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Past Portraits of My Grandma

My last grandma has just passed away and today is her viewing. It is interesting that relatives have been reminiscing by finding and posting pictures of her on facebook and on blogs. I myself took some personal time on the day she passed to finish some restorations that I had been working on.

These portraits that I’ve been restoring, are meaningful because they are well done portraits that tell a story of my grandma. She was a florist, and her and my grandpa started a floral which is still run by some of her kids. When I was little, being tended by my grandma meant running around greenhouses and having adventures while she made arrangements for customers. It meant playing cowboys and indians in the orchards, climbing trees, and sometimes picking weeds in the greenhouses for an Orange Crush.

I have a lot of memories of my grandma that I am not going to share because this is a public blog. But I do want to say that portraits matter and I’m glad I do what I do for a profession. I am grateful for portraits of my loved ones because they remind me of memories and of times past.

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Today we live in a world of photo-poliferation. We have a disposable mentality due to being inundated by tons of pictures created on every device we have. But where is the quality portrait? Someone said to me this last week that they didn’t think photographs were worth spending money on because they’re just temporary.

I completely disagree. There is almost nothing that I personally can spend money on that my children and grandchildren are going to want when I’m dead and gone. Everything else is just stuff, most of which can be replaced by insurance by a better and newer version. But portraits are going to be fought over by future generations, especially the quality portrait.

Yes maybe in the short-term we may change out a wall portrait for a newer updated one, but over time we miss the portraits we took down. They become a window to the past and a way to remember loved ones and past times. Portraits unlike electronics and other expensive items actually grow in value over time, especially if someone passes away. And once someone passes away, there is a search for the one quality portrait that tells a story about that loved one. Snapshots are passed over and everyone searches for and wants a copy of the quality portrait.

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To close, here is a portrait I did with my grandma a few years back while visiting her at her St. George home. I am grateful for these portraits as they remind me of memories and of times past. I am reminded of what a kind and loving woman she was and the example she and my grandpa set for all of us, and am comforted with the knowledge that she and my grandpa are now reunited.

Blake’s Senior Portrait Sneak Preview

Because school is starting this week, I’m showing a sneak peek of Blake’s senior portraits. We did a Senior Mix Session with an additional location, and here’s what we got! Blake is a drummer, so to showcase that talent, we set up his drums along with a portable studio setup of lights and equipment out in one of my favorite desert locations. The jumping ones were my favorites and I really liked the storm clouds we had that day. It made for some great drama in the sky.

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We also did a full session in the studio with a number of different setups. Here is one of my favorites from his black and white series using a very unique lighting setup. The resulting look is hip, edgy, and modern.Cox_BJohnson-sr-114b-edge

This next image at the pool wasn’t shot at a pool at all, but actually created completely in the studio! Senior portraits should show who you are and what you like to do. Doing this image at the studio gives me the creativity to create the best image possible with the most custom lighting.

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And of course, senior portraits are always fun with a cap and gown.

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In 20 years looking back to today, what are you going to want to remember about your senior year? Let’s create a portrait for you that shows in a unique and professional way who you are right now.

If you are a high school senior and especially if you are a friend of Blake’s, I can create some amazing portraits of YOU, and right now is the BEST time to get in for some senior portraits! I have some awesome promotions going on, plus the weather is great for outdoor sessions.

Here’s what to do:

(1) Call me at the studio to set up a time, ask any questions you have, and let’s talk about some fun ideas for your shoot, 801-728-3317.

(2) Start thinking of fun outfits you may want to bring, maybe go shopping for a new outfit or two, and most importantly, don’t forget some props that say something about you, like wake boards, a basketball, musical instrument, skis, motorcycle helmet, dance shoes, …anything!

(3) Bring your mom or a friend to the shoot so they can be a part of the whole experience.

(4) And don’t forget your iPod so that you have your favorite music playing during the shoot.

I will post more images from Blake’s shoot soon! Keep tuned in!!

Whitney’s Senior Portrait Sneak Preview

This week Whitney is starting school as a high school senior and I had the pleasure of photographing her and creating some beautiful senior pictures. Here’s a sneak peek of her session.

She has such a great and captivating smile, she was a blast to work with. We did a full Senior Mix Session, meaning we shot multiple outfits, created both in color and black and white, used multiple backgrounds including inside the studio and outside in the studio gardens, and used a mix of lighting styles from fashion to beauty to classic.

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This wall trio above is one of my favorites. Her eyes pop and her personality really comes through. I love telling a story in three images.

And her close ups, like the one below are superb. I really like her smile in this, and how her outfit works so well and is set off by the funky brown background.

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Senior photo shoots should always include images that say who you are and what you like to do. Whitney plays the piano, and here at the studio, I have a baby grand just for photographs. Here are some of those images. Whitney is also a dancer, and those images are coming along with many others.

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I have many more images to show from this shoot, but for now I’ll leave you with this beautiful outdoor portrait in the wind, taken in the studio gardens.

Cox_WBigler-sr-165If you are a high school senior and especially if you are a friend of Whitney’s, I can create some amazing portraits of YOU, and right now is the BEST time to get in for some senior portraits! I have some awesome promotions going on, plus the weather is great for outdoor sessions.

Here’s what to do:

(1) Call me at the studio to set up a time, ask any questions you have, and to talk about some fun ideas for your shoot,  801-728-3317.

(2) Start thinking of fun outfits you may want to bring, maybe go shopping for a new outfit or two, and most importantly, don’t forget some props that say something about you, like wake boards, a basketball, musical instrument, skis, motorcycle helmet, dance shoes, …anything!

(3) Bring your mom or a friend to the shoot so they can be a part of the whole experience.

(4) And don’t forget your iPod so that you have your favorite music playing during the shoot.

I will post more images from Whitney’s shoot soon! Keep tuned in!!

I Love Photographing the Same Families Over the Years

Being a photographer is a satisfying job. I’ve spent years perfecting the craft because I feel that there is an important need to create not just pictures, but heirlooms that connect with people emotionally and are different from the other offerings. When I do shoots like this, I am reminded of that importance and it makes me grateful for the opportunity to create great images for people.

I had a blast photographing these cute kids that come into my studio every few years. I’ve done shoots for this family as each of these kids came into the family. It’s always been fun to see how much they’ve grown and changed. In fact for this post, I’ve pulled up some images I did last time for comparison. But first, I did a series of square wall portraits of each child. This first little girl was the newest in the family, and I hadn’t photographed her yet. She was so adorable and full of personality as you can see.

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And here are the other children, each with their own square wall print, which looked beautiful hung together on the wall.

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And here are the first three children, each from the shoot I did of them a few years ago as well as today. It is so fun seeing these comparisons. It’s another reminder to me me of how fast children grow, how fast families change, and how important it is to get great portraits over the years. I really love the personality in each of these images.

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With each shoot over the years, I photographed each new child to create a personal wall collage. Here’s an example of this boy’s collage from the past when he was much younger.

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Every child has their own collage at about the same age. For the newest little sister, we did a collage for her on this new shoot.

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And another one of just her alone.

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Here is a new collage I did of all the kids at this recent shoot. They were such a fun bunch that day. They were so excited and were an absolute blast. You can see how fun the shoot was from these images as well as their individual personalities.

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It’s hard to describe how grateful that I am to be a photographer, and to be able to do this for a living. I love that I can create and preserve memories for my clients and create real heirlooms that are enjoyed for years. It’s working on jobs like this that makes it feel all the more important, especially when I see these young children grow and change over time. And it was gratifying to deliver this order and see portraits from the past that I had created, hanging in the home.

So thank you to these clients and everyone else for hiring me over the years and allowing me to create images for you. And if you are looking for some updated portraits, there is no better time than now to set it up. Give me a call, 801-728-3317.

Portraits of my Dad and his Saxophone

Usually I post my favorite client images of the week, but today my favorite images are personal portraits of my dad that we created yesterday with his saxophone. It was a really fun shoot which ended with my folks and I getting some delicious Chinese take-out.

My dad is a musician which is why I grew up as a musician, and learned to play the saxophone as well. These images are for his new website which we’re completely redesigning for him. For the new look, we needed new updated photos of him. Here are some of my favorites from the shoot.

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I really like how these look. His smile is genuine and inviting, and just looking at them makes me hear his sax in my head.Cox_DCox_Sax-161-edge

I also took a series of him playing his sax and with those, I made up this collage.Cox_DCox_Sax-132-trio

These images really make me excited for his new website. When I get it designed and up online, I’ll for sure let you all know. We’ll have music clips up where you can hear him play.

If you need some cool portraits that you can use for commercial purposes, let me know. I’d love to create them for you. 801-728-3317

Until next time, America.

Hayden’s Senior Portraits

High school seniors and grads are a joy to photograph because I get to create images that are more fun and edgy, plus the seniors love it. Here is a shoot I did of Hayden.

Instead of just taking pictures of someone, I photograph who they are and that includes what they enjoy doing. Here is an intricate collage design of Hayden in his team basketball jersey.

I love groupings of images, and here I did some fashion lighting and created a series of three, grouped into a trio to show different sides to his personality.

Most seniors will get one of my signature art pieces like this one, where everything, the background, edges, and entire look are created custom every time in post production for a really unique look.

Black and white can be timeless and edgy if done right, and I choose that medium to create this image of Hayden in his officer’s sweater so that the attention goes right to his eyes.

School is starting soon which means that right now is the best time for the class of 2003 to make their appointments. Right now you’ll have your summer tan, summer schedule, you can beat the rush and get the best pick of available times, and there is a special for seniors in August! Give me a call at 801-728-3317 to make an appointment.