Little Collin…

We were so blessed to be able to photograph little Collin a few days ago. His story, and others like him are the reason for this project. Here is part of his story, told by his mom:

“At my 30 week OB visit we found out that I had no amniotic fluid, and the baby was measuring barely over a pound. When we were told that he would have to be delivered because it was too dangerous to continue to carry him with no fluid, all we could do was pray for a miracle. Collin was born October 29, 2008 weighing 1lb. 6oz. and was 13 in. long. When we heard his first little tiny cry we knew that he was a fighter and had hope that our prayer would be answered. We were so blessed to receive care from two hospitals that are affiliated with the Children’s Miracle Network. First at MUSC where Collin was delivered and treated the first three weeks of his life and then at McLeod Regional Medical Center NICU after he was stable enough to be transferred back to Florence. The care that he received from both facilities was exceptional. From the advanced medical equipment and professional staff to the overall caring support we received, we knew that he was receiving the best care possible. Words cannot describe the emotional roller coaster of seeing your fragile tiny child fight for his life. It seemed as though he would take one step forward and then two steps back as he slowly overcame huge obstacles that preemies face, but we knew that he was in God’s hands and that He had an amazing plan for this little life. He is already showing BIG personality in that little body of his. He is finally home and every day with him and his big brothers Caleb and Kaden is a gift. We have truly been blessed with a miracle and we are so thankful for the care that Collin received at MUSC and McLeod with the help of the Children’s Miracle Network.”

Jeffery and Dori Allen

The $100 Portrait Project is creating beautiful portraits for only $100! And at least 50% of the revenue generated goes to save lives with the Children’s Miracle Network. This has become a passion of mine (Collin M. Smith) to give back, not only to the families of Florence, but to a great organization that saves sweet little lives.

These portraits are of Collin at age 3 months, he is ONLY 5 pounds. Think about that for a minute. THREE months. Just FIVE pounds. My children were full term and at birth weighed 6lb 8oz!!! I thank God everyday for my babies and am so thankful that they are healthy, like so many of our children are. That is why I wanted to try and help, because we are not all blessed with healthy babies. We feel so blessed to have met and photographed Collin. This baby boy is a Fighter! We look forward to watching you grow up, Baby Collin!

Two new events scheduled!!!

On March 28th, we will be set up at Dancin’ on Main in Lake City from 9:00AM to 1:00PM. We will be scheduling appointments every 10 minutes.

On April 25th, we will be set up at Wink, in Florence from 9:30AM to 4:00PM. Again, appointments will be every 10 minutes. They have extended a great offer for all that schedule a session: Anyone who signs up can do one piece for 1/2 off.

With both events, walk ins will be more than welcome, but appointments times will be done first.

Thank you so much to our hosts, without your help, we would not be able to do this!

What we did on Valentine’s Day

On Valentine’s Day we were out at Cottontails Children’s Boutique for our first ever $100 Portrait Project event. This was such an exciting day for us! We will start showing more images on this blog from our events in the future, but right now, we felt like we needed to show one particular image that summed up the day and the event.

By the way, the shirt says “loved”
We had a lot of great sessions and cannot wait to share them with you all.

Our first web commercial

Today is the day for being on air!

Well, I am only a couple of hours away from being on 92.9 and 103X talking about the $100 Portrait Project. I am a little nervous because I want to do this justice. I have such a passion to make this project work that I cannot talk about it enough right now. My prayer is that many will hear, many will understand the idea and concept, and that many many more will get excited and want to be involved! I believe that we are offering something that has incredible value and is something that so many will want. 11:00 is coming up fast! Pray for me to not stutter.

What’s going on…

Well, McLeod’s radio-thon is coming up airing on Eagle 92.9 and 103X next week, and I am going to be interviewed on the radio!!! Funny thing is, I was originally a broadcast major at St. Louis Community College at Meramec and I am completely nervous about being on air! The interview is at 11 on Thursday, February 12th. I am so excited about getting the word out on this project and getting support from even more of the community. We feel very strongly about the potential over the next several years to raise money for the CMN. Tell your friends and anyone you think might be interested in learning more about the $100 Portrait Project.

Welcome, SHE Magazine Readers!

Welcome! The ad that came out in She magazine this month may be the first time you have heard about this project that we started at the studio. Or maybe you have heard about it, but don’t fully understand what it is all about. In either case, I encourage you to explore this website! This is where you find out all that you need to know about this exciting project. And I mean REALLY EXCITING!!! Collin and I are thrilled to be able to have the opportunity to give back to the community in this way. We want it to be HUGE. We are expecting it to be HUGE! Things have moved very fast, and we are overwhelmed by the support we have already been shown from local businesses and individuals. In case you still don’t know what it’s all about, here’s a brief overview…Collin will be available at certain events throughout the year to photograph you and …here’s the GREAT part…GIVE YOU THE FULL-SIZE DIGITAL IMAGE for $100!!! But you want to know the BEST part? At least 50% of the revenue will be going to The Children’s Miracle Network. Please, explore this site to gather more information and details about the style and feel of these sessions, as well as exactly what you can do with a full-size digital image. This is HUGE, Folks! We are so excited to offer you an amazing portrait at an unheard of value. But more than that, we are THRILLED at the possibility of what this project can do for The Children’s Miracle Network. Collin and I are asking for your help in making this project a success. Our first event will be at Cottontails Children’s Boutique on Valentine’s Day! Appointments are filling up, so give us a call to book yours today. Give the special gift of a portrait this Valentine’s Day. And in doing that, help a cause that saves the lives of sick children in our community every day. Thank you, and we look forward to working with you on the $100 Portrait Project! 843-665-4646