How Photowalking Utah Saved the Day

I am thankful for all the photographers in the Photowalking Utah Flickr group. They have been very generous, helpful and kind.

It's the day of my brothers wedding.

We are standing in the temples front doors when the security guard approaches us and hands us a little yellow slip of paper and walks away. The paper said "Your photographer was in a serious car accident and was being sent to the hospital in an ambulance due to a concussion. He will not make it to the temple". Well crap!

This is when I sent a text message to Twitter stating the situation. I got a couple of replies, the first of which was Dave Terry. He said he could come fill in at the reception if needed. What a relief and what a guy! (Not only that but his pictures rock)

I know NOTHING about wedding photography.

My brother-in-law (Phill Monson) and I (Jeff McGrath aka SLC_JM) had our cameras. Phill grabbed his Canon Rebel XTI & I grabbed my Nikon D80 and went to work.

Luckily I had borrowed a SB600 speed light from photogirl66 that I could also use as a fill light. Luck would also have it that dilvie (Eric Hamiliton) had also taught me how to use the SB600 in previous events I had shot with him.

Towards the end, we got another yellow slip of paper from security saying that the photographer had been released and that we needed to call him. So my brother-in-law gave him a ring on the tele and was told that he was still planning or hoping to make it to the reception.

I called Dave Terry back and informed him of the situation and he came up with a game plan, to still show up, setup and be there just incase and that if or when the other photographer showed up, he'd pack up and leave.

We were going to do family portraits at 5:00 and everything and everyone was running late. Dave was there not only on time, but early (he beat me there). He whips out all his nice equiptment and sets everything up.

It's now almost 6pm and we are finally starting to get pictures taken, guests are to arrive at 6:30 and still no word at all from the photographer. I'm thinking to myself "Thank heavens Dave is here" when the other photographer walked in late.

Poor guy was loaded on pain meds and super loopy. We asked him if he was okay, and that if he needed to go home, we had a back up photographer, but he insisted he was fine and could do the shoot (what a trooper). So Dave packed up and headed off.

Once again, I can't say it enough, thanks again for your willingness and help Dave!

I did feel bad, because Dave had his Canon 5D MarkII and another body with really nice lenses, all this gear, off camera flashes with umbrellas and the other photographer walked in with the D70 and a Speedlight SB600... nothing more. I am curious as to how he felt walking into that situation. [5D Mark II vs. D70]

He shot the job, in pain, a little on the loopy side, but hung in there like a champ.

I'm thankful for all the helpful and courteous photographers I've met.

Thanks again to:

Dave Terry http://www.dterryphotography.com & his flickr account
Robyn P (photogirl66) http://flickr.com/photos/photogirl66/
Eric H (dilvie) http://www.dilvie.com
and many other photowalkers who've helped me in the past.

Okay Okay Okay...

Here are the pictures
from the Temple