There are some really great images of some of the kids from our Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival safari on our Facebook page.

The way the process works is that the kids go out on a photo safari/excursion and then Donna Lee downloads the cameras onto disks. Then we schedule a class where the kids look at their digital images and start work on them on laptops. They learn that sometimes great photos are taken and sometimes great photographs are made. They learn cropping, color manipulation, light balance, grey scale enhancement, and proportion control… and patience, patience, patience.

Thanks to board member Christopher Cabatbat, our IT whiz who’s having a huge impact on our data processing and our level of technological sophistication. This image will begin appearing on our printed materials – starting with the donation forms for our September 29 auction… which, by the way, we’ll begin distributing this month. The QR, shown on the left, will allow anybody with a smart phone (and the proper ap) to scan it and be taken directly to our website. This is a really exciting development. Much, many thanks, Mr. Cabatbat!

The Standard, one of the more successful and generous financial institutions in Oregon, has pledged to continue its support of Focus on Youth into 2012. A sponsor of our 2011 Auction, the corporation confirmed this month that it will provide us with a $2500 grant immediately with the possibility of further support later in the year. Our friends who attended the 2011 auction will remember that Bob Speltz, the general media director for The Standard, not only attended the auction, he purchased a work by our student Roman Nachtigal for $1000, which has generated a matching $1000 scholarship for Roman at PCC.

Michael Shay, the Co-President of the Oregon chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers, contacted us recently to pledge a very welcome $500 donation to Focus on Youth as a token of their support for our work with young people.  Shay, who is part of Polara Studio‘s team of seven creative and innovative photographers, was a donor to our 2011 auction. A number of our mentors, current and past, are members of ASMP and we look forward to an enhanced relationship with the Oregon chapter.

One of Focus on Youth‘s best Friends is celebrating an anniversary on February 17 – in case you haven’t guessed, it’s Pearl Bakery and the anniversary is their 15th. On that day, the Lester family will be offering all sorts of specials and sales at the bakery and FOY will have volunteers on the premises. We’ll be offering some of the beautiful work by our students for sale and we’ll be raffling a really beautiful photo donated to us as a fundraiser.

The photo (on the right), by David Greenberg, the executive director of Planned Parenthood – Columbia Willamette, is entitled Tulips. It’s a 13×19″ archival print that has been beautifully matted and framed by another of our very good friends, the pros at Frame Central Pearl.

The bakery will be open regular Saturday winter hours (7 AM-5 PM) for the event. And remember what we always say about about Pearl Bakery: “Some of the nicest people in Portland serving some of the finest baked goods in Portland to some of the savviest customers in Portland.” We sure hope to see you there!

After a very engaged and animated conversation with Bridge Meadows‘ Executive Director, Dr. Derenda Schubert, and Program Director Renée Moseley, a February start for our partnership seems pretty certain.

Bridge Meadows is a remarkable effort adapted from an Illinois effort which converted housing units on an abandoned air force base into a community designed to create nuclear and extended families for children who were already in or were moving toward being in foster care for the remainder of their childhoods. In Portland’s case, the community (the housing and public spaces) had to be created from scratch. In addition to townhouses for newly formed families with adopted kids, the project includes apartments for senior citizens who agree to serve as mentors and surrogate grandparents for the families. It exists because of extraordinary effort on the part of a number of individuals, corporations (including Windermere Cornin & Caplan, who are among our FOY Friends), and government officials – particularly Commissioner Dan Saltzman.

FOY will be tailoring our classes to the needs of the Bridge Meadows families – working with students who are both much younger and much older than most of the youth we’ve dealt with before (some grandparents will be included in the classes so that they become on-site mentors for the kids) – but several of the mentors have already expressed enthusiasm for igniting a passion for photography and creative impulses in kids who haven’t gotten to high school yet.

This is a great new challenge and we’re looking forward to a very successful partnership for some time to come.

In prepping for the KGW shoot we told you about earlier this month, Donna Lee discovered that four of the batteries for our Canon cameras would no longer hold a charge. With time at a premium (the shoot hadn’t been cancelled yet), she called our good friends at Pro Photo Supply and, as usual, they came through without a hesitation – “Just come over and pick up replacements. They’ll be ready when you get here.”

You know what they say about “friends in need.”

Our friends at BLACKFISH GALLERY once again made us beneficiaries of their holiday season sale. A lovely check arrived in the mail this month, money we can certainly use. Our deeply felt thanks go out to FOY Family member Jana Svoboda, Director Gina Carrington, and the other artist-owners of BLACKFISH. As a timely note, on January 31, the main gallery will open Jim Neidhardt: Modern Screen with a gallery talk by the artist on February 18 at 2 PM. If you go on First Thursday, the gallery is open until 9 PM and you’ll have time to check out work by Stephan Soihl in The Backroom. If you happen to be strolling the neighborhood, check out Carol Benson‘s work in Fishbowl 1, and Crista Anne Ames‘ in Fishbowl 2.

UPDATE: Due to adverse weather conditions, the shoot was canceled. It’s been tentatively rescheduled for February 10. We’ll let you know.

OK, they’ll be using cameras but they’ll still be shooting us at Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden on Friday AM. In an act of great generosity the Garden staff have offered to  let our crew in before the Garden opens for business. Pat Dooris of KGW has confirmed the shoot and we’ve lined up the kids and the mentors so we’re feeling pretty good about the outcome… which, if all goes well, should be broadcast on Friday night. We’ll use Facebook to let everybody know. When it’s available we’ll post a link to our video on the KGW website… I think at least some of our kids are looking forward to shooting the garden in the snow.

Much many thanks to the Lu San Garden staff and KGW.

While we’re at it, allow us to congratulate Allison.

One of our remarkable volunteers, she was a great help with the auction and keeps showing up when we need her… as in mounting the Q Center show, but that’s not why we’re congratulating her. That would be because she’s been accepted at a small law school on the East Coast that hardly anybody has ever hear of. It’s called… uh… hang on, I need to check the spelling. Oh yeah… Harvard Law School.

Just want to share this terrific picture of the great folks who showed up on January 7 to hang the show at the Q Center…

Left to right… our new friend Clint who volunteers to make things work at the Q Center Gallery; Allison, James, Gary, T.C., and Donna Lee.

Great group of folks who did a great job.

Much many thanks!