First of all, we would like to thank each of you for the prayers and support, for both Jodi and I and the family of our friends in the wake of my previous post.  It’s incredible to see people banding together to encourage and lift up those in need… even if you might not know them.  God, if only it were like this all the time, not just in tragedy, we’d be a much different generation. There is so much that could be different. So, thank you again to those who sent notes of encouragement, shared the post with friends, and prayed… you made a difference in our’s and the Murray’s kids lives and we appreciate it.

This past week was a difficult week for our community, but what has come of it is an incredible testimony to the power of grace, and a town that comes together. Our priorities have been once again shaken up, and we’re realizing the importance of friendships and family, and how little we communicate how much people mean to us.

Life is a Gift.

It’s why we are passionate about photography. It’s why we love to celebrate with families, as they have babies… grow them up… graduate them… give them in marriage… and the process begins again.

Last weekend, at our photography convention, we entered the following image for competition.  It’s our most recent family photo we created for our New Year’s cards, and it’s simply titled “Life is a Gift” because it’s little moments like “horsey back rides” and “airplane rides” that make family life amazing.  Little choices, little sacrifices made along the way that culminate into creating who we are, and who our kids will become.  Today, we are grateful for the gift of Life, and hope that you are too!

So, go ahead, hug your friends. Tell them you love them… appreciate them for who they are, and the fact that they hang out with your crazy self and put up with your kids. :)

Goodbye’s suck.

And I hate both of those words.

This past weekend, we were at our State Photography convention and got the shock of our short lives with the call that two close friends, Mick and Julie, had lost their lives in an accident. Actually, great friends doesn’t seem to do justice to our relationship.  They were life mentors, spiritual leaders, encouragers, and partners in ministry.

So, in the only way we know how, with images and words, we’d like to take this space… this blog that Mick frequented so often… to celebrate two of the most amazing people to ever grace this planet.

I’ve tried 100 times to put into words the way I feel. The pain is like waves on the shore… pounding for a moment, then easing up, then pounding again. It creeps up unexpectedly like a breeze, then disappears as quickly as it came. Then I stop and remember that I’m not the only one hurting around here. There are four dear children who’s grief will continue far longer than mine… in far more corners of their hearts than mine. There is Kalona Mennonite Church where Mick was co-pastor, youth pastor, Sunday School teacher and more. There is the school where his children attend, and where he and Julie were very involved. There are the countless people touched by their lives in one way or another.

I moved to Iowa in March 2001, married Jodi in June, and in September we started going to KMC. We officially met Mick and Julie a few weeks later and began ministry together in a way that was over both of our heads. He was so good at keeping me grounded… checking my motives… checking my role, my marriage, and my faith. Over the past 10 years, we praised together, failed together, trusted together, and prayed a lot. He was one of the few people in my life who wasn’t afraid to call me out when I was out of line, and I will forever hear his voice saying “are you spiritually in the right place to make that decision?” We learned valuable wisdom and insight from him and Julie in many areas of life, and to this day there are little things that we do that were because of something he said.

When it came to my role as worship leader, he was my biggest fan, but it had little to do with the music. He was always encouraging and supportive, even when I’m sure I pushed his buttons/limits with my youthful ambition. I’ll also never forget the way he went to battle for me when I was pursuing a vocational position in the church. He fought tooth and nail and was just as disappointed as I was when it didn’t work out… although he would keep telling me that God was up to something. And, when things got rough or I wasn’t sure which way was up or down, he would throw these three words at me that drove me crazy every time… “Hang in there.” Well, buddy, I’m taking those words to heart now.

Almost a year ago, Jodi and I made the difficult decision to attend a different church. I knew it hurt Mick and Julie to see us leave, but they were genuinely happy for what God was going to do in us. I can still see his face, eyes red with tears, as he came up on stage and gave me a hug that last morning I led worship at KMC, as we realized that our ten years of ministry together were coming to an end. There were no words, just a hug as we both knew what the other was thinking. But, there was no way we could have seen how final that would be less than a year later. But that’s not entirely true. The truth is, I’m still in ministry with Mick… I will always be. Because his ministry was and is the Gospel and that will never come to an end… there will never be a “last time”.

I know our life is different because of Mick and Julie. I know we are better people because of their godly example. I know that their children carry the same spirit, the same faith that they did, and that there is hope in all the grief.  If anyone ever was an example of what a true Christian is, it would be Mick and Julie.

Please pray for their children. They have shown incredible resilience, and have faith equal to that of their parents. It’s insane. They are going around looking for people to comfort. It’s a tremendous testimony of God’s peace and grace in their lives.

Mick and Julie… you leave holes all over this community, but you also leave a legacy of faithfulness and obedience to the calling of Christ on your lives. We’re all better for having known you.

To their children… our hearts ache for you, and we stand with you in your loss. We continually lift you up in prayer, and believe with you in the hope of what is unseen. Your mom and dad would be so proud of you guys, and how you’re handling everything. Your faith puts us all to shame. Keep looking to Jesus for your strength and know that He’ll never run out of grace for you.  We love you guys!

You see, folks, it’s not the awards we win that matter. It’s not the stupid little games we play in politics, and pretending to be religious that matter. What matters is relationships. What matters is if you were suddenly removed from this world, what would be the impact? Would anyone miss you? Jodi posted on her Facebook wall yesterday “Selfish people are rarely missed” and it’s true.  When is the last time you looked at your close friends and told them you appreciate their friendship? When did you hug them and say “thanks for being my friend?” We take so much for granted in this world, and friendships often get it the worst.

I was scheduled to have breakfast with Mick on Friday. We couldn’t find a suitable time to meet, so we postponed until today. Well, the next day he was gone.  Would I love to have that moment back? Absolutely. But for reasons I don’t know, God didn’t allow us to meet that morning and maybe that gave Mick a couple extra hours with his family.

And lastly… I know not everyone is on the same page with Jodi and I when it comes to religion (that is believing Jesus Christ is who he said he was), but that is the ultimate relationship that needs to be fostered every day. Tomorrow it could be us that disappear from the planet. Maybe this is my last post. Who knows. But the goal is to be as ready to go as Mick and Julie were. They had peace with everyone around them. There were no enemies. There isn’t a person in our community that didn’t like them.  But they were more than just “good people”…. they were alive! Inside and out.

Will I leave that kind of impact? Will you?

Keep these dear children in your prayers that God would protect their hearts and minds over the coming days and months and years as they adjust and attempt to move forward.

We had a crazy past couple of days, and are finally finding ourselves back at home after traveling quite a bit. Our week started by flying to Arizona for some photographic education from some excellent speakers and artists in our industry, and we came home ready to raise the bar even more in our work.  I was able to study with some excellent cinematographers, so our Motion productions will be getting even better. Jodi studied with some of the industry’s top photographers/business people, and we are expanding our product line to include more items that are customizable to your liking.

That’s all well and good, but there is one special person that you may have seen with us at weddings this summer, and a couple of sessions in between. Her name is Nastaran, and she has been interning with us, looking to gain as much insight into photography as she can.  She is the fastest learner we’ve ever worked with, and has gone from a beginner to creating some amazing images in a very short time.

We took her along to Arizona, and one morning Jodi decided that Nasy should be on the other side of the camera!  So, we borrowed a wedding dress from the workshop models, and she became our model for the morning.

Meet Nasy…..

Then here’s a few other scenes from around Tuscan, Arizona.

Is a picture still worth a thousand words?

Photographer Chase Jarvis posted this thought last week:

“If you’ve ever questioned the power of an image, consider the current news cycle. The US government has decided it won’t show images of the dead Bin Laden.
If you’re wondering why, the answer is simple.

Sometimes we… need these reminders.”

I needed that reminder last week. I need to be reminded that the that the images we create are powerful. They freeze a child’s smile, the connection of a family, the moments of bliss, the first dance….moments that can never be relived or revisited. I hope that I don’t ever create an image that starts a war, but I do hope the images we create inspire love. I hope that for years after we’ve photographed their wedding, when a couple looks at that portrait hanging over their sofa, they will be reminded of that special day, and remember why they fell in love in the first place. I hope that the families we’ve worked with can look at the images of their young children… the one with those bright blue eyes, the one with the toothy grin, the one that didn’t cooperate, the one that moved away right after high school… and remember that life moves so quickly and that investing in those we love is of greatest importance. I hope that every time a high school senior hands out a wallet or grad card, they are able to say “This image represents me. This is who I am.”

Photographs are powerful, and it’s a large part of what makes our job worth getting up for. It’s what literally keeps me up at night, working after the kids are in bed, because I know that we’re giving you something that can never be replaced… freezing time, so that someday, when you’re sitting around a table with your kids and grandkids looking at a photo album, you’ll have pictures that are worth 1000 words.

The roofer has a leaky roof.

The cobbler’s kids go barefoot.

And the photographers kids don’t have any pictures of themselves.

That seems to be how things go more often than not. Either there are too many other things going on, or we just don’t think about it at good times, but we are TERRIBLE at photographing our kids. Honestly. It’s ridiculous.

So, determined to put an end to this lousy excuse, I picked up the camera today and made a few images of our youngest, Scarlett, who is coming up on her 6 month milestone. She is a hoot. That crazy big grin comes out quite a bit, and there’s a lot of energy behind it most times! She’s working on getting up the courage to crawl, and we’re sure it won’t be long before she’s all over the house.

Here’s to not waiting so long for the next session with our own kids!

Sometimes the best camera you have is the one that’s with you. I love the Instagram app on my iPhone, and even though I don’t use it as a phone anymore, I still take it around using the camera app. For as much as digital cameras have done for photography, the world of DSLR cameras has crippled photographers in that it’s quite easy to fire at will, deleting on the fly, and spraying the field with clicks hoping to “get a couple good ones”. Using a phone limits me to one lens, one f/stop and forces me to hold still, to think about the image, and to concentrate on composition. That doesn’t mean I get it right every time, it just means that I’ve slowed down and was intentional about the shot I made. It’s good practice.

Here’s a couple of shots from my phone that I created last week during our time in the south.

During our trip last week, we did a lot of driving at night… in fact we spent roughly 40 hours in a car from Tuesday night to Friday afternoon. Let me put a plug in here for Chevy’s Impala. I was never much of a fan, until we rented one for our trip last week, and it was a wonderful traveling car. Comfortable, roomy interior, and a powerful V6 engine that was smooth as butter at 85mph. Yes, I did get pulled over. Written warning, thank you very much! I was quite grateful.

The first image comes from our photo shoot along Malibu Shore. This surfer was hanging out, riding the waves at Paradise Cove where we were shooting, and as the sun set, I captured this this image.

Most of our driving was at night, it seemed, so we passed a lot of great scenery that I wish we could have photographed, but I did manage to snag a few shots out the window as we were driving. That should explain a bit of motion blur on the first one.

The rest of these were random shots with my iPhone using the Instagram app… in no particular order.

If you’re following me on Facebook, you already know that Jodi and I are in the middle of a 5 day trip that has us working in a part of the country we’ve never worked in before, and altogether driving over 2200 miles. We flew into Phoenix AZ Monday night, with nothing but our camera equipment and the clothes on our back. We figured we each could use a few new clothes for summer, so rather than spend $50 to check a bag at the airport, we’d spend that money on new clothes once we got to AZ. That turned out to be a sweet deal… something we might do again next time we fly.

On Tuesday afternoon, we were Brandon and Bernadette’s Destination Engagement Photographers in Scottsdale, AZ. Here’s a preview of their session:

Once the session was finished, we hopped in our rental Chevy HHR a lousy excuse for a car wonderful little car with great gas mileage and drove through the night, headed for Los Angeles, CA, for another Destination Engagement Session this afternoon with Adam and Nicole! We’ll check back later with a preview from their session as well! :)

I’ve still got the edge, although its not as sharp as it once was.

I spent the last 3 days skiing in Colorado with 11 other guys from Iowa, and it was a blast. While I’m not quite as aggressive as I used to be, I did have fun jumping cliffs and carving up the powder. I don’t like carrying a camera while skiing because it would be easy to break it, but there was one shot that I just had to make. So, I skied all the way down the mountain, went back to the condo, and took 3 lifts to get back to this spot. 17 images stitched together makes an almost 180˚ panoramic shot of Tucker Mountain from Copper Peak.

Jodi and I have talked about it many times that each state… each area of the country has it’s own unique beauty, whether it’s snow-capped mountains, or white sand beaches, or rows and rows and rows and rows of corn. But I love the mountains. I love looking at their grandness, and can only admire the Creator even more.

The rest of these are from walking around the village at night.

Oh yeah. Why does my face hurt? Well, it was super sunny the first two days and this dumb guy forgot to put on sun tan lotion. My nose is blistering and my face looks like I’ve been working a shrimping boat for the past 20 years. Ouch! A lesson learned the hard way.

LET ME HEAR YOU:
What’s your favorite ski resort in the Rocky Mountains?