by justin on January 30, 2013
in bloggers
In the nicest way possible, Katie Sokoler made me feel old. Old, as in, having fun took effort, instead of something that just happened naturally, because if you have fun naturally, that way, life is so much, uh… funner. And for someone that describes themselves as a professional fun maker, it’s not surprising that when I asked her if I could take her picture, instead of just sitting in a chair (what I probably would have come up with), she wanted to jump on the bed or throw around some balloons. It was so great to watch the way she thought about taking pictures. She’s a photographer herself, and a very clever one. She took a look around the room and came up with possibility after possibility.
Clever and creative, and most of all, FUN, meet Katie.
Katie was photographed at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City during Alt Design Summit where she was one of the keynote speakers.
Here’s Nathan, the founder and editor of Kinfolk Magazine, photographed at the Grand America Hotel during Alt Summit, 2013 in Salt Lake City.
Nathan, from Kinfolk Magazine
Do yourself a favor and buy a copy of Kinfolk. It’s a gorgeous publication.
Late last night I returned from photographing a fantastic wedding in Mexico at the Sensatori Azul resort. Paradise, really. I was there for four days with a full schedule every day of relaxing (well, except for the day of the wedding).
He’s a teaser picture. Hot, don’t you think? I’ll make of full post of their wedding pictures very soon.
Wedding near Cancun and Puerto Morelos, Mexico.
Tomorrow and for the rest of the week I’ll be in Salt Lake photographing the always exciting Alt Summit Design Conference. I’m so excited to be there. You meet the coolest people. I feel fortunate to have been able to attend every year. Will you be there? If so, you must come say hello.
…..
What can I photograph for you? Wedding? Family portraits? Call me. Let’s chat.
Oh my gosh–these two. Mike and Alma are a creative dynamo. Check out their brilliance here.
I went to Springville to photograph Mike and Alma in their cheerful office. It’s cheerful, just like them!
Alma and Mike
And you’re for sure going to want to know about their latest project. It’s already a smashing success. It’s called Caravan.
One of the great things about the folks that put together Alt Design Summit is that they know how to throw a party. I remember at one point in the evening, as the sun cast long shadows over Manhattan, and there we were on the roof of the offices of Marth Stewart, I thought to myself, “there isn’t anywhere I’d rather be right now than right here, in this town, with these people, photographing this party.”
In August I went to New York City to photograph the Alt Summit Conference. It was held in the Martha Stewart offices. It was, of course, lovely. Breakfast, speakers, lunch, speakers, a surprise visit from Martha Stewart, speakers, then a fancy party on the roof.
Yep. Martha Stewart showed up right when Nat the Fat Rat was talking.
The night before Alt Summit in New York City this summer, there was a small dinner party at a warehouse in Brooklyn. It was called Sunday Suppers, which is a very cool idea started by the lovely photographer Karen Mordechai, and in fact, it was her studio were the whole thing took place. Here’s where you can read more about Sunday Suppers.
Sponsored by Joss and Main
I want to move to New York, just so I can hang out with Mara and Danny more often. These two will put even the crabbiest of grouches in a very good mood.
Their very popular blog, A Blog About Love, chronicles their own love story and also gives advice on how to keep the fire burning.
I’m so glad we got to spend and afternoon together, Mara and Danny. Let’s do it again some time. And thanks for the pizza!
You can follow Mara on Twitter here.
You can see a slideshow with more pictures of these two here.
And you can see the images she selected for her blog post here.
by justin on September 26, 2012
in bloggers
I’ve met two Ania’s in my life. Both awesome, both from Poland. The first one I actually met in Poland. The second one, pictured here, I met last January in Salt Lake City when she attended the Alt Summit Conference. She’s so giving and caring and because she’s genuinely interested in helping people out, she helped me line up a wedding I’ll be shooting in Mexico in a few months. Now that’s sweet.
We had a good time hanging out for a bit in Manhattan, then we made our way to Brooklyn where we both happened to be going to the same party.
Ania and her husband lead very interesting lives and you can read about it on her blog The New Diplomat’s Wife.
You can follow Ania on Twitter here.
You can see a slideshow with more pictures of Ania here.
by justin on September 25, 2012
in bloggers
Here’s Rebecca from the blog A Daily Something. She’s a stylist and event planner. Well, that’s her title. What she is is endlessly charming and creative and she’s constantly cooking up some sort of creative this or that. Just read her blog and you’ll see what I mean. I don’t know when I’ll get to take pictures of Rebecca again, but I wish it was tomorrow.
Meet Rebecca.
You can follow Rebecca on Twitter here.
You can see a slideshow with more pictures of Rebecca here.
Ania in Brooklyn
I’ve been in New York for a week photographing Alt Summit and a handful of portrait sessions. I’m headed home today and I have lots to post.
I’m honored that I was asked to photograph Stephanie and Christian Nielson for the cover of their soon to be released book, Heaven is Here. It’s an amazing story. I’ve read it, and I’ll admit, I cried. A lot.
The cover for Stephanie Nielson's book Heaven Is Here
The original photograph
The title page of Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson with Amy Hackworth
I just don’t know what to say about this book, about Stephanie and Christian, about the writing, other than, you must read this book.
And it was an extra honor to have my photograph on the cover since my wife Amy collaborated with Stephanie to write this amazing story.
Heaven Is Here is available April 3, 2012 from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and anywhere good books are sold.
by justin on January 21, 2012
in bloggers
Erin Loechner
It’s hard to imagine anyone sweeter than Erin Loechner, of designformankind.com. Here she is photographed at the Grand American in Salt Lake City during Alt Summit.
by justin on January 19, 2012
in bloggers
It’s that grand time of year, again–time for the Alt Design Summit in Salt Lake City. I’ve been looking forward to this since….well, since about a year ago when I went last time. This year I’ll be photographing the event, along with Brooke Dennis. And on Saturday morning I’ll be part of a workshop called “Style and Fashion Yourself for a Photoshoot” along with Alison from Petit Elefant and Susan from The Working Closet. Then I’m scooting away quickly to photograph a wedding that same day. It’s going to be a busy and fantastic week. I can just feel it.
Alt is sold out this year and has been for a couple months. So if you’re interested in going next year, don’t wait around to sign up.
by justin on September 13, 2011
in bloggers
I moved into my new studio last month on a Monday afternoon. Got all the boxes unpacked, put all my pens in a little cup on my desk, figured out where I’d keep the blank CD’s, figured out where the printers would go. Sat back in my chair and thought, I like this new place. Now, who can I photograph in the new studio? Then I emailed everyone’s favorite blogger, C. Jane, and asked her if she’d come on in, and be the first person photographed in the new studio. She agreed, and this is how things played out on August 24, 2011.
She wrote about it on her blog.
She gets anxiety around crowds (then makes jokes about the medicine she’s on for it). She swears like a sailor. She started a very real, online fight with William Shatner. And she just might be the funniest person you’ll ever meet.
This is Jenny Lawson, the Bloggess.
Jenny Lawson, photographed in Park City, Utah at Evo 11
I met Jenny last year in New York at the Kirtsy party that took place at BlogHer. Those Kirtsy ladies are among other things, smart party planners, and had the good sense to seat Jenny with an old fashioned typewriter at a table, where anyone at the party that wanted to could have Jenny write something pithy or funny or profound about them. So a big long line of eager party-goers waited in line to see what Jenny would write. I kept the one she wrote about me. It’s been clipped to my file cabinet in my office. It says:
You capture the awesomeness in others because you see their light.
That’s a good thing. But not something I can be witty about.
Apparently.
That was last year. Now jump forward to last week in Park City. Jenny came to speak at Evo. She told me before it started that her speech would either work out great or go horribly wrong because it included asking audience members to turn into zombies and kill the rest of the audience. But not really kill them. Just fake kill them and then we’d all have a good laugh. And so Jenny had a little trepidation. But this is the Bloggess, and, turns out, ( just as I suspected) it was hilarious and inspiring. And I wish you could have been there to hear it.
Park City is glorious. Probably any time of year, but this time of year, in particular. Jenny and I took a 12 minute ride up the chair lift and then when you get to the top, you automatically start singing “The hills are alive with the sound of music” from the Sound of Music. You can’t help it. And if you’re there with a photographer, he must might get a photograph of that.
Jenny Lawson singing the hills are alive...
Jenny, thanks so much for making some time for me, remembering me from last year, and for being so open and genuine. I look forward to the next time (whenever that is) and also, I promise not to tell anyone where you live.
