Alan Hartwick died last night – a great friend who will be missed by so many of us.  Alan and I grew up professionally at TV13 – he as a news photographer and I as a production assistant.  Later we worked together for a long time in all kinds of church/non profit projects – in fact, he affectionately called me “church boy” because of all the church image pieces we did around the country.  He was a special man.

On a purely professional level, he was an amazingly talented photographer.  Alan could capture those “moments” that no producer can script or plan with an artistic sensitivity that is a gift.  If you could have seen some of the challenging rooms I dragged him into – and the kind of pictures that came out of them – you’d appreciate the depth of his ability.  No one could frame, capture and hold a shot better – another producer – Ron Holwerda – called him the “human steady cam.”

There are many Alan stories.  Once during a shoot in Detroit, I had arranged for scenes from a potter’s wheel.  As the potter set up, my contact at the site took me aside to mention that there “could be a problem.”  “What’s that?” I said.  “He’s an epileptic.”  Sure enough – just when “tape rolled,” the man fell over in full seizure.  He recovered and we finished the shoot – but it gave Alan a book idea – “The Potter was an Epileptic – and other stories on the production road.”

Another time in Evansville, IN, we were shooting some scenes at an RV dealership, when Alan hit his head on a side view mirror.  There he was – sitting in a daze, bleeding from an obvious head wound.  Again we finished the shoot – but later I pointed to the obvious irony of a “Hoosier” getting smacked down by an RV!  At the time – in obvious pain – he didn’t think that was very funny.

Alan was a very special blend of the personal and professional – but it was the spiritual side of him that I most appreciated.  He taught me about diversity of faith – about real fellowship and friendship across denominational lines.  Ours was and is a brother to brother relationship.  Alan was a faith seeker in the truest sense of the word – he loved Jesus and he loved God’s Word with real passion and energy.

So my good friend – I will miss you terribly.  I look forward to seeing you again – that’s the promise from the God you have served and loved so well for so long, the Lord that we both know.  See you later!