Annette Roug, left, a Wildlife Veterinarian for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, prepares to take a blood sample from a bighorn sheep Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 in Cedar Hills. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources captured bighorn sheep and mountain goats, brought them to the staging area to record information about them, then released them back into the wild.

The new year started off sort of slow, but January held a few neat-o gems.

Most notably, I got to cover a little bit of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City. Sundance isn't really the most photogenic event to cover (lots of people walking along Main Street, a few red-carpet events), but it was exciting to be there. Celebrities mix in with the locals (who also incidentally look famous because they're from Park City - i.e. wealthy and stylish). I also think I saw Jason Segel, who shouted, "It's that guy!" (referring to me as some media guy jokingly), but I can't be entirely sure because we were both packed in crowds moving in opposite directions. Loads of movies premiered throughout the 10-day festival, and I was lucky and got to photograph the premiere of "The Little Hours", which allowed me to be feet away from Dave Franco, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza and other famous folks from the movie (although John C. Reilly didn't show, which made me pretty sad). It was thrilling to be around the buzz of Hollywood for a few evenings and get a peek into the environment that surrounds motion-picture celebrities.

I also spent some time working on a story about Amberley Snyder, a professional barrel racer who is paralyzed from the waist down from a car accident when she was 18. I found Amberley through the Utah State office of Rehabilitation, but she's no newcomer to media stories. She was thoughtful and allowed me to photograph her while she practiced, competed, and chilled at home. The last six images in this blog post are from that story, and the full written story I wrote can be seen here: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/south/elk-ridge/barrel-racer-amberley-snyder-overcomes-paralysis-to-earn-pro-card/article_7d52beed-f749-57fb-9f0f-f34e8b6513be.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social_isaac_hale.

Otherwise January was a pretty normal month in Utah County. Though many assignments are moving inside due to the cold, it's nice to see how the community transitions through the seasons. 

Ada Bates, 11, of Provo, keeps herself warm with her candle as she makes her way towards the Wilkinson Student Center during the Martin Luther King Jr. Walk of Life on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo.

Riders warm up their horses in the large arena as the dirt is tilled at the other end of the arena between heats during the Dash for Cash on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds.

Carter Papke, 10, of Orem, narrowly misses hitting an inflateable ball as he and his sister Anya, 8, play pass in the lazy river during the Polar Plunge on Friday, Jan. 7, 2017 hosted by Special Olympics Utah at Seven Peaks Waterpark in Provo.

A photo illustration that ran with a story about fake news (starring Dominic Valente as my wonderful model).

Hayden Webb poses for a portrait Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 at Karl Maeser Preparatory Academy in Lindon. A junior at Maeser Prep, Webb created a Twitter account that posts positive anonymous Tweets that complement students.

Calvin Thomas, 8, of Park City, plays through a level of Rez Infinite at Embodied Media's virtual reality demonstration during the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in Park City.

Daniella Nogura, 5, stays away from the action during a game of dodgeball Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 at the Provo Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County.

Alia Herrod, of Provo, helps hand out yard signs during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Utah Military Academy's Valdez-Peterson Campus on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017 in the parking lot of the American Fork UTA train station. The campus will be located at the intersection of Pioneer Crossing and South Center Street in Lehi.

Timpanogos cheerleaders look on as Timpanogos' Brett Dawson grapples with Bountiful's Austin Hayes-Carter during the semifinals of the UHSAA 4A State Dual Wresting Tournament on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 at Alta High School in Sandy.

Payson's Brock Loveless walks off the mat as Wasatch's Stockton O'Brien is declared the winner during the finals of the UHSAA 4A State Dual Wresting Tournament on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 at Alta High School in Sandy.

Brigham Young Cougars guard Nick Emery (4) lays the ball up while guarded by Pacific Tigers forward Ilias Theodorou (33)during a game between the University of the Pacific Tigers and the Brigham Young University Cougars on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 at the Marriott Center in Provo.

Pacific Tigers guard K.J. Smith (30) holds his hands on his head as the Tigers trail the Cougars by more than 20 points late in the fourth quarter during a game between the University of the Pacific Tigers and the Brigham Young University Cougars on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 at the Marriott Center in Provo.

Lone Peak forward Braden Bromley, right, celebrates with guard Garrett Frampton, left, after Bromley hit a 3-pointer during a game between the Lone Peak Knights and the American Fork Cavemen on Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 at Lone Peak High School in Highland. Lone Peak defeated American Fork 74-61.

Amberley Snyder rounds a barrel atop her horse named Legacy, also known as French Open, during the Dash for Cash barrel races Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 at the Spanish Fork fairgrounds.

Amberley Snyder uses her standing frame to utilize her leg muscles and pump blood through them as she talks with her family at her home Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 in Elk Ridge. On Jan. 10, 2010, Snyder was driving on her way to the Denver Stock and Rodeo show when she looked down to check her map and drifted out of her lane. She then looked up, overcorrected and slid off the road: ejecting her from the vehicle and into a metal pole. The crash fractured her spine and left her without feeling in her legs.

Amberley Snyder gets into her rugged and motorized wheelchair as her friend Emmy Peterson readies a snow blower on a snowy afternoon at Snyder's home Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 in Elk Ridge.

Amberley Snyder pets her dog Ellie Mae as she and her sister Autumn prepare horses to ride for practice Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017 at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds.

Cory Snyder lifts his daughter Amberley up onto the saddle of her horse named Legacy, also known as French Open, before competing in the Dash for Cash barrel races Friday, Jan. 7, 2017 at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds.

Amberley Snyder practices her barrel-racing routine on her horse named Legacy, also known as French Open, on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017 at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds.