I love shooting high energy and passion. @stephanweston exudes both of these qualities while on stage and is the kindest guy off stage, and it was a pleasure to capture his performance during my Easter shoots this past weekend for @kensingtonchurch #livemusic #praisesandworship #pw #stagedesign #concertphotography #Hillsong

Always fun seeing your photos actually in print with out digital world. This is my very good friend Darby who was the kids favorite at every orphanage. They would play with him for hours. He also learned that even Kenyan kids were SUPER fast runners. 😄 this is a piece from @kensingtonchurch for their short term mission trips. I encourage you that if you have never been on one to think about it. It’s a great way to make this big world feel a bit smaller and love others. #missions #kenya #loveothers #serveothers #love

Shot from #easter at @shelbykcc @kensingtonchurch RJ and the team praising and worshiping. Playing around with a new photography tool this weekend. Learning new stuff to do outside the digital editing world. Real life effects. #livemusic #praiseandworship #knowyourtone #concertphotography #lights #stagedesign #story

I had the pleasure of shooting lots of images for Easter at @kensingtonchurch this past weekend, here is one of them that was used to thank all the amazing volunteers. #EasteratKensington #praiseandworship #singer #praise #Jesus #volunteer #music

For my final photo of #weekofhope series this is me and the team I was part of, incredible people with a heart to help others. I made amazing friends on this trip, friends for life. When you go on a 2 week trip to an extreme remote area like this you get to REALLY know people, you share a special bond. One person likened it to going to the moon with a team of people. It was very special and I hope to get back with these people very soon. I hope you have enjoyed this series of #weekofhope showing the beautiful Pokot people and those who feel called to help them. My suggestion for you is to help someone, anyone, how ever close or far they may seem. However big or small the need is, our world has a lot of good but it can always use more. Thanks for looking and listening. @hopewaterproject @kensingtonchurch #pokot #hopewaterproject #waterchangeseverything #missions #helpothers

#weekofhope @hopewaterproject runner and friend, the amazing @hollyheter pictured here as she finishes the #DetroitFreePressMarathon she and 1400 other HWP runners put themselves through this amazing feat of endurance to raise money for those who don’t have clean water in Kenya. To get involved check out HopeWaterProject.org to run or donate. #runnersworld #run #waterchangeseverything #detroitstrong #kenya #marathon

Look at that crystal clear water! Not only is it visually clear but it’s also clear of disease and harmful things that make people so sick. This is from a well at the Kauriong orphanage in the remote Pokot region of Kenya. Over the past few years the @hopewaterproject and #NoChild.org folks have seen a drastic change in the health of these kids all do to clean water and food. #weekofHope #waterchangeseverything #cleanwater #hopewaterproject #4PureWater

Time to cook dinner. One way to describe the remote areas of Kenya is that it feels like what the early pioneer days in America must’ve been like. Long trips by foot or donkey, cooking all your meals with what’s available and over an open fire. I loved it. Such a calmer way of life. I was definitely envious of that way of life to a certain extent. The disease and lack of clean water is definitely something that I did not enjoy, and neither do they. Support #cleanwater @hopewaterproject #waterchangeseverything #weekofhope #campfire #cooking #fire

Look at that cute little bundle peeking out snuggled up with mom. While we were checking out potential water well sites a few locals would approach us out of curiosity. So we talked for a bit and I asked to take their group photo, after I took the group photo and they all laughed after seeing the back of my camera, this woman pulled me aside and asked (motioned) to have her picture taken again so that we could see her baby better. She was so proud to show off her little guy. Moms are the same all around the world. #proudmom #babywearing #moms #kenya #waterchangeseverything @hopewaterproject #weekofhope

#weekofhope @hopewaterproject just another morning in Kenya. Time to get your villages water for the day/week. I actually got to help fill this round of jerry cans. I can say that I am a man who has done lots of weight training in my day and I was wiped out after filling 2 of these. Those hand pumps are no joke, but to them its a welcomed method over hand digging bore holes (pictured yesterday). Much respect for the kids and women who fetch water every day. That also couldn’t stop laughing when Darby (another friend on the trip) and I were helping pump water, this is something that grown men NEVER do in their culture. Fun memories of them all giggling at us Mazungas trying to hang with them. 😄 #cleanwater #Workout #jerrycan #hopewaterproject #thankful @kensingtonchurch

I often hear the phrase “we give people a hand up not a handout”. And we believe that local empowerment is key to any program like this. Here a tribe leader from the Pokot region of Kenya shakes the hand of Jay who is partially responsible for this village getting water, a much needed basic necessity for life. In the foreground is a pile of thorny twigs that marks the spot a water surveyor said would be the best spot to drill for a new water well. The team gathered some information from him about schools in the area as well as churches and how many people live there. This well would serve anywhere between 2000 and 4000 people. Amazing! One well at a time.. #waterchangeseverything #cleanwater #cleanwaterwednesday @hopewaterproject #weekofhope #hopewaterproject

Continuing with my @hopewaterproject photo week. This how many get their water for the day. How do you get yours? These are “bore holes” that are hand dug, they dig until they hit water. sometimes that could be 2 feet sometimes that could be 6 feet or more, then they scoop it out with their hands or a cup. And I think it’s too much work to replace my #Brita Filter at home. Some much needed perspective for me this morning. #borehole #water #weekofhope #cleanwater #waterchangeseverything #kenya

One benefit to having clean water is that now you get to do the dishes after meal time. I don’t know if the kids were as excited about that. 😄 This is sweet little Dorkus who did her chores with pride, but this is a luxury most in the area don’t have and it’s helping with their health and sanitation. #cleanwater @hopewaterproject #hopewaterproject #kenya #chores #dishes #green

One word that summed up my Kenya experience was “surreal”. This image was taken while we were out with the @hopewaterproject team surveying the land for potential new well sites. Standing in the foreground is the tribe leader who is there to discuss the amazing impact a #cleanwater well would have on his village. Education, disease, livestock and crops to name a few. It was unreal to be a fly on the wall at these meetings out in the bush. This was a totally remote area and out of nowhere somebody would come walking up to greet us and share stories. #waterchangeseverything #hopewaterproject #kenya #waterislife #pokot @kensingtonchurch

Education is something that is highly valued to the kids in the orphanages in the remote bush areas of Kenya. The kids were so eager to talk with us and ask questions. A common question was “Do you know Michelle Obama?” Haha. But seriously they are so eager to learn, read and study anything they can get their hands on. As is evident by this young mans school book I happened to see after talking with him. Speaks volumes. #education #learning #kidswanttolearn #kenya #nochild.org @hopewaterproject

Continuing with my @hopewaterproject photo week. Every morning the kids who are lucky enough to go to school in remote Kenya have to first get water for the day. For some of them that may be a walk down the short path, for others that may be a five or 10 mile walk in extreme conditions. This also takes away from time they could be learning (which they LOVE). Water isn’t just water to them, it’s Life! #cleanwater #Pokot #waterislife #hopewaterproject #kenya #kids #smiles #grateful

Helping others is a great reason to wake up in the morning. Continuing with my @hopewaterproject Photo day, these are the hands of a woman who has probably worked harder than any of us in her lifetime. She is very grateful that a #Cleanwater well was drilled in her village. Removing most diseases and easing the extreme physical demand on the woman’s bodies in this region. Most woman here are in constant pain from carrying water for miles every day. Help someone today, whether it’s with water, a meal or a ride to work. You never know the prayer you might be answering. #women #mothers #water #prayer #kenya #water #waterislife

Marriage- 2 people so in love that they refuse to give up on each other, even when things get tough. One is there to support the other when they don’t think the will make it another step, mentally or physically. This is Chad and Shannan finishing the #DetroitFreePressMarathon for @hopewaterproject they say a picture says a thousand words so I will just leave it at that. #love #marriage #faith #runnersWorld #marathon #support #lovewins #Cleanwater #whyIrun

Another aspect to @hopewaterproject is this crazy awesome group of #marathon runners, 1200 strong. They have ran the #DetroitFreePressMarathon #DisneyWorldMarathon #ChicagoMarathon and many more races around the world. Their goal is to raise money for clean water for the people of #pokot. They push themselves to extreme physical limits all so that someone they may never meet can have a basic necessity. They have also learned that life is better lived in community with others. Don’t go through this life alone. #Cleanwater #waterislife #HWP #whyIrun #friends #community @kensingtonchurch #detroitstrong #runnersWorld

Today I will be posting images from the amazing @hopewaterproject organization that I have had the pleasure to shoot for/with many times. #HWP focuses on bringing clean water to the #pokot region of #Kenya one of the roughest and extreme terrains on the planet to drill for #cleanwater to date HWP have drilled 135 wells, 60 in the past 2 years!! Not only to they provide physical life with water and medical trips, they also provide spiritual life by teaching about the Living God and sharing how much He cares for them. Check out Hopewaterproject.org for more info and to get involved. #life #water #Jesus #missions #community #whyIrun