In the style of The Price Is Right, Shannon Baranauskas, come on down!!! (Cue roar of applause from screaming audience…)  Shannon and her fiance Ted are the winners of a shiny new Engagement Session, courtesy of yours truly!  Shannon had the most entries in the contest, so it was no surprise that her name came up first in the drawing.  Not only did she become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and all that other jazz to earn points, what was most impressive was her commitment to donate to not one, but two charities.  Her first donation is to the American Cancer Society in lieu of traditional wedding favors.  The second is a donation of her time and energy as she trains to run the Pittsburgh Half Marathon for a charitable cause; so far she has raised more than $500 for Girls on the Run.  Taken from her fund-raising page:

“SoleMates is the charity running program for Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run is a life-changing, experiential learning program for girls age eight to thirteen years old. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, and physical development. Our mission is to educate and prepare girls for a life time of self-respect and healthy living.”  Check their website by clicking here.

Awesome, Shannon!  I am so excited to do an engagement session with you and Ted, and I’m really looking forward to the wedding!

And because posts are always better with pictures, please enjoy these wonderful signs of spring that I photographed in my back yard this evening…

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Last week I had the pleasure of experiencing my first bridal show, which took place at the Succop Conservancy in Butler, PA.  For those of you not familiar, I did a blog post about a wedding that I photographed there last year; you can view it by clicking here.  The Succop conservancy is a lovely venue with a charming mansion and acres of natural beauty, including two ponds, an herb garden, huge trees, and fields of tall grasses with paths mown through.  There are so many little nooks for taking unique photographs, and the staff there are very friendly and helpful.

The vendors who attended the show were by invitation only, and it was so nice of Nancy Lawry, the coordinator, to invite me to be one of them.  I didn’t know what to expect, but it actually was a terrific experience!  I met so many nice people, both vendors and attendees, and the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly.

Here’s a picture of my setup, taken with my handy little Canon Powershot:

Couples signed up to be entered in my drawing for a free engagement session as well.  So, without further ado, I will now announce the winner:  And the Engagement Session goes to…MARIA KLUTINOTY!!  Congratulations Maria!

Now, for the exciting part–there’s still a chance to win a free engagement session–and the drawing is open to everyone!

HOW TO ENTER:

Your name will be entered based on the number of points you collect. Each point is worth one entry. You can collect points by doing any of the following things:

Worth 1 Point each:

- Tweet about this contest or about Red Lotus Photography in your Twitter status.

- Post about this contest or about Red Lotus Photography in your Facebook status.

- Become a fan of Red Lotus Photography on Facebook.

- Follow Red Lotus Photography on Twitter.

- Comment on this blog post.

Worth 3 Points each:

- Blog about this contest and/or about Red Lotus Photography.

- Make a donation to the charity of your choice. If you don’t have one, consider the National Kidney Foundation; they actually have a method of donating called mobile giving, which is as easy as sending a text message.  This is on the honor system.  But remember what you do comes back to you, so be honest! :)

Worth 10 Points each:

-Make a creative video or take a funny photograph of you and your fiancé and email it to Sandy(at)redlotusphotography(dot)com, along with a message giving permission to post it on my blog and/or Facebook fan page if I choose.

NOTE: You may repeat the same task, but it will not increase the number of points earned. In other words, you can tweet ten times about this, but it will still only be worth one point.  Afterwards, email me with your name and your total number of points in the subject heading. In the body of your email, type a list of everything you completed including the links needed to verify the completed tasks.

Deadline for entries is April 15, 2010 at midnight. The winner will be selected using an online random number generator and then announced on the Red Lotus Photography blog by April 18, 2010.

THE FINE PRINT:

The session must take place in the Pittsburgh area, otherwise a travel fee may apply.  By participating, you agree that Red Lotus Photography will have no liability for any injury, loss, or damages of any kind to persons and property, due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from participation in this contest. By entering, you agree that Red Lotus Photography, and those acting under its authority, may use your name, likeness and/or voice, and the videos or pictures you submit as an entry for advertising and promotional purposes in any media without limitation and without further consideration, unless prohibited by law.  By entering, you agree that Red Lotus Photography shall have all rights to copy, edit, broadcast, publish, and use your photos/videos, in whole or in part without further compensation, both during and after the contest, unless prohibited by law.

Unclaimed prize (after seven days) will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner. Prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash.

Have fun and good luck!!