Miss Teen Extraordinaire

I tend to have hard time shooting staged events straight on, simply just to photograph the acts. Of course, this is an important element of every stage-oriented assignment, so shoot your safety image first and move on. Backstage is always a place rich with quiet emotion and moments that only a "fly-on-the-wall" has the pleasure of experiencing. Enjoy, and make sure you read the caption - there is more than meets the eye on this one.

Backstage, girls anxiously awaited their moment in the spotlight during the Miss Teen Extraordinaire pageant for special needs youth Monday, February 27, 2012, at Spanish Fork High School in Spanish Fork, Utah. Hundreds of family members and friends cheered from the darkness just beyond the reach of the stage lights as the girls danced, sang, read stories and acted out routines.

Jason Alexander of "Seinfeld" visits Utah Valley University

I about lost it when this popped up in the assignment list for the day. Over the years, I've been lucky enough to photograph some icons of our age, and this man is - without question - an icon of simliar sorts. Ask anyone anywhere if they know what Seinfeld is...  I think you know what the answer is going to be.

A group of acting students and faculty enjoyed the first of three days of conversation and critique with television star Jason Alexander, right, of Seinfeld fame, on Monday, February 27, 2012, in the Noorda Theater at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

BYU Men's Basketball vs. Portland | Final season game

It was a shame to shoot my last men's Brigham Young University basketball game a week or two back. The senior night, the tears and the energy on the court brought back my last days of photographing basketball at my own Western Washington University last June. The pictures below are more of the same - but "the same" is one hell of a pleasure to photograph. Enjoy!

Brigham Young University's Brock Zylstra, top, goes up for a layup while crashing into Portland's Tim Douglas, bottom, during a game Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Brigham Young won the game 76-66.

Brigham Young University's Brandon Davies, center, calls for a timeout as Portland defenders scramble for the ball during the second half of a game Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. BYU won the game 76-66.

BYU's Brandon Davies, center, hypes up his team in a huddle before a game against the Portland Pilots Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

BYU's Charles Abouo, right, watches as Portland's Nemanja Mitrovic, left, lays up the ball after a rebound during a game Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. BYU won the game 76-66.

Night At The Museum

If you've ever had the chance to catch the Ben Stiller cinematic masterpiece, "Night At The Museum," you know it sucks. Yet, in real life, this idea - complete with a live T-Rex, a smart-mouthed mummy and a basket of free obsidian chunks - is undeniably cool. I was especially drawn to a young dancer that had seemed to come alive in her "painting." Childish wonder with a touch of adult organization behind the scenes almost always means fun pictures. Enjoy!

Callie Sweeten, 9, and her sister, Malena Sweeten, not pictured, twirled and danced in what appeared to be a framed picture as part of the first of three evenings of the annual Night at the Museum event Thursday, February 23, 2012, at Hutching Museum in Lehi, Utah.

Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs | Action & Features

NBA experience number two is in the books. It felt great to get back to the EnergySolutions Arena with a little knowledge of the lay of the land this time around. In addition to game action, which can found on the Daily Herald's website, I took some time at the beginning of the game to make some features. Enjoy.

Utah Jazz mascot, Bear, encourages the crowd to make noise at the start of a game against the San Antonio Spurs Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.



Paul Millsap, left, of the Utah Jazz, body checks and cocks back to shoot over the arms of the San Antonio Spur's Matt Bonner, center, during the second half of a game Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Spurs won the game 106-102.

The Utah Jazz starting lineup takes a moment to huddle before the arena lights rose for the start of a game against the San Antonio Spurs Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Warm winter ATVing

I love assignments that get me out and about. Recently, when speaking with my editor, it occurred to me that everything I've shot in the past month and a half has been indoors. My assignment to document a popular ATVing spot in relation to Utah's unusually warm winter was just the ticket to get me out and about. Now that it's said and done and the picture has been made, I am sure glad I didn't manage to destroy the remote camera (consisting of a Canon 1D Mark IIn, 17-40L, two PocketWizards and a Magic Arm) that was mounted to the front of an ATV for the second image. I still have my job. Enjoy!

Colton Saunders, center, pulls into his family's campsite after joyriding his ATV while his mother, Holly Whitehead, right, chats with friends and family members Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, at Fivemile Pass, Utah. Miles of open terrain is available for safe, free range riding.

Cody Johnson, 19, and his family, not pictured, took advantage of the unseasonably warm winter weather to joyride their ATVs, dirt bikes and sand buggies Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, at Fivemile Pass, Utah. Miles of open terrain is available for safe, free range riding. The sunnier-than-usual season allowed Johnson more freedom to ride. "It's a lot better without all the snow in the way," Johnson said, "and much more fun when it's warm."

Sandy resident, Kevin Zamora, center, packs his collection of all-terrain vehicles into his trailer after a long day of riding Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, at Fivemile Pass, Utah. Originally from California, Zamora also professionally races motorcycles. All-terrain riding remains as simply a hobby.

Tracks stand out against the dry, cracked earth Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, at Fivemile Pass, Utah. Miles of open terrain is available for safe, free range riding.

Daily Herald staffer James Roh gets LASIK

The man has been waiting years for this moment. Thankfully, I drove the guy to and from his surgery, which gave me the chance to sweet-talk my way into the operating room for a couple pictures of this monumental event in the history of Roh's eyeballs. The experience brought me back to my seven-hour stint shooting a tummy tuck several years back... except this time, it didn't smell so barbecue-y. James is now referred to around the office (by me) as Eagle Eyes and/or Major Lazer.

Caution, one of the pictures below gets a tad graphic in a Clockwork Orange kind-of-way.

Suzanne Kimball portrait | Principal of the Year

Had the pleasure of meeting this nice lady the other day. As I attempted to shoot a portrait of her (in light of her recent award), students and faculty from Mapleton Jr. High could not stop running up to greet her with hugs and hellos. Can't say any of my former principals got love like that. Enjoy!

Technical info: Canon 5D Mark II, 85mm, (1) bare AlienBee AB800 back left and (1) bare AlienBee AB800 camera right.

Former Mapleton Junior High Principal, Suzanne Kimball, photographed Monday, Feb. 13, 2012, at Mapleton Junior High School in Mapleton, Utah. Kimball was a recent recipient of the Utah Middle School Principal of the Year award by the Utah Association of Secondary School Principals.

Cottonwoods of Provo

Tagged along with Daily Herald staffer, James Roh, for an assignment of his on a slow day at the paper. This image, complete with its colors and tone, sums up the gamut of Utah County at this time of year. Enjoy the peace.

Coyote's | Food Review

I can't say I complain when a food review assignment shows up in the budget. Coyote's, a Mexican restaurant in Orem, Utah, was my second savory subject for the the Daily Herald's "The Ticket" section.

Technical data: Canon 5D Mark II (tripod; 2 sec. timer), 135L, 580EX Speedlite from back at 105mm, 580EXII Speedlite from above at 70mm. Since the restaurant wasn't the most picturesque on the inside, a simple, clean booth sufficed for a background.


Can you almost smell it?

BYU Women's Basketball vs. Saint Mary's

Shooting basketball in a gigantic, well-lit, empty stadium is an odd experience.  Yet there is something to be said for the clean, graphic backgrounds of the stands behind the players.  Not my favorite basketball images, but I owe the sports ladies some photographic credit after posting guy stuff all the time.

Utah State Drill Team Competitions

Once in a blue moon,  I will find myself shooting an assignment where it seems like a bad picture cannot be taken. The reasons for such a glorious day can be just about anything (interesting content, beautiful color, willing subjects), and all in all, it is truly a pleasurable experience. Aside from the fact that I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off on this particular day, the State Drill Team Competition at Utah Valley University was one of those events. Aside from action images, I focused on making behind-the-scenes pictures of the girls getting ready to perform. Enjoy!