With over two decades of experience in temple modeling, we blend artistry and precision to create stunning architectural designs. Our commitment to cultural heritage and innovative techniques ensures every project is a masterpiece.
About the Cowan Scale
Doctor Richard O. Cowan, for whom the scale is named, was a professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. Originally from Los Angeles, he received a doctorate in history at Stanford University in 1961 and was a member of the BYU Religious Education faculty up until his retirement in 2015. Dr. Cowan is the author of multiple books and numerous articles, including Church curriculum, and many definitive works on individual temples.
Doctor Cowan is also blind. He was born with retinitis pigmentosa, and his site faded gradually over time. By his retirement in 2015, he had lost all vision. In the later years of his career, it became tradition that talented seniors at BYU would be asked to craft to-scale models of a temple as a way for Dr. Cowan to connect with the temple on a more tactile and architectural level. Not all of these temples came from students, with family members and others contributing as well.
After retirement, models became harder to come by, and in 2025, Dr. Cowan reached out to the owner of photogent.com to see if he could possibly create a model of the then under construction Provo Rock Canyon Utah Temple at a scale of 32 feet to the inch.
The confluence of my model, and a friends 3d printer, led to a slow trickle of new temples for Doctor Cowan.
And that, with Doctor Cowan’s encouragement, kicked off this site.
About Olson Digital
20 Years of Temple Modeling Excellence
I, Brian Olson, am the artist behind photogent.com. I have a deep passion for the architecture and history of temples in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From the pioneer craftsmanship of the Salt Lake Temple to the unique cultural influences seen in temples around the world, I’m fascinated by how sacred purpose and architectural beauty come together. Studying their history gives me a greater appreciation for the spiritual significance they hold and the legacy they represent across generations.
I have also long been a fan of Dr. Cowan’s temple books.
My attention to historical detail and the evolving design of temples sets my work apart in a meaningful way. I carefully study documented changes, construction methods, and architectural nuances associated with temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ensuring that each model reflects not just a single moment in time, but a part of the full story of its development. By incorporating unique techniques I’ve refined over years of research, cross-referencing historical records, photographs, and restoration updates, I’m able to produce models with a level of accuracy that stands out. This dedication allows my work to closely match real-world structures, making them among the most precise representations available outside official information provided directly by the Church.
I also happen to be the artist commissioned to make a high-detail model of the Provo City center temple for Dr. Cowan’s retirement party. It was the first, and for the following 11 years, probably the only successful printing of one of my models. So when he approached me, I was interested, despite having turned down similar offers from others over the years.
A confluence of events all at that same time left me with a desire, and encouragement from Dr. Cowan and others, to open this store.
Why “Photogent.com”
In 2005, I set out to make my name in the Wedding Photography Business. I enjoyed weddings, I loved photography, surely, this was this the perfect solution? Photogent was the chosen name and website domain for the Gentlemen who would be taking the photos, then.
My time was not wholly my own, and my actual full-time job ended up being one of many things that prevented me from devoting the necessary time to pursuing my ideas.y By the time I needed a website for a college project, I had owned the domain for a few years, and decided it was best I let the wedding photography idea just go altogether.
While not the best name for a website about temples, I just really could not see myself letting it go. Maybe some day, I will get a more appropriate domain, but not today.