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1) PPH: Where is home ??
    E: Plano, TX

2) PPH: How long have you been shooting ??
    E: David 36 years, Luke 12 years professionally but grew up in my father's studio

3) PPH: What camera gear do you use / and what's your favorite lens ??

   E: We have always been a Nikon family. We have an arsenal of equipment but in our day-to-day activities we typically shoot with Nikon D3 and D3x's - David loves the 70-200 VR II and Luke loves the 200 2.0 & 85 1.4.

4) PPH: Do you have a memorable wedding photography moment ??

  E: Luke - Couple things come to mind - one was the 13 year old brother of the bride who thought it would be "guy funny" to give his sister a Nascar or World Series win champagne bath right after she made her entrance to the reception...She hasn't even been able to have her first dance, cake cutting or anything and here she is sticky, dripping wet, hair falling, make-up running with a mixture of shock and horror on her face. Her mother told her it was quite alright to "kill him." =)
Another was when we were in New Delhi, India and my "personal driver" decided to take another gig (even though he had been paid to drive only us that week) and kept claiming he would be there in 5 minutes. I had been told that it can take from 30 minutes to 2 hours to get to the outskirts of the city, where the groom's house was. As a final resort I hopped in a taxi - of course the cellphone batter was on it's last leg and the driver only had an opportunity to hear the groom's address once before the battery died. Thank goodness that after the mad dash drive - the drums for the groom's ceremony had started and guided us in to the exact right house!

David - The Mission Impossible stunt double that delivered the groom rappelling from the helicopter was definitely a dramatic entrance that stands out. And the THREE Sylvia Weinstock 20 foot cake creations they had definitely "took the cake" so speak!

5) PPH: First car? Today's car? What do you want in the future ??

   E: Luke - My first car was my father's 1973 MG-BGT that we worked on together to get back up and running...I've had my Jeep Wrangler for forever now - and I'm just as in love with it today as the day I got it - it's a fun club to be a member of. Future car? Something that that includes seat warmers as a sweet gift to my fiancee.
David - First car was a VW Bug with mag pipes, today it's a 5-series BMW that was a gift from my children. Future car? BATMOBILE!

6) PPH: Is there anyone else in the "biz" you enjoy shooting with? why? who would you like to shoot with ??

   E: We enjoyed having Mike Colon join us for a big wedding here in Dallas. And it was fun to give back and shoot his former assistant, Rosanna's wedding last year in Georgia. Since Jerry Ghionis doesn't shoot his weddings with another photographer, Luke went with the next best thing and is really looking forward to having him shoot his wedding in April!

7) PPH: Where would you like to shoot that you haven't yet ??

   E: Luke - I'd love to shoot a wedding in Morocco - been to Senegal before and fell in love with Western Africa!
David - Glaciers would be an amazing backdrop - maybe Iceland or up in the Scandinavian countries.

8) PPH: Where would be your dream " desti " location ??

   E: David - A simple beach wedding in Tahiti with a couple that places a high importance on getting amazing images!
Luke - Prague would be a dream destination for me - the beautiful cityscapes, people and churches!

9) PPH: What good tips can you give to a photographer starting off today ??

   E: David - Remember to be patient - take a look at what you were doing a year ago and see just how far you have progressed. See the community of photographers as your friends and allies and not your competition.
Luke - Fail with confidence - you are going to have good days and bad days - be better than you were yesterday. Think long-term and invest in the people and relationships in your industry. Give back abundantly and if you are just starting out - have a teachable spirit that is open to growing and education. Instead of learning "the hard way", learn from others who have gone before you so you can avoid making the same mistakes...you will make plenty on your own anyways!

10) PPH: What is the one approach / step that took your studio to where it is today ??

   E: Luke - Maturity - in being able to work with my father not for my father. Humbleness - that it's not just my own talents but God's blessing that guides my camera and vision to see moments and light. Faithfulness, God is our best agent and opens doors that we could never even know were out there, even with the best publicist in the world.
David - Totally agree! And in looking back at having 30 plus years of lifetime clients - be generous and kind with them. The cost of a one-sell is typically too high to be profitable. It's a life-time of repeat business that keeps you from having to keep going out and find new clients. When people like you as a person - they stay with you.

pph: In your words any great projects / workshop / seminars / dvds / actions in the works ??

THIRST RELIEF MENTOR AUCTION!
We are honored and blessed to be participating in our first mentor auction. To bid on us - visit http://thirstrelief.shootq.com/
And on Sunday March 7th, 2010 in Vegas, we will be leading a Thirst Relief Benefit Shoot with Mike Colon during the day and us for a nighttime shoot!
Also rumor has it we will be reuniting with the rest of the Grace Ormonde Tanzania crew for a evening platform presentation March 9th at WPPI!