Cystic Fibrosis of Indiana's 2012 Margarita Mingle

As part of DPA's new focus on serving and servicing Non-Profits, here's one of several slide shows and blog posts about organizations making a difference and Helping Helpers, Help Others.

DPA & Diehliciouspix... "Helping Helpers Help Others"

Greetings and thank you for visiting my blog. It's been quite a long time since I've haunted this section of Diehl Photographic Arts land! With Facebook's prominence in the world of general internet existence I've spent more time posting what I do there and leave this more robust area out of the normal circulation. So if you'd like to see what else I do besides what's on here and have a facebook account, check me out @ www.facebook.com/diehliciouspix I tweet some and sometimes it's about my biz. It's occasionally funny and always observant: https://twitter.com/#!/Diehliciouspix I'm going to restart my linkedin so I'll get that posted here as well! Social media matters, eh?

I've lately been searching my heart trying to decide where I need to be going with my business. I've been "full-time" as a sole-proprietor over the past couple years and started DPA, aka diehliciouspix in 2005 as a part-time moonlighting business.
People have always been my specialty and I've photographed thousands of people. Literally I've now focused 1% of Indianapolis! That's pretty cool if you think about it. One percent of a million's kind of a big diehl. :) But as I continue in my work and as I try to get "more" out of it and desire to give more of myself, my talents, passions and abilities in every aspect of my life I realized that I need to be more focused and have a niche.

Often it's been said in business that you can't be everything to everyone. I've tried this to some extent and I think perhaps that's why I've only photographed 1% of Indy instead of 5%, or even 10%! Those numbers aren't really a goal of mine. Initially it mattered to me, but what really matters to me isn't how many people I've photographed, but rather, I'm learning that what really matters is how I can help others with what I do, so I've decided to declare, if you will, that I am now Indianapolis' Non-Profit Photographer!

Funny thing about this is that no non-profits know this yet! LOL and when they do, what they'll do with it I have no idea, but I want to help helpers help others.
This doesn't mean I won't continue to do "event and lifestyle-people photography" but even with that, I already give 10% to my church of what I earn but I'll provide all my clients ways to choose who they want a portion of their business with me to support too! This is going to require a little more of me, but to much is given, much is expected and I'm stepping up to the call.

Novel? I don't think so, but the truth of it all is that I think I'll find myself, busier, happier, content, and connecting with people that have the same perspective in life. To Help.
So join with me as I now venture to "help helpers help others"
Thanks and God Bless!

The Klain's Slideshow

I have been so busy after the holidays that I've been severely lacking upkeep on my website and blog. It seems though that my blog has lots of traffic and I'd like to give my viewers a chance to see new stuff, not old. So each day this week, I'll be uploading photos, and slideshows of work I've done since the holidays.

The first one is this family session I did with Linda Klain and her 3 awesome girls. I normally don't shoot on Holidays, but I didn't have a lot of obligations over Thanksgiving so I headed up to Carmel in the morning and had a great time photographing these ladies.

I do location photograph, as well as studio work now with use of an awesome location central to Indy. If you'd like to see more work, check out my fanpage on facebook@ www.facebook.com/diehliciouspix

Thanks Linda for allowing me to photograph your family and trusting me with these memories!

Life celebrated... God bless you Shannon Perry

Today family and friends buried a dear woman. Believers from the Messianic Jewish community as well as her church at the Vineyard Mt. Comfort celebrated, sang and danced the way this amazing woman would want.

Life lived in hindsight is 20/20. Often we are mired in our present. Confused and lost one day, happy and free another. All who knew Shannon, knew her as the antithesis of this. Shannon was consistent. Jubilant, triumphant, passionate in love for her God, her husband, family and church. Never did I know her to not be upbeat, present and passionate.

Love poured from her pores. As I said today at her service, she was Love, she was a Marvel and she was special. As the Rabbi finished her memorial today we closed with a blessing from God of hope to all of us here on earth:

Numbers 6:24-26
The LORD bless you
and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.

Thank you Shannon for your example of living life filled with love.

Hilliary and Danny Cofer's Wedding @ the Scottish Rite Cathedral

I had the pleasure shooting a couple "firsts" for this last wedding I did. Click to enjoy the slideshow and read on to learn about a couple firsts. Thank you Hilliary and Danny! God bless you guys. I thoroughly enjoyed your day and thank you for trusting me with it!

The first for me was to shoot on a Thursday. Normally, weddings are Saturday events, but this couple is an outside the dots kind of family and I really love that!
Second, it was my first wedding at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. As you can see from the photos, there's not an ugly place in the entire building from the roof on down to the grounds all around. It's a structure worth bringing extra light into. It is breathtaking.
The last thing that was a first for me was to shoot on the roof of the Cathedral. These days it's hard to find a unique location and normally this isn't either a conceived or location or it's just off limits, but thanks to Danny's mom, I got the inside line and with great assistance from everyone @ the Cathedral, took some really unique photos of Danny and his Groomsmen on the roof!
Yep, that's part of DPA and making diehliciouspix... I like to bring light to your life. You can also become a fan on facebook @ www.facebook.com/diehliciouspix

I hope you enjoy the slide show and stay tuned.

Just another interesting day at my church...

If you've read much of my blog you'll notice occasionally a post that has nothing to do with my business and once again, this is one such post. I do facebook and you can be a friend of mine there and a fan of my business which is www.facebook.com/diehlphotographicarts & www.facebook.com/diehliciouspix but one thing that I love is sharing little stories and I know that part of my gift as a photographer is to capture moments that tell a story.
Now the backfill for this story is pretty simple. The youth are leaving for camp today and as part of the challenge to help pay for it and provide ways for others to go, they needed to raise some funds. $2000 to be exact. If they got$2K, they'd get to buzz their leader's head, Keith. $2500 and they take the eyebrows as well. Well as you can see. They didn't get the brows, (we all breathe a sigh of relief on that one). As it is, this once hirsute man has become fully ready for a hot week of camp.

Then, if that wasn't enough, a small group of women practice dancing for health and worship purposes and put on a performance after this. It was not only lovely, but a wonderful Messianic message through song and dance... How cool is that?!

And that's how it is at my church. One day is never the same as the next. Unlike larger churches that have 7 services in 3 locations simultaneously @ 4 different times, we don't have to follow a formula. We worship from the heart for an undetermined time and then continue within the community to share with each other and then have a good message and then we're done. It is satisfying. If you're dissatisfied. Need more from your Sunday, talk to me or come for a visit. We're the big blue church south of I-70 on Mt. Comfort Road.

25th Zoobilation Celebration

I had a blast shooting Zoobilation this year. As my first year at it, I realized 3 things. Zoobilation is the biggest party separate of the Indy 500 week. Zoobilation is the largest party I've ever photographed and lastly, I realized that if I can shoot a party of 4,000, what can't I handle???

Enjoy the slideshow and if you'd like to order images or see the other 400+ pix go to this website on Pictage and register and order there. http://pictage.com/1061588