It was hard to believe this was Oregon’s winter with sunny, warm temps in the mid 60’s. I’d forgotten how charming this coastal town and surrounding area is, and was delighted to see how many local high quality seafood restaurants were thriving like Local Ocean with fresh locally sourced seafood caught daily.
Fishing vessels depart Newport marina at dawn
Surfer at Devil’s punch bowl just north of Newport
Local Ocean’s seafood monger Amber Morris sourcing the daily fresh crab catch
I’m happy to introduce my fourth wine book Spectacular Wineries of Oregon, a large format coffee table format featuring 60 wineries and wine country destinations in my backyard.
I’m not accustomed to being on the other side of the camera, in December 2014 Oregon Wine Press interviewed me about the book and my photography background:
http://oregonwinepress.com/article?articleTitle=flare-for-photography–1417038926–1977–news
And here’s a link to The Spectacular Wineries of Oregon book in an easy to view, interactive digital format:
My kind of travel: perfect mix of adventure sports, spa bliss, and farm to table delicious and healthy meals – all shared in an intimate setting of this magical 24 room boutique property. Wish all my photoshoot assignments were this much fun!
Here’s the link to watch the interview on AM Northwest with myself, Fred Noble, and Lance Christian about The Noble Spirit Documentary film and ALS fundraising events:
(versions of this story ran in Oregonian and World Hum in 2012)
I’ve been working as a professional photojournalist for over a decade yet I still face the same challenge wherever I travel. How can I create meaningful ‘sense of place’ photographs that convey the uniqueness of each location; the sure-footed agility of Himalalyan Sherpas who effortlessly passed me on the trail to Everest Base Camp, the surreal experience of swimming with jellyfish and drift diving with sharks in Palau, or the incredible sense of freedom floating down fresh untracked powder helicopter snowboarding in the Canadian Bugaboos? It’s a never-ending quest to create photographs that create the same emotional impact in the viewer as I experienced during these assignments.
It takes time to allow a place to impress itself on you and to reflect on its significance afterwards. And time and attention are the two resources we lack most in today’s fast paced ADD culture. I was reminded of this challenge once again on a recent trip to Australia’s Northern Territory. I traveled extensively throughout Australia in 2001, but monsoon rains stopped me visiting the top end of the Northern Territory. I hadn’t realized the importance of that trip at the time. The openness of the land, devoid of modern distractions and illusions, allowed me to clear my mind and remove the creative blocks to begin my career as a photojournalist.
Stuart Highway, Northern Territory, Australia
I now had my chance to return to the areas of Australia’s Northern Territory I’d missed, traveling with a group of journalists while testing the newest Canon camera. To complete my assignment I’d be required to shoot almost exclusively with this ‘prosumer’ model (the EOS D650 also known as the Rebel T4i in the United States) aimed at the market between consumer and professional; a camera that wasn’t yet released to the market so I wouldn’t have a user manual or an opportunity to test the gear beforehand. And this time instead of three months, I’d have just five days to explore.