Skoticus Photography | Photography for every step of your journey.

One More Preview

2012-01-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering why it's taking so long to get more pictures up?

Well...my computer is broken. I can still do some editing on my laptop, but I don't do as good a job on there. All my pictures are safe, backed up, and even accessable, but there won't be any editing until I get a new computer. Which needs to be soon, because the world must be people with photographs!

Happiness and Joy

2011-12-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Andrew and Laura!

More pictures to come.

Madden Family

2011-11-18T09:46:00.001-07:00

Pat is my creative writing teacher, and has been for the last 6 years. I got to know his family this summer when they joined us for a study abroad in England. We had a great time taking some pictures last week. Here's a little glimpse of their fun shoot.

Andrew+Laura Engaged!

2011-10-28T08:35:00.000-06:00

Meet Andrew. I've known him since he was born since we share the same parents, and we've been pretty good friends the whole time. We even lived together during college for a bit. He's a pretty swell guy. He likes gardening, and he makes the best cheesecake in the world. I'm not even exaggerating. I LOVE his cheesecake.

Meet Laura. I've known her for a couple years now. She's been one of my best friends for so long. We've had tons of culinary adventures together, and her laugh will fill a room like none other.

I'm so happy they're getting married! She makes Little Brother so happy, and I am so excited for a sister-in-law that is so dang cool!

Kirsten's Bridals

2011-10-25T10:36:00.000-06:00

There are more, of course, and I will probably post more later. But these are basically my favorite.

Isn't she amazing?

Thanks to Anna Fulton for assistant and generally being very artsy and helpful for this shoot.

Also thanks to Lisa Thomas, whose house we photographed these in. Her house is awesome.

Kirsten's Bridals

2011-10-22T08:56:00.000-06:00

This is just a teaser. But seriously...isn't she gorgeous?

Andrew+Laura Preview

2011-10-17T13:49:00.000-06:00

That's my little brother (and his fiance).

Becky + Corlan's Wedding

2011-09-19T13:10:00.000-06:00

Becky and Corlan are good friends of Kirsten, my fiance, and it was so fun to photograph their wedding. Becky's dress was beautiful (as you'll see, especially in the dance pictures, I love how it moved) and their decorations were so colorful and fun.

Rock-pile West Jewelry | Utah Product Photography

2011-09-07T06:22:00.000-06:00

If you were following me earlier this year, you remember that we had an awesome give-away sponsored by Rock-pile West Jewelry, run by Amy Hrin in Southern California. Amy makes each piece by hand, which means that each item of jewelry is one-of-a-kind. Last time we focused on wedding jewelry, but this time Amy has produced a line of everyday gems. Be sure to visit Rock-pile West's etsy page to order and for more products.

Special thanks to Libby Thomas for being the model.

Joys of Weddings

2011-09-05T08:30:00.000-06:00

One of the reasons I like photographing weddings is that I get to capture moments like these ones from Kjerstin and James's wedding.

Kjerstin & James | Utah Wedding Photography

2011-09-02T07:30:00.000-06:00

Kjerstin has been a friend of mine since forever ago, and one of the great joys of being a photographer is being able to photograph the special moments of my friends. When people asked us how we knew each other, we always had to think for a bit, before we just knew that we were bound to know each other, we have just about all the same friends in common. In fact, I remember when Kjerstin was trying to get James to ask her out (Or maybe he already had and she was trying to get him to do it again? Not sure...) Anyhow, I remember her telling me some plot that involved maple and bacon cookies. Sounds great, right? Good thing it worked out.

Anyhow, check out some images from their fantastic reception and wedding.

Thanks, Kjerstin and James! You're awesome.

Busy, busy, busy

2011-08-31T18:05:00.000-06:00

I've been insanely busy. Like, the kind of busy where I get home and try to take a nap, but instead sit staring at the wall, almost numb, exhausted but unable to sleep because all I can think about are the things I need to do.But, in between those moments, I am actually getting a lot done.

Here is a preview of the picture projects I have coming your way on some of the blogs.

Kjerstin and James's wedding.

Becky and Corlan's Wedding

Rock-Pile West Jewelry, featuring Libby as the model.

And a trip to CA to celebrate my engagement, which Kirsten and I are both really happy about.

Well, enough blogging...it's back to the picture editing with me.

Alison and Joao's Wedding

2011-08-17T08:03:00.003-06:00

Alison and Jojo had a wonderful, beautiful wedding at Grappa in Park City, Utah. Everything about the wedding was elegant and lovely. Adding to the elegant/lovely look are all of the lens flares, which I had to run with since the sun was coming in right on the audience. It was fun and bright and colorful. I love a good lens flare.

This wedding was extra exciting for me because 1) my friend Monique was there, so I got to talk with her a bit, and 2) I had just gotten Kirsten's ring that day, so my own pending engagement/wedding was on my mind. It was all very nice.

Emily and Russell

2011-08-15T08:01:00.011-06:00

My soon to be cousins-in-law. It was basically just a half hour of me photographing them laughing. They're such happy people.

Nieces, Dog, Family

2011-08-11T08:55:00.001-06:00

My fiancee's nieces and other family. Also the dog.

Miscellaneous

2011-08-11T08:43:00.000-06:00

Bride-to-be

2011-07-29T08:37:00.001-06:00

I'm the luckiest man in the world.

Alison and Jojo Preview

2011-07-26T19:15:00.000-06:00

Two weekends ago I had the great honor of photographing Alison and Jojo's wedding in Park City. Here's a preview of what's to come.

Kristi and Scott Wedding | Utah Wedding Photography

2011-07-15T16:06:00.004-06:00

Kristi and Scott Johns are both awesome people. They looked fantastic in their wedding get up, and looked so comfortable together.

And yes...that's a real rainbow! The evening that we did their couple pictures was beautiful! A storm had just passed over, so the air was clear and crisp, the light was golden, and the sunset was amazing.

Thanks, Scott and Kristi, for letting me photograph your fantastic wedding.

Here are some more pictures in slide-show form for those of you who want an extended preview:

Kristi and Scott Preview

2011-07-04T08:01:00.002-06:00

I can hardly wait to share the rest, but I had to get a few up right away!

Such beautiful summer light, such good looking people.

Kirsten's Nieces and Nephews

2011-07-02T08:44:00.002-06:00

Just some pictures from Kirsten's family get together.

Utah Shakespeare in the Park

2011-07-01T08:29:00.001-06:00

On Monday evening I went to a fantastic rendition of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" put on by the Utah Shakespeare in the Park organization, a non-profit acting troupe. They did a great job. The acting was fantastic, the play was hilarious, and the company was superb. Be sure to check them out. They are performing almost every night over the coming weeks. The plays start at 7pm (ish), and are at 800 East Center St, Provo (Memorial Park, the one with the obelisk). Great stuff, free entertainment for the whole family (though bring some loose change and extra cash to make a donation).

Check out their facebook page for more information on up-coming performances.

Here's some pictures of the performers and the crowd.

Kamosi Family Pictures | Utah Family Photography

2011-06-30T08:07:00.000-06:00

The first couple of pictures are actually from a picnic we went to. Ethan is so adorable, and he was just loving those bubbles! The rest of the pictures were taken at the Riverwoods in Provo. It is a great location for pictures, especially given the renovations they've done there recently. There are a lot of great textures and colors for back drops, plenty of seats, lots of room, and it is easy and fun.

Monique is one of my best friends in the world! She's probably the first friend I made when I came back from my mission, as we sat next to each other in band. Later, we discovered that she already knew all of my best friends, and so we quickly became part of the same circles, so between that and several years of band, we've stayed friends. Well, now her super smart husband, Jason, is going to MIT, so they're off to Boston. We did one last family shoot with them before they left.

Andersen Family | Utah Family Photography

2011-06-28T14:56:00.000-06:00

Recently, my girlfriend's family had a reunion, so we got some pictures outside the Provo Temple. It was so neat to see all of the family there, to have all of the sibling and their family in the temple at the same time. It was quite awesome, and very moving for me.

Afterwards, Kirsten and I experimented with my new lens, a Nikkor 85mm 1.4. Loving it so far!

We also went over to Bridal Veil falls, which is roaring right now! So much rain has made for lots of water coming off the mountain.

Kamosi Family Preview

2011-06-24T23:49:00.000-06:00

I'm sure gonna miss these people now that they're off to Boston. Thanks for being such good friends these last few years. Good luck!

Tintern Abbey

2011-06-23T12:31:00.000-06:00

Bit of Color

2011-06-11T09:55:00.000-06:00

Stourhead Gardens

2011-06-08T09:03:00.003-06:00

Stonehenge

2011-06-05T12:44:00.001-06:00

Taken a few weeks ago, while visiting the place. The hardest part was not getting a tourist in the picture. If I didn't like being one so much, I would curse all tourists; they're always getting in my pictures, and they make the places crowded.

Fountain in Queen Elizabeth's garden

2011-06-01T04:47:00.000-06:00

Pat Madden | Author Photos

2011-05-28T14:56:00.000-06:00

More author photos for Pat, this time at Fountains Abbey

Fountains Abbey

2011-05-27T14:46:00.000-06:00

Rylee at Fountains Abbey

2011-05-26T14:34:00.000-06:00

Amy and Jeremy at Fountains Abbey

2011-05-25T14:37:00.000-06:00

Leah at Fountains Abbey

2011-05-24T14:27:00.000-06:00

Crazy Hair Day

2011-05-23T10:08:00.000-06:00

It is said that the Moors of central England will drive you mad. In preparation for your 20-mile hike across the moors, we had a crazy hair day that morning, though most of the dos got taken out when is started raining.

Bronte Parsonage Cemetery

2011-05-22T09:51:00.000-06:00

Grasemere and Rydalmere

2011-05-19T09:27:00.000-06:00

The Lake District, famous for lakes, mossy forests, and other landscapes to capture the imagination.

Pat Madden | Author Photos

2011-05-17T10:47:00.003-06:00

Patrick Madden, my creative writing/essay professor, is the author of the award-winning essay collection Quotidiana, which is awesome. Pat is also the editor of the online essay compendium, Quotidiana, which is the best place on the web to read classic essays.

And seriously, read his book,Quotidiana. When I read it, it reminded me why I love essays so much.

We've taken a few more here and there throughout our trip (he's one of the professors for the study abroad I am on), so I will have more eventually to add to this.

A Sunday Stroll

2011-05-16T08:41:00.000-06:00

Images from a Sunday along the banks of Loch Lomond.

Wild mountain goat!

Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond

2011-05-13T10:36:00.003-06:00

Loch Lomond in the morning.

Stone Circles

2011-05-10T02:54:00.000-06:00

Castlerigg, England

From the Shores of Loch Lomond

2011-04-29T13:50:00.001-06:00

Hello from Scotland! Here's some pictures from today's hike.

Be sure to keep up with this and the other blog for pictures of my UK trip!

Baby Chelsea

2011-04-28T10:44:00.000-06:00

My new niece. So adorable.

And my brother...

Laura and the Mud | Utah Portrait Photographer

2011-04-27T07:44:00.003-06:00

This is my friend Laura. She's pretty much awesome.

She is in a photography class, and needed some portraits of herself for a project. So, I took some pictures using her film camera and some 50 ISO silver film. It was fun...I need some work with focusing with her camera, but all in all, I liked it. The one above and the color ones I took with my digital, the rest are from the film, which she processed. The mud is part of the concept, the project involves women's self esteem, and the way outside forces can hinder a woman feeling beautiful.

This one is my FAVORITE of the ones I've seen so far.

This one isn't Laura, just a lawn decoration. I just didn't want anyone to get confused.

Also...by the time you read this I will be hiking in Scotland. Woohoo!

The Great Outdoors!

2011-04-25T11:39:00.003-06:00

Just got greater. Welcome Spring!

Alien Landscapes

2011-04-21T07:37:00.000-06:00

They're fossils at the Museum of Ancient Life, at Thanksgiving Point. The first couple are some kind of dinosaur, the last one is fossilized squids.

Alexis + Ilya Married! | Utah Wedding Photography

2011-04-19T14:24:00.000-06:00

Alexis and Ilya had the coolest wedding! It was "Steam Punk" themed and it was awesome. The venue (Highland Gardens) was beautiful, Alexis and Ilya's clothes were awesome, and the food was fantastic. Everything about the night was great, and it was such a fun wedding to photograph.

They have steam-punkish centerpieces on all the tables. So cool.

I have a confession...I secretly love bouquet tosses.

More Rock-Pile West | Product Photography

2011-04-13T08:32:00.001-06:00

Remember that you can get 10% of your order at Rock-pile West jewelry by entering the coupon code SkoticusRocks until the end of April! Think how awesome it these custom-made earrings and necklaces would be as Mothers' Day gifts. Or just whatever day gifts.

Here's some photos I took for Rock-pile West recently:

Jason | Professional Portraits

2011-04-11T09:17:00.001-06:00

This is my friend Jason Kamosi. He's super smart, and he's about to go to MIT for a Masters of Finance. The people at MIT needed a portrait of him, so we decided that he would have the coolest portraits there. He does look very dramatic in a suit, especially the black and white pictures.

Alexis + Ilya Wedding Preview

2011-04-09T10:27:00.000-06:00

A steampunk wedding! Alexis and Ilya have a lot of style. For example, the awesome cake topper, the fantastic vintage table decorations. The outfits here are the clothes they wore to leave...the actual outfits were so cool! But, then again, given the style of their engagement photos, it is no surprise.

More to come!

Rock-pile West Winners!

2011-03-28T13:40:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Monique and Liann, who were our winners. Monique won for the most entries (she was very determined to win!) and Liann was lucky in the drawing.

Don't be (too) sad if you didn't win, though, because Rock-pile West is offering a special deal on all orders through the end of April to Skoticus Photography followers. Just enter the code SkoticusRocks for a 10% discount on you order. So, check out the Rock-Pile West etsy store and get some color and some sparkle.

Monique has chosen to win the Something Brilliant and Aqua Earrings

and Liann will soon be sporting the Amythyst and Sterling Silver Drop Earrings!

A big thanks to all those who participated, especially those who spread the links!

Aimee Robison, Headshots | Utah Portrait Photography

2011-03-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

Aimee Robison was the model for our RockPile West Giveaway and after shooting those pictures, we did some headshots for her, because she is an actress! She is going to be appearing in the play The Drowsy Chaperon this summer at the Springville Playhouse, if you want to see her perform.

Aimee is a coworker of mine, which is to say that she is also an English Grad student and teaches writing/composition/rhetoric.

Also, remember to check out more pictures of Aimee on the giveaway page.

Random Pictures from the Workshop

2011-03-17T08:56:00.001-06:00

Some more pictures from the Workshop with Jon Woodbury. This first picture is one from his lecture, shows something about his teaching style. The little girl is his. She is a natural model, as I think most photographers' children are at some level. There is also a picture of Jon's wife, Lori, who is a talented florist.

Some of the pictures were taken at the comic book store outside the library. This was the guy running the place, kind enough to let me take some pictures in the store, and some of him.

The Salt Lake City Library is one of the coolest buildings ever. I love taking pictures there.

Workshop Portraits, Black and White

2011-03-15T08:47:00.000-06:00

Some more pictures from the workshop with Jon Woodbury. These are the black and whites! See the other portrait pictures here!

Just a few more random pictures left.

Rock-Pile West Giveaway!

2011-03-13T19:41:00.001-06:00

I am excited to announce the first giveaway on Skoticus Photography!

The awesome, lovely, beautiful Amy at Rock-Pile West is giving away a pair of earrings to two lucky winners! The winners can select from any of the earrings here on Skoticus Photography, or they can select from any of the earrings that are part of the colorful collection on Rock-Pile West's etsy page (rockpilewest.etsy.com).Trust me, you'll want to win! Everyone who touches these sparklies has a hard time letting go.

Amy, who's small art studio is in San Diego, designs and hand crafts each of the pieces. Because each piece is handmade, all of the jewelry is one of a kind. She also does custom orders, so if you don't see your wedding colors on her page, she will gladly make a set just for you. The jewelry below features Rock-Pile West's wedding collections, especially designed for the modern bride who wants to add a sparkle of color to her jewelry.

There will be two winners! One winner for the person with the most entries, and another random winner. The contest ends March 28th, 2011. So, you have two weeks to spread the love and get lots of entries!

Two main ways to enter for your chance to win (one each per person):
1) Make a comment on this blog telling us which is your favorite Rock-Pile piece (doesn't have to be shown here, can be from the Rock-pile West etsy page (rockpilewest.etsy.com).
2) Leave a comment on the Rock-Pile West facebook page (facebook.com/rockpilewest) telling us which is your favorite piece (your favorite piece can change constantly...I know Amy's does.) You'll have to 'Like' Rock-Pile West before you can leave a comment.
3) Leave a comment on the Skoticus Photography facebook page telling us which is your favorite piece. You'll have to 'Like' Skoticus Photography before you can leave a comment.

Additional ways to get entries (once per day per person):
1) Link to this giveaway on facebook, tagging either Rock-Pile West or Skoticus Photography letting people know about this contest, and letting people know which piece is your current favorite.
2) Mention the giveaway on your Tweet with a link back to this post. Then leave a comment letting us know about the tweet.
3) Blog about your favorite piece of Rock-Pile West jewelry and link back to this giveaway. Then leave a comment letting us know about the link.

Good luck! We'll announce the winners on March 28th!

(A special thank you to Aimee Robison for being our model!)

The Jensens | Utah Family Photography

2011-03-11T08:45:00.001-07:00

I've known Jon and Becca Ogden [see their maternity pictures here] for a while now, and it was a great pleasure to do a photo session with Becca's family. She and her sisters are a lively bunch. Also, the light was a wonderful orange sunset, which made for some interesting colors and lighting.

Thanks to the Jensens for being so awesome.

Meanwhile, on the food blog

2011-03-09T08:20:00.001-07:00

Check out Marinade, a food blog I run with some of my siblings, for some delicious pictures and recipes.

Workshop Portraits, Color

2011-03-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago I went to a photo workshop hosted by Jon Woodbury, an awesome local photographer and a friend of the family, to boot.

He arranged for some models to be there and we did photography. Here are a couple of pictures I took with three of the models, Kirsti Reed, Lexus Calder, and another model who's name I don't remember...sorry. Anyhow, thanks to the models for helping out, thanks to the other photographers there who had such good insites, and a big thanks to Jon for putting it all together.

These are about half of them, more pictures to come soon.

These fuzzy, color-odd pictures were taken with my Diana lenses...I love those little plastic things!

More photos to come soon!

Liann, Yoga | Utah Portrait Photography

2011-02-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

This is my good friend Liann. We go WAY back, as we were freshman in college together, lived close to each other in the dorms and took a really rockin' class together. She now lives in Washington DC, and besides working for a research institute, is a certified yoga instructor. While I was out in DC, besides getting to spend some time with an old friend and her awesome friends out there, we also took some pictures for her yoga website. We took these on the steps of the National Air and Space Museum and in the statue garden at the Hirshhorn Museum. While we did get stopped by security once, he was an amicable fellow who was closing up the sculpture garden, but told us that we could stay in it as long as we want, so long as we weren't climbing on the statues. I love DC. It would be great to do some more portraits and such down there, especially in the summer time when all the landscaping is green and manicured.

Museum of the American Indian

2011-02-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

The United States Botanic Garden

2011-02-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

While I was in DC I went to the Botanic Garden twice, once on my own and then again with my sister and her family. The plants there are amazing! Some of these pictures are fuzzy because I tool them with my toy Holga lenses, but some of them are foggy because me lens blurred up, and I just decided to go with it. I love the greens and the colors! I also experimented with a square crop, which I think I like for this but wouldn't love for everything.

The Baileys | Utah Family Photography

2011-02-16T16:08:00.001-07:00

While I was in DC I met up with my sister Stefanie and her family, who came down from New Jersey to see the sights, and me! Since we were all together, we did some photos!

Check out a few more pictures in the slide show, though, really, it's more of the same.

Deena+Cooper | Utah Family Photography

2011-02-07T09:57:00.001-07:00

A few shots from a few weeks ago when I spent some time with a few friends.

And, some group shots of everyone there that day:

Amber | Utah Portrait Photography

2011-02-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I hadn't blogged these. I had some friends get together for a practice shoot...back in NOVEMBER...I blogged the ones of Monique, and I had uploaded the others, but forgot to blog them. Well, here's the one's with Amber in it.

Bianca+Kyle+Kyler | Utah Family Photography

2011-01-31T09:54:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I needed some practice, so I took some shots with my friend Bianca and her family.

There were some other babies there, too, one's belonging to Deena and Monique:

Spectrum Vision | Utah Professional Photography

2011-01-27T23:40:00.001-07:00

While I was home for Christmas, I went to get my eyes checked. Turns out they're pretty much exactly the same as they have been for the last five years, or so. Anyhow, it was nice to get some unscratched glasses and a new set of contacts (would it be safe to mention that I left one pare of contacts last all of last year? Oops.)

Anyhow, my dad is business partners with an optometrist, which means I get a lot of eye stuff free, but also that I take pictures for them whenever needed. I get glasses, and he gets some pictures of himself and his store. Fair trade. So, here are some pictures of Dr. Dortch and Spectrum Vision.

They have some really friendly staff there!

This is the pair that I ended up getting, except I got the silver frame, not the blue ones shown here.

And here's my dad.

Shelah | Utah Portrait Photography

2011-01-24T23:49:00.000-07:00

A few days, I took some author photos for my friend and fellow MFA student, Shelah. Here are some of my favorites from the session:

I did take them in color, but I am such a fan of black and white that I decided to just post the black and white ones. I think they really make her eyes pop, and I just like how classy they are.

I recently read a photographer's statement that when you photograph someone in color, all you see is their clothes, but when you photograph in black and white, you see their face. I am not convinced that this is true 100% of the time, but I think it true enough that I can't get the idea out of my head.

Fun with a plastic Lens

2011-01-17T09:02:00.003-07:00

I got the Diana lens attachments for Christmas. These are the test shots I did in my parents' garden on Christmas day. The soft, not-quite focus of the plastic lens with the awesome colors of the Nikon make for some great pictures, I think. I am looking forward to playing with these more soon. These were taken with the 55mm lens, some with its macro attachment.

A Walk In California

2011-01-14T09:53:00.002-07:00

While I was at my parents' house for Christmas, I went on a walk to my favorite part of their suburban neighborhood: a wilderness preserve.

Three Johns & The Root Beer Float

2011-01-12T09:08:00.006-07:00

This is John Morris, my dad:

When he was a teenager, my dad worked in a soda shop, making him a "Soda Jerk." While he was there, he gained a deep and abiding belief that there is only ONE correct way to make a root beer float. You would think that with only two ingredients, a root beer float would be pretty simple, and that it wouldn't really matter which way or in what order you mixed them...but, nothing could be further from the truth. Perhaps I have just been raised with my dad's biases, but there is no doubt in my mind that his method makes THE BEST float.

This is also John Morris, my oldest brother. He's laughing at all the poor souls who don't make their root beer floats in the approved method. (Actually, he was just being silly for the camera; he's just like that.)

This is yet another John Morris, my brother's son. Here he can be seen enjoying his root beer float in the tradition manner of children: through a straw.

The appropriate method:

1) Put just a little bit of root beer and just a little bit of ice cream in the bottom of the cup. Mix them together.
2) Repeat the above. Seriously, just a little bit. You really don't need too much yet.
3) Add the ice cream, almost as much as you think you'll want.
4) Add the root beer that you'll want. Stir gently, but don't mix the two.
5) Add just a bit more ice cream for the top.

Yeah, it takes more time, but it is worth it.

Scenes from a Nightmare

2011-01-10T09:33:00.004-07:00

I took these pictures on the evening of December 17th, less than 24hrs after the fire started in the Provo Tabernacle. You can see in some of these pictures that the fire was still going.

Mike,Tiffany, and Madison | Utah Family Photography

2011-01-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

\While I was home for the holidays, I took a few pictures of my brother Michael with his wife, Tiffany, and their daughter, Madison.

Madi is a bundle of energy, and never sits still. We almost got her to look at the camera a few times, even.

The Magic of Christmas

2011-01-03T10:37:00.002-07:00

Christmas decorations, taken while I was at my parents' house for Christmas.

I don't suppose it's any secret that I LOVE bokeh, which results in the globes of light that come when you take pictures of lights that are out of focus. I frequently take pictures of nothing but the bokeh, I like it that much. And nothing makes bokeh better than a light-strung Christmas tree. Luckily, my step mom has a Christmas tree in every room (even most of the bathrooms), so there was plenty to photography.

Bread

2010-12-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

My brother Andrew makes a lot of delicious breads. Here is a picture of Andrew, and some breads.

Backyard Sepia

2010-12-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

I've fallen in love with sepia of late.

Alexis+Ilya | Utah Engagement Photography

2010-12-17T09:14:00.001-07:00

Alexis and Ilya were going for a steam punk-ish look for their engagement photos, which meant they had some cool costumes on. Seriously, I was so excited when they told me what they were planning. I love it when people dress up for the pictures.

I told them to pretend like they were hunting zombies. I mean, it was a swamp, and they had guns, what else was I supposed to do?

We had the most AMAZING sunset during the shoot. The mountains were glowing a gold-orange that was so cool.

And, for a couple more, here is the slide show:

Adorable

2010-12-15T08:27:00.001-07:00

These pictures are from Carlyn and Kai's wedding festivities. As I was going through the pictures, I realized that I had a lot of pictures of this cute little girl, Carlyn's niece (I think). She's adorable.

Megan | Utah Portrait Photography

2010-12-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

Megan is an editor by day, but an actress by night. She needed some new head shots for her portfolio, so we headed to Downtown Provo for some great scenery.

Carlyn+Kai's Formals | Utah Wedding Photography

2010-12-10T08:12:00.001-07:00

We photographed Carlyn and Kai's Formals in an abandoned art studio. Well, not entirely abandoned, but their lease was up, but they hadn't entirely moved out yet, so we played with all the left over art stuff and took advantage of the awesome textures that was all over the cool old building, which was originally built as Provo fur trade headquarters and processing factory.

Here is a slide show with the some more of their Formal pictures, as well as pictures from the reception, temple, and luncheon.

Camera Tests

2010-12-08T09:32:00.001-07:00

These are some of the people that I work and go to school with at BYU. I had my camera with me one day, and so snapped some pictures before class started.

Carlyn+Kai Married! | Utah Wedding Photography

2010-12-06T07:36:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from Carlyn and Kai's wedding. The first group is from their reception, which they had the night before. They had the reception at Carriage House Mill. The great part about the reception was that it was so laid back and relaxed. Carlyn had planned everything to be comfortable, and it was. There was comfort foods (more about the foods below), and their was family. There was a room just for the kids to play in, there was enjoyable music, and there was lots of space to mill around and enjoy the festivities.

The second group of pictures is from the sealing at the Provo Temple and the luncheon at Pizzaria 712, which is amazing.

I first met Carlyn at the Farmers Market when she was doing a project on locally grown food. We talked about food for a while, and the rest of our friendship pretty much grew as a result of food. Carlyn has a magical touch when it comes to food. Also, she is WAY into locally grown food. So, all the food you see here was MADE by Carlyn from locally grown ingredients. The apples in the apple pie came from the orchard behind her house, the pumpkins are from a Provo farm. There were pepper jams she made from her garden peppers, and honey from her grandfather's beehives. She ground the wheat herself. So awesome.

As per her usual awesomeness, Carlyn and Kai opted for simplicity. Carlyn made the skirt she is wearing, and went for a classy white outfit with some simple accents.

This girl is so adorable. I am going to have a whole post just about her. She was very excited to have her pictures taken, so I have a couple of her.

Author Photos

2010-11-28T17:12:00.004-07:00

Well, the time came that I needed some author photos.

"Why?" you ask. Good question.

Well, this Friday, December 3, at 12 noon, I will be reading an essay as part of the BYU English Reading Series. There will be two other student readers, one each in poetry and fiction. (I know that the fiction is my friend Emily Belanger, but I don't know who the poet will be.)

So, come hear me and some of the other great writers read their stuff. The reading will be held in the Library Auditorium, which is on the first floor of the library, just to the left of the atrium stairs.

There will be refreshments afterward!

Special thanks to my brother Andrew who actually snapped the shutter, after some brief coaching on composure and how auto focus works.

Monique and Ethan | Utah Family Photography

2010-11-26T09:46:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I took some pictures with my friends, among them Monique and her son Ethan. I will have the rest of the pictures up soonish, but Monique was going out of town and needed the pictures early, so I got hers done first. Here is some pictures of her and her cute son.

I think that this one is my favorite.

We had such a cool sunset that night!

Carlyn+Kai Married! | Wedding Preview

2010-11-22T17:44:00.002-07:00

Well, I have a ton of pictures to go through for Carlyn and Kai's wedding last Saturday, but I promised them that I would get a preview up soon, so here are some pictures from their wedding day, and some pictures we took the night before.

Hope you enjoy these while I get the rest done.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nyssa+Neal | Utah Engagement Photography

2010-11-19T08:25:00.001-07:00

The best reason to get engaged in late summer is that you can do your engagements during the fall! It was so fun to capture all the leaves and colors and differing textures for Neal and Nyssa's engagement photos. It was cold, and growing dark quickly, but they toughed it out for some great pictures.

Feet picture! Funny thing, I didn't even mean to take this one, my finger slipped on the trigger, but it came out pretty well, I think.

I saw this hill with the trees and the burning bushes and the green and the fallen leaves while I was on the bus, and I knew I wanted to take pictures here.

Slideshow!

Foggy Mountains

2010-11-15T10:45:00.001-07:00

While I was in the mountains a few weeks ago, I took some pictures of the amazing colors and fog. This is the backside of Timpanogos, though you can't see the mountain at all, there was too much wispy fog.

Earth Art

2010-11-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of earth art for a while, so while I was in the mountains with some friends a few weeks ago, we decided to make use of the colorful leaves.

First, we decorated a storm drain with a Leaf Wheel.

Then we made a Forest Scene

Then we made a Red Leaf Mobile. (Actually, we made another mobile before this one, but it was really ugly, and the pictures didn't turn out anyways, so we're going to pretend like we didn't do the first one.)

Then we made a Red Leaf Mobile.

Halloween | Utah Portrait Photography

2010-11-09T09:30:00.002-07:00

Halloween! Such a fun holiday for photographers, because everyone gets all dressed up and then wants their picture taken! Here is Laura and my brother Andrew before the went out trick or treating, or something.

Bread

2010-11-01T10:37:00.000-06:00

My little brother, who I live with, makes phenomenal bread, usually weekly. This is potato rosemary bread. I eat it plain, with soup, or as part of the best grilled cheese sandwich ever.

My Brother John at a Bees' Game

2010-10-25T13:01:00.001-06:00

Yeah, this pretty much sums up my brother. That's our dad in the back, with the super-trendy hat.

Sara Dancing | Utah Dance Photography

2010-10-20T12:51:00.001-06:00

My friend Sara is a dancer. You've probably seen pictures of here on the blog a lot, because she'd married to my best friend and likes being in front of a camera, and is good at being in front of a camera, so when I just want to take pictures, she'd always willing. And, she is willing to get dressed up, so it's kind of fun that way, too. So, here are some pictures of Sara.

Our friend Amber came along as well.

Slide show!

Becca + Baby | Utah Maternity Photography

2010-10-16T07:39:00.000-06:00

My friends Becca and Jon recently (a couple months ago is still recent, right?) had a baby, a cute little boy named Leo. Before the baby came, we got some pictures. These people are so cool. I was also in a dinner group with them for a while, and seriously, they can make some good food, too.

Slide show!

The Rents | Utah Portrait and Pet Photography

2010-10-13T12:20:00.003-06:00

So, meet my dad and his wife and their dog. I was so happy when my step-mom asked if I'd do some pictures for them while they were in town, because I was about to ask her if they wanted pictures, anyways. And, my dad and step-mom are two of the coolest people I know. Seriously, best dad ever. I tell him that all the time, I say "Dad, you're my favorite dad ever." And he cleverly tells me that I am his favorite kid, though not is so many words since he can't actually say that in case my sibling found out, but I think the meaning is clear.

And the dog's name is Apollo, he's one cool dog.

My brother Andrew came along to assist, so we got some Dad-Son pictures, too.

Seriously, such a cool dog.

And, here is a slide show with some more!

Suzie + Brian, Married | Utah Wedding Photographer

2010-10-11T14:19:00.001-06:00

Suzie and Brian are such a cool couple! It was so much fun to be a part of their wedding. It was a beautiful day for photography, and their reception was simple and lovely. It was a great day.

Suzie's family made all the cake stands out of plates and goblets from DI. Such a great, inexpensive way to make some really classy decorations. They also made the cakes, were which delicious and beautiful.

Probably one of my favorite bouquet toss pictures in a long time.

Slideshow!

Sara Preview

2010-09-20T08:19:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago I had a nice lens for a few hours, so I took the chance to take some pictures of my friend Sara. Sara is a dancer, and she has a cool apron, and both facts were celebrated in this session.

These were all taken at a park in Provo along the Provo River and the Provo River Trail.

More to come, eventually.

Deena | Utah Bridal Photography

2010-09-18T19:45:00.002-06:00

It feels like forever since I took these pictures. Actually, I think it was forever ago. But, I am FINALLY getting caught up on photo editing and blogging. I actually finished editing these ones about at least a month ago, I'm just bogged down, so blogging has been on the back burner (Alliteration intentional, I am a Creative Writing major, after all).

We took the first batch of pictures in Downtown Provo, right near the Police Station. Then we headed up to the Mount Timpanogos trail head, which has some awesome vistas and a cool dog.

So, finally, here are Deena's bridals.

A city worker was kind enough to let us borrow some of her tools. Awesome.

(Erin--aka Petsie--is a mutual friend of Deena's and I, she came along to assist the photos. She is engaged, and so you'll be seeing her engagement pictures on here eventually. Though, first we need to get her and her fiance in the same country. Preferably this one.)

The trail guide was nice enough to let us borrow her shack and her dog for the pictures. We got some pretty cool ones with the dog. (See more of them in the in slide show beneath)

The slideshow!

Becca's Maternity Session, Preview

2010-09-09T20:30:00.002-06:00

So, things are a little busy on this end. I won't say crazy, but busy. I've started my MFA program, I'm in full swing, and I am loving it. I just moved apartments, too, but things are almost settled there. I got my computer set up. There are SO many pictures to go through, and I am excited to share them with you.

Here is a sample from the maternity session I did with Becca and John Ogden, who have since had their son, Leo Emerson. Congrats, you two!

More of these to come later!

Lance Larsen | Utah Portrait Photographer

2010-09-07T14:25:00.005-06:00

As I mentioned earlier, I took some pictures of Lance Larsen for Mormon Artist. Here are some more of the pictures from that shoot.

It was especially cool to get this assignment because Lance is one of my professors in the MFA program that I just started. I'm taking a class from him this semester on lyricism and short short stories/essays.

Be Consistent

2010-08-27T14:41:00.005-06:00

Over the summer I worked part-time as a marketing assistant at BYU's Intellectual Property Office. One of my favorite projects for the summer was a poster campaign for the Copyright Office. Normally, I wouldn't share what I do for work on this blog, but I took the photos for the poster campaign, and I helped with the poster concept and design, though my colleague Scott Gwynn did the heavy lifting on design, since he knows his design work. You can see one of the other posters he created for the campaign on his blog, too.

It was a fun project, and I really enjoyed it. I've always thought marketing and design were fairly interesting.