Temple of the Sun

I guess a little better than my image of the "Temple of the Stars"

Provo River

Cascade Springs

Mesa Verde

Squaw Peak

This post is for those people who have never seen what the view from Squaw Peak looks like while the sun is still up:)

UVU

Lake Powell 2009 - Part II

A Couple More from Maine

Lake Powell 2009

Olsen House

These are a couple details from the Olsen House in Cushing, Maine. I had spent a week and a half writing in my hotel room about the significance and meaning of my photographs (A pastime that I am not particularly fond of.) Am I the only one that thinks that sometimes focusing on life and the simple beauty that is so often overlooked could bear so much more meaning than all the philosophies ever created that are focused upon our own creation?

Welcome to Liberty Tool

While I was out in Maine this summer I wasn't able to spend much time actually taking pictures because I was stuck in my apartment room writing for one of my academic projects. I was able to sneak out one day with a workshop taught by a friend named Thatcher Cook on a field trip they were taking. We spent a lot more time in a van than actually taking pictures but it was still a much needed break for me. It was a revisit to a location that I had photographed at the previous year called Liberty Tool. It is a fascinating place if you get lost and find out that you are in Liberty, Maine I recommend stopping. (Don't worry about asking where it is in Liberty because there is only one place to stop in Liberty.)

Kessa

These were pictures of my newest niece at her baby blessing. (I should point out that she is no longer the newest niece, my older sister had a little girl about 10 days ago. I think I'm a little to far behind. Better late than never right?)

Alisia

This my friend Alisia Packard. She asked if I would take a picture that she could put on her "soon to be finished" and updated website.

I am always game when people will let me do a portrait with my large format camera. I also shot it on Polaroid Type-55 film which unfortunately is getting close to impossible to find and when you do it's almost harder to afford. It really was an incredible film that I would readily trade any digital camera in existence if we could have it back.

Hospital Self Portrait

Triple Bypass

I went home to Idaho back in February to make a presentation about my work for the BYU Idaho Art department. While at home my Dad told me that we needed to go to the emergency room because something did not feel right. Our family has a history of heart problems and as a result we don't take warning signs lightly. He seemed to pass all tests but something was still off so he kept going back for more. They finally found three blocked arteries and decided that surgery was in order.

So on March 27, 2009 my dad went in for triple bypass surgery, luckily it was preemptive surgery rather than after a heart attack. It is an eye opening experience seeing your dad in that situation and all the realities of mortality that suddenly rush to the front of your mind. The night before the surgery my older brother, myself and both my parents stayed up discussing the details of my dad's living will and what his wishes would be. It will be a memory I will always have and am glad that it will not be the last that we can create.

The surgery was a success and he has recovered quickly for which we are very grateful.





This is a very typical scene with my family. My dad does not play games so when he is busily involved with genealogy or any other distractions, the rest of us get together and play games. It seemed like he was going to be busy for quite a while on this particular day so we brought some games to the hospital to play to pass the time.

(P.S. We were very concerned the entire time)

Monument Valley - Take 2

As part of my attempt to get caught up, here is an image from approximately six months ago from Monument Valley. I posted three images a while ago but never made it to this one. Hopefully much more to come...

Pinhole

I gave my Photo II class the assignment of creating their own pinhole camera and that they would each get one sheet of 4x5 film. The assignment was to get the exposure right with one attempt. Meaning they would have to calculate the f-stop of their camera, calculate the correct exposure, adjust exposure based on their f-stop, adjust for reciprocity effect and then take the picture. The exposures ranged from about 30 seconds to over an hour.

I wanted an assignment that would really test their technical prowess and still allow them to have a little fun. I decided to play along and so here is my exposure. It is the hallway leaving the computer science building, if you really care. I shall try to play a little catchup over the thanksgiving break and get a couple of pictures finished from the past six months. Cross your fingers.