Memories from a trip down to southern Utah in the hopes to make spring look like summer.
David Archuleta // 10 years ago
It’s been 10 years since first shooting with this American Idol.
Chris Fogt
Pitta
Football player, Dennis Pitta, photographed circa 2008.
Square Magazine - The Covers
I'll tell
you what happens when you plug in an old hard drive - you end up
spending hours looking at old work and forgetting the reason you plugged
in the hard drive in the first place.
That's
exactly what happened a couple weekends ago. I got caught going down memory
lane looking at all the work I did for Square Magazine - a publication I started, along with two neighborhood friends of mine, that ran from September 2005 to May 2009 in Provo, UT.
{Above: unused image for Square's 5th birthday}
During my time with Square I tried to keep the "photographer" Matt Clayton and "Editor-and-Chief" Matt Clayton separate - which I probably did too well - so, not a lot of my work made it onto my blog and especially none of the covers. Since they really weren't in the style of photography that I wanted to brand myself with, I never publicly shared them. Until now.
Heavily influenced by vintage Coke ads and my love for the work of Norman Rockwell, Square's covers were meant to be campy and, like Coke ads, show an individual enjoying the magazine more than their environment. Coming up with the concept for the covers was always a challenge. We succeed on some more than others.
Here they are, sans masthead, in order of appearance.
THE SCIENCE ISSUE - Jan/Feb. '07
The D.I.Y. Issue - March/Apr '07
While compiling all these together it was fun to notice how, with the help of equipment, styling and technique, each cover's quality got a little better over time.
Those four years offered a great amount of learning experiences.
Director Ryan Little
Room & Board - Shoot Revisited
I was reminded of these photos while staying in Park City over the weekend. The closest I got to sharing these were a little over a year ago in this post. And just like this weekend, this shoot made me hungry for snow.These were shot for Square Magazine's Snowed In issue, which was guest edited by The Q Network - they hooked us up like no other. Photographed at The Canyons Resort in Park City, we were given access to a suite which made for a perfect location and comfortable place for everyone to chill (and play Uno) between shots.
We had the models carpool up so they could get to know each other and become fast friends, which they did, because by the time I said "Now act like friends," they didn't have to act.
BEHIND THE SCENES -
It was a lot of work for just four images, but as always a lot of fun.
Devereaux Smith, from the Q Network, and Emily Frame, Square's fashion editor, did a great job with wardrobe - giving each model their own individual style. Emily will tell you, I usually have something to say about what is worn and who wears what when it comes to stuff like this, but this time I kept my mouth shut and let Devereaux and Emily work their magic.
Best "you had to be there" moment: Bo, our youngest model, had (and still has) the deepest voice. And I mean deep. During lunch I asked him to repeat "Oh, Baby" really slow. He did.Watch out ladies.
Jeans That Rock - Shoot Revisited
These were also shot the summer of '06 for Square Magazine, to showcase jeans - from cheap to steep. With the help of an on-board flash and white backdrop, my parent's garage easily became the perfect "studio." MJ was the music of choice that day and, for not doing this before, all the "models" were pro - and a lot of fun to work with.
Women's styling and T-shirt creation by Emily Frame. Jailbird men's T by Trent Wall.Rock Enrollment - Shoot Revisted
These were shot, for Square Magazine's "Rock Issue," near the end of summer '06, to highlight local bands and musicians. As part of the featured spread, each group was asked to do a cover of their favorite song, which was then offered as a free download on Square's site. The project proved to be daunting, but successful.
Seve vs. Evan - Besides the large group shot, this shot of Severin Bozung and Evan Sharp is my favorite. I was most excited to shoot the both of them and they executed what I had asked for perfectly. Even the chalk drawing Severin came up with - which I am still the proud owner of.
Benton Paul - Benton's been getting a lot of buzz lately and for good reason. I love his latest album. Keep your ears open for him, good things are coming his way.
Code Hero - 
Jon Pinney - 
Deborah Fotheringham - 
Another Statistic - 
Mathematics Et Cetera - 
Dustin Christensen of Jerrytown - It's funny to look back over these and see how much my style hasn't changed. But... it is "old school prep" and I'm all over that.
Here's a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot.
My friend Joseph Draschil put this together for Square and I had forgotten all about it until last night. It was fun to watch again. Enjoy.
I still can't thank Karli Haglund and her parents enough for their help with last minute "location scouting" the night before. Lifesavers.
Actor & Dancer Shawn Carter
Meet Shawn Carter. He dances. And acts. And he's one of the few people that can say that they were in all three High School Musical films. He helped pull a prank on Zac Efron. It was wet. "[Vanessa] was mad."
These shots were taken as part of a "fashion spread" to help promote Shawn's new movie Scout Camp, which he stars in, alongside local favorite Kirby Heyborne. The idea behind the shoot was all about how to look cool in khakis this summer. I think Shawn pulled it off nicely.
Shawn becomes your friend as soon as you meet him. And he is just as others describe him - professional, humble, hard working and a real nice guy.
After I told him the idea behind the shoot, and that my goal was to turn him into a heartthrob, he let me know that he was ready for whatever I had planned. "I love dressing up. S
o I'll do whatever you need me to. I'm just excited to do this."
The owner of the car was six years-old when his dad bought it. It's as original as it gets, even the color. It was a beauty. Shawn and I where like kids in a candy store when it arrived.
These were shot at Parker's Drive-In, on the corner of State St. and 500 East in American Fork. One of my favorite places. Shawn loves attention, so needless to say he enjoyed every whistle and car horn that came his way.
"Real men wear pink" was Shawn's response as soon as I pulled out the pink shirt. I knew I liked this kid.
Summer Champ
Summer Champ - Behind-the-Scenes
Before I post the final shots from the Summer Champ shoot, I mentioned in April, here's a behind-the-scenes look at what went on.
The original concept.
Notes, ideas, inspiration, and a more defined sketch of the spread compiled by my fashion editor, Emily, and I so that we had a clear vision of how the finished product should look and feel.
The shooting order and prop list.
We were originally planning to shoot up American Fork Canyon, but when April decided to deliver some fresh pow, that plan quickly changed. My neighborhood became, the new, Camp Red Feather.
The neighbors got quite a show.
And in grand tradition, by the end of the shoot, "numbers were exchanged." Happens every time.
Emily and I keep track.
Check back tomorrow to see the results.
The original concept.Notes, ideas, inspiration, and a more defined sketch of the spread compiled by my fashion editor, Emily, and I so that we had a clear vision of how the finished product should look and feel. The shooting order and prop list.We were originally planning to shoot up American Fork Canyon, but when April decided to deliver some fresh pow, that plan quickly changed. My neighborhood became, the new, Camp Red Feather.The neighbors got quite a show.
And in grand tradition, by the end of the shoot, "numbers were exchanged." Happens every time.Emily and I keep track.
Check back tomorrow to see the results.