I first met Caleb in 2016 at Lehrman Community Day School during their annual school portraits. When you’re photographing 400 students for school portraits you only have a few seconds to make a connection with the kids. Every moment counts. Caleb definitely made our moments count during each one of his school portraits over the last 5 years. He’d bring an extra hat or accessory for a few extra poses. Caleb is truly an awesome kid. So when I find out that his favorite holiday is Halloween of course I had to make a visit.
As I’ve gotten to know Caleb and now his mom Carla I am so excited and proud to support Calder and Caleb’s Awesome Foundation. Calder and Caleb’s Awesome Foundation is really making a difference in our community. Donate $100 to Calder and Caleb’s Awesome Foundation from now until November 15 and receive a complimentary mini session at the studio. Perfect way to support an amazing cause and get your holiday portraits done. WINNING! Email or call for more information. courtney@courtneystudios.com 954-558-6893
“They say it’s your birthday…..” and somehow through it all, the fact that this month marks the 13th anniversary of Courtney Studios, wasn’t on my radar until a “Happy Anniversary” message came through on LinkedIn. This business that I started 13 years ago as Candids by Courtney, nourished and grew has really taken a back seat since March.
This is for sure an interesting time to run a small business. Shut down in spring as non-essential, heading into summer which is traditionally a slower time for my industry in Florida and heading straight into facilitating my three kids’ “eLearning” experience (which in itself is a full time job). I completely forgot about my business birthday. Coming off of 7 months of extremely slow growth (and I’m being very generous here), it’s time to start from scratch and ask myself some really important questions about purpose. What does the future of Courtney Studios look like? How can I, one small business, effect real change?
Baby steps. I commit to support non-profits and causes that fuel my passion. So my 13th Anniversary falls nicely in line with my support for Mobile School Pantry this month (Hunger Action Month). Make a $1o0 donation to Mobile School Pantry and receive a complimentary mini session. My gift to you. The mini session is good through the end of the year. A mini session gift certificate is always a great idea.
Mobile School Pantry needs our help in their efforts to provide nutritious, healthy grocery items to students and families at low-income schools throughout South Florida. When students have bellies full of healthy food it affords them the ability to concentrate and learn with a higher level of self-esteem.
Celebrate my 13th Anniversary with a donation to Mobile School Pantry. Together we can make a difference.
See you soon,
courtney
ps-and because I’ve been dying to share this custom family portrait session on the blog here it is. These three crazy kids planned this beach portrait session as a gift for their mom’s 50th birthday. I was lucky enough to spend two summers with these sisters at Camp Starlight and I am so grateful to spend an evening with them during this very “non traditional” summer. You can see more from their custom portrait session here.
September is Hunger Action Month. I am excited to support Mobile School Pantry in their efforts to provide nutritious, healthy grocery items to students and families at low-income schools throughout South Florida. When students have bellies full of healthy food it affords them the ability to concentrate and learn with a higher level of self-esteem.
With Public Schools still virtual, the work of Mobile School Pantry is more important than ever. There are a number of ways you can help. First, you can volunteer. Check out the Mobile School Pantry website. There are opportunities to volunteer each week, but during, September, Hunger Action Month, it’s “all hands on deck”. Second, you can donate directly. When you make a $100 donation to Mobile School Pantry during September, you will receive a complimentary Mini Session as my gift. Just show proof of donation, and your complimentary Mini Session can be scheduled anytime during the remainder of 2020.
The Exceptional Theater Company’s (ETC) Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Show was AMAZING. This year’s production of Wizard of Oz did not disappoint. ETC is a theater program for teens and adults with special needs, with locations throughout Broward County. The theater experience for the actors allows them to be the best, confident versions of themselves, and its beautiful.
February 24, 2020 was the last time I attended a Bloom meeting at Fort Lauderdale High School. Bloom is an after school, student-led program that meets on Mondays, that is until Coronavirus came to town. These after school Bloom meetings hosted and sponsored by Taylor’s Closet create a safe space for girls to feel loved, share their stories, and realize how special they are.
During these crazy times Taylor’s Closet has taken Bloom online with Bloom at Home. Bloom at Home is an online iteration of the after-school club. Updated every few days, their online portal is an opportunity for the community of teenage girls in South Florida to stay connected and be encouraged during this uncertain time.
What’s totally amazing is that Bloom at Home is available to EVERYONE! Does your teenager need a pick-me-up? To sign up for Bloom at Home text JOIN to (844) 207-1036. Every week your teenager will receive a few texts with a link to inspirational messages and fun activities for them to do at home.
Do you know of a non-profit that could benefit from custom photography to tell their story? Send me a message. I’d love to know more about them.
I’m really lucky that I have time to volunteer. Being able to do what I love to support organizations that I love is an amazing gift, and it’s really cool. Nothing beats spending time with the actors at Exceptional Theater Company. There are no words to describe their passion and excitement for the theater, because you have to feel it.
ETC is a theater program for teens and adults with special needs, with locations throughout Broward County. The theater experience for the actors allows them to be the best, confident versions of themselves, and its beautiful.
If you’re not doing anything Saturday, October 12, bring a friend and buy a ticket to ETC’s Third Annual Hero’s Gala at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale. I’ll be there! Open bar! It’ll be fun and you’ll be supporting an amazing organization at the same time. Win Win!!
And if you’re looking to schedule a custom family portrait session give me a call.
I’ve been giving my time to Taylor’s Closet since 2012. Taylor’s Closet is an amazing non-profit in Fort Lauderdale whose mission is to create a community in which girls will be empowered to live happy, healthy, and productive lives, realizing their God given destiny, right there in the hallways of their high school campus. Taylor’s last “Bloom” meeting at Fort Lauderdale High School was at the end of May. To see more of this amazing after school program click here.
These adorable sisters came by the studio for their custom portrait session, and although it was raining outside, they brought the sunshine with them. Here are a couple favorite portraits.
Friday, is the final day to drop off lunchboxes and lunchbox snacks to benefit Mobile School Pantry. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of generosity already. The pile of lunchboxes and snacks is huge. To see a few of the “Faces of Kindness” click here. I’ll be in the studio on Friday from 10-2 to accept donations.
I want to shout out a huge “THANK YOU” to everyone to stopped by the studio to donate lunchboxes and lunchbox snacks to benefit the Mobile School Pantry, on Saturday. Not to mention the many people who coordinated a drop off to me personally AND those generous folks who dropped off their donation at Hair Industry. It’s amazing to know that collectively as a community we are working to JUST SAY NO TO HUNGER.
The studio will be open again on Friday to accept donations, and Hair Industry will continue to accept donations through the month of August.
School starts for my kiddos on Monday and I’ll be back to regular studio hours. Grateful to spend so much time with over the summer and grateful to get back into a regular routine soon.
Being an active part of my community is a passion of mine. There are so many different organizations to be a part of, that sometimes it can be overwhelming to find a cause that’s near and dear to your heart.
I first walked into Taylor’s Closet in 2011. At that time they had a very small space housed in a church in Pompano Beach. Walking in those doors was magic for me. What they were doing to help at risk girls blew my mind. I knew I wanted to be a part of Taylor’s Closet and give my time and talents to them. Fast forward 6 years and the amazing non profit has moved into an AMAZING new space in Ft Lauderdale. To really understand what they do, I encourage you to check out their website. Their mission below is directly from their website.
“Taylor’s Closet’s mission is to create a community in which girls in need will be empowered to break the cycle of abuse and neglect and live happy, healthy, and productive lives, realizing their God given destiny.
We provide a safe place where girls can shop for free designer clothing. We engage the girls in a healthy dialogue about important issues that affect each of their lives. We conduct weekly workshops focused on design and art to help girls unlock their creative talents.”
“Her work is distinct and holds a special place in our home.”- Marcy Hirsch -
“Courtney's photographs had a huge impact on NCLR and helped us raise over $1 million in December 2014. Her work is beautiful and engaging and shows the central goal of the fight for marriage equality -love."”- Ace Portis, Major Gifts Officer, NCLR -
“Courtney truly captured the uniqueness of our family and created beautiful, original works of art that we will treasure always.”- Darlene Giol -
