Last week I got a call from AZ ASMP chapter president, Steve Dreiseszun. He was calling about the last minute need for a photographer for a Flashes of Hope shoot. The ASMP has partnered with Flashes of Hope to provide the highest ethical and professional standards. I was free and jumped at the change to help.

Flashes of Hope is a nonprofit that according to their website, “changes the way children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses see themselves through the gift of photography and raises money for pediatric cancer research.” It is truly an amazing organization and I was honored to be asked to help.

It’s hard to put into words how profound the experience was for me. The kids were great, most were a little shy at first, but there was that moment when they let go and were just kids having fun. Seeing that change was amazing. Thinking back on the day brings tears to my eyes. Everyone was very thankful that I was there and could help at the last minute, but I felt that I should be thanking them for allowing me to be part of such a special experience.

Sunday I went on a photo safari to Vulture City Gold Mine with Brad and Heidi. It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day in front of the computer. So I jump at the opportunity to break my routine and take photos for the fun of it. It was a fun trip with good friends.

I spent the past weekend in Sedona. Saturday I took a hike onBrins Mesa Trail. That evening I dusted off my old tripod to take some night shots. I didn’t realize it until I got out, but there was a full moon. It made for some interesting photos.

Several months ago, my good friends Stuart and Katie had their first child, Caleb. Like any new family, it’s a big adjustment. Caleb makes the 3rd baby that friends and family have had while I’ve been in Phoenix. Being around all those babies has given me a glimpse of what it takes to be a dad. It’s both scary and exciting.

I flew out to North Carolina to shoot Brandon and Lissete’s wedding. I had the great pleasure of working with my associate photographer, Ray again. The wedding was held at the couple’s house outside Raleigh. It was far enough outside that I got a chance to see very clear stars for the first time in a while.

The night really got interesting with a 5 minute fireworks display followed by the peruvian tradition La Hora Loca, the crazy hour.

Being a professional is less about what gear you have and more about how you prepare for a shoot and how you handle yourself during the shoot.

Whenever I shoot a wedding, I scout the location several days in advance, at the time the wedding will take place. This shows me how and where the light will be at the wedding, and I know to prepare for sun or shade. I get familiar with the venue layout which helps me find good angles to shoot from and move between locations faster. Scouting the location also allows me to start thinking about the photos several days in advance. That way I can go into the day with a game plan. I know all the cool, interesting spots for photos and how the light will be for the ceremony. On the day of the wedding, I show up early, and I can change my plans to work with any changes at the venue. Spending the extra time preparing allows me much more freedom to make great photos on the day.

Scouting the location allows me to become familiar with the venue and aware of any environmental obstacles I’ll have to deal with. As a professional photographer you should always be aware of your environment. I repeat, always be aware of your environment. I did some volunteer work for a community theater several years ago and getting the shot often required me to shoot from the edge of the stage. One wrong move and I’d fall anywhere from 6 to 10 feet. So I’ve learned to always be aware of my environment. I don’t think I can stress how important this is. I can take a quick glance at my feet and see what’s a few feet behind me. Being aware of my environment puts me at a huge advantage when navigating around guests, aisles or other obstacles as I get the shot.

I’ve seen this video circulating around the internet of the past couple days.

My first thought was, “Wow! I would never allow that to happen to me.”

Last month Michael + Jill’s wedding was featured in The Wedding Chronicle. I wanted to thank Ramin + Beth of The Marin Studio and Jill for help shooting the wedding.

Tomorrow I leave for North Carolina to shoot another wedding with associate photographer Ray.

I would expect any given Saturday in Phoenix during June to be 100+ degrees. Not last Saturday. That’s also when our good friend Liz had her family reunion. Somehow the temperature barely reached 90. They invited us out to take some family photos and enjoy the wonderful food.

My desk has been a mess for quite a while. I’m a piler, I pile all my documents until the stack is almost unmanageable, then I file and clean. I got to that point last night, probably inspired by Arielle who cleaned her desk last week. It started with the desk then moved to the storage on my desk, under my desk, then to the closet. I ended up throwing away a full bag of trash, another full bag of recycling, making 3 trips to move things into storage in the garage and dusted almost everything. We now have double the free space in the office closet and on the shelves between our desks. I still have a few small stacks of papers to file, but it’s clean.