This picture is indicative of why I love wedding photojournalism. The groom and ring boy were running a pre-ceremony errand and they were both sharing the same umbrella. I knew it was a cool shot so I fired off about six or seven frames, and this is the image that popped out at me.

Sure, you could easily set this sort of shot up, but real life is much more fun than that!

I had to embed myself with the musicians to get this photo. The key elements in this photograph are repeating patterns with a tight, strong center of interest.

Sometimes, when you're trying to capture a photojournalistic moment, there can be certain ... well ... distractions:

The Bride and Groom are leaving, and this kid's in the way!



Doesn't he know I have a job to do? :-)



This is where cameras with fast autofocus and fast frame rates really come in handy -- shooting through the "noise" while you're simultaneously cleaning up the frame, looking for that Decisive Moment



Eventually an image breaks through, full of joyous emotion



Sometimes the best images aren't technically -- or compositionally -- perfect. (For example, some photographers might argue that the basket in the last frame is a distraction.) But the reality is when the moment is right, and the emotion is captured, most of the distractions tend to fade away ... all that's left is the enduring image, forever.

Here are a few photos from an assignment I covered this past weekend: Focus 2007. Focus is an annual conference geared toward Christian college students and it's sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Musician Charlie Hall led worship



Truett Theological Seminary professor, Mike Stroope, delivered the messages



College students mailed Bibles to prisoners overseas