Artist highlight: Austin Luckett — Iron Pine Photography
Austin Luckett moved to Ogden from California, where he worked as a landscape architect. Now, he uses his love and knowledge of the natural world to capture the outdoor splendor Utah offers with his camera lens.
Photographer Austin Luckett's work is available to view at The Monarch in downtown Ogden.
Photographer Austin Luckett's work is available to view at The Monarch in downtown Ogden.
Photographer Austin Luckett's work is available to view at The Monarch in downtown Ogden.
Photographer Austin Luckett's work is available to view at The Monarch in downtown Ogden.
Photographer Austin Luckett's work is available to view at The Monarch in downtown Ogden.
Photographer Austin Luckett's work is available to view at The Monarch in downtown Ogden.
Photographer Austin Luckett's work is available to view at The Monarch in downtown Ogden.
Austin Luckett is an Ogden-based photographer whose work reflects the artist’s love for the American West, from its powerful natural landscapes and free-roaming wildlife to its linear urban architecture.
Luckett’s powerful images offer unique perspectives of familiar scenes: moody rainclouds hover over downtown Ogden, glowing sunsets rise above snow-covered mountains and rugged buffalo casually graze on Antelope Island. Luckett takes the visions we encounter every day in Northern Utah and presents them in a way that reengages the viewer, drawing deeper connections and a renewed appreciation for the environment we live in.
“I want to create something familiar, but do it in a way that’s a little different than people are used to seeing,” said Luckett. “I’ve found that people want to see things they know — but captured in an unexpected way.”
Luckett moved to Ogden around 2012 from California, where he worked for 10 years in landscape architecture. Northern Utah’s expansive landscape quickly became the catalyst for the next phase of his creative career. “I started going out to Antelope Island and wanted to take a lot of pictures,” he said, “but all I had was my iPhone. I wanted to get close-ups of the animals and capture the dynamic range in a sunset, which I couldn’t do with my phone. So I bought a camera and then just couldn’t put it down.”
Luckett started shooting every day; he made mistakes, got feedback and continued to train his eye until arriving at his current style. Now, he’s able to capture those awe-filled moments that every Utahan wishes they could savor — from the excitement of encountering pristine powder at Snowbasin to the sweeping sensation of hiking through a slot canyon.
Luckett’s work as a landscape designer has also influenced his aesthetic as a photographer. “It has certainly shaped my perspective,” he said of his design work. “It’s interesting because with my design, what I’m doing is blending the natural and built world. And when it comes to my photography, I love to shoot both pieces of that or a combination of the two.”
One of Luckett’s most popular photographs, “Down on Main Street,” represents this blend of urban and natural imagery. The image is an aerial view of a stormy day in downtown Ogden, with wet brick buildings on 25th Street providing a stark contrast against darkened mountains and cloudy gray skies. This type of artistic composition is what sets Luckett’s work apart, as he not only seeks picturesque moments but also aims to reveal beauty from the unexpected or overlooked.
Luckett’s finished products are as unique as his perspective. He rarely produces paper or canvas prints; instead, he translates his photographs onto metal with his own sublimation printer for a contemporary, luminous look. Luckett is drawn to the high color contrast and sharpness that metal printing brings to his images. His photography studio also acts as a metal print shop, offering custom services for other artists and designers who wish to add more vibrancy to their artwork with metal printing.
Luckett’s studio at The Monarch serves as his office, showroom and his metal printing studio. “I just want to reach out to the community and expand my client base,” said Luckett, who shows his work regularly through events at The Monarch and festivals throughout the region.
Come meet Austin Luckett and experience his luminescent metal photographs at The Monarch.
Website: Ironpine.company
Instagram: @iron.pine
Facebook: @The Iron Pine Company