Free Prom Photos to go with Free Prom Dresses Saturday

Santa Cruz photographer Helbard Alkhassadeh has donated $10,000 worth of free photo vouchers to go with Saturday's free prom dress shopping at the Louden Nelson Center.

The prom dress drive has been hugely received by those who can't afford the high-priced fashions that get worn once and can break a bank account, or are simply unaffordable.

Alkhassadeh's Mockingbird Photography at 1804 Mission St. Suite 102 will hand out vouchers Saturday, as they did last year.

"We mostly shoot commercial and products and this is our way to give back to a community that has helped us grow so fast," said Alkhassadeh.

"Headshots and portraits can run around $500 and a lot of people can't afford it.  It just seems fair to let students in our community be able to have something from a special time in their lives they can look back at years from now."

Girls can come into the studio with their prom dress on, or just come in for a portrait, said Alkhassadeh. The shots are free and put on a CD without watermarks or copyright logos. They can be sent to family and friends digitally, or printed anywhere.

And, if a student misses the prom giveaway Saturday, they can still come by his studio and get a voucher, as long as they last.

For more information on the prom dress day, click here.

Free shopping starts Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Louden Nelson Community Center.

It continues April 20 and 21 in Pajaro and Hollister.