SLUG Contributor Limelight
May 31, 2018
Contributor Limelight: Andy Fitzgerrell
Andy Fitzgerrell joined the SLUG photography team in April of 2015. He moved to SLC in 2009, riding BMX for S&M Bikes and Revenge Industries. While remaining involved in the local BMX scene, he has contributed stunning images to SLUG’s BMX Photo Feature in our warm-month issues. For this month, Fitzgerrell has put a face to the name of Russel Albert Daniels—the photographer whose work is featured on pages 24–25—in his photo essay on SLUGMag.com about Daniels’ zine-making party for a Bears Ears zine. Fitzgerrell’s photographic passion extends to shooting heavy metal shows and one-offs like a recent favorite of his, the portraits of Jennifer Hines and Pete Schropp of Rockhill Creamery. He’s also an avid foodie. Fitzgerrell’s love for BMX, metal and food comes through in his photos, and we can’t get enough! Keep an eye out for more from him via SLUG.
SLUG: So, what exactly do you do for a living?
Andy Fitzgerrell: I am the cheese category corporate trainer for a large natural food distributor. I either work from home or travel around the country educating people on all things cheese-related—from creating webinar trainings for national accounts to educating on pairing cheeses with other foods and beverages to creating recipes with specific producers’ cheeses to then be shown at national food shows.
SLUG: What photos have you enjoyed shooting for SLUG?
Fitzgerrell: I always enjoy shooting the BMX photos since they’re always with friends that I’ve been riding with for years. I’ve also enjoyed the unexpected assignments like shooting/writing about Jennifer Hines and Pete Schropp of Rockhill Creamery.
SLUG: Specifically, what are your favorite BMX shoots you’ve done for SLUG?
Fitzgerrell: If I had to pick a single one … probably the one of my buddy (and favorite guy to ride with) Garrett Holm tailwhipping at sunset at the now-gone brick bank in Bountiful.
SLUG: What do you enjoy about photography in general?
Fitzgerrell: We all see things differently, and I like to create permanent images of things I’ve seen—and then share them with people, whether they’re friends, family or strangers.
SLUG: What’s your background in BMX, especially locally?
Fitzgerrell: I moved to SLC in 2009. At the time, I was still heavily involved in BMX and rode for a couple of the best companies in the industry—S&M Bikes and Revenge Industries. Our team manager actually lives here, Matt Beringer (and he rules!), as well as Cam Wood. We moved here for the snow and a career opportunity for my wife, but to get to be a part of one of the best/heaviest BMX scenes in the country has been a real treat. I’ve watched friends go from young groms at the park to insane shredders. I have to give a big shoutout to Eddie Buckley—owner of 5050 Bike Shop in Layton—who is a huge, driving force in the BMX scene, both locally and globally. Eddie is the best, and he keeps everyone stoked!
SLUG: How does SLUG get you stoked overall?
Fitzgerrell: What’s not to like about a magazine that generates original content that doesn’t use clickbait or dwell on politics … ? Haha. I like that it’s a successful magazine that one can find articles inside that can be about almost anything. We have a great staff, and there’s a lot of individual talent that is allowed to contribute in their own way, rather than being fit into a mold of what the outside world perceived as a writer/photographer.
SLUG: Which SLUG events that you’ve attended have you enjoyed?
Fitzgerrell: I am a big fan of the Brewstillery event! Since getting here, I’ve gotten to see Utah evolve and start embracing the beer/distilling scene. The people who start these small operations are all fantastic, hardworking folks who are passionate and skillful in their trade. We’re lucky that they want to share their craft with us here in Salt Lake (and surrounding).
Articles by contributor
Skate Photo Feature: Jim Noble
This month’s “Skate Photo Feature” features Jim Noble. He had recently celebrated his 62nd birthday, but that number wasn’t slowing him down. … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Adrian Evans
I met Adrian Evans 10 years ago, when he was just a kid. Sometimes he’d come to the park on a bike and sometimes on a scooter. … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Kurt Perkins
Kurt Perkins is easily one of my favorite riders—the best riders are the ones who make everything look easy and casual. … read more
Suds n’ Curd: 3 Utah-local beer-and-cheese pairings that you can...
Pairing cheese and beer is becoming more regular in the industry, and rightfully so. Both cheese and beer share many similar flavor properties. … read more
Reinvesting in the Land: Heber Valley Artisan Cheese
Visitors are welcome at Heber Valley Artisan Cheese, and the farm is available for events, which can include family reunions and retreats, as well as the Swiss Days Festival around Labor Day. They don’t stop there—the creamery holds cheese-tasting events at the farm on the second Friday of every month! … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Matt Beringer
I remember seeing a video of Matt Beringer back in the late ’90s hucking front flips on a 40-pound redline in the old Vans Triple Crown contests. For a rider well over six feet tall, his ability to ride any terrain is truly imaginative. … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Garrett Bowers
When I first moved to Salt Lake in 2009, the scene at Sandy Skatepark was pretty big: On any given night, you could expect 20-plus riders there. As everyone’s lives have progressed, those nights where everyone rode until the lights turned off are mostly in the past. … read more
9-Line Bike Park: A Place for Riders (No Bike Lanes...
As more and more people are discovering, there are bike jumps underneath the I-15 overpass at 700 West on 900 South, also known as the 9-Line Bike Park. Arriving on a weekday late afternoon, one can expect a wide variety of people—from young children to seasoned veterans riding. … read more
Cheese-and-Beer Parings via Harmons
“I need more cheese!” Mariah Christensen politely exclaimed during our of Harmons Grocery cheese-and-beer-pairing photoshoot. Christensen, Cheese Buyer for Harmon’s and an American Cheese Society “Certified Cheese Professional,” presented five pairings of Utah beers with cheeses from both the U.S. and from Europe. … read more
Living Off the Land with Rockhill Creamery: Utah’s Micro Dairy
While some cheeses take less work to create, the ones made at Rockhill Creamery are all raw, and it can take hours just to turn 100 gallons of milk into 100 pounds of cheese. … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Tim Thomson
Tim Thompson – Classic One-Handed Table – Tanner Park, SLC, Utah … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Tristan Cooper
Tristan Cooper – Superman Indian Air – South Salt Lake, Utah … read more
SLUG BMX Photo Feature: Greg Anderson
I met Greg a few years ago while riding the dirt jumps in Park City. My initial impression of him was a guy who didn’t say much and shredded hard. Later that summer, he started talking to me and I found a good-humored, friendly guy behind the stoic veil. … read more
SLUG BMX Photo feature
Anyone who was involved with the 2000s era of BMX is familiar with the name Mike Szczesny. … read more
SLUG BMX photo Feature: Garrett Holm
For some of us, the enjoyment of riding with a good friend supersedes learning new tricks. I’ve ridden with Garrett Holm for years and have watched him grow as a rider, a friend and as a member of the BMX community. In all categories, he is one of the best. … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Cody Gessel
Cody Gessel can be found most evenings down at Tanner Park pushing the gravitational limits of every jump. … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Kurt Perkins
Wasatch Bike Park opened up in 2014, providing riders with a sanctuary from the cold and wet months here in Utah. With their focus on the riding community and its many facets, Wasatch has created several “rooms“ within their building that provide a variety of terrain—the most popular of which is the (aptly named) “Jump
Articles by contributor
BMX Photo Feature: Adrian Evans
I met Adrian Evans 10 years ago, when he was just a kid. Sometimes he’d come to the park on a bike and sometimes on a scooter. … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Kurt Perkins
Kurt Perkins is easily one of my favorite riders—the best riders are the ones who make everything look easy and casual. … read more
Suds n’ Curd: 3 Utah-local beer-and-cheese pairings that you can...
Pairing cheese and beer is becoming more regular in the industry, and rightfully so. Both cheese and beer share many similar flavor properties. … read more
Reinvesting in the Land: Heber Valley Artisan Cheese
Visitors are welcome at Heber Valley Artisan Cheese, and the farm is available for events, which can include family reunions and retreats, as well as the Swiss Days Festival around Labor Day. They don’t stop there—the creamery holds cheese-tasting events at the farm on the second Friday of every month! … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Matt Beringer
I remember seeing a video of Matt Beringer back in the late ’90s hucking front flips on a 40-pound redline in the old Vans Triple Crown contests. For a rider well over six feet tall, his ability to ride any terrain is truly imaginative. … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Garrett Bowers
When I first moved to Salt Lake in 2009, the scene at Sandy Skatepark was pretty big: On any given night, you could expect 20-plus riders there. As everyone’s lives have progressed, those nights where everyone rode until the lights turned off are mostly in the past. … read more
The Untethered Whiskey: Black Feather
Jeremy Rawle, Jay Williams and Matthew Seegmiller are the heart and soul of Black Feather Whiskey, a true American spirit, now available in your local Utah State Liquor Store. … read more
Living Off the Land with Rockhill Creamery: Utah’s Micro Dairy
While some cheeses take less work to create, the ones made at Rockhill Creamery are all raw, and it can take hours just to turn 100 gallons of milk into 100 pounds of cheese. … read more
BMX Photo Feature: Tim Thomson
Tim Thompson – Classic One-Handed Table – Tanner Park, SLC, Utah … read more
SaltFire Brewing Co.: The Brewery Built from the Bottle Up
Ryan Miller, Owner and Founder of SaltFire Brewing Co., was an avid home-brewer for most of his adult life and is now building his brewery from the bottle up with SaltFire’s bottle-filling machine. … read more
Toasted Barrel Brewing: Beers for Utah’s Wild Side
Wild ales are often seasonal offerings and disappear within hours of hitting the shelves. It’s a testament to the Utah beer drinker’s evolving palate and thirst for something new. Toasted Barrel Brewery Co-owners Sage Dawson and Lynn Litchfield would like to make wild beers the norm in their Salt Lake City brewery, placing them above all others.
Distillery 36: Top-Shelf Talent & the Rum Revival on Redwood
At Distillery 36, the Jensen Dobbs, Creed Law and Jon Gregersen triumvirate is hard at work keeping their dream of being a premier purveyor of fine spirits alive and well in Utah. They are currently expanding their operations and developing their business model in a thoughtful manner, aiming to create a quality product at a fair price while rediscovering the passion that led them down this road. … read more
SLUG BMX Photo Feature: Greg Anderson
I met Greg a few years ago while riding the dirt jumps in Park City. My initial impression of him was a guy who didn’t say much and shredded hard. Later that summer, he started talking to me and I found a good-humored, friendly guy behind the stoic veil. … read more
SLUG BMX Photo feature
Anyone who was involved with the 2000s era of BMX is familiar with the name Mike Szczesny. … read more
The Beer is Easy: RoHa Brewing Project
RoHa Brewing Project is set to open its doors by the end of summer 2016 at 30 E. Kensington Ave. in Salt Lake City. Look out for beers of all styles in the 4-percent range up to the stratosphere range. … read more
To Guild or Not to Guild: Acacia Coast on the...
We all love beer—that’s a given—and more and more, consumers are becoming interested in what goes into the making of their beer, from breweries to brewers. Yet another level deeper are the people behind those people. Since developing a passion for craft beer after her first bottle of Mirror Pond Pale, Acacia Coast has been
Building a Legacy: The Story of the Draper Cycle Park
In the City of Draper, a new spin on community engagement is entering the fold. The Draper Cycle Park is going on its second year of being open to riders. … read more
Mike Brown: Adventures in Merch Peddling!
Over the years, SLUG has spotlighted sound technicians, bartenders, show promoters and probably an after-show puke mopper, but I cannot recall us ever focusing on a seemingly instrumental and important job of any live show, and that is the merch guy—or girl in this case: I interviewed Sara Monroe, who has been behind the table for over 15 years, in order to get the lowdown on the whole merch-selling gig. … read more
Mike Brown: Rose Park Life
I recently moved away from the comfort and convenience of living Downtown to the Rose Park area, which is happily located north and west of Downtown. Most of my grown-up friends who aren’t total alcoholics and have managed to maintain a decent credit score and somehow pay off their student loans have bought houses out
Mike Brown: Miss Utah!!!
A few weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing the current Miss Utah. The last time I interacted with a pageant queen was when I was asked to show a former Miss Utah how to skateboard on the live morning local newscast. Needless to say, she ended up eating street on live TV