I have returned from the island of Roatan, Honduras. What an amazing trip. Unfortunately we missed our initial flight out and had to reschedule. Not the easiest thing to do considering Delta only has one flight per week to Roatan. So, we got rebooked onto a flight into San Pedro Sula on the mainland and then took a small local carrier (SOSA) to Roatan. I think there were a total of 15 people on the flight, and it was full. I later found out that SOSA is affectionately referred to by the locals as "Stay Off, Stay Alive" To SOSA's credit it was the best take-off and landing of any flight during this whole trip.

We spent most of our stay on the eastern end of Roatan on the island of Helene. Some of our group worked on construction while others helped in the clinic and mission school. The people in Helene are so warm and welcoming and it is a joy to help them in any way we can.

The end of the trip was spent in the West End of Roatan. The West End is quite a bit more populated than any other part of the island due to the influx of westerners, specifically Americans who visit for the exceptional scuba diving and deep sea fishing in and around one of the most incredible coral reefs in the world.

Roatan is such a beautiful island. Just imagine Belize without any of the development. Lush jungle and clear turquoise water. There are obviously the prerequisite bugs and other less welcome wildlife like boas and scorpions, but I have yet to encounter either one. Believe me just the sand fleas are enough to make you a little nuts. And, this doesn't include the water bound wildlife like barracuda, sharks, and moray eels. Overall it was an amazing journey and I can't wait to get back again. We'll see.

One final note. The gentleman you see directly below is named Gerry. I'm not sure if the spelling is with a "G" or a "J" but I think he looks like a Gerry so thats how I spell it. During my stay Gerry and I became pretty good friends. He is one of the most genuine, honest, and good natured persons I have ever met. He is an incredibly hard worker - in fact that is how we got to know each other, while working together with other members of our team on a building for the relocation of the missions desalinization tanks. Whenever I would get too crazy about silly details Gerry would never fail to remind me that "We're Not Building Queen Mary's Bathtub". He had quite a way of putting things in perspective. I will miss him a great deal and hope to see him again.

Last year I spent a week in Helene, Honduras as a member of a mission group that provides assistance to the local people. This is an area in Central America that is quite secluded. The residents do not have the benefit of electricity or running water. Their opportunities are extremely limited. The Honduran government does provide access to education, but it is sporadic at best.

This year I will be retuning with the same group for another week at the beginning of October. Our efforts this year will revolve around providing medical help, educational assistance, and general construction and maintenance.

The people of Helene are a joy to be around and have such an optimistic attitude toward life considering their limited living conditions and lack of economic opportunity. Here are a few shots of the local children from last years trip. I should have a lot more from this years trip in a couple of weeks after I return.

I have spent the last day or two working on more environmental/location shots. I am very interested in how an environment relates to, or impacts an individuals surroundings. It is so crucial, especially when shooting people, to create an atmosphere which compliments your subject and avoids distraction.

Just got done shooting Katrina, a local aspiring model. These were all shot using the Canon 5D. I'm really beginning to warm up to this camera with its ease of use. It's not the highest resolution around (12.8 mp) but it is a full frame sensor which means there is no lens conversion factor. When you combine this with using Adobe Lightroom, image adjustment control and workflow is quite seamless. Also, you can't beat the price.

Contrary to popular belief I do shoot studio and location still life in addition to all the environment portraiture and location stuff I do. Here are a few samples that you won't find on my site or just about anywhere else for that matter. It's not that I don't like shooting stills, it's just that I prefer to be on location shooting people if I could have my way, but we all know how that works.

Just like my portrait and location work I try to keep things simple and to the point when shooting stills. I definitely have an inclination toward vibrant colors, contrast, and strong graphic compostion. The simpler and cleaner the better.