Young man, what do you have to show for yourself?
Hard to say sir, but I can tell you proudly what I don't have to show for myself

Stop. Appreciate the slowness. Stillness. All for what it is.

Happy Halloween

I'm not really sure if I'll ever really make sense of it, but if it was going to happen, it was then

Back in Ohio for now

After an incredible 7 months in Utah, I am finally back in Ohio. Utah is such a rad state and has one of the best photo communities I've ever been a part of, but I suppose I had to get back east to try and finish up school. Even though I am sad about missing the epic snow storm that brought Utah 7 feet of powder in a few days, I can't complain when the weather has been sunny and in the 70's in Ohio. Here's a frame from an impromptu bike ride with my roommates.

Utah Humor

Those Mormons...

As I've started to prepare to leave Utah, I've also started to really think about the mormon culture and what I've learned about it. Coming here, I knew next to nothing about their religion and culture, aside from no booze, drugs, tea, etc. Long story short, I took it upon myself to learn as much as possible. From a historical standpoint, mormons made Utah what it is. They pioneered it, ran it, and practically still own the place. With Provo being over 90% mormon, it makes sense that a lot of the way the city is run is due to the religion. Aside from living with several different mormons, I also went to a mormon church service (different from going to temple because I'm not allowed in there), met with a bishop several times, met with missionaries a few times, and just read a lot about the religion. For those interested, I'll be more than happy to talk about my experiences and impressions in person. I will say that coming from a pretty secular person, I do have respect for a lot of the things they do.

Anyways, here's a portrait I did of the missionaries I met with. Everything was working out perfectly... the light was nice, the location overshadowed most of Utah County, and I was excited to shoot the frame. Unfortunately, as I was setting up, my strobe fell and broke. Oh well... at least I still got a souvenir Book of Mormon.

Lance Cpl. Carlos A. Aragon

This afternoon I was assigned to photograph a funeral for a local marine killed in Afghanistan. While these types of assignments are neither fun nor easy, I am appreciative of the opportunity to get to experience and document them. Taking photographs of people in such pain sometimes feels like one of the most inappropriate things you can do at a funeral. So, needless to say, I was very grateful when a marine turned to me and said, "Thanks for what you do."

The Decline of Farming in Utah County

For this month's monday close up, I photographed and interviewed several farmers about the impact rapid development is having on farmers in Utah County. This isn't a local issue. It's happening all over the country. I don't necessarily think they're the best photos I've taken out in Utah, but I feel for these guys. Farms passed down through generations are having to close, sell, or move elsewhere. Too bad, especially considering Springville has the most fertile land in the state. You can read the article I wrote here.

Spawt Knews

Going out of business

Typical, too typical

Sundance Skippy... Apparently, Skippy goes to the Sundance Film Festival every year and takes pictures of himself next to celebrities... To each their own. Here's the quick portrait I took before the showing of a documentary on him. Here's the trailer.

Back to school feature hunting

Food and Care Coalition

For my monthly picture story I photographed at a new facility in Provo that provides services for the homeless and underprivileged. I was intrigued because of the unique way it requires the clients to work for their services (dental visits, hair cuts, etc.) The story can be found here.

Heber

Here's a shot I dug up recently of a friend riding a skatepark in Heber, Utah. I like it because it reminds me of the good people and good sessions I met right after arriving in Utah. It's kind of a bummer that snow has blanketed these parks and I probably won't get to ride them in a while. However, I am hell bent on getting a photo that comes close to visually showing how epic the snowboarding is here. If you've skied Utah, you know that's no easy task.