Day After Eid

Wow, yesterday was a bit crazy. And I'm not even talking about the 300+ people that showed up at the Eid party. Lots of food, lots of family, lots of friends, and lots of kids. My ears were ringing as I went to bed from the amount of noise in the house. Of course, what was crazier than the party was the number of Twitter entries for yesterday's Take-My-Eid-Money contest. I'll have to do some accounting and feed it into the secret Winner-Picker very soon. Right now...I'm so exhausted, I woke up early. If that makes any sense. Thanks for everyone that entered! Remember, the September giveaway is still going strong, so remember to check it out a couple posts below.

I leave you today with this one picture from yesterday's party. Yes, the kids had a moon bounce for the day. How cool is that? :)

Eid Mubarak! Win My Eid Money

Eid Mubarak to all celebrating today around the world!

When I was wee lad, we used to get Eid-E money as Eid Gifts...Yes, cash! A kid could stand to make $50 to $100 in one day! It was great...except when you got overlooked by some cheap uncle or aunt. Friends of your parents would stop by and you would anxiously wait for them to call you over so you could collect. I would make my way all the way to the door with my little brother (for cute purposes) as they were leaving, pretending to be a good host to walk them out, in hopes they would remember they had a certain obligation. When they left me empty handed, I would close the front door, run to my mom with my brother in tow to report how cheap her friends were and demand they be banished from all future visits.

In celebration of Eid, I'm going to give an Eid-E gift to 5 lucky people today only! If you win, your Eid-E cash will be sent to you via Paypal or Mail, whichever you prefer. You may enter today as many times as you want, up to midnight tonight, in order to increase your chances of winning!

Simple Explanation: There are $100 in the pot. Five entries will be drawn. It could be someone with multiple entries or five different people. So anywhere between 1 to 5 people will win.

How to Enter:

1. Follow me on Twitter, if you aren't already - http://twitter.com/asimsoofi

2. Paste the following message into your status:

RT Eid Mubarak! Win @asimsoofi's Eid Money ★ Up to $100 - 5 Winners ★ Just follow @asimsoofi and RT this msg! Details http://bit.ly/jccS9

You may enter as many times as you wish by updating your Twitter status multiple times, but only up to midnight tonight (09/20/09). One RT counts as one entry. Winners wil be notified via Direct Message (DM). Contest ends 09/20/09 at midnight. U.S. residents only.

Good luck & Eid Mubarak!

September Twitter Giveaway: Flip UltraHD Mini Camcorder

This month's awesome giveaway is a brand spankin' new Flip UltraHD Mini Video Camcorder. It's so easy to use and I love mine. Just hit the big red button and start recording video of anything & everything; family, kids, dogs, cats, lamas, blackmailing your friends...All in beautiful and clear HD quality!

Check out a sample clip I shot with mine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02AVZmqdLH0

How to Enter:

1. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/asimsoofi

2. Paste the following message into your status:

RT Sept Giveaway from @asimsoofi ★ Flip UltraHD Mini Camcorder ★ Just follow @asimsoofi and RT this message! Details http://bit.ly/Wk9E4

You may enter once per day. One RT per day counts as one entry. Contest ends 09/30/09 at midnight. U.S. residents only (sorry!). Flip UltraHD Camcorder has 120 minute capacity and will be shipped to winner with an ultra cool white finish.

Good luck!

Just for the Grooms: The Proposal

The proposal is such a huge deal and guys go out of their way to plan it perfectly. Some keep it simple, and some get the entire family & friends involved in a complex plan leading up to the big question.

So I wanted to reach out to any guys that are thinking of proposing to some lucky girl. You guys get forgotten during the whole wedding planning, so I want to help you out a bit. I will be giving away at least 3 completely FREE shoots to capture the proposal.

So if you are planning a surprise proposal, I want to hear about it. It doesn't have to be big, it doesn't have to be small....As long as it's a surprise and REAL! I will giveaway 3 shoots where I will capture her first reactions as you get down on you knees to ask her the big question.

I'll shoot anywhere, anytime...schedule permitting of course. If I have to travel outside the local Washington/Baltimore area, those expenses would have to be covered. That's the only catch. Otherwise, just drop me an email at info AT asimsoofi.com telling me what you have planned and I'll pick the first 3 that catch my eye. Contest ends when 3 winners are picked.

Remember to include:

-Full Name

-Phone Number

-Proposal Time Frame

-The Proposal

Good luck!

Donate Your Time & I'll Give You Mine

I walked outside my house this morning and was met with the freezing wind hitting my face and hands. It felt terrible as I wrapped my scarf around my neck tighter and bundled up in my coat. Another sign of the change in seasons. Although freezing cold, the best thing about this time of year is that everyone is so much happier while being around family and sharing holiday dinners.

Unfortunetly, there are so many that don't have a family to spend the holidays with, and worse, they don't even have a place to call home. Some will be spending this winter sleeping on the streets or if lucky, in a shelter. That is why I'm going to do my part to help by volunteering my time and hopefully get some of you to do the same. As an incentive, I'm rewarding some special gifts if you donate some of your time to help those less fortunate.

This is all you have to do:
1. Email a creative photo of yourself to info @ asimsoofi.com holding up a creative sign that reads "Turkey Volunteer 2008 with Asim Soofi!"

2. Take someone with you for atleast one volunteer shift at a local soup kitchen on Thanksgiving Day, or any day up to Christmas.

3. Take some photos of you and your friend volunteering with the same sign reading "Turkey Volunteer 2008 with Asim Soofi!" and send that to me as well.

Then you pick from one of the following for being such an awesome & giving person:
Choice 1: Lifestyle Session for individual or couple.
Choice 2: $500 gift credit towards product or service from asimsoofi.com.
Choice 3: Power Lunch to discuss photography, business, or anything else you want.
Choice 4: Power Shoot to pick my brain and learn about photography, tips, & tricks.

I'm going to limit this to the first 5 people to submit a photo of themselves holding up a creative sign saying "Turkey Volunteer 2008 with Asim Soofi!" If I get some extra responses that are EXTRA creative, I might consider upping the limit. For now, I will pick the 5 most creative submissions and post them on the blog...Yes, your face will be famous! :)

Find a local soup kitchen:
http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Extra things you can do:
-Take a child with you. Teach them the importance of community service.
-Organize a group of your friends or family members to go with you.
-Make it a family and friend tradition to do every year.

I'm really excited to do this and hope you guys enjoy the personal reward of giving back to your community. I also hope this leads to some of you to continue volunteering in an on-going basis afterwards.

Good luck and thanks for volunteering!

Contest ::: Making Things Right For One Deserving Couple Photo Shoot

THE CONTEST:
If you or someone you know deserves to have a kick-butt professional photo session because they couldn't afford a lavish or high end wedding photography at their wedding, didn't love their photos, or they are just someone who deserves something nice, then that couple should be entered. You can help to give back with a fabulous & awesome opportunity!

:: ANY AGE :: ANY MARRIED COUPLE :: PARENTS :: FRIENDS :: NEIGHBORS ::

All Submissions Must Include:
1) A picture of the couple
2) Both names, address, phone, email and age
3) Story of how the couple met and bio.
4) Why you think the couple should be chosen for the giveaway
5) Unique fact about the couple
6) All entries must be sent to info AT asimsoofi DOT com with CONTEST in the subject line.

THE WHY:
I've been very lucky to meet some awesome couples and have the privilege to shoot their wedding. It’s been a real blessing. Sometimes though, I meet someone that’s already married and we get to talking about their wedding, and I hear things like this:
"My wedding photos make me want to cry."
"We just couldn't afford it. My parents felt inviting more guests was more important than the photos."
"Our photographer posed us like we were stuck in a bad 80's movie.
"I wish I had known about you."

I’m humbled by the last one, but most of it just sucks because it’s just plain sad to hear someone have to talk about their memories like that. After hearing thing like this, I've decided I will be giving away one completely FREE lifestyle session for one deserving married couple to help make up for what they missed at the first go. Read on for the crazy details. This is one of my ways of giving back for my blessings and sharing some culture & art at the same time.

THE SHOOT:
The shoot will take place in MD, DC, or N.VA. If the couple is outside of this area, they can fly in or I can fly out. The couple can wear anything they want. Casual with jeans and tops, or even their wedding outfits and have some fun with it and bring back the memories. The session will take place outdoors: a favorite place, city streets, the woods, anywhere outside! DO NOT expect this to be a boring pose session with cheesy smiles. ONLY the couple; No aunts, cousins, or visiting relatives overstaying at your house. This is ALL for them!

THE WINNING COUPLE
The winning couple will be determined by their inspiring essay and votes by all visitors to The Asim Soofi blog. (http://asimsoofi.blogspot.com)

THE SELECTION PROCESS:
1) The deadline for submissions is August 17, 2008.
2) Based on number of entries, every worthy story will be posted for comment feedback. These comments will also help me select the top ten finalists.
3) Maximum of ten (10) finalists, or less, will be selected and their stories posted on the blog by August 18, 2008.
4) Voting will begin as soon posting occurs and will end August 31, 2008.
5) Winning couple will be announced September 1, 2008 on the blog.

THE GRAND PRIZE:
The winning couple will receive a personal photo shoot, all of their final photos in high resolution files on a keepsake disc, print credit, and a secret special surprise.

THE RULES:
1) Love and appreciation for the photography of Asim Soofi.
2) Willing to share submission story and couple's photo on AsimSoofi.com and/or The Asim Soofi Blog.
3) Session date must be a date that Asim is available.
4) Willing to fund travel fees if the session is outside the immediate MD, DC, NOVA area.
5) Accepting of the terms and conditions of Asim Soofi Photography contract.
6) Couple must be willing to have fun, laugh, goof off, and possibly feed me kabobs (just kidding...food not required but highly encouraged).

Remember to submit all entries to info AT asimsoofi DOT com

Leave a comment, questions, or any suggestions if you like.