Hello to all, and Happy New Year!

After many long months, the pictures that were cleared to go public are available. Thank you to all who have been checking in on our progress, and for your patience!

To view the pictures, and choose your prints:

Go here: http://mariahgale.com/theboutique
Click on the album "KENYA"
Type in password: sabache

PLEASE EMAIL YOUR PRINT CHOICES TO MARIAH@MARIAHGALE.COM WITH THE SUBJECT LINE 'SABACHE'!

**For those of you who did not get a postcard**
In true patriotic Kenyan fashion, there were not enough postcards at the airport to get for all of you. If you did not get a postcard, please choose an additional 5x7 of your choice, and I will gladly write my adoration on the back. :)

The trip was amazing, and eye-opening. I cannot adequately describe what I saw, and am infinitely thankful that I have the pictures to tell the story for me. As many of you may know, I've since taken a directorship with the LCF, and will be transitioning into that role in the coming months. With that will come a new website, lots of new programs, and pictures of Sabache itself released on the camp's website, http://sabache.org!

Because you donated over $750 over the asked donation, the extra money went toward a new well for the tribe, and essential supplies for the tribe's survival during the ongoing drought.

Ashe Naleng, from all of us. I am still stunned by your generosity.
M

Hi All!

I leave next WEDNESDAY. How did the middle of May come so quickly?

So far, my trip prep has consisted of:
1) being stressed out about my trip preparation, and
2) making lists about trip preparation, and
3) actually getting one thing done for my trip, which involved explaining to my mother that yes, you can walk into a clinic and just pay someone cash to give you shots, and yes, he was a real doctor, I checked the walls.

Tomorrow is the last hardcore prep day, and here's an uncharacteristic list of things to do:

1) Find a neutral-colored wardrobe that will be cool enough but cover the maximum amount of my extremely Irish skin as possible. Linen? Cotton? Cotton-Silk? Something that doesn't make me sound pretentious when I talk about it?
2) Find a Meryl Streep-worthy wide-brimmed hat.
3) Take stock of all of my equip- cameras, cards, lenses, electronics, recording devices, etc.
4) Pick up Malaria pills, start taking said Malaria pills, marvel that most of my photoshoots don't require prescriptions. Most.

Your donations have already helped me with equipment I didn't know that I would need. A few days ago, Tina emailed me to ask a favor- would I mind bringing audio recording equipment over? Because there's a group of 25 women there that sing gorgeous traditional songs, and would like to try selling a CD to help survive until their cattle are recovered, and to support their families.

Of course, I said yes. But then the feeling of intimidation set in- I would have to record a group of 25, and record it professionally and ready for CD burning, as there's no remastering studio in the Samburu. Plus, the equip would have to be portable, cheap, and able to work with my laptop. Unprepared? Yes.

And so, as with any major issue I have, I took to Facebook. Almost immediately, I was contacted by an old college friend, who sings and records for an acapella group. He suggested a Condenser USB mic- it's one mic, records professionally, and plugs right into a laptop! Now THAT's audio recording I can do. $120 later and One-day shipping from Amazon, I have a recording solution. So, so thankful for supportive, knowledgeable friends.

I fly out May 19th, and take a red-eye to Amsterdam, where I'll spend the day Thursday. Then I'll jump on another redeye to Nairobi, arriving at around 7am Friday there. I can't say what exactly I'll experience, or feel, or what I even hope to feel at the end of the trip, but I know that after 7am on Friday, I will be changed, however subtly.

I'll update when I get all my stuff together, and make a video, because we're just WAY overdue for a video, aren't we? Plus, I suspect an amusing before-and-after of my freckles may have to be done. It's caused speechlessness before: what can only be described as the after-vacation freckle explosion.

Update soon,
M

I'm going to Kenya! I couldn't have done it without you. Literally.

The journey doesn't end here...I'll be using this space as a journal for my travels, and as a pre-travel account of my preparation. A.k.a. tips on where to find industrial strength sunscreen, etc.

Asante. And stay tuned. :)

M

Hey Guys!

Just wanted to remind y'all that our project is ending on April 5th. Backers' credit cards will be charged on that date, and we will have been fully funded (and more!). Thanks again to those of you who graciously supported us. I will continue to make updates as I get closer to the trip!

Asante,
Mariah

"Why haven't you done a workshop?"

...I've gotten this question many times, and, well, I just haven't had the excuse to. I love to teach and share what I know, but it seemed like an undertaking to handle a group, especially without a studio.

But, now that I have the excuse AND the studio, why not?

We've raised $211 past our funding goal, which means $211 will go directly to Sabache and the LCF. BUT. I want to do better- I want to give them more, to really allow them to push themselves into the world spotlight. So, I'm now offering two levels of mentoring:

$600 backers have the option of joining us on June 26th, in Boston, for a group mentoring session, with lunch and models. This will be focused on kids' photography, and the modeling industry/business. I'll go over natural light, direction, posing, the industry, my business, and provide a workbook. And then we'll go out in Boston at night, because, why not?

$1000 backers will be able to schedule a one-on-one mentoring session with me, on a weekend day in June or July. We'll tailor the session to your specific photography skills and needs, and have fun for a day in Boston! Lunch and models included.

*Travel not included
*Catered lunch included, drinks at night not included, because I cannot fund an open bar, haha.
*I will share everything I know, and I call these 'mentoring' sessions instead of 'workshops', because it will be informal and fun- I can't guarantee that I'll be able to answer every question, but I'll sure as heck answer most of 'em.
Every single bit of this will go to charity. I finally have an excuse to teach, and give back in the process!

Mariah