This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A recent New York Times photo project exposed some bright talent in Utah's high school ranks.
The "My Hometown" slideshow on the Times' Lens Blog features more than 4,000 images in an attempt to patch together a 21st-century portrait of America, as seen through the lenses of the country's high schoolers. Of 145 "editors' picks," 10 come from Utah students.
Judge Memorial Catholic High School teacher Chris Sloan said he used the project and others like it to teach kids that beyond composing a great photo, they have to find a forum to share their work. Judge Memorial is also involved with a pair of National Geographic projects, KQED Do Now and youthvoices.net.
"It's real and they're judged by their peers and professionals," said Sloan, who compared the Times project to the Farm Security Administration's influential Great Depression images.
Two of his students, Ben Harvey, 18, and Sean Liston, 16, had work selected by the Times editors. Harvey photographed a long exposure of steel wool sparks. He also photographed a bald eagle at Farmington Bay and saw carp dying from a lack of oxygen in the water.
Other top picks from Utah include:
Twitter: @matthew_piper