Jazzy Sun Birthdays aims to put smiles on the faces of homeless children by making them feel like kings and queens for a day. Many of the children they serve know first-hand what it is like not to have a place of their own and possibly have had their parents struggle to find the source of their next meal. Saleem-Ismail firmly believed that helping children who have been exposed to a great deal of hardship experience some of the simple joys of childhood is critically important, and thus established an organization which hosts monthly birthday parties for children whose birthday may otherwise go uncelebrated, including cake, candles, rousing “happy birthdays,” decorations, and presents.

The joy on the faces of the Jazzy Sun Birthday children is what keeps the organization and its volunteers going as well as the many monetary and gift-in-kind donations that are provided by generous individuals and businesses throughout the Capital Region. It was a recent party that reminded all involved that what they are doing is making a difference in the lives of many children.

“As we were cleaning up the party room, my friend told me to look outside at the playground,” said Saleem-Ismail. “EVERY SINGLE CHILD who was playing outside was happily blowing bubbles, one of the items contained in the goody bags that each had received. The happiness evident in their smiles and the fact that they were being carefree meant the world to me and told me that the project was succeeding in its primary goal.”

We are proud to have Jazzy Sun Birthdays helping children and families in our region, and are thrilled to contribute a portion of our January proceeds to Jazzy Sun Birthdays. To learn more about their organization, visit them on Facebook.

Note: ABP’s monthly charitable contributions are based on the proceeds from prints, products, and sessions. Any session booked with a deposit received will be applicable to that month’s charitable organization, though the session may be held in the proceeding month.

January – Saint Catherines Center for Children, directed to Jazzy Sun Birthdays
February – YWCA of the Greater Capital Region
March – Best Buddies
April – Cailin’s Memories
May – United Way
June – Jakes Help from Heaven
July – Brave Will Foundation
August – Thomas Patrick Morrison Foundation
September – Franklin Community Center
October – The Children’s Hospital at Albany Med
November – Double H Ranch
December – Angel Names Association

We encourage you to learn more about the work that these organizations do, as they are indefinitely making our region a better place to live. Check back tomorrow for more information about our first recipient–Jazzy Sun Birthdays!

• Don’t forget that our huge fifth anniversary promotion is valid through the end of the day today! We are excited for our studio sessions, as well as some fun winter signature sessions as well. Send us an email if you’d like more information or to take advantage.
• Thank you for all of the great questions you sent over yesterday! We’ve composed a Q&A that we think contains some helpful tips and tricks, so click here to check it out.

And now, onto the giveaway! Today, one family will receive a custom signature session, complete with two of our most popular offerings… a framed fine art print and a modern storybook. We’ve spent (and continue to spend) countless hours seeking out the best quality prints and products for our clients. Our albums and framed prints (by Morningside Gallery in Newtonville) help turn images into art. Digital images are a valuable thing to have, but nothing showcases your family more than gorgeous, heirloom pieces. Here’s a sampling of some of the beautiful items that we offer.

We’d love to know which image of ours is your favorite. Take a peek on our website/blog and let us know what you love and why. You can scroll back through the blog to check out our past sessions, or click the sidebar (at left) to narrow them down. Then, send us an email any time between now and 7:59 PM, and you’ll be entered to win! Anyone can enter, but do keep in mind that our signature sessions are valid for children and their immediate families (i.e. no extended families). The family must live within 60 miles of Albany, NY.

Good luck, and thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for an incredible first five years!

Now onto today! Of course, we are firm believers in hiring a professional photographer, whether it be twice a year, once a year, or once every few years, to create custom portraits for your family. But what about those other 364-ish days a year, when there are countless milestones… missing teeth, holidays, birthdays, first days of school, vacations, and all of those in between moments… that deserve to be captured? We know how much of a challenge it can be to photograph your own children (yes… even photographers have trouble in this arena!) so today, send us an email with questions you may have about how to best document your daily life.

We also know that, when it comes time to hire a photographer, it can be an equally sizable challenge. Here are some “resources” of ours that you may find helpful when finding the perfect photographer for your family:

Choosing a Photographer

A Word About Digital Images

Evaluating a Photographer’s Portfolio

And here are some other resources on the web:

The Consumer Guide for Custom Photography

Take Off Your Mommy Goggles

We can’t wait to hear your questions, so shoot us an email… and check back tomorrow!

Today, we are asking a favor of you. It is so important to us to give back, so we hope you’ll help us in selecting some deserving organizations that we can help support in 2012.

Keep checking in, as we have some exciting things planned for the next two days… including the biggest giveaway ever on Friday!

There is so much more I want to say, but lucky for me, I have five whole days to say it! We are devoting the next five days to celebrating the past five years and the many more that are to come! We have a lot of fantastic things on tap for this first week of the new year, so be sure to check back each morning to find out what is in store for that day.

An appropriate kick off, we thought, was a big (big!) promo to say thank you, thank you, thank you to our amazing, loyal clients. We can never adequately thank those families who bless us with their business, whether it be those who have stuck with us since day one, or those who we look forward to meeting in the future. This promotion is valid throughout the week, so you have five whole days to take advantage!

We’ve previously mentioned how excited we are to offer sessions this winter at the studio, which is a stunning, natural light space in Saratoga Springs. The dark wood floors and white walls make it a neutral and versatile space for either classic or modern images, babies, children and families. It is private, easy accessible, and just a dream space to shoot in. Kristen will be photographing short&sweet sessions at the studio on January 28 and February 26, and we may be adding a March date as well. If you are hoping to have portraits made during the dreary winter months and would like a classy and fresh option aside from your home or outdoors, this is a perfect venue.

Here are a few images from the space. Click here for some additional images as well.

For more information or to reserve a date, please email info@ashleybrownphotography.com or call 518.396.9387. There are limited short&sweet studio sessions available, and we anticipate that they will fill up quickly. Be sure to check back each day this week as our fifth birthday celebration continues! Happy New Year!

It’s that time of year again! We will “officially” be out of the office until Monday, January 2nd, taking some to celebrate, rest after a whirlwind year, and plan for an even better 2012. We have lots in store, and we can’t wait to embark on our 5th year. We will be periodically checking email during this time, so please feel free to get in touch. We’ll be back on the blog the week after Christmas to announce details about our limited edition studio sessions to be held in January and February. Then, we are super excited for our 5th birthday blog celebration, which will be held the first week of January. It will be chock full of things you won’t want to miss (including giveaways, promos, and other goodies) so don’t forget to check back to help us ring in the new year and commemorate a big milestone.

Speaking of which, this is the time of year when we feel extra grateful for our clients, supporters and friends who have made these past 5 years so incredible. We are forever indebted those who trust us with their priceless memories. We’ve watched families grow in size, and newborns turn into kindergarteners. Being able to work so many families… both local and not-so-local!… is a really fantastic thing. We look forward to seeing old and new faces, capturing the art of childhood, and filling walls and albums with portraiture in 2012. We hope that you and your families enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season!

Ashley, Kristen and families

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our year in review slideshow!

Speaking of good things to come… we are so excited to offer sessions this winter at a beautiful, natural light space in Saratoga. We’ll be offering a handful of dates (to be announced soon) for limited edition short&sweet sessions. These are our regular short&sweet sessions, but include a special product and take place at an exclusive location. The loft was a huge hit last year, so we knew we needed to find another great option for the cold winter months. We also knew we wanted to mix it up a bit as far as the aesthetics of the space. The studio is bright (wall to wall windows) with lots of clean lines, white walls, and dark wood floors. Its simple and neutral palette lends itself well to classic images (think clean black & whites) or fun, colorful images. We’ve got some great ideas for utilizing this stunning location!

Here’s a preview of the space via a session that we shot there recently. Stay tuned for more information about our winter limited edition sessions, as well as whats on tap for 2012!