You guys – this literally is the biggest thing that has happened to me in over 15 years of being a professional photographer. I was just named Photographer of the Year by National Association of Portrait and Children Photographers!!!

When I started Live Love Laugh Photos 15+ years ago, never in a million years did I even dream that one day a professional photography organization that I belong to – an organization that’s well known and respected in the photography world – would choose me as Photographer of the Year.

I came to the US 29 years ago and right before I started college, in the summer of ’95, my first job was to sit outside a clothing shop in Brooklyn to make sure that clothes displayed on racks were not stolen; I got paid $4 an hour and was thrilled about that. And then 29 years later my name and images were displayed in the middle of TIMES SQUARE – if that’s not an American dream, I don’t know what is!

My whole family went to see the billboard in Times Square and I must say it was pretty surreal seeing my name, my picture and my images displayed in the center of NYC for the world to see! – as my husband says ‘we are famous now’:)

So if you’ve ever had a photo session with me, you can now say that you had your photos taken by a celebrity photographer:)))