Of the countless subtle milestones in the history of our publication, one of my favorites is marked by a passing comment from local radio personality Brad Barlow back in 2009. I don’t recall his exact words, but the gist of his observation was that the imagery in Idaho Falls Magazine made him see his hometown in new and exciting ways.
Interestingly enough, Brad’s own career path would diverge from broadcasting to photography in the years that followed. I’d like to think that the seed for that transformation had been planted years earlier, and that the magazine had played a part in propelling his ambitions forward. (For proof in the pudding, check out his B2X Photo portfolio material at www.photographersidahofalls.com. Great stuff!)
Life is kind of like a magazine, I guess. Issue after issue, our experiences stack up like featured articles, upcoming events, engaging profiles, roundups, recipes and personal adventures. And where the words may fail to fully tell our stories, we have pictures to help light the way.
I have a handful of favorites from my own archives to share with now. Let the self-aggrandizement begin…
Portraits on Park
In a promotional shoot for “Roger’s Revue” benefit concert for the Idaho Falls Youth Arts Centre, this creative lineup quickly grew tired of our cramped basement studio. Led by IFYAC’s Erin Nazario (far left), we opted for a location shot with the troupe Beatle-ing their way across Park Avenue.
On Ice at Henrys Lake
Ice fishing is obviously something done in the cold. Doing so at night can be extra cold. This shot was taken in the wee hours of New Year’s Day on one of the coldest days of the past decade, when the temps in Island Park hit a frigid -24 degrees Fahrenheit. Somehow, neither the gas auger nor the camera froze.
An Extreme Surprise in Pokey
Ten years ago, Idaho Falls Magazine had the unique opportunity to document an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. This was the scene shortly after show host Ty Pennington surprised the Marshall-Spreier Family of Pocatello. Magazine staffers went on to cover the entire week-long production.
Good Morning Idaho Falls
From its inception, the magazine had the good fortune of nurturing positive relationships with other local media companies. For one special feature, we made the rounds to all the broadcast morning shows for some onset portraits of some of the key television and radio personalities. At the time, that naturally included Jeremy Dresen and Brad Barlow of Z103, an FM radio station under Riverbend Communications.
Incomplete at Ravsten Stadium
This image from the 2010 Emotion Bowl created quite a stir. It captures the final incomplete pass that sealed Skyline’s loss to I.F., but unfortunately, the image was uploaded to social media by my daughter with the claim, “My dad shot this and it proves that pass was complete!” The firestorm went on for days, culminating in a few unfounded accusations of fraud — including one from a local journalism teacher, who should have known better. Am I still bent out of shape about that? Yes. Yes, I am.
Christmas on Course
Our local PGA Golf Professionals are the rock stars of the Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation division. As this image proves, they’re also willing to play dress-up to keep the registers ringing long after the snow flies.
Ode to the Wall
Tim Egan channels his inner Roger Waters for a basement rehearsal of Another Brick in the Wall, one of many brilliant covers by local Pink Floyd tribute band, A Few More Bricks.
Tradition in Local Broadcast
My father was an old-school anchorman in the days of requisite sideburns and butterfly collars, which definitely informed my opinion of what a local TV personality should look like. This semi-cheesy portrait of Jay Hildebrant was actually just a passing grab shot. Jay had the vintage newsman’s fedora in storage and was joking that he should have posed with it on the set. He threw it on and quickly removed it, but not before I was able to get this singular frame of him in faux repose.
Reflections of the Fair
More than any other annual event, the Eastern Idaho State Fair has been our most heartbreaking cancellation of the 2020 pandemic. One thing I love the most about it is that at some point during fair week, the eye-popping scenery practically forces its way into the viewfinder, even in the form of a water reflection after an early September thunder storm.
LeAnn Emery
The magazine has been blessed over the years with great support staff. One of my all-time favorites is LeAnn Emery, whose infectious smile and community spirit made Harris Publishing such a great place to work.
Fort Hall in Full Color
Mid-August heralds in a packed schedule of summer events. One of the more obvious items on our hit list is the Shoshone-Bannock festival down in Fort Hall. After shooting dozens of standard grab shots of native dancers, I always end up experimenting with slower shutter speeds to capture the fluid motions and vibrant colors of the event.
Writing on the Wild Side
Gregg Losinski first graced the pages of IFM not as a columnist, but as a subject. His role in outreach education for the Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game was a natural fit for our coverage of outdoor recreation and discovery content. His columns are now a mainstay of the magazine. I shot this just as I was explaining to Gregg my irrational fear of bats.
Kort Duce
Hired in the late 1990s to help out our company’s motorsports publications, Kort Duce was also tasked with producing the bulk of our key photography for the launch of Idaho Falls Magazine, including that now-iconic cover shot of the father and daughter flying a kite. Kort has moved on, but he still works in professional photography for the Idaho National Laboratory. He’s also a commercial fine artist. His work can be found at www.kortduce.com.
Talking Photography
For several years, I’ve had the distinct honor of heading up the presentation of the annual East Idaho Community Photo Contest, which the magazine kickstarted in 2009. Read all about it (and everything else IFM-related, for that matter) at www.idahofallsmagazine.com. (Photo by LeAnna Kotter)