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launching Images to Inspire Hope – let’s help Japan!
On 11 March 2011, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9 hit Japan, and devastation through the tsunami followed.
Along with fears of radiation; food, water and fuel are in short supply. The death toll has passed 10,000. More than 17,440 people are missing. Hundreds of thousands of people have been made homeless.
It’s heartbreaking.
Vinita and I are back! This time as a team filled with loads of ideas for an exciting new initiative!
Do you remember last year when we took part in Helping hearts for Haiti?
We’ve decided to go bigger and better, and are therefore, launching our own initiative so that we can help raise funds for Japan, and for future projects too.
Introducing… Images to Inspire Hope
We’ve got our mojo on! We have a brand new website (www.imagestoinspirehope.org), a logo and a big plan!!
But this plan cannot succeed until we have your cooperation or help.
Our chosen charity is Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund (Save the Children). As family and children photographers, this is our way of using photography to give back.
And this is how you can help…
You and your children could win a wonderful family photo session on-location in the heart of Den Haag, Gouda or Utrecht!
- This session will be photographed by myself AND Vinita and will be held on Saturday 02 July 2011. Celebrate the start of the Summer holidays! This gives you plenty of time to shop for new outfits too, if need be ;-) If you are not available on this date, don’t worry, we can make alternative plans!
- Session is for up to 5 members of the same immediate family and will last between 1-2 hours.
- Winner will also receive all their proof images in medium resolution on CD. Print to your heart’s content!
- Valued at €675!!
How to win:
- Make a MINIMUM donation of $10 to the Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund
- For every donation of $10 you will be entered into the prize draw. Increase your chance of winning; donate $30 and you’ll receive 3 entries!
- Forward a copy of your donation confirmation email to help@imagestoinspirehope.org.
- All entries must be RECEIVED by midnight (GMT+1) on Tuesday 31 May 2011.
- Winner will be drawn at random and announced on Wednesday 01 June 2011.
- You can enter as many times as you’d like, but each entry must be the minimum $10 donation.
Other details:
- Session participants must sign a model release. This allows us to showcase our favourite images from your session on our blogs and on the Images to Inspire Hope website.
- Session must be held in Den Haag, Gouda or Utrecht.
- If the winner does not claim his/her prize by Friday 10 June 2011 or cannot claim the prize, then another winner will be drawn.
- This program is not sponsored or promoted by Save the Children and we are not receiving anything in return for this effort.
But wait! There’s more!
Please feel free to blog, tweet or share the link to this blog post and the Images to Inspire Hope website! Together we can help those in need.
Thank you SO much!!
Best wishes,
~ Natalie and Vinita
Also posted in giving back
Tagged charity, den haag, devastation, disaster, earthquake, fund raising, giving back, gouda, help, hope, images to inspire hope, initiative, japan, launch, natalie carstens, portrait photographer, prize draw, professional photographer, the hague, tigs creations photography, tsunami, utrecht, vinita salome, win
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Amazing lighting workshop in The Hague with Zach & Jody Gray
Wow! The past two days have been phenomenal! I have so many blog posts waiting to be written and client sessions I want to share, but this, this I have to blog about right NOW!
I just spent two amazing days with Zach and Jody Gray from Gray Photography – and these guys are just incredible, they’re so inspiring and such great fun to be around. I’m absolutely elated that they brought their IN-CAMERA: Light and their Business and Marketing: Executing the Dream workshops to The Hague and was able to attend. Huge thanks to Anouschka and Ray from Lifestyle Fotografie for making it all happen!! I had an absolute blast, and loved meeting all the other photographers too, many of whom I knew from Twitter and Facebook – it was so great to connect in person.
As a result of the workshop, and especially the shoot in The Hague, I now see in a completely different way and I’m totally excited to put all these new tricks into practice. It was so great to work with a high-powered strobe outdoors and it’s definitely something I’d like to do more of. I’m totally inspired! I’m totally giddy too! ;-)
Let me share some of the photos I took… enjoy!
Here’s a before (natural light only):
And the rest are after (natural daylight + one high-powered studio strobe = awesome!)
The models, Stephanie and Angela were fabulous to work with! Thanks girls! :)
Be sure to head over to Zach and Jody’s blog to check out a couple of my behind-the-scenes photos and some of their awesome photos from Tuesday’s lighting shoot!
Best wishes
~ Natalie
A time to celebrate! Happy New Year!
Many thanks to my wonderful clients for making 2010 a fabulous year! And thank you to everyone for your support, encouragement, and kind comments here on my blog, on Facebook, Twitter and in person, it’s much appreciated!
Here’s wishing you a fabulously Happy New Year celebration tonight. See you in 2011, may it be a bright and prosperous New Year for you all!!
With love and best wishes,
~Natalie
and the winner of the Spring Portrait Session in The Hague is…
Thank you so much to everyone that entered the prize draw to win a fabulous Spring Portrait Session in The Hague with Tigs Creations. I asked you to tell me at least ONE thing you love about The Hague, and your answers were an absolute delight to read. I’m going to share a few that caught my eye…
“I love the Keizerstraat on Saturdays! It is like a little village full of lovely people.” – K
“This spring I discovered the Frederikstraat while on my way to a childbirth preparation class. I love the shops and the restaurants, and I want to shop in every shop I’ve seen! It’s utterly charming.” – J
“I love this all-in-one package in the Hague: you have a city for going-out and shopping and the beach and the dunes to enjoy the nature.” – J
“What I do love about The Hague is, well, love! My fiancé lives there, so for three years, I’ve been spending my weekends and the odd month here and there at The Hague and surroundings. He’s taken me sightseeing, we’ve spent hours walking at the beach, and I regularly request he takes me to the big vegetable market on saturdays.” – E
“The atmosphere, the old city look, there is much green in this city.” – F
Many of you also mentioned the international feel, the blend of cultures and ethnic diversity, foods from all around the world, the cycling lifestyle and the simplicity of living here. I’m in agreement with all of you; I love living in The Hague! :-)
So, who won the Spring Portrait Session…..?!
Congratulations to Mariam Raafat!
Mariam has been living in The Hague for less than a year and loves that people from all over are living here.
Mariam, i’m very much looking forward to working with you and meeting your family. Please send me a note to claim your fabulous Spring Portrait Session and a CD of all your images!
Thank you again to all of you that entered the prize draw! :-)
Best wishes,
~Natalie
Featured on ‘A Letter from the Netherlands’
Shortly after receiving the WBII Social Innovation Award 2010 earlier this year, Amanda van Mulligen asked to interview me for the Expats@Home Newsletter on the subject of social responsibility.
You can now read the interview on her blog: Expat Entrepreneur Inspiration.
Go take a look! :-)
To be an inspiration to someone is something quite special…
Thanks so much for the opportunity, Amanda!
Best wishes,
~Natalie
win a fabulous Spring portrait session in The Hague
Yesterday was the fifth annual Feel at Home in The Hague fair which took place in the atrium of the City Hall. It was a buzz of activity! Lots of familiar faces, and many new – including expats that had arrived in The Hague only a few short weeks ago. The fair is an absolute goldmine of information for new arrivals so i’m sure their bags were overflowing with information!
Here’s me at the start of the day – wearing a fabulous new top that DHL delivered just the day before, perfect timing! I’m so glad DHL deliver on Saturdays! :-) Thanks to Neal McClimon who was manning the ADO Den Haag stand for the quick snap with my little cam :-)
Thank you to everyone that came by to say hi and also to those that entered my prize draw, it was lovely meeting you! Don’t forget – you can double your chance of winning by entering the prize draw online too! Win a fabulous Spring portrait session in The Hague! Get your entries in before 17 October 2010!!!! I’ll be announcing the winner here on the blog on 19 October 2010! And if you didn’t visit the fair – you can still enter of course!! :-)
Thanks to my hubby for the above two photos, and for bringing me some lunch! *love you* :-)
I hope everyone visiting the fair had a great day out and made some great discoveries.
Best wishes,
~Natalie
Are you in The Hague? Are you feeling lucky?
Discover all there is to do in your free time!
“If you are new to The Hague and it’s surrounding areas, have lived here for a while and are looking to find out what 2010/2011 has in store for culture and leisure, or are looking to expand your social network and connect with International The Hague, then you simply cannot miss this event. Come along and discover all there is to do in your free time at Feel at Home in The Hague – The International Community Fair 2010.”
Tigs Creations Photography will be participating, as well as representing the Littlest Heroes Project. And I have something special planned this year… I’m announcing it early too!
** Win a fabulous Spring portrait session in The Hague **
Yes, you can win a fabulous Spring portrait session in The Hague with Tigs Creations Photography AND you will receive a CD with all your images too. Print to your heart’s content! Valued at €495!! You want to win, right?
The prize draw is open to everyone (so long as your portrait session takes place in The Hague ;-) and it runs for 4 weeks! The winning entry will be announced here on the blog on Tuesday 19 October 2010. All you need to do is complete the prize draw entry form and tell me at least one thing you LOVE about The Hague!
And it gets better, if you’re visiting the fair on Sunday, you can enter twice! Visit me at stand 40 to double your chance of winning!!
I look forward to seeing you there! Come and say hi!! :-)
Here’s a peek at last year’s fair:
Did you see Tigs Creations in the video? :-)
See you on Sunday!
Best wishes,
~Natalie
pssssst! thinking of buying the CRAVE Amsterdam guide book? Come see me at the fair!! :-)
CRAVE Amsterdam | The Urban Girl’s Manifesto
It’s here! Whoohoo!! The CRAVE Amsterdam guide book is in print and available to buy! Shoot me an email if you want a copy ;-)
The CRAVE guides are available in more than 20 cities in the US, two in Canada, and Amsterdam is the first city in Europe! How exciting!!
This past Monday, 13 September, was the official launch party at Hotel Casa 400 in Amsterdam, and what a party it was! A room full of interesting and inspiring female entrepreneurs, including the fabulous founder of CRAVE herself, Melody Biringer! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the book and flick through the pages, the photography is gorgeous – and it’s quite something to look through a book and know so many of the women featured in it! Many thanks to the CRAVE Amsterdam team: Cristina Stoian, Isrid van Geuns and Athalie Stegeman; as well as the team of photographers (I suppose that includes me – ha! ;-)) for such a fabulous book and thank you ‘CRAVE Amsterdam‘ for bringing us all together! Truly, this is a must have guide of all the women and businesses you need to know, and not just from Amsterdam, there are many from further afield including several from The Hague!
And look… I’m also featured in the book! :-)
So, do you want a copy?!! Email me for details, or come and find me at the Feel at Home in The Hague fair this coming Sunday 19 September – you might just receive a discount! ;-)
And… that’s not all! Melody is coming to The Hague and will be the guest speaker at the Women’s Business Initiative International (WBII) Networking Event on the 23 September. She will be sharing experiences from her 20 start up adventures and it will also be a great opportunity to ask questions about how she has built CRAVE into a global brand (the event is free for WBII members / €30 for non-members). It promises to be fabulous! :-)
Best wishes,
~Natalie
Thank you: MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) in Holland
Are you a mom living in The Hague area? Are you looking for a place to meet and connect with other moms? MOPS in Holland might be just the place you’re looking for!
I met some lovely moms at their meeting in Leidschendam this morning where I had been invited as a guest speaker to share some tips on how to photograph children.
And evidently, I couldn’t resist photographing these gorgeous flowers that I received as a thank you gift! :-)
They’re beautiful, thank you MOPS in Holland!
If you’re interested to find out more about the group you’ll find them at the Feel at Home in The Hague International Community Fair on Sunday 19 September 2010! Tigs Creations will be there too! ;-) Will I see you there? I hope so!
Best wishes,
~Natalie
Romance in The Hague – Helping Hearts for Haiti
Oh wow! Vinita and I enjoyed a fabulous evening with the winners of our Helping Hearts for Haiti romantic photo session. With beautiful Spring weather we spent the evening walking through the couple’s favourite streets in The Hague whilst listening to anecdotes of their lives together.
Love was definitely in the air…
The Hague provides some wonderful backdrops for portrait sessions. Love the architecture in this particular street!
We had so many favourite images from this session, it was almost impossible to choose just a small few for the sneak peek… here’s a couple more…
And the perfect end to a romantic photo session… mmm bubbles! :-)
Thank you so much for a wonderful session, and of course, for helping us help the victims of Haiti’s earthquake.
Don’t forget to check Vinita’s blog for a sneak peek of her images!!! ;-)
