
This past summer, Jamie had the pleasure of photographing the Thorp family on behalf of Visual Concepts, where he met Frank, Jr. and Jillian, whom you may have heard survived the Haiti earthquake and are now safely back home in the United States. It got us thinking about how important photographs are of our loved ones so we are sponsoring a fundraiser to help Frank and Jillian with HERO (Haitian Emergency Rebuilding Operation), a non-profit being set up to help the Haitians, who rescued Jillian from the rubble of the mission house, rebuild their homes and lives. This effort will extend to other heroic Haitian nationals who have rescued people from the
lethal debris, even while their own houses lay in collapse and some of
their family members were injured. You can donate through paypal on the website by clicking here. By donating $50, you are eligible to receive a
Complimentary family studio session at the farmhouse
during the months of January and February
and receive a
FREE 5x7 of your choice
(not to be used with any other promotion or gift cards)
Please call or e-mail us for more details. Let's all make a difference!! Donate today and receive your family photo to be cherised for years to come!
Below is an e-mail I received from Frank and Jillian's parents updating us on fundraisers. Please take a moment to read and please give generously where and when you can. Thank you, Linda
Thank you all so much for keeping Frank and Jillian in your thoughts
and prayers. As you know, they made it to Washington safely. It
still seems unbelievable that Jillian was trapped for more than 10
hours and Frank drove 100 miles to reach Jillian and join the
herculean nighttime digging efforts of Jillian's Haitian co-workers to
pull Jillian and her colleague Chuck from the collapsed Haitian
Ministries' Mission House where Jillian is the Acting Director. They
are now focused on helping Haitians who have a long road ahead
rebuilding their lives both through making plans to return to Haiti
and by raising funds to help those Haitians whose heroism helped save
Jillian, Chuck,
and others from the wreckage of the earthquake.
Many of you have asked how to help or contribute in the wake of this
terrible devastation. There are many worthy causes, all of which
would help Haitians and Haiti emerge from this destruction. IF
you're interested in contributing to an organization, we'd ask you to
consider supporting H.E.R.O. -- Haitian Emergency Rebuilding Operation
-- a non-profit set up to raise critically needed funds to help
Haitians rebuild their homes and lives. Most immediately, the funds
will benefit the heroic Haitian
employees of Haitian Ministries who worked for 7 hours to dig a hole
to reach Jillian and her colleague Chuck, who were trapped inside.
The offers of support for Frank and Jillian are extraordinary. Already
two fundraisers are planned for Wednesday January 20 in Washington,
DC. Frank and Jillian plan to be at both events, and all
are invited to attend:
*The Neighborhood Restaurant Group will host a fundraiser with Jillian
and Frank on Wednesday, January 20 at Columbia Firehouse (109 South
St. Asaph Street, Alexandria, VA 22314) from 6pm until 9pm. They will
ask for a $40 donation per guest (no reservations, donation collected
upon arrival, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cash bar) and will
encourage additional donations throughout the evening on behalf of
H.E.R.O.
*Good friends of Frank and Jillian will host a fundraiser to support
H.E.R.O. on Wednesday January 20 at Local 16 (1602 U Street NW,
Washington, DC 20009) from 5pm until 8pm.
Several local businesses are generously supporting H.E.R.O. by sending
the proceeds of certain sales to H.E.R.O:
- The Neighborhood Restaurant Group's restaurants will feature items
on their menus (indicated with a red cross), the proceeds of which
will be donated to both H.E.R.O. and the Red Cross.
- For donating $50 to H.E.R.O., you are eligible for a complimentary
family studio session in the Annapolis area studio of Visual Concepts
Photography Ltd (www.visualconceptsltd.com) during the months of
January and February (including a free 5x7 of your choice).
You can also donate directly to H.E.R.O. through the website
www.haitianheroes.org or by making a check out to H.E.R.O. (please
include the periods) and sending it to H.E.R.O.'s headquarters at 25
Pepperidge Trail, Old Saybrook, CT 06475.
Again please accept our gratitude for all of your love, support,
prayers, and thoughts.
Best,
Frank and Tammy Thorp
Photographed a lovely young lady today who is very photogenic and the camera loves her. She also happens to be a dancer and this is one of many we got.

Landon is participating in our ONCE UPON A LIFETIME program and here he is at 6 months all smiles and giggles!! I love the 6-month stage!!! Bought the chair as a prop and it has worked out nicely. Just the size for little ones to crawl on, sit on, hold on and just hang out!!!






We are about to launch VISUAL CONCEPTS FINE ART, a division of Visual Concepts Photography within a few days! It will have its own website, blog and Facebook and we hope you will visit us often to see Michael's beautiful fine art portraiture! In the meantime, I am posting a few samples of his incredible work for you to view. Of course, all these are for sale...they are printed on canvas and we will have giclee prints for sale as well as notecards.

This photograph was taken after a snowfall in Vienna, Virginia and is apty named, "Winter Piece"

Of course, this one is very familiar...Mt. Airy Strawberry Farm, our favorite subject!

This is one of many photographs taken on our honeymoon in Greece. It is a little white church on the water, Vathi, Ithaca. If we hadn't married in Annapolis, I think we would have chosen this spot to say our vows. It is so beautiful!

Lotus on Black ~ Michael has created a series of grouping of individual flowers and this is one sample
Now accepting Little Angel Models (0 - 24 mos) for the 2011 Little Angel Calendar to benefit AAMC NICU. No experience necessary...just cute smiles and lots of giggles. Please e-mail linda@visualconceptsltd or call 410 626 7474 for more information! Babies helping babies...be a part of our team giving back to our community and helping our hospital with its tiniest and most vunerable patient!

Happy New Year!!!

2009 was a wonderful, magical year for us! I married my soulmate, my best friend and my business partner on a beautiful, warm, sunny day in Annapolis with close friends and family and honeymooned in beautiful Greece. When there was one working on a photography business, now there are two! I would be remiss if I didn't thank Michael for taking Visual Concepts to a whole new level and bringing out the best in me and my creativity. It is what loving a person is all about! We embrace 2010 and have so many exciting and new ideas for Visual Concepts! Thank you to you who have supported me for many years and now my husband and our new lease on life! Never give up on your dreams!!! Keep them alive, nurture them and above all.."keep the faith!" We are indeed blessed and look forward to this new and exciting year and many more to come! And speaking of good news for 2010, Michael's father will be celebrating his 90th birthday in a few days. Both parents are doing very well and have been married for over 60 years!!! There is nothing like family and I so enjoy being around them as they are young at heart and so full of fun! I will post photos of his birthday when they come available.
Please note that we are offering a WHITE SALE during the month of January...50% any order up to 8x10 placed in 2009 and any order 11x14 above 20%. This offer will expire on January 31, 2010. Please take advantage of the savings and the '09 pricin
We had almost 2 feet of snow in the last 2 days which created havoc for a lot of people. Our son, Mike, Jr. got stuck in Denver for 2 nights but should be arriving today and we are excited to have him back from UCSC for the holidays. I was supposed to be at Westfield Mall selling calendars but still can't get the car out of the snow. So, to make the best of it, I took this morning off and went for a walk in and around my farmhouse, with camera in hand to capture the most beautiful winter scenes. I can't post them all, but here are a few. I was up and out early and experienced the quietness and stillness of the day, except for the chirping of birds and the call of geese. it was so peaceful, so beautiful and I was so happy to be out and about on my own. Two hours passed by without my noticing and by the time I walked back to the farmhouse/studio, I met neighbors with shovels, snowblowers and even tractors. It was wonderful! I love winter!!

Casey, my wonderful 2 year old lab loving the snow as much as I!!!

my neighbor's driveway

Mt. Airy Road

pond reflection

Canadian (!!) geese...