I was able to go to a friend's wedding last month, it was good to sit back and relax, to enjoy a wedding apart from being behind the lens all day. But then their first dance happened and my camera was glued to my face..... it's just the way they look into each other's eyes that always gets me!

As I went to post these pictures I came across some pictures of the brides 'papa' who gave a beautiful blessing through Hawaiian chant that day. Tragically less than three weeks after the wedding he was taken in a tragic accident. Any untimely death is so difficult and this one touched a large community on this island.

I also experienced a very untimely death in my family this last year and I learned first hand how every photo of that loved one becomes precious to the family.

I was going back and forth about whether to post about this or not, death isn't easy to talk about, but I decided to because it reminds me of the reasons why photography is so important to me, . This is why I do what I do, because images REMAIN. They retain all the details of their LIFE.

The images are also here to remind us that those around us right now are more precious than we often treat them. They must be embraced, thanked, spoiled, complimented and remembered often so that they know we love them.

Watch this music video, in an interesting way it's connected to all of this for me.

It is so touching and really.... I never use that word, but it is.