Friday, June 20, 2008

Thom Allen


This is Thom and this is his place.



Who are you? My name is Thom Allen, besides being a husband and a father of four children, I'm the founder of PressDev, a software development company based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

What is your place? The arts district but specifically Abravanel Hall in downtown Salt Lake City.

Why is this place special to you? When I was very young, my school class took a field trip to hear the Utah Symphony play. I didn't know it at the time, but that one trip shaped the future of my life. Soon after that visit I started playing string instruments, joined several symphonies and played until I graduated from high school. Music continues to be an integral part of my life.

The really cool thing about the arts district is the music, plays, art galleries and the building architecture. A few months ago I bought a digital SLR camera and have been taking pictures of downtown buildings.

I spent a lot of time down here as a youth, hanging out at Crossroads Mall, well, what used to be Crossroads mall. I also worked down here too. I road the bus a lot, all the way from Kearns. I love this place. It has so much character.


What do you enjoy most about Salt Lake City? I love that I am minutes from the mountains, recreation areas, and a major city. I love that the community is family oriented. It doesn't matter what your background or preferences are, people love living in this city because everyone strives to make it family friendly.



What do you dislike about Salt Lake City? Right now I hate the congestion. I hate that every road is under construction. I hate that city planners never take current residence into account when they allow thousands of new homes to be built in my community.

Do you have any additional comments about living here? I've lived here most of my life. I've seen this city go from a sleepy bedroom community to a bulging metropolis. But for me the most exciting thing has to have been the 2002 Winter Olympics. The opportunity to experience a once in a life time event like an Olympics was incredible. I attended the 1988 Summer Olympic games in Soul South Korea, and I can tell it was nothing compared to the games in Salt Lake City.



How do you get around town? I work from home a lot, and I take UTA when I can.





More information about Thom and his place:


You can also view these photos as well as outtakes in this Flickr gallery/set.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMG. I *love* the wide angle shot with the subject/sculptures in the foreground and the distorted building reflections in the background. Nice work!

Adiel | Rose Gold Lining said...

I agree, that shot with the sculptures is outstanding.