Images of Ephraim

Looking and Seeing My New Home Town

2008-09-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

As a visual artist, I tend to see things in a idealistic way. By framing and capturing images, I direct a viewer's eye to what I want them to notice and exclude what I want them to ignore. Using this method, I have been able to become a successful salesman for many products and services. If I were selling Ephraim, Utah as a product, I would emphasize features of what really exists to attract attention, looking for beauty, uniqueness, and value. That's what I do and that's what this blog is all about.

2008-09-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

The long history of Ephraim has resulted in a palpable patina that tints everything with a subtle, but colorful glow. High mountain air doesn't filter the sunlight so it crisply illuminates man-made and natural artifacts alike. Looking near or far results in discovering Ephraim's enduring heritage that is alive and well today. Spending much time here gives one a feeling of living history: a continuum of family names and rustic locations in this protected, but rugged valley.

2008-07-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Everywhere in Ephraim there are signs of humanity, of both the lost and the living, rich with texture and personality. One can easily imagine the generations whose strong hands carved the past and their descendants who will craft the future. The old work ethic remains alive in Ephraim and the surrounding small communities, and their current inhabitants' communal practices, while seeming old-fashioned to outsiders, work toward commercial successes despite the ever-present harsh natural environment of scarcity.

2008-05-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ephraim City contains a treasure trove of close personal ties exemplified by its small downtown area, not typically characterized by an ordered and balanced architecture. While appearing to be chaotic and common on the surface, the underlying ambiance of cooperation and steadfast organization readily reveals itself to those who seek its comfort. Children are like money-in-the-bank here because the local populous innately understands that the continuous investment in their progeny yields a compound interest that they, themselves, may never spend. Time spent in Ephraim has an intrinsic value worth more than mere money.

All Photos are copyright 2009 Bill Raddatz