The Other Gateway, 2010

When the Gateway Mall opened in late 2001, its brand-new twelve screen Megaplex theater made our little multiplex in Bountiful that much more irrelevant. It opened back in the early '90s, during that unfortunate window between when builders started making multiplexes and when they decided things like stadium seating and surround seating were essential. I remember taking dates to the theater, and seeing movies like "Sleepless in Seattle," but a real movie experience was pretty rare. The theater shut down for several years, through the time I wandered over to take this shot, but eventually the place was remodeled and reopened. I'd hoped for a convenient dollar theater, but instead the Gateway 8 still offers first-run movies, but at a slightly discounted price.

A Dragon in Shadow, 2010

In the spring of 2010 I photographed a series of bands at a show in Murray, Utah. MC Pearl Dragon (pictured here) of hip-hop act Champagne Champagne did me the artistic favor of climbing up on top of a stack of PA amps to perform in a convenient shaft of light at one point in their set. Much appreciated.

Soulful Gray, 2010

I didn't pick up a camera (seriously, anyway) until about twenty years after Marvin Gaye's death, but I still get a little bit of his What's Going On vibe from this shot of MC Thomas Gray of Champagne Champagne, performing in Murray Utah in the spring of 2010.

We'll Miss You, 2009

Visiting the far north end of the Bountiful Cemetery is always a bittersweet experience. The graves always have twice as many decorations as any other spot on the property, and the balloons and pinwheels and decorative toys always have a special life to them. Of course, knowing that these decorations have been set out for young children who have passed years before adulthood puts a somber tone on things. On Christmas night 2015, my family was visiting my dad's grave nearby when a man asked us for some help jump starting his car. I'd noticed that he and his family had been visiting one of the graves in the children's section, and it was heartbreaking to think of the insult added to his injury. Luckily we got them started and on their way.

4.01K Jubilation, 2010

The 4.01K was one of the strangest events I've ever photographed, which of course meant it delivered some of the best pictures. It's a footrace between Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City and the fountain at the Gateway Mall that requires participants to wear business attire (hence, 4.01K, get it?). I shot the event two years in a row, and especially enjoyed this celebratory image from the 2010 race.

The Dump, 2010

As I first began to cultivate my interest in photography, I made a point of seeking out interesting imagery in everyday situations. Rather than add to the sprawling portfolios of national park images, I'd find the beauty, or at least the meaning, in overlooked locations. Hence my afternoon visit to the West Bountiful Landfill, where Utah's state bird roams free among piles and piles of Davis County's refuse.

Chocolate Politics, 2010

If I had taken this shot a few years later, I might have tried to set up some kind of composition that included a motion blur from a passing car or a nearby pedestrian. But in a way, I wonder if the bland simplicity of the shot lets you just focus on the quirky juxtaposition of a local chocolate maker voicing its political stances. At any rate, these kinds of messages don't pop up on the Cavanaughs sign anymore, so this one will have to do.

The Wayne, 2010

In the summer of 2010 I swung by the Davis County Fair to see my old high school classmate Dustin play a set with The Wayne Hoskins Band. I hesitate to argue that I knew what I was doing, but this image of Dustin with his acoustic guitar is still one of my favorite concert shots. The band wound up using it on their T-Shirts and posters.

Zooey, 2010

After finishing an English class for Salt Lake Community College one night in fall 2010, I grabbed my camera and zipped over to Pioneer Park to catch She and Him at the Twilight Concert Series. Towards the end of their show, the crowd thinned out enough for me to get a little closer to the stage, where I got this melancholy look from Zooey Deschanel.

Swing and a Miss, 2010

The indoor lighting was pretty rough the morning I drove out to Sandy, Utah to photograph my friend Bill as he worked out with a group of aspiring MMA fighters, but the dim light actually enhanced the energy of this shot, taken during a quick sparring match.