This contest poses unique challenges and is considerably more difficult than most photography contests. Photos must be shot, edited, printed, and be made ready to show within a span of 4 days. In addition, the photos must be taken within the geographic region of Cache Valley, Utah. I try to participate as often as I can to test my skills and abilities.
PM2.5, 2017
digital pigment print mounted to aluminum plate
16” diameter
First Place, Professional Division
Artist’s Statement
It’s no secret that northern Utah suffers from poor air quality, and one of the most harmful pollutants that can be found in our air is Particle Matter 2.5, or PM2.5. A byproduct of combustion, PM2.5 can cause numerous respiratory problems and other health issues. This work is a digital composition of photographs depicting smokestacks and a textured overlay of digital noise designed to represent the particles in the air. While PM2.5 can come from sources other than factories and refineries, the smokestacks remain an enduring symbol of industrial pollution. Because the fine particles are invisible to the naked eye, the highly textured digital noise reminds the viewer of what they might be breathing in.
Monument, 2015
digital pigment print
16”x20”
Honorable Mention
Once I had finished editing this digital photo, I opened the file in a text editor to reveal its source code. I copied the code and reopened the image in Photoshop, overlaying the code on top of the photo. The resulting self-referential image visualizes its own internal code that renders its display possible.
untitled (lens cap), 2013
digital pigment print
12”x18”
I had been exploring the limits of photography in my studies at Utah State University and decided to test them with a photograph created with minimal influence of light. With the lens cap on, I pointed my camera directly at the sun and made a wide-open 30-second exposure at the highest ISO possible. In Photoshop, I further increased the exposure and manipulated other data to produce this image. This experience later led to my "Electrography" project.
Cruciformalism, 2012
digital pigment print
12”x18”
Honorable Mention
I created this abstract piece using a long exposure to pan the camera across a scene containing neon lights, while an assistant fired a flash unit to freeze a section of the scene. I further developed my technique of capturing neon lights with a long exposure in my later "Synæsthesia" series.
Forbidding Invitation, 2011
digital pigment print and found wood frame
13”x27”
This is a multi-image composition depicting an abandoned factory in Richmond, Utah. Desiring to escape the rectangular boundaries of a conventional photograph, I extruded the factory's prominent smokestack out of the panorama and into its own physical space. I built the frame out of wood scraps that I gathered at the factory site, within a few feet of where I stood to make the photograph.