To date, my most recent shoot has been one of my absolute favorites. I cannot stress to you enough how important it is to be working with good people. This may seem like a keen statement from Captain Obvious, but in all seriousness, and based on previous experiences, it's not worth sacrificing any part of your art, or yourself to something that really isn't going to be all that good for you in the end. Despite what many people may say, you've got to make a business that is good for you. Yeah sure, I like money too, but if it comes with a clause of abandoning things that make you who you are, I say forget it. My business is one about people and their stories, which is why I am in love with this project.

Working with local (well, Pittsburgh... local isn't very helpful or descriptive coming from "Carmen Sandiego," as Bambi calls me) graphic designer and founder of Give and Take T-Shirts, Shea Mullen, was a complete pleasure. You can read about the general concept of Give and Take, provided in the above links, but I think it's very important to note Shea's focus on keeping the project close to home, despite its pending national popularity. Rather than using models, Shea chose people close to her who have been through or have had a relative go through some tough times, be it with cancer, epilepsy or MS- just to name a few.

Anyway, I spent four days with the most awesome models I have ever worked with. The shot above was from the final day of shooting in which 4 of 5 of Shea's nieces and nephews (ages 6-20somethingish) wore cancer shirts in support of their mom. I liked this shot as opposed to the ones that will eventually be used because it was just so perfectly candid. Not to mention the fact that Daniel (right) had me rolling in the grass with laughter with comments such as, "This isn't a charity for me to smile!" Quite witty for a little one.

On a closing note, and I think this is a rather appropriate time to state this: I love my job. I will share John Prine's sentiments in the line, "How the hell can a person go to work in the morning, come home in the evening and got nothin' to say." If I don't come home in the evening with a story, I haven't done my job.

Oh and last, but not least, which one of the boys pictured above do I have a bigger crush on?