Life Celebration of Penny Thomas

Before you watch this, please, change the settings to HD and make it full screen. It is worth the wait. And while you are waiting, go grab some tissues, and a loved one, you'll need it.

I have so many things to say about this. The love of family, the loss of a loved one, the hope to be reunited as a family someday...but I will let the images speak for themselves.

Jill Thomas is a good friend of mine. I met her like I've met many of my photographer friends, from FILM IS NOT DEAD. When I found out about how her youngest daughter Penny passed away, and that the funeral would be here in Heber, UT, I offered to come and shoot the life celebration of her little girl.

I've had experience doing this before. And you are probably thinking, man, how can he do this, it seems so hard. I'm here to tell you, it is hard. I was a bubbling mess. BUT, this beats any card, any set of flowers I could send. This is my gift to the Thomas family, and anyone who views it.

This is why I do what I do. Yes, I shoot weddings, commercial work, families, and a ton of personal work. But what drives me to do what it is that I do, is celebrating the family unit and all that that entails. There is nothing more important to me in this world than family.

Thank you to the Thomas family for letting me come and document this for them. Jill's dad said something to me as I was leaving that I'll never forget. He pulled me aside and thanked me for coming and doing this then said to me "make her live forever". Well, Brother Thomas, I did my best.

The music is by my dear friend Ryan Tanner and his old band Atherton.