Heads up, this has nothing to do with photography.
Professor Muhammad Yusuf won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his effort in alleviating poverty through micro-loans to the poor in this home in Bangladesh. “Micro-loans” imply loans that are not significant in amount. A lot of the loans we get are large amounts, and from commercial banks. Yusuf’s bank, Grameen Bank, in contrast, lends to the poor, in any amount. These are very small amounts for us, but it means a lot to people trying to make a living in third world countries.
These are not hand outs, they are loans, and they get paid back. It is a great way out of poverty, especially for women entrepreneurs in the poor countries. Not quite the same, but growing up in Turkey, I was able to go through high school and college due to the generosity of many people, and I feel a sense of duty to pay back. We donate to a bunch of charities, including Mercy Corp and my high school’s scholarship fund, and added the micro-loans as well. You can donate tax deductible, if you like, to Grameen Foundation, or lend (peer to peer lending) at Kiva.org
Ozgur and Vanessa met at a snowboarding trip and they got married at Timberline Lodge. How perfect! Ozgur’s family came all the way from Turkey to attend this beautiful reception with some Turkish wedding touches. The ceremony featured mixing of the sands - originally the sand was going to be coming in from Turkish beach but due to some customs mishap, they used beautifully colored sand instead. They passed bags of Turkish candy (similar to akide sekeri) as their wedding favors and attached a “nazar boncugu” (evil eye), a traditional Turkish symbol.
Mt. Hood was a gorgeous backdrop to their wedding ceremony. For their romantic shots, I also used the other side of the mountain as a backdrop, using the forests and the reflection lake, and also Mt. Bachelor.
Enjoy!
Nazar boncugu with Akide Sekeri
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Sandee and Derek’s ceremony and reception was held at the always beautiful Aerie at Eagle Landing in Happy Valley, Oregon. On what started out as a very overcast day, turned to an extraordinary day with a lovely sunset, and great lighting (perfect for photos). The sun peaked from under the clouds right as we were shooting the couples session. The reception was a fun-filled time and the ambiance of the hall was accented with beautiful flowers from the Fleur de lis Floral Botique. It seemed like dancing was a passion for both Sandee and Derek as they were always on the dance floor as the DJ was cranking out the classics under the disco lights.
Vendors:
Coordinator: Olivia Olson
Officiant: Pastor Ramon Mata
Caterer: DeAngelos
Wedding Cake: Lambs Thriftway
Reception DJ: Radio Parties
Florist: Fleur de lis Floral Boutique
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The orphan works bill is a terrible bill that will hurt a lot of photographers and other creative people. It will make it far easier for corporations to steal our images and creative work.
This will seriously take less than a moment. Please send this to your representative NOW!
http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/issues/alert/?alertid=11980321
