Tom Hawkins | Portrait at Utah Valley University

Let's face it: Utah isn't the most liberal place in the world. Born and raised a Seattle boy, I think it is fair to say I am a tolerant, easy-going individual. Take that how you will... and imagine how it burns me when an assignment of this nature pops up in the budget.
One day, Tom Hawkins - a Utah Valley University student running for student government  - received a slew hateful email when the fact that he is gay became became public knowledge. The Daily Herald heard about the debacle and we arranged a portrait with Tom as a sort of rebuttal. Needless to say, Hawkins was a shy yet engaging young man to photograph in the UVU library for part of the afternoon. I wish him the best in the wake of the news and in the elections. Enjoy the result of a fun portrait with an underlying message.

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!

MLK Day 2012

The beauty of this job - for me, at least - is the sheer volume of life a photographer can experience through the simple presence of a camera. The places you go, the things you see, and in this case, the people you meet.  For MLK day this year, I was lucky enough to meet and photograph the living civil rights legend, Julian Bond, at a presentation at Utah Valley University in Orem.  While the picture is merely a profile snapshot, it is the experience that was the incredible takeaway from the day's events.

All-Stars Wrestling

I did it.  I took the advice from my good friend, John Lok - a staff photographer at The Seattle Times and an incredibly positive guy - to request strict sports duty once I got to Utah.  In less than a week, I have shot a number of games and matches in all different sports from high school to college level, and, with any luck, NBA will be in the near future (i.e., with the Utah Jazz). To start off the sports train, enjoy a couple frames of young high school lads giving each other the beatdown at an All-Stars wrestling tournament at Utah Valley University.  Thanks for looking.