Samantha and Matthew married on 21 July at Belfair Golf Club in Bluffton, SC. I was referred to the couple from a previous client, and had a great time photographing their wedding.

One of the most rewarding parts about what I do is becoming close with so many people on what is often an emotionally charged and historic day. At this wedding, much like many others, I felt like an extended member of the family. I was Tim, the distant cousin with the camera, and people accepted me and allowed me to go about my business. In the end, what matters to me is creating a set of images which moves my couples, their families, and hopefully their future generations. Without building up a sense of trust, I cannot do that as effectively.

To see a slideshow of storytelling images from the day, please visit:

samanthalovesmatthew.com

Hurricane Dean slammed into the Southern Yucatan on Tuesday morning, making landfall near a biosphere. About 60-100 miles north lie the tourist Meccas of Cancun and Cozumel, which were relatively spared in comparison to what could have happened.

I documented Andrea and Mike's Wedding in the Yucatan a while back, and thought I would share some images from their celebration this morning.

That Mr. Nixon went away.

Annie Leibovitz was there, and made an exquisite image of Marine One departing the South Lawn with the former President aboard.

Annie is one of the core members of Contact Press Images, the agency which has represented me over the years. Through the generosity of CPI's director in NY, Jeffrey Smith, I present this image from Annie's archives. PLEASE NOTE: This historic image is fully copyrighted © Annie Leibovitz / Contact Press Images. All inquiries for use, both in print and online should be directed to Jeffrey Smith. Please email info at contact press images dot com ( all one word ) for usage requests. This image is copyrighted and most certainly NOT in the public domain. Any and all uses without permission will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, up to $150,000 in federal penalties. If you are on the fence, don't muck about.

Contact Press Images is one of the last boutique photographic agencies, with its members having routine covers of Time, Paris Match, Stern, and many of the world's leading publications. The stable of photographers at Contact is unmatched for talent, and for the years that I was represented by them, it was a pleasure to have the agency in my byline and an honor to be under their representation during my tenure in Africa.

Vince Greico, my physician, died of a sudden heart attack a week ago. Why should readers care?

Well, he put me on some meds that dropped my cholesteral and triglicerides by a ton of points, making me healthier.

He had a wife, 2 daughters and two grandchildren. My biggest regret is that I never photographed all of them together, nor did I ever photograph Vince.

I have not had the greatest feeling for doctors in general due to some experiences two decades ago. Vince changed my opinion of Docs... he and his nurse slash wife Beccy were like a comedy routine in the office, unintentionally, making me feel totally at home while there.

For somebody who is all about family history and legacy with both weddings and portraits, it killed me that I had never photographed Vince before his passing.

Life is short. We can pass at any moment.

I just wish I had given Vince a goodbye hug instead of a handshake when I last saw him.

TZ