Pacific Northwest-based photographer mainly focused on nature-related work. Founding team member of the collective known as Photo Cascadia. I run a number of workshops and tours each year along with occasional writing.
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New Tour Announcement, 2025 Calendars and More
Published 9 months ago • 4 min read
"Just Breathe"
Hello! It's been a whole season since my last newsletter, and in this case, that means there are many exciting updates to share in this full newsletter. Spring started with a whirlwind of activity: Several workshops, a brief international trip, and two weeks exploring the Great Plains that included leading a tour and scouting for the next one – and that was just the photography and travel side of things. At home, we celebrated a high school graduation. Major milestones like these prompt a pause and reflection on where we are in life and where we are headed. I'm incredibly grateful for everything keeping us busy, but I'm also looking forward to being mainly home in the PNW this summer, focusing on planning for next year and helping our high school grad off to college.
Looking ahead to next year, the eagerly anticipated Route 66 Tour is now open for sign- ups! I'm thrilled to return and share this region's stories, art, and culture with others. While I cherish the mountains and rugged coastline of the PNW, there's something about this part of the country and the photographic opportunities that await.
Above Photo - "Just Breathe": One of the first photos I took this spring. As Sean Bagshaw and I scouted the Bandon area pre-workshop, we were greeted with this sunset at Facerock. The wind was in full effect, which stands out for me in this photo as a small but important detail that pulled all the elements together for this scene.
Route 66 Photo Tour
Join David Cobb and me for a photography tour of Route 66 starting at Albuquerque, NM, and ending in Springfield, MO, from April 22 to 29, 2025. Explore and photograph the central section as it celebrates its 99th birthday. Restored, rejuvenated, retro, abandoned, or forgotten can be used to describe areas along this iconic route. We’ll explore both the old and renovated Route 66 and at times, we’ll jump from town-to-town along neighboring highways, taking detours to capture the photographic highlights. We might even encounter a Great Plains spring storm if we are fortunate.
Beyond Route 66, other offerings will be coming throughout the remainder of the year. Most I touch on below, yet there might be at least one more. All in all, 2025 will be a variety of events, and I am excited to share and experience them with you!
Best of the Northwest - For many years now, there have been at least six workshops each year. For various reasons, mostly to allow for other tour and workshop opportunities, that number will fluctuate yearly, with a smaller number planned for next year. Mark your calendar for Monday, September 30, 2024 at 9:30 am when the BNW 2025 workshops will go live for signup.
Desert Southwest - I am in the early planning stages with my friend and talented photographer, Eric Bennett, to offer a workshop in the Southwest region fall of 2025. If you want to be notified early, please reply to this newsletter.
Out of Chicago - I will be an instructor again for the Out of Olympic conference in October 2025. The Olympic Peninsula is a forest and shoreline photographer's paradise. A future newsletter will provide more details.
As a side note, I created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page on the Best of the Northwest website, covering some questions I have received over the last couple of years that seem worthwhile to share.
Spray General Store
"Golden Hills"
After our surprise snowstorm during the Painted Hills workshop in the spring of this year, I look forward to returning to the area in October. This is a different type of offering backed by grants and donations to support art in this rural part of Oregon, which I think is fantastic. My long-time friend and photography mentor in my early days, Joni Kabana, along with many individuals and organizations, are doing a wonderful job turning the old abandoned Spray General Store in Spray, OR, into a community space for all types of art, from live music to classes.
When she invited me to come to give a talk and a workshop, I felt honored to participate. The presentation on the evening of Friday, October 4, 2024 is open to the public. The field workshop the following day is almost full and is reserved for participants from the surrounding community.
2025 Nature Calendars
Is it too soon to think about calendars for next year? Nah! Photo Cascadia, in partnership with Hachette Publishing, is again offering Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington calendars for 2025. Pre-orders are now available.
Sawtooth Mountains - Sept 20-23 with co-instructor Eric Bennett (only 2 spots open)
Books, Videos, and Podcasts
What I am reading, watching, or listening to that I feel others might find of interest.
Beyond the Grand Landscapeby Sarah Marino and Ron Coscorrosa - This beautifully designed and written ebook features engaging photos, educational and thought-provoking text, and insightful interviews with other photographers. It is geared towards discovering small scenes by two photographers who continuously publish impressive work.
Photographerdirected by Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi - Yep, it's a photographer documenting photographers. Incredible, impactful, and beautiful are just a few words that come to mind. Highly recommend.
The Creative Act: A Way of Beingby Rick Rubin. As a creative legend in the music space, this book helps us understand his philosophy and way of living. Not a short shelf-life, it will be a quotable motivational zen read for many years to come.
The Thief Collectordirected by Allison Otto - Based on a true story of a couple that stole a valuable ($100+ million) Willem de Kooning painting. Fascinating story.
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Musicby Dave Grohl - You don't need to be a big Foo Fighters fan (admittedly, I am not) to enjoy the energy and emotion of these detailed stories.
Lenny Kravitz - His new album Blue Electric Light. At least several great songs.
If you enjoy this newsletter, I would appreciate it if you share it with your family or friends. As always, thank you for your time and support!
Pacific Northwest-based photographer mainly focused on nature-related work. Founding team member of the collective known as Photo Cascadia. I run a number of workshops and tours each year along with occasional writing.
"Butterscotch Burst" It might be only about six weeks since my last newsletter, yet there are several updates to share with all of you. Even before those updates, there have already been a couple of eventful trips this year. In January, I headed to Cuba for a non-photo-focused journey that still allowed for some photography, and since my last newsletter, I have put together a small collection of photos and a blog post about the trip. It was certainly different than my usual work (which I...
"Taste The Sky" I have adjusted back to the cooler winter weather of PNW after a trip to Cuba last week. It was not a photo-specific trip, but I took a few photos and have thoughts to share about the overall experience, which I will put in a post on my website soon. It's not like any other place I have visited, in good and challenging ways. This coming weekend is the annual Out of Chicago LIVE virtual conference. More details are below regarding this live experience. Sessions are not...
"Golden Oasis" With fall adventures and workshops now in the rearview mirror, I am settling into a winter routine that includes more time at home with the family, on the mountain, and of course, planning for future workshops. I wrapped up fall with a couple of trips, including fun-filled camping in Southern Utah to finish scouting for the Escalante workshop. The above photo is from that trip. Hint hint: It's available for signup, and you can read more about it below. I also enjoyed the annual...
