update – I was sick on my birthday and had to postpone this fun… I’ll update on it soon!

My birthday is coming up in just over a week, November 20 to be exact.  Well, I might as well admit how old I’ll be….  I’m turning 32 eek!  I’ve always had this fear of being 32, not 29 or 30 like most normal people… 32′s my number.

I can’t think of a better way to ring in the year of being 32 than celebrating it by doing 32 random acts of kindness.  Now here’s where my family, friends and clients come in.  I need help making a list of 33 (32+one to grow on) really awesome acts of kindness.

Feel free to comment on this blog post, send me an email, send me a message on Facebook or post on my Facebook wall.  Share one or a bunch of your ideas of ways I can perform acts of kindness for strangers in my community.

I would love ideas of things my kids can participate in too, they’re 16 months and almost 4 years. Please keep in mind that I’m aiming to do all of these things in one day so I cannot spend hours doing one activity.

I promise to photograph my day and share the images with everyone. Thanks for playing along and helping me ring in the new year!

It’s the holiday season, a time for thanksgiving and for giving unto others.  To celebrate this wonderful time of year I’ve decided to give thanks and give.

This holiday season I’m giving one family a complimentary custom portrait session, a $250 print credit and their images on a disc to ensure that the winning family can enjoy their images for years to come.  That’s not all!  If your submission is chosen then YOU will receive a complimentary portrait session and a $100 print credit.

It’s time for YOU to send in your nominations.  Nominate a friend or a family who deserves the gift of custom photography this holiday season, someone who is facing hard times in their life or someone who gives selflessly to others without expecting something in return.  Tell me their story and why they deserve this gift. Give thanks & give!

There are a few rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself and the person/family you nominate must sincerely be incapable of retaining my services.

* The nominee must reside within the Houston area or be willing to travel to the Houston area for their session.

* Please email their story as well as contact information for your nominee as well as yourself to: info@kdloftisphotography.com, please put Thanks & Giving as the subject.

* Anyone can participate, you do not need to be a past client of mine to make a nomination.

* The session must take place between January 1, 2011 and June 1, 2011.

All entries must be received by midnight on December 24.

The winning entry will NOT be shared on my site, but I retain the right to share parts of the winner’s story.  I will review all of the entries and select the winning family (with the help of my own family) on Christmas Day. The winning family does NOT need to know who nominated them unless you want them to know.

The announcement of the winner will come the evening of Christmas Day.

My sincere thanks to all for opening your hearts in the spirit of giving this holiday season!

If you’re a professional photographer and want to join in Thanks & Giving I encourage you to comment on this blog post and link to your blog and share with others.  Give Thanks & Give!

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Joy is one of my favorite words and emotions.  My daughter’s endless laughter fills me with joy.  The love I share with my husband is inexplicably joyful.  The love I have for my art makes me giddy with joy.  Joy is contagious and something I want and need to share.

It’s the holiday season, a time for thanksgiving and for giving unto others.  To celebrate this awesome time of year I’ve joined up with other photographers in a campaign of giving called Giving Is Awesome.  This holiday season I’m giving away a complimentary custom portrait session as well as a print credit to ensure that the winning family can enjoy their art for years to come.  That’s not all…I’m giving the nominating family a complimentary portrait session as well!

It’s time for YOU to send in your nominations.  Nominate a friend or a family, someone who is facing hard times in their life, someone who gives selflessly to others and they expect nothing in return, some who deserves the gift of custom photography this holiday season.  Tell me their story, what they’re experiencing, and why they deserve this gift.

There are a few rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself and the person/family you nominate must sincerely be incapable of retaining my services.

* The nominee must reside within the Houston area or be willing to travel to the Houston area for their session.

* Please email their full story as well as contact information for your nominee as well as yourself to: info@kdloftisphotography.com

* Anyone can participate, you do not need to be a past client of mine to make a nomination.

* The session must take place between January 1, 2010 and June 1, 2010.

All entries must be received by midnight on December 23.

The winning entry will NOT be shared on my site, but I retain the right to share parts of the winner’s story.  I will review all of the entries and select the winning family (with the help of my own family) on Christmas Day. I have been asked, no, the winning family does NOT need to know who nominated them unless you’re ok with it.

The announcement of the winner will come the evening of Christmas Day!

My sincere thanks to all for opening your hearts in the spirit of giving this holiday season and for spreading the JOY!

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

On October 18th, 2008, Autism Speaks held their annual Walk Now for Autism event at Reliant Park in Houston. The event raised over $300,000 benefiting Autism research.

It was our honor and privilege to photograph and share in such an important event.

Please click on the image below to view our gallery of photos from the day. All proceeds from print purchases will be donated directly to Autism Speaks.

Enjoy!

For more information about Autism Speaks – Walk Now for Autism call 281-714-7077, email houston@autismspeaks.org or click the logo below.