I had the chance on Sunday to photograph an extraordinary story.

David Amaya was abducted by his father to Mexico when he was about two years old. Thirty-four years later, Amaya crossed the border back to the U.S. on a whim and was picked up by Border Patrol.

Once they ascertained that he was in fact a U.S. citizen, moves were made to reunite him with his mother.

I got the chance to meet David and his mother Kathy Amaya before a church service on Sunday. They have a lot of challenges going forward. Kathy, a Wisconsin resident, doesn't speak a lick of Spanish. And David can't speak English. But some facial features and mannerisms indicate that they are clearly mother and son, as reporter Marty Graham pointed out in her story.

It was awesome to get to meet these two and play a small part in telling a story we can feel good about.

Just a few days before my wedding, I was turning down all sorts of assignments as I got busy with the details of the week.

But one of them was too good to pass up. 

The New York Times sports photo editor Jeffrey Furticella asked me to photograph Chris Cole.

He's a hot-shot street skater who was gearing up to participate in the final event of Street League, which is apparently like the Super Bowl for skaters.

I met Cole at his house where I shot portraits all over the property, he skated in his backyard park for a bit and he showed his daughter the dead rattlesnake that he found on the side of the road.

Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot and the awesome layout in the Times.

If you haven't had the opportunity, you should read this extraordinary report by Liam Dillon about emergency response.

Through the stories of everyday San Diegans, Dillon explains how response times are drastically slower in some neighborhoods.

Specifically, some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city are at a heightened risk of waiting too long for an emergency responder.

City officials have committed to building a slew of new stations in these neighborhoods, but not a penny has been put toward accomplishing that.

It was a gift to spend time with the people who have been affected by late response times as they opened up their lives briefly.

And it was very educational and helpful to spend some time riding with one of the busiest engines in the city, from Fire Station 12, to see what they deal with.

Family members of Rickquese McCoy share memories of him over a memorial in a canyon near their home. 

McCoy was shot and killed in June 2012 and it took fire crews 12 minutes from the time of a 911 call to arrive at his aid.

The crew of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department's Engine 12 races to a medical call along Imperial Avenue past Euclid Avenue. 

The crew is one of the busiest in the city, responding to about 4,000 calls in 2012 alone, according to their statistics.

Cherish Lomeli, 28, waited 11 minutes for first responders to arrive at her Encanto home after a fireball exploded in her face from her stove. 

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Captain David Gerboth shows off a map of Southeastern San Diego that was historically used to determine how to respond to a call.

The crew of Engine 12 after a call.

Firefighters with San Diego Fire-Rescue Department's Engine 12 race into the engine to respond to a medical aid call.

During the blackout in fall 2011, Rosemary Womack waited more than 15 minutes for a first responder to arrive at her Skyline home to give her the oxygen she needed. 

As night falls, the crew of Engine 12 responds to a small fire in a homeless encampment. 

After knocking down a fire, Captain David Gerboth speaks to some teenagers on a nearby rooftop while the rest of his crew prepares for the next call. 

Ricky and Patricia McCoy keep memories of their slain grandson Rickquese around the house.

Ricky and Patricia McCoy, grandparents of Rickquese McCoy, were held back from running to his side while police officers secured the crime scene. Rickquese died soon after arriving at the hospital.