Back

"A horse stands in a snowy forest in Lancaster, Pa., Feb. 3, 2009."

In regards to my back injury that has left me sidelined for two months, I am not quite 100 percent yet, but I am starting physical therapy this week in Baltimore before heading back to Utah to return to work.

Best news I've had in weeks. It has been a miserable two months and I cannot wait to get back to shooting and doing more than laying on a couch watching movies and being annoyed by my parent's banter.

I heard it has been snowy, cold and some people have already gotten some turns in back in Utah. It sucks I probably won't be doing anything too physical like playing soccer, skiing or even biking right away. But I am sure I can revel in enjoying some cold beverages with friend.

Can't wait to see everyone and get back to work - a month and a half to work my ass off in 2010.

On the train

"A passenger holds on as the Chuo subway line moves in Osaka, Japan on Jan. 1, 2009."

A client was looking for some cliche type images of Japan.

As I searched for images that screamed Asia and Japan, I stumbled across this image I liked from Osaka.

At the time this was shot, I had been extremely lost trying to find the huge aquarium. It was found, but getting back to my hotel was going to be a challenge.

Everyone I know, even friends that live in Japan, always talked about the subway systems being complicated and confusing.

But without a problem I made it back safely to my hotel using mainly the subway. After that, the subway became easier to navigate than the main trains.

I totally miss Japan. The food, the people...

From the archive: Saints

"The Maryland Christian Saints home-schooled high school football team warms up before practice at Beechmont Christian Camp on Thursday night. The program has gone from a 17-player squad that was not very strong to league champions last season."

Since I am going to probably miss the entire high school football season, and there is no professional football in Salt Lake, I thought I'd dig up a favorite football photo of mine.

There was something about having open access to the entire practice of this very small football team.

Despite it being overcast, I remember the light was vanishing quickly. I needed to make a picture of something, so I started shooting warm-ups.

Running up and down the field with the team, I was getting a workout myself.

In the end, this turned into one of my favorite high school football pictures for some reason.

Shoo, fly

"Joe Kunkel shuts his eyes tightly as a fly lands on his head at his Center Street home in Springville, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009."

As I continue to dig through my selects from the past two years, I was reminded of this picture today.

Joe Kunkel was the very first story I found when I got to Utah. I was fresh to the area, but was told to find a story anyways.

After driving around for a couple days completely lost and terrified I wouldn't find a story, I ended up getting out of my car to shoot a feature of Kunkel as he watered his plants.

All it took was getting out of the car to realize Kunkel was just a happy old man who loved to tend to his little, yet, large gardens.

We sat and talked and I returned two or three more times. A lot of time we spent was just sitting outside talking. He would snack on tomatoes, with lots of salt, and drink a luke warm Pepsi.

It was the start I needed in Utah.

Careful steps

"A visitor carefully walks across the slippery rocks at the La Fortuna Waterfall in Costa Rica, Saturday, July 3, 2010."

Digging through my recent archive that I have on my computer - which isn't much.

Overlooked this picture from Costa Rica of a visitor walking across the rocks at La Fortuna Waterfall.

We had taken horses to the waterfall with a large group of gringos. Once there, we had to hike down some sketchy, soaked and steep man-made steps.

With risk come reward. At the bottom was a breathtaking view of more than 200-feet high waterfall.

It was really crowded with tourists the day we were there. The light has harsh, high-noon, but was peaking through clouds and trees gorgeously.

I took this picture before actually walking across the rocks which proved to be hazardous. I did almost slip once but luckily caught my camera.

From there, we decided to get into the water since it was really hot and humid. But I swear a snake rubbed against my leg, so we didn't last long.

As the group I arrived with made their way back to the horses, I hung around to try and get something better. I ended up sprinting up the insane stairs just making the journey back into town. Good times.