I think in life the chaos, stress and the noise blinds us to what’s going on around us and sidetracks us of our purpose of serving and helping one another. I have always tried my best to help others in any way I can, but I too am guilty of getting caught up in the day to day things that I kind of get stuck focusing on me. To be honest I have been in a huge funk and have played the pity card all too often lately, causing me to think negatively about many aspects of life. Why can’t my photography be as good as their photography? Why are they so successful but I am struggling so hard? Why are they so popular, but no one calls me just to see if I still exist? Why this and why that? Eventually when focusing on ourselves and all the negative instead of focusing on the positive, our time runs out just like in the music video. As soon as he was saved, he began to notice others around him and began to have an urgency to help as he has been helped.

So what’s my point with all this rambling? My point is I want to get back to serving and giving my time to others and helping build others up, so that I in turn can be built up. Pretty selfish huh? I was helped a lot by some of my great friends when I started doing photography and it’s time for me to give back. So I am announcing a contest. Every month I want to donate 2 hours of my time for one on one mentoring with photographers in need. As of right now I will keep this a Utah contest so that I can better serve the winners by one on one, face to face mentoring.

So here’s the deal. Are you in need of help with any aspect of your photography business? Maybe you need ideas on how to build up better word of mouth marketing? Maybe you are really struggling with your RAW or JPG workflow and are spending hours upon hours editing? Maybe you are just starting out and want to learn how to shoot more consistently with your camera using manual? Let me know your story and on the first day of each month, I will post a poll on my blog for a chance for your family and friends to vote. The voting will last 1 week and then the person with the most votes will be that month’s winner.

So if you are interested, please send me your story all this month and I will post the contestants on 5/1 and the voting will begin. The mentoring session will be scheduled upon availability, has no cash value, and must be during a weekday. Thanks so much for listening, I hope to hear from you guys soon.

I have enjoyed being their neighbor and you can imagine how heartbroken I was when I heard that Mrs Glad has an aggressive form of cancer and doesn’t have long to live. It just didn’t seem real to me that something so horrible could happen to someone so awesome. Not too long ago I lost my grandpa to whom I was very very close. He was an instrumental part of my life and there’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think about him. Then within a year my grandma passed on too. I miss them, they are a huge part of who I am today, and looking back on pictures of them, I am reminded of feelings and moments that I had in their living years. That’s one of my favorite parts of photography is the ability a picture has to bring back moments that we often forget and feelings that we hold so dear for those we love.

Knowing how important pictures of my grandma and grandpa were to me, I wanted to in some way offer the Glad family a chance to have some professional pictures of Mrs Glad to remember her in her last moments on Earth. I was a little hesitant to approach them because I didn’t want my gift to be offensive, I mean how can you expect everyone to stand in front of the camera and smile knowing that their most dear grandmother, mother, and wife would no longer be here. I was so scared to ask if they wanted me to come and take some pictures together as a family. I personally would love for that chance but didn’t know if they would feel the same.

Luckily they were going to take some pictures anyways and were grateful that I wanted to do some pictures for them as well. Being that this was the first time I have shot in a situation like this, I was a little nervous that things would be akward, but the Glad family is such a hilarious and such a tight knit family that we were joking and laughing throughout the pictures. I held it together through most of the groupings until I asked to do some shots of Mr and Mrs Glad alone. They have been married forever and how hard it would be to know your life long love will soon be gone. As I shot the two of them, I thought of my wife Tiffany and how she is my everything, how she completes me and gives my life meaning. I don’t ever want to have to say goodbye to her and hope that I am the one to go first. I cried as Mr Glad reached down to give his love a kiss on the forehead. You could feel the love that he has for her and just feel such a deep connection between them.  After the session we were just sitting around socializing and I watched Mr Glad feed Mrs Glad.  I just think it is so beautiful the love they have and the family they have raised and the neighbors they have touched.  I pray that Mrs Glads last moments here may be peaceful and filled with love.  May her family feel comfort and peace.

Thank you so much Glad family for allowing me into your home and allowing me to capture Mrs Glad as I will always remember her.

Don’t forget to leave a comment because every month I’ll be giving away a $10 iTunes gift card to one random person who commented on my blog.  Today’s the last day of March and I will be drawing tomorrow for March’s winner

Also, I am very excited to let you guys know that I am now offering digital downloads through the online store. That’s right, for $5.00 you can instantly download your favorite file to post on your blogs, facebook, myspace, and websites.

Now time for the small print…. 2 for 1 print sale good only on photographic prints only, sale excludes products, albums, gift certificates, and canvas prints. $50 minimum order required. Sale begins Immediately and ends at 11:59 PM MST on Saturday 3/6 and orders must be submitted in that time frame or they will not be honored.

Also, stay tuned because I will be posting some really killer headshots I took of the incredibly talented singer Jessie Clark Funk.