NEWS FLASH: Linda's Documentary Film on T.V. Tonight

After two years of acclaim on the film festival circuit, our documentary The Breast Cancer Diaries heads to television tonight! This documentary is a labor of love.The subject is Ann Murray Paige--one of David's five sisters. Along with Ann, we will be lifting a glass of champagne tonight to her humor and courage under fire. It was directed by Linda and filmed by Linda and Ann (who set up a diary camera in her home) with some scenes filmed by David as well (including the not to be missed whoopee cushion scene). For more on what this film is all about, see the "official" synopsis below.

The Breast Cancer Diaries airs tonight Thursday October 30th at 8 and 11 pm on the Discovery Health Channel (check your local cable listing--if you get Discovery then you also get Discovery Health).



THE BREAST CANCER DIARIES

For ten years, Ann Murray Paige covered the news—but for the biggest story of her life she turned the camera on herself.

When Murray-Paige, a formal local news reporter and anchor, is diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38, she sets up a diary camera in her bedroom. Ann’s video diaries—raw and true—offer an intimate chronicle of a young mother’s nine month journey with breast cancer, punctuated with humor, poignancy and romance.

Along the way, Ann—with characteristic wit—challenges everything from drive-through mastectomies to how American society all too often defines a woman by her breasts.

The Breast Cancer Diaries is a chronicle of illness met with attitude, symbolized by the “Cancer Sucks” button that Ann pins on her shirt. Throughout it all there is humor: from a hospital flashing scene, to a young son’s attempt to heal his mother with a whoopee cushion.

Director Linda Pattillo, herself an award-winning former network news correspondent (ABC NEWS and CNN), spent 15 years covering wars across the globe. In The Diaries, she covers a far more intimate and personal battle—that of a young woman and mother fighting for her life.


To see David's documentary still photographs of Ann's journey, visit The Diaries website:

www.thebreastcancerdiaries.com

NEWS FLASH: First Place

Well it has come to that time of the year where we gather our best images and send them off to be judged by a contest jury of our peers--to see how we look at the wedding world, to see how we are motivated, to see if we are in the groove.

I have had the honor of being asked to judge a contest of great photographers, known collectively as the ISPWP, or International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers. It is an exclusive group--all with at least 2 years experience and at least 40 weddings as the primary photographer. I feel proud to be part of such a distinguished group.

My favorite category is The Decisive Moment. I was honored to win First Place in the last contest for the image above. I am proud of that, for many reasons, but mostly because it allows me to demonstrate my photojournalism roots.

I love all aspects of my wedding photography--the fashion portraits, the story documentation, and hey, I love eating cake at the end too!. But the golden nuggets for me are the decisive moments. A decisive moment is a moment that tells a whole story while catching an action at its peak. It is an image that can never be repeated. It is unique. It speaks as much of who the author is, as it describes a moment. Someone with a photojournalism mindset is always prepared for these times. Where others might not see the possiblities, someone who shoots weddings with photojournalism in mind will find the possibilities in any part of the day.

The image above happened on a day when the remnants of a hurricane were passing through Massachusetts. I challenged myself to find an image that could convey the challenges of that day. The time came when the bride exited the car for the chapel. The ushers reaction is exactly at the moment when the umbrella collapses . It is a fun moment, accented with the bride’s polka dot rain boots. It is a one of a kind moment.

This is why I love what I do. I love the images that stand alone. I love the images that never be duplicated. This is what I strive for when I shoot.

So I will be anxious to judge my colleagues moments as I pour through the hundreds of photos that will be soon before me. They are moments that set us apart from each other and define who we are, even as together, we strive to give our brides and grooms the beautiful images that tell the story of their very important day.

David