here’s the skinny:

6:30PM You show up with something to eat for you and some other people (in other words, please bring a potluck dish which can be store bought)

7:30PM Jamie Rose and Chris Anderson of Momenta talk about their work and their student’s work. 

Prints will be silent auctioned through the evening, so drink a few beers, you’ll spend more (which is fine because it’s all going to a really great charity)

Directions from 95 either way:

• Take exit #38 for Rt. 32 towards Ft. Meade 
• Take the first exit for Rt 1 South Laurel. 
• Take a right at the 2nd light onto Gorman Road looking for signs for Savage Mill. 
• Turn right at Foundry St.,
• Pass big red Railroad bridge on left. Turn left past the red barn and park in the lot. If there is no parking here, then go on to the other larger lot that is down the road. 
• Once you get in to Savage Mill, look for the Spinning Building. We are tucked away in a corner that is near the Polish Pottery mart and right around the corner from the Ram’s Head. Please call us if you get lost: 410-491-5433. 

If you have a fancy, new gizmo that guides you there, put in the address: 8600 Foundry St. Savage, MD 20763

We’re really only about 20 minutes north of the beltway and the drive is well worth it! 

See you next week.

Jennifer and Mary 

First Speaker April 1st, 2009 (It’s no joke)

Momenta Workshop directors Jamie Rose (also of jamie’s list and WPOW fame) and Chris Anderson have traveled all over the world teaching students. Now, they are coming to our studio to talk about using visual media as a vector for change, and the democratization of media on the whole; allowing the individual a voice that can resonate just as powerfully and effectively as larger media providers. They will also discuss “market building” in terms of non-profit media and NGO work. This means helping develop a marketplace for nonprofits and NGO’s to see value in a variety of visual media products, and training a market full of providers to provide services targeted at this growing sector. Also, they will talk about training local journalists and non-profit employees to take on some of the on the ground creation, and thus creating customers who can accomplish some level of delivery by themselves, but usually lack the sophistication of western visual journalists…and thus further reinforce our market superiority.

Their charity is the Center for International Health. Prints will be available for silent auction. 

Here are some images to get you excited to hear them speak:

Hellooooo! Photo Nights folks, we’re baaaack

Hi everyone! 

So, it’s been a long silence from us as we have been working on some other projects, but we’re back and ready to announce our 2009 speakers. 

We’re  going to try this a bit different for 2009. We’re not going to ask for a specific donation for the speaker, but if you WANT to donate, then go for it. Call it the economic meltdown special..or whatever title you can think of that is more fitting. In the donation’s place, we are going to have a silent auction of a few of the speaker’s prints. 

Also, we’re bringing back the potluck portion of the evening. Yes, just the things photographer’s love: food, drink and photos. So, keep posted for the upcoming announcements in the next few weeks to see who’ll be inspiring us in 2009. Hope you can make it!

Jenn and Mary

Next Speaker Series November 12

This is just a friendly reminder that our speaker series is quickly coming upon us.  We would love to see you at our final 2008 event on November 12th featuring the very talented (and funny) Mark Finkenstaedt. Let’s support our fellow artists and charities.  We can always use inspiration to keep us motivated & creative!

We are asking for a suggested donation at the door of $10 or contribute what you can.

Mark’s charity is Operation Smile. 

Date: November 12th

Place: Love Life Images Studio in Savage, MD

Time: 7:30PM drinks and chatting, 8PM speaker begins, drinks afterwards until ?

Suggested Donation: $10 (but donations of $20 or more get a voucher for $50 toward Simply Canvas)

Hope to see you here!

Mark Finkenstaedt next speaker

Hello loyal Photo Nights attendees. We’re pleased to announce that our next speaker will be Mark Finkenstaedt. Mark is going to speak about his amazing portrait and commercial photographs that he has been creating for years for the Washington DC market and beyond. He’s a great guy with some amazing photos to share and I’m excited to have him speak. 

His charity is Operation Smile. 

Date: November 12th

Place: Love Life Images Studio in Savage, MD

Time: 7:30PM drinks and chatting, 8PM speaker begins, drinks afterwards until ?

Suggested Donation: $10 (but donations of $20 or more get a voucher for $50 toward Simply Canvas)

Strobist reveals google secrets

 

David Hobby, Strobist, speaks at the studio of Love Life Images for a Photo Nights for Charity

If you are finding that when you google “baltimore wedding photographer” you are seeing some of the same websites over and over, it’s probably because there are few of us there who now have some good information about search engine optimization. A huge thank you to David Hobby for sharing his insight and thanks to all who attended. We raised $2000 for Maryland Food Bank.

 

David Hobby, Strobist, speaks at Photo Nights for Charity