About Me:
Well, I guess I’ll have to go back to my days in middle school to begin. I was 12 years old when I made my first stop motion video and I continued to make them until I was 15. During those years, I made live action videos with my brother and his friends. At that age, I started doing some Flash animation and started getting into photography. Originally more into video, I did research about DSLR cameras (that was when they starting having video) since I was going to receive a new camera for my 16th birthday. As I learned more about DSLRs, I learned more about photography, and made the jump (while still doing the occasional video).
It took me a while, but I started to build a reputation for my photography skills, never missing a single home football, basketball, or hockey game at my high school.
Coming into the U declared as a film major, I still wanted to continue photography, but didn’t know how I’d get on the field for sports games. That was when I saw an ad in The Daily Utah Chronicle saying photographers were wanted. Without hesitation, I applied and got the job. I (again) gained notoriety for my photographs, but my reputation rose much quicker than in high school. I got to go to Las Vegas for the 2014 PAC-12 basketball tournament: at the age of 18.
After being told I probably wouldn’t get to, on the day of the concert, I was told I would get to cover the east coast hip-hop group Wu Tang Clan; my first concert I got to cover.
In November of 2014, I received an email confirmation confirming a press pass for the legendary Judas Priest (the day before the concert). That was perhaps my biggest moment.
In May of 2015, I asked to take photos of Passion Pit for the Red Butte Garden concert series and my request was granted on one condition: write a review while I was at it (something I’ve never done before).
While not my best article (being my first ever), it was good enough for the art’s desk to ask me to write a review for an upcoming concert: Royal Blood. This one was much improved, and the art’s desk was so impressed with my writing that they asked if I was interested in becoming a writer for the art’s desk. Seeing this as an incredible opportunity to expand my horizons, I gladly accepted. As far as the staff at the Chrony is knows, I am the first person to have a position on the photo desk and a writing desk at the same time.
On the first day of school my junior year, I got to write a concert review for my childhood hero: Weird Al. On the Thursday of that week, I had to take pictures for the St. Vincent concert (more on that later). Two days later, I was at the Dazed Out hip hop festival: with headliners Atmosphere and Snoop Dogg.
Guitar manufacturer Ernie Ball contacted me a week after St. Vincent was in town, asking for a non-exclusive agreement to purchase my pictures of her with her guitar (it was her second show playing it). They have used it for their Facebook cover photo.
I have also written album reviews, my own opinion pieces, and covered the heavy-metal band Korn since then.
I’m still doing photography and writing and have declared as a communications major (journalism) on top of my film major. Oh, and I decided to minor in writing.
My ultimate goal is to be hired as either the official photographer for the SF Giants or a band photographer (have not decided which yet). Or write for Rolling Stone.
When I’m not taking pictures or writing, you can find me playing guitar, listening to music, watching Giants baseball, or at a concert (just for fun).
Even if I end up not making it into the real world of journalism, I can at least look at my work and know I tried my best; considering all the events mentioned above occurred before I even graduated college.
U NewsWriting 