WSU Clock Tower

As some of you may know, Weber State has undergone some huge changes in the last few years and this week, one of the projects was rededicated. The clock tower and plaza surrounding it were remodeled and made to look beautiful again.

This is WSU president Ann Millner and the iconic tower.

The campus looks awesome and everything looks shiny and new. Now if they could just make that clock tell time, everything would be perfect.

BYU Utah Lesson

The day after covering the BYU Utah game, I made a slight error that I won't soon make again. My error wouldn't have been too costly if it weren't for the help of my three-year-old son.

I was working on a bunch of folders I had downloaded as .zip files and when I opened them, there was the original .zip and the file it contained. Needless to say, there was a bunch of clutter on my desktop. When I dragged everything to the trash, the BYU Utah Folder was also dragged. No big deal, right? the next time I would look for them, I would just drag it back out.

Unfortunately, in my son's zeal to be just like dad, he was messing around with the mouse and in doing so, emptied the trash. Ouch. Over 1700 photos of the biggest game of the year were gonzo.

Luckily, I realized what had happened early on and didn't re-write anything on the computer. I ran a data rescue program which I thought worked pretty well, it seemed I had all my photos back.

While going through them, I found that most of the files that had been recovered were corrupt, leaving me with images like the one you see above. But despite the loss of 1200 photos, most of the images I moved into a "finals" folder were spared. Whew!

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! (actually Friday)

Here is Ron the monster truck driver from Maverick crushing the BYU/Utah cars. It was a huge spectacle while it lasted. Lots of noise and flying pieces of glass. Almost makes me want to get one. I wonder how that kind of machine would fare on the red rocks of Moab.

Rivalry Week

I got a call to cover a story about Maverick executives and their unconventional marketing and promotion strategies. This guy is bashing in the side of a blue car representing BYU at a 1280 AM, "The Zone" remote. Maverick brought along a monster truck to take care of business after the cars had been beat up with sledge hammers. Don't worry BYU, there were guys bashing in the red cars too.

Bonneville Skybase

Also at this location, there is a small hangar which houses a flying parachute. You can rent a ride with Lew Ershler, a FAA certified flight instructor for views of the Oquirrhs. I was a little nervous about this part of the day but after some brave participants when before me, I gave it a whirl. Besides, what could happen anyway? If your engine fails, at least you're already strapped to a parachute.

Bonneville Seabase II

Here is another shot from Bonneville Seabase. A reverse version of bobbing for apples.

Bonneville Seabase

At the end of October, I covered a story on Bonneville Seabase, a series of warm springs turned into a scuba diving destination in the middle of the Utah desert. There are tropical fish and a couple nurse sharks in the green waters, along with some fast moving Crevalle jacks and tons of little minnows. I didn't want to post the photos until the story ran but you can now find it HERE.

I initially thought the story would go along with the Halloween events scheduled for the weekend, like "reverse" bobbing for apples and an underwater pumpkin carving contest. here is the pumpkin carving.

Discovery Gateway

Random shot from a recent trip to Discovery Gateway. These kids seemed to LOVE stuffing balls in these vacuum powered tubes.

Face Toy

Here's a quirky shot of a toy we picked up within the past few birthday parties. Not sure if I could identify the kid under the plastic rods but if you can, let me know.

Fireside

Here is a shot from a LDS Fireside which took place at Weber State featuring Elder Boyd K. Packer. I don't really love the podium shots, or "talking head" photos so here is one of the choir director leading the Choraliares, a Ogden Institute group.

Anderson Cooper in SLC

Anderson Cooper is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, author and television personality. He currently works as the primary anchor of the CNN news show "Anderson Cooper 360°." He came and did a speech up near the U and I was told to shoot for ten minutes, max, and go back to the office. I maybe got three creative shots I liked in that time. This is my favorite.

Point and Waits

I think it's ironic that these small little digital cameras are called point and shoots. Seems the more appropriate titles should be, "point and wait a few seconds after the moment has past and shoots."

Another Birthday?

Birthday's are nice and when you're a kid, they are something you look forward to for months. Well, E-man was lucky enough to have THREE birthday parties this year, and on different days. Here is a shot from one of those parties. Nothing like swinging at a piñata in the form of an eyeball.

More Ballet

You know, fifteen years ago if you would have asked me to attend a ballet, I would have turned you down cold. No way was I going to a ballet. Those things they wear to dance in made me way too uncomfortable.

Well a lot has changed in the last decade, mainly the fact that I have done a bunch of photos for the Ballet West Academy and Imagine Ballet Theatre. The guys I have worked with at both places have been friendly and respectful and have been very good clients to work with. Now I don't really mind going to the ballet, occasionally, to fill my "culture" quota for the year. I guess it's irony in action.

Not everything has changed, however, some of those outfits they wear still make me feel uncomfortable.

These photos are of Macall, Jennifer and Jessica at Imagine Ballet Theatre following a performance at the Egyptian. We took my daughter and she LOVED it. That certainly made the ballet more enjoyable as well.

Heeerrreee's Keith!!

This is Keith Stubbs, a DJ, Comic and Business Owner in Ogden. He DJ's on 101.5 The Eagle in Salt Lake, he owns Wise Guys comedy club on 25th Street in Ogden and he does a lot for the city of Ogden. Keith wanted some updated material (what comic doesn't) for his website, KeithStubbs.com

E-Man at Six

We had several parties for the E-Man and this is one of them held at the grandparents house. Gotta love the tight shot of kids stuffing their faces with cake.

Guess What This Is??

I'll buy you lunch if you can guess what's going on in this picture. Why don't you type your caption as a comment and the comment containing the most truth wins.

(those in the photo are excluded from competition)

By the way, I really liked the rich color saturation and the natural light in this image. The content and reaction on the faces doesn't hurt either.

BYU Missed Shots

Here are a couple outtakes from the game. This is from the same play in which Austin Collie ran a 61 yard pass into the endzone for a touchdown. I caught the catch and a few steps of the run until I was luckily able to zero in on the ref. I wonder what kind of watch that is.

Collie ran right towards me and I was thinking,"Wow, I can get some sweet reaction photos of him screaming and cheering with teammates." Once again I was even more fortunate to have caught the brand name of Trent Nelson's hat. Don't worry, the next frame has Collie in focus with teammates, just a very UN jubilant reaction.

BYU vs SDSU III

I really liked the peak action in this image and I think it works over all. However the composition seems to be a little bit cluttered. Still, I am happy I caught the action.

BYU vs SDSU II

Here is Dennis Pitta getting upended by a defender early in the game. I wish I had been on the other side to catch the expression on Pitta's face but the body language looked ok too.

BYU vs SDSU I

Here are some of my picks from the BYU vs. Sand Diego State game. This shot I thought I had missed because the two players had jumped up and out of my frame. This was as they were coming back down.

ELECTION '08

This is reporter Aaron Faulk. I don't think he had just cast his ballot.

I was lucky enough to work the night of the elections and I made some interesting observations from that night. I hesitate to get too detailed about what I observed but I will say that some things took me off guard.

Observation Number One: The folks who ordered the pizza for the newsroom are very astute when it comes to good taste. No 'cheese and sauce over cardboard' for election night. It was awesome.

Observation Number Two: You can never judge a book by it's cover. Meaning, some folks who I had thought were one way, politically, were extremely opposite what they appeared.

Observation Number Three: I need to preface this last observation by saying that this was just merely an 'observation.' I don't mean to judge anyone of any persuasion on this issue, it just took me off guard.

I noticed, and was quite surprised at the boisterous reaction in the newsroom as election results began coming in, from people on BOTH sides, and especially when the winner was announced. Now granted, this wasn't exactly a 'public' display for the world to see, it's likely those reactions would never make their way into print. And I think some of the ruckus could have been directed at what America had accomplished as a country in electing an African American president. However, regardless of who you support, Obama or McCain, BYU or Utah, Pro or Anti Voucher, Weber State or Idaho State, Raptors or Owlz, Banks or Credit Unions I think we as journalists should be very private about our personal opinions.

I remember one of the very first sporting events I ever covered at Weber State. I caught myself cheering in the press area during a key moment in the game and the reporter respectfully leaned over and told me that it wasn't appropriate to show a side, one way or the other. I talked with the adviser later that week where I learned more about the role of our profession. Since then I have been very careful to keep my opinions private. Of course sporting events are much less meaningful than political issues but most of us know not to cheer while covering a game. Political issues mean more and can have a more serious polarizing effect. Personally, I try and stay away from those discussions, and have turned down political friends in O-Town who have asked if we would put a sign in the yard.

I know it may seem hypocritical that I occasionally wear around a Utah Jazz hat. Just try and catch me wearing it while covering a game.

Wheelchair Basketball III

This was one of the opening inbound passes. Nice thing about shooting a game like this is that the ref will basically let you go where you want, get as close as you want and no one really cares. Of course, there was no pre-game meal or nachos at halftime either.... unless you count that bag of popcorn I bought on the way out for 50 cents.

Wheelchair Basketball II

I couldn't help shooting a motion blur shot.

Wheelchair Basketball I

I was able to cover a pretty cool event which pits some able bodied athletes from Hill Air Force Base against those who are confined to a wheelchair, only the able bodied guys had to sit in wheelchairs also. It was hilarious watching the HAFB guys stumble around, shoot far short of the hoop and fall out of their chairs. In this photo, a HAFB team member gets a little help from one of the Wheelin' Wildcats.

Halloween Faces

Here is a little collection of all the kids faces that passed by us during Halloween. We first dragged Buzz Lightyear, Spiderman and Princess Leia to the neighborhood "Trunk or Treat," but that wasn't enough. We then followed them all past every street within walking distance until Buzz was spent and wouldn't move another muscle unless I carried him. It rained lightly as we headed home where the Mommy Monster promptly paid the kids $10 each for their bags of candy, which has now become piñata filler for one of the upcoming birthday parties.

Mr. Sports Shooter

This is Scott Winterton. And this is a pose you will find him and many other photographers in more often since newspapers are testing the waters of video content for their websites. This was not a hard photo to capture since he was reviewing one of his videos and seemed frozen in this position for a while.

Aside from producing videos for DeseretNews.com, Mr. Winterton is one of the most amazing sports photographers around, especially this football season. Like BYU and Utah, he has definitely brought his "A" game this season. Every time I feel like I have a good shooting day, I will start looking over his shoulder at his final takes and realize the reasons he is at every big game. You can view his images at DeseretNews.com or check out his blog address in the Quick Trick Blog Stack here------>

Weber State Football II

This photo looks a little more dramatic than it really is. The ball had already bounced once. Although, I was still happy to get the shot.

Weber State is rolling up the charts this year and they are currently ranked number 8 in their division polls, which means they are definitely in the playoffs. Now that's something you don't hear very often; the words "Weber State Football" and "Playoffs." I hope it becomes a common practice. Mac truly is back.

Weber State Football I

As I was going through my October archives, I realized I had missed a few for this blog. Here is a couple of my favorites from the Weber State game against the University of Northern Colorado.

BYU UNLV II

Here is another of my favorites from the UNLV game. It's kind of like where's Waldo. Can you find the guy in the pink shirt? Easy. How 'bout the guy on his cell phone? No? Well, what about the girl with the red bracelet?

BYU UNLV I

I went to another BYU game this week and got a few nice photos but a colleague of mine, Scott Winterton, kicked my butt. He got some amazing photos during that game, many of which were the same shots I got, but from a much better angle, with tighter crop, cleaner backgrounds...etc. You can check out his blog at the right from the Quick Trick Blog Stack ------>

This photo actually ran in today's Deseret News for a feature on Fui Vakapuna

Union Station

I know it seems like I post a ton of photos of kids on this forum. This blog was set up to help me get out of a creative slump and on days when I don't deliberately get out and shoot stuff, I tend to revert back to pic's of kids. This photo, however, I was hired to shoot for a Union Station commercial which is scheduled to air on KBYU's PBS Kids. If you haven't been to Union Station and your kids like trains, this is the place to come. And if you live in SLC, it's just a quick 50 minute ride on FrontRunner to the Ogden Station. You have tons of trains to climb around on, a great restaurant called Union Grille, and boat loads of shopping on the adjacent 25th Street. (I know, I sound like a commercial, sorry)

Imagine Ballet

One of the best kept secrets in O-Town is that you are able to get some first class ballet tickets but some very entertaining dancers at a reasonable price. All that is thanks to the hard work and thankless dedication of one, Raymond Van Mason of the Imagine Ballet Dance Theatre. They are having a performance this weekend on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 7-8 that your shouldn't miss. I just shot a dress rehearsal and I felt like I should pay for a ticket.

This is Jessica performing one of the pieces.

Early Halloween/Brithday

This is what you might refer to as a birthday gala. Every time one of our good friends puts on a birthday party for one of her children, it's not just a party, it's an event, specifically aimed at making sure the children are happy. This was one of those times. And not only was this one aimed at the children, but there was a seven course meal also waiting for the grown-ups. It was amazing. (of course, photos of the adults stuffing their faces isn't nearly as cute as kids and birthday cake)

Kindergarten Award

We got a letter from E's school awhile back stating that he had won some award at his school and that we were invited to attend a little ceremony/assembly. We arrived and were informed that he had won some good character award for helping out other kids, cleaning up tables and other random stuff. Nice job little man.

Cowboy Jim

This is a portrait I shot of Jim Koertge, owner of the Prairie Schooner steak house in Ogden, some of the best steak in the business. He is active in Ogden and has a lot to do with the success of the Ogden Pioneer Days.

Vinyl Records Coming Back

I was fortunate to cover a story about the increase in interest in the old vinyl records your parents used to listen to. We went to Randy's Records for a $1 per record sale. They had some great music playing and I put together a slide show with audio. You can give a listen here.. It made me wish I still had that old turntable I used to store in my house with nothing to play on it.

Car Jacking

Today I was sent out on a car jacking case in which three people stole a car, dropped off the driver of the car, were followed by police and ended here in West Valley. The driver was defiant and must have presented a threat to police and he was killed. You can see the shattered window in the white car on the left. The other two cooperated with police and were taken away. Moral? It's best to cooperate with police.

Utah Baskeball

Here is a photo I was able to shoot because a friend of mine was out of town. He would normally shoot this but was off covering a BYU football game or something. It's kind of a static photo but I liked the contrast of their red uniforms and the deep blue sky.

Pumpkin Patch

Only about 24 hours from the last photo, the snow was gone and we were off to pick up some pumpkins for the purpose of mutilating beyond recognition. After getting them home, we decided that wasn't a good idea and we would just paint them instead. What's the point of cutting them all to pieces anyway?

First Snow of the Year

If you remember back on October 12, the snow hit hard and fast and where we live, it dropped about 7 inches on the ground. We quickly made use of the new white stuff and built this snow person. The princess wanted it to be a snow woman and E wanted it to be a snow man. The monkey didn't care. The snow person didn't last long and tipped over before dinner, along with tons of heavily laden branches in the neighborhood.

Wedding Weekend III

Last from Wedding Weekend. This is a fellow photographer, Nate Caulford who shoots a bunch for US Figureskating and has plans to start up a studio specializing in children and babies.

BYU vs. New Mexico II

Here is my favorite shot from the BYU vs. New Mexico game. Good action, ball in the air, decent expression, bodies flying... I love shooting football.

BYU vs. New Mexico I

I got to cover the BYU vs. New Mexico game this weekend also. (October 11) This is a photo of Austin Collie making a big run for around 50 yards early in the game. Cougs won it.

Wedding Weekend II

Another from the wedding weekend. Not all weddings can produce this type of photo but these kids were great, and not bad jumpers either.

Wedding Weekend I

Shot a bunch of stuff this weekend, including a bridal portrait and two last minute weddings. It's nice to be busy enough to worry about your charged batteries and whether or not you have enough memory.

Di$neyland Re$ort II

Here are the youngsters at the happiest place on earth. Don't they look happy?

Di$neyland Re$ort

More from our vacation in SoCal. This is the famous tea cup ride at Di$neyland.