Land of Deseret: Salt Lake City Industrial - Photo Essay

Over two decades ago, my sister's high school drill team  travelled to Japan for a dance competition.  While there she met a nice man in his seventies, who said he would like to come to Utah, and would she please give him her address in the case he came to visit?

Mr. Higuchi came to visit that next year. He arrived without notice. He called from the airport, and said he needed a ride and that he'd be staying with my family for the week. He spoke very little English. He was up for anything we wanted to show him, would go anywhere my family wanted to take him.

His wife had stayed home. This was his adventure.

I had moved out and was living in my first apartment, so my parents brought Mr. Higuchi to visit. He thought my tiny two bedroom apartment was enormous, especially the bathroom. I remember he took pictures of absolutely everything, the cramped kitchen, the fake fireplace, the bedrooms, even the bathroom.

On the drive to Southern Utah to see Zion, he held his camera up to the window and proceeded to take pictures without looking.

Ever since, I've been taking photographs in the same manner.

These are the images I took yesterday on the way out of town. They show the gritty beauty of Salt Lake City.