'Tis the Season

*** UPDATE: The deadline has been extended to January 31st, our studio's anniversary, and the winner will be announced in February 6, our little girl's birthday!***

We cannot even begin to say how blessed we have been with our photography. Our clients are just super, the fellow photographers that we have met are incredibly generous and the experiences throughout this journey are rich! When we started clicking the shutters as Pelaez Photography, one of our mission has always been to give back to the community, the environment and to humanity, in our own little way. From the very start, we have already involved ourselves in organizations where we can fulfill this mission. We have donated our time for the Make-A-Wish foundation quite a few times (check out the Kaughman's who won the auction on one occassion) and we reach out on our own in any way we can as you can read in our last post on Jamie and Jessica's engagement session. We are always on the lookout on how else we can be true to our mission and we just found another opportunity to do so... read on.

Kristen Kalp, a fellow photographer from Pennsylvania, is challenging photographers from all over the globe to donate their time during these trying times. To date, over 330 photographers from all corners are donating over US$350,000 worth of portrait packages to worthy individuals via the program Giving is Awesome. And we're throwing ourselves in the mix.

The deets:
You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

You know someone. We guarantee it.

We want to know who they are, and we want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography -- $1500 worth, to be exact. Whether it's canvas or albums, prints for Grandma, or a slideshow to watch over and over, it's in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a $250 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside in the Lower Mainland. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail us the full story : info@pelaezphotography.com

The winner will be announced on New Year's Eve -- get nominating! We can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving us the opportunity to open ours.

With love,
Rico and Gracci

Oh, here's another one from Jamie and Jessica's engagement session!