Photographs of Helper, Utah: From coal town to creative heaven

Helper, Utah Photographs: Capturing a Desert Artist’s Community

Helper is one of the seemingly endless gems available to any road tripper willing to get off the beaten path while exploring Utah. Years ago I was driving up the 191 and stopped to make a photograph of the old sign for the Balance Rock Motel. I’m a sucker for vintage signage anyway, but this was particularly interesting with the stark desert features in the background. Add in the 7up sign and it became a must stop. Looking around there was no inclination of any sort of civilization, let alone an entire town. While standing there making photographs a policeman stopped to ask what I was doing and seemed satisfied enough with the answer. Afterward I continued on my way, thinking there was nothing else in the area at all to photograph. Some ten years later I discovered a thriving artist community in Helper, tucked away off the 191. The 191 is a stunning backroad for people driving south from Salt Lake City and continuing east on the 70. Driving into town is sort of a “holy shit” moment. Why is this town here and how does it survive? And the only real answer is art! Helper, Utah is an artist community in the middle of nowhere filled with galleries! It’s such an incredibly unique place. In all my travels I’ve never really seen anything like it. And the excitement that comes from discovering such a town is what keep me addicting to road trips!

Contact me directly if you’d like to use my photographs of Helper, Utah for editorial or commercial purpose. Prints also available.

The Balance Rock Motel - Helper, Utah

Lasalle’s - Helper, Utah

Main St. - Helper, Utah

The Strand Theater in Helper, Utah

The Hotel Newhouse

American Center for Photographers

American Photography Gallery

Fine Art

May has really shaped up to be a great month in the gallery exhibition category! I’m very grateful to announce that I’ll be showing some of my American photographs at the American Center for Photographers in Wilson, North Carolina. It’s always nice to show work, but this is particularly exciting because it’s the first time I’ve ever exhibited work from this series which started over 13 years ago. Back in 2011 is when my cross country road trips began but the photographs that now make up this series were sort of an after thought. At that time I was solely focused on the Barbershops of America series. So these American photographs were sort of just made during those in-between times when there were no barbershops around. It was years until I even realized that the collective images could be a body of work.

The exhibition which is comprised of 50+/- fine art prints will run from May 1st-26th. So if you’re anywhere near Wilson, please stop in and check them out.

Click here to see photographs from my America series.

Photography exhibition at the American Center for Photographers in Wilson, North Carolina

East Coast Photography

Small Town America - Photography

Road Trip - American Culture

Cross country road trips have been a constant in my life for the past 12+ years, particularly in late December driving from San Diego, CA to upstate NY to visit family for Christmas. This year though, it was significantly shorter as we are currently living in North Carolina. If you want advice on the most soul sucking drive in the USA, it’s I95 from Raleigh to Albany. Avoid it at all costs. I did it once in a straight shot due to a severe lack of time and will never do it again. As a photographer you’re much better off committing to the many backroads that will get you to the same place while also delivering a much better experience. Here are a few images from PA and NY. Pennsylvania has always been a fascinating state. There is a sadness to a lot of the towns, particularly in the rust belt, but they are all undeniably American. Plenty of towns in America could be anywhere in America, but the majority of Pennsylvania makes you acutely aware that you are in a place.

Click here to see more of my American Photography

Union Cemetery - Hudson Falls, NY

Pittston, Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Edwardsville, Pennsylvania

Pittston, Pennsylvania

Pittston, Pennsylvania

Hudson Falls, New York

American Road Trip

So grateful for this time on the road especially when it can incorporate the trifecta of shooting for a client, shooting for myself, and vacation time with Emily and Mojo. There really is nothing better. Our main destinations were Idaho/Montana and what a special time of year to be up there. The color and weather make you appreciate the seasons so much as people who live in southern California where we don’t get those drastic changes. Also made me realize how much I need to plan for this every year to shoot some fly fishing in locations surrounded by fall foliage. Maybe it’s just getting older (aka wiser), but that fall beauty was lost on me while going to school in Vermont where people would visit from all over the world. The “leaf peepers”. It makes a lot more sense once you start to pull your head out of your own ass. Check back soon for images from this trip.

America

Last month I watched an on-line talk given by a photographer that I very much respect. He dished out a lot of great information, and briefly mentioned something about another photographer that he very much respected. The remark was about a book that photographer was about to publish, and the speaker said "I already know what it looks like". He hadn't seen the book, or any of the images, but was referring to the fact that the photographer was very predictable. And that stuck with me. He also didn't mean any disrespect at all, was just stating a fact. After thinking about it for a while, I realized how important it is to constantly be charging ahead in different directions. That's something I've always believed, but it was cool to hear from his perspective. As a photographer, you'll always have your "bread and butter", but it's boring to rest on that. Branch out and try new things. Develop portfolios in areas that your audience is expecting. Challenge yourself even if it means failing miserably for a while. In the long term, I believe that's the only way to make it. 

Last month I did another cross-country trip from San Diego to as far as Plymouth, Massachusetts. Time on the road was shorter than I initially planned for, but it's always great. Shot a lot of images that are probably a lot different my norm, and people might not connect with them right away, but whatever. Some of them are certainly winners. I enjoy looking at them, and can see this stuff developing into a much larger portfolio. My main objective on this trip was to wrap up shooting on the barbershop project. So all of this "America" stuff was on the side, but I love it, and am always eager for more. 

Click here for more AMERICA.