Giving Back | Part One!

As some of you know...a few years ago hubby and I were devestated when a flood severely damaged our home...I'll save the long story, but the outpouring of support from the community and our loved one's touched our lives in a very special way...and ever since, we try to 'give back' whenever we can...so I've got two very special things going on this year....today's part one...tomorrow's part two!

Those of you who follow my blog know all about my godchild Connor.... Baby Buckley was born 2 months early weighing less than 3 lb's...and although we were excited for his arrival...it was scarry all the same...He was the smallest little miracle I had ever seen....and the day I first layed eyes on him I couldn't believe it was possible....here's my first picture of him...

Connor spent the next few weeks/months in the NICU, being visited by his parents every day. Although we knew he needed to stay and was receiving the best care possible....leaving the hospital without him was not an easy thing for my sister and her husband! The nurses in the NICU didn't just take good care of Connor, they took good care of my sister and Steve as well...

Even after Connor came home, the care provided by the wonderful community of others who have had premature babies didn't stop...Loving people check in to see how he's doing and the support is endless....Now, we have the opportunity to give back!

This year Connor and his family (including me) are taking part in the March For Babies event on April 29th. It is a walk through Boston to raise money for the March of Dimes, which supports the research of both the cause and the care of premature babies. My goal is to raise $500 for the event, and I need your help to do it! So, here's the deal...visit my fundraising webpage and make a donation....then, send me an email and let me know how much you donated....what ever amount you decide to give, I will match with a gift certificate to Ann Marie Somma photography! This offer is only valid until I reach my goal of $500 so for all of you out there who were planning on having portraits done this year, or adding additional credits onto your wedding package...this is the PERFECT opportunity to do so!

OK guys, I need your support....please, please, please...donate away!!!! Here's some additional pictures of who I'm walking for...

Macksi's Bridal Portraits

OK...so I never post this many pictures...but Macksi was one of my favorite brides...and I've kind of been slacking on the posting lately...so for all of you who have been checking in every day looking for something new, only to be disappointed...here's a bunch of shots from Macksi's bridal portrait session!

I'm so excited!!!

There's so much new and exciting going on at Ann Marie Somma Photography this year...I just can't keep it all to myself any longer!!! I'm working on launching two new sites...it's time portraits got their own space...my current site is getting a little bit crowded (next year I'll also be adding sites for ADK fine art prints and Seniors...I'd like to do it this year...but there's just too much going on...I'm overwhelmed)...

Also new for this year, I'll be using a new album proofing system that will allow me to share your album design with you in an awesome slideshow and will allow for you to give me instant feedback on individual pages!!! I'm also switching hosting partners...I'm done with Pictage (so any Pictage credits included in packages already issued will be replaced with studio credits)...the billing system sucks and the products are outrageously priced...I'm not 100% sure where I'm going yet...But the prints and gallery wraps at Collages.net were just awarded Hot One Awards for 2008 (I'm sure none of you know what that means....but it's kind of like the Academy Awards for all things wedding photography related)....

My new site most likely isn't going to feature slideshows within the site...I'm undecided on this as of yet.....My options are to have slideshows within the site that can be burned to DVD here at the studio if you so desire, uploaded to iPods, blackberry's etc (but not the option to purchase from the site or email to friends) or have slideshows that will be featured in the blog and will allow for you to purchase a copy for yourself and email the slideshow to friends all from within the slideshow itself!!! I'm undecided...which one would you guys prefer??? Leave a comment!

Real Moments - Friend and Family Captured!

As a recent potential client pointed out (and I totally agree), my online portfolio doesn't contain enough real moments captured of friends and families at weddings....I guess when I was putting the portfolio together (which I update all the time) I was thinking to myself that no one would want to see these because they wouldn't know the story behind each one...so they'd be wondering who those people were..but potential clients do want to see them...and I still want to tell the story behind each one...after all, that feeling that you get...when all of your loved one's reunite to celebrate with you...that fealing makes your wedding day so incredibly special....and creating honest images of those moments is a big part of what I do....so here's a few of my favorites....

This is one of my all time favorites of the parents of the bride sharing a dance.....

















and the mother of the groom seeing the bride for the first time in the dressing room before the ceremony...
























this bride really wanted a shot of her with all of her girlfriends...I just love how happy she is to have them all around her and when I see this image, it reminds me of that same feeling I felt at my own wedding!

















at weddings, love is infectuous....

















































I have no idea why....but I can't resist capturing your friends and family capturing their own favorite images of the day....


















and sometimes I get caught ;-)
























Throughout the coctail hour and reception, I float around capturing guest having fun together, sometimes when they see me they get together and pose...some photographers hate this...but I don't mind at all...I can't tell you how many times I've had people tell me...that's the nicest shot we've had of us in a long time....

















































































































I just adored this old couple...they had such young hearts!
























I love this image because you can just feel how excited everyone is to get their own picture of the 'first kiss'....

















This bride told me this was one of her favorite images....It was taken while she stook next to her new husband and she and her bridesmaids wrapped thier arms around eachother while they watched a slideshow the bridesmaids had prepared of the bride and groom growing up...

















And here is one of that same bride walking from the ceremony to the reception as all the guests followed her lead....When I see her face in this image...I'm reminded of how happy she was...and this one is special to me because this bride is my sister in law, and I couldn't have asked for anything more for her on her wedding day (on a side note...I made her bouquet...didn't I do a fabulous job???) ;-)


















And then of course, there is the party....

This little girl danced, danced, danced all night...and I couldn't resist taking pictures of her...


















I keep coming back to this one...and for the longes time I couldn't figure out why...and then it hit me...this mother just looks so proud to be dancing with her son!

















more party fun....

This is one of my favorites....it's a shot of all the bridesmaids dancing with the father of the bride...I spent a lot of time with this family...and it was so clear to me how much all of the brides friends adored her father...this image reminds me of that....

And this may be my favorite father/daughter image of all time....

I'm working on a several new websites to debut in the summer....mine is starting to feel very crowded...I need a wedding site, portraits, seniors and adironack fine art prints...anyway....when the new site is up, I'll be sure to include a gallery of real moments!