Over the years I’ve developed a thriving business, shooting family portraits and weddings on Maui. I went from shooting solo, to employing an assistant for myself. We’ve had numerous lighting assistants over the years, but two years ago a handsome, local boy decided to give the job a try while waiting to become a Maui police officer.

When Trevor started to work with me, he didn’t know how to turn on the camera, let alone format the SD card, or change the lens on the camera. The art of illuminating a subject with an artificial lighting source was completely foreign to him.  In what I consider a short time, Trevor was up and running with little direction, and proved to be a true asset to Behind The Lens Maui. One day, Trevor came to me and said, “I’ve learned that I love photography, and that I’d like the opportunity to learn more. I want to be a photographer. ” I noticed a steady change in Trevor. He was more focused and dedicated to the position, and we were becoming a team. I began to give Trevor the camera when I didn’t need him on the lights, and he began to explore exposure, depth of field, shutter speed, and how they all work together with the natural lighting conditions. We started to have dialog about what was working and not working, and how changing the focal point of a shot could enhance the subject.

Today was a milestone for Trevor and Behind The Lens Maui; putting Trevor in the lead photographer position for this couples vow renewal. I am more than proud of Trevor, and can’t wait to see him expand onto shooting completely solo by next year. Trevor is an up and coming Maui photographer, and is going to give us long time photographers a run for the money.