Affordable Holiday Portraits for a Good Cause

One of the nicest ways to remember the holidays is the annual family photo. These days you can make them into ecards, saving yourself the stamp money, or you can opt for the old fashioned method and send them off to be placed on the mantels in homes of friends and extended family.

This Sunday, December 4, photographer Eli Dagostino has teamed up with the to create a Holiday Portrait studio at the . For just $65, families will have the opportunity to have their holiday portraits taken by this national award-winning photographer, who just happens to be 16.

“Family portraits are a beloved past time to families across the country. To be able to offer this, which is at times a luxury, to families on Martha's Vineyard at a super-discounted rate is a great thing,” said Dagostino.

Even more than being a good deal for families, the event is also for a good cause. Proceeds from the day will go to the Chilmark Preschool Violin Program.

“It is so important to keep arts in the school systems,” said Dagostino, who put together the fundraiser alongside the Chilmark Preschool parents.

The idea evolved from an assignment when preschoolers were asked to bring in a family photo for the classroom and many families did not have one.

Families who sign up can expect photos taken in a studio-type environment with lights, a backdrop, and simple props.

“These will not be outdoor natural-light photos. Something more simple and subdued for the holiday season symbolizing family, togetherness, and warmth. The atmosphere will be playful, loose, and casual bringing the ease of candid photography to the studio,” said Dagostino.

Each family will have 10-15 minutes with Dagostino in the studio and will walk away with high-res digital files of all of the photos. These can then be emailed, put up on websites, made into cards or printed.

If the event fills up with families, there will be another chance next year.

“We hope that this will become an island-known fundraiser that families come back to year-after-year to get affordable family portraits as their families grow,” said the young photographer.

Reservations are required. Those interested should contact Emily at 508-645-9323. Studio hours are from 10 am – 4pm. There will be warm cider on hand and lunch for sale.