Utata is about projects. Well, projects and discussion. Loopy, intense, thoughtful, silly discussion. Oh, and people. Utata is about projects, discussion, and people. Art, I forgot to include art. Projects, discussion, people, and art — that’s what we’re about in Utata. Wait…community. If there is one thing that we’re really about, it’s community. A community of people who talk a lot, engage in photographic projects and discuss lots of stuff, including art.

We’re about people like Seldon Scott. Seldon joined Utata…well, I don’t recall when. A while ago. In the Utata Flickr group he made a few early tentative comments, then added a few photographs — and in a very short time he was offering strong opinions about art, participating in projects, making witty and thoughtful (and occasionally snarky) comments in discussions, shooting all sorts of creative photos, challenging himself and others to think and create. An ordinary Utatan, in other words. A solid member of the community.

And look at what he’s done now. Utata has just release our big summer project (Just One Thing) and Seldon’s contribution is classic. He considered the concept of the project, gave it a personal twist that grew organically out of his own expererience and his locale, made a number of artistic and aesthetic decisions before even picking up the camera, and went out and shot the photographs. Shipping containers — the guy made art out of splotches of paint on shipping containers.

One thing. One guy with one camera who’s part of one group that’s dedicated itself to one overarching idea. All those ones, they add up.