I learned how to take photos on a film camera. In fact, in my first photography class in high school in the early 2000s, I was taught the ins and outs of developing film in a darkroom. But by the time I took a photojournalism class in college, we were learning to shoot digital and…Read more Flirting with film photography
Kamauri’s portrait session
A good friend of mine was in town for the Sundance Film Festival this year. When we met up for dinner, Kamauri casually mentioned that she'd like some updated portraits and head shots done. Well, I had some time to take on the project while she was here, so we scheduled a meet up for…Read more Kamauri’s portrait session
Salt Lake City’s most Instagramable sandwich is at Pretty Bird
After much anticipation, Pretty Bird is now open in Salt Lake City. The downtown restaurant specializes in hot chicken, but I'm predicting the sandwich will be the social media star of the menu. Just look at it: I had a chance to photograph the entire menu. And while it's all a feast for the eyes,…Read more Salt Lake City’s most Instagramable sandwich is at Pretty Bird
Society of Professional Journalists award
This news is coming a little late, but I guess late is better than never. Earlier this summer, I won a Society of Professional Journalists award for a Salt Lake magazine piece I did last year. I took home the second place prize in the Best Magazine Writing category for my story documenting Chinese diaspora…Read more Society of Professional Journalists award
Spice Kitchen sessions
In early winter, I worked with the Spice Kitchen Incubator — a collaboration between the International Rescue Committee and Salt Lake County helping refugees and immigrants start restaurants. These budding restauranteurs needed some food pics and portraits for marketing and I was more than happy to help. I would work with people from Bhutan, Iraq,…Read more Spice Kitchen sessions
Portraits for my portfolio
When it comes to photography, my specialties have traditionally been food and interiors. But recently, I realized that I've been shooting portraits just as long as I've been doing the former two styles. I take a portrait of almost everyone I interview for stories, so I've had a bit of practice. I guess it was…Read more Portraits for my portfolio
Oh hey, Heidi
I get assigned to cover a lot of food and drink events around town and I’m often allowed to bring a plus-one. A couple of weeks ago, I brought my friend Heidi to one such event that I was asked to photograph. When I warned Heidi that she might end up in some of the pictures,…Read more Oh hey, Heidi
The great Chinese American road trip
As promised, here's a link to my article in Salt Lake Magazine. Let me know what you think.
Chinese Americana: Prologue
If you asked me what I was working on last year, chances are I talked about how I was driving to small Utah towns searching for Chinese restaurants. I spent hundreds of miles on the road and the project took me months to complete. I didn't really know what I would find or how I…Read more Chinese Americana: Prologue
Leftovers | Handle
A couple of months ago, I posted a photo of an interior shot of Handle in Park City, Utah, which was featured in Utah Style & Design. But I think some of the food pics and portraits that I shot turned out pretty well, too. The featured photo — a fried cauliflower dish made to evoke…Read more Leftovers | Handle