PLS 2019: Chidsey

Back in January I made a resolution/goal/blood oath to shoot an informal portrait every time I have lunch with a friend in 2019. It seemed like kind of a fun way to use my photography to build something with a little more meaning than my usual assortment of sunsets and natural wonders. Anyway, it’s been a fun project, and today I officially want to start sharing the results. My first subject/victim is my longtime friend and associate Chidsey, the mastermind behind @sqwakdotcom . We’ve been friends ever since he started showing up late to my parties back in 2007 to talk pop culture long after most of the other guests had gone. In the time since we’ve worked together on a variety of projects, including a couple of different sketch comedy websites and my YouTube movie review channel, and he was kind enough to meet me at my favorite Peruvian restaurant in Bountiful to kick off this one, probably because he still feels guilty for making me appear on America’s Got Talent with him five years ago. Bless his heart, he even wore his Notorious RBG t-shirt just for the occasion.

Gym Buddy

For a long time, one of the highlights of my regular visits to the Bountiful VASA Fitness was seeing the mischievous smile of my friend John. Our conversations on life and the meaning of it all were always worth extending my workouts an extra half-hour, and over time our friendship grew from simple gym buddies to the kind of friends who would go out for lunch or visit after a church meeting. At one point I talked him into letting me photograph him at a studio in Salt Lake. Thanks to some health issues and then the Covid-19 pandemic, I saw less and less of my friend at the gym, though I tried to keep up with phone calls. Then about two years after our photo shoot, John passed away, joining his dear wife, who had died only a few months earlier. Once again I was grateful to have followed through on a photo idea while I had the chance.

Exiting Antelope Canyon

I'd enjoyed photos and video of Antelope Canyon for years before I finally put down the money to take a tour myself. But as much fun as I had exploring the hypnotic red rock sandstone near the Arizona-Utah border, I didn't realize that my favorite image from the experience would be a quick shot I took of some fellow travelers as they emerged from the underground canyon at the end of their hike.