A Walk and Swim

Seemingly every photographer on the planet has walked through Manhattan with their camera. I'm no different. I considered not bringing a camera. I was very close to leaving it in the room. I just couldn't do it. I'm glad I didn't. It made me look at things more carefully and linger in spots a little longer. I also took a drive out to the Jersey Shore for no other reason than to say I've swam in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, walks the shores of the Lake Michigan and dipped my toes in the Gulf of Mexico this year.

Portland Rose Festival City Fair

I still like to refer to it as the Fun Center which is what I knew it as growing up. Of course, the name to morphed into the Scum Center, which always cracked me up. Now it's known as the City Fair.

Though the name has changed, there's till plenty of midway carnival games, oversized stuffies, and delicious carnival food.

Here's my take after a walk through one night after shooting a Timbers game.

2014 NCAA Track and Field Championships, Eugene, Oregon

Covering the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Eugene is always a grind until the last day when emotions run high. This year was even better with the Oregon men taking it all. For the first time in 30-years an Oregon head coach was tossed into the steeplechase water pit...and I was there. For me, Devon Allen's 110-hurdles win was the most exciting event. He's a football player, and a freshman. 

2014 Portland Track Festival

I have to say, I wasn't excited about covering another track meet on Father's Day after three days covering the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Eugene.

The Portland Track Festival sucked me in. Andrew Wheating, Mo Farah and Jordan Hasay,  raced. The combination of great access, a table only a few feet from the finish line to set up my computer, and world class athletes added up to a great night. I was totally into it. While the track venue at Lewis and Clark was small, it's surrounded by trees and looks great. The lack of bright stadium lights made it difficult but provided some opportunities. The timing system at the finish line required more light so the organizers set up construction lights. This created a unique set of circumstances as far as track venues go. 

Here's a few snaps from the night:

Promo cards

I've been playing around with designs for a promo card. Here's what I came up with.

Hear me talk about my work during the Oregonian's Speaker Series

Fellow staff photojournalist Beth Nakamura and showed our work and answered questions as part of the Oregonian's Speaker Series. We had a sold out house. The had a friendly crowd that wasn't too hard on us. 

Click here to watch the videos of the live stream.

Robinson Cano starts for the Mariners home opener

I read a lot about Mariners new franchise player Robinson Cano. I had to see for myself what kind of energy he would bring to the Safeco Field. As it turns out, quite a lot. They beat the Los Angeles Angels and everyone was stoked.

March Madness in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A day and a half after returning from Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I took for Milwaukee, Wisconsin to cover rounds two and three of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championships. We know now that Oregon lost to Wisconsin who when on to play in the final four.

NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque, N.M.

Shooting the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships turned out to be one of the most exciting sporting events I've every witnessed. For the women, it came down to the last three steps in the last race of the day when Phyliss Francis pulled ahead of Texas to win the 4x100 and also put the team ahead to win. 

Monster Jam Portland 2014: GRAVEDIGGER!

Monster Jam visited Portland, Ore., Sat. and Sun., Feb. 15 and 16, 2014, at the Moda Center. 

Here's a post from my work on OregonLive.com.

My List of Most Inspirational Women Photographers

I will add more to this list as I discover more inspirational women photographers, but this list is who I follow now and find inspirational for one reason or another. The criteria: Meaningful, insightful, interesting photographic work. I'm also heavily biased towards photojournalism for obvious reasons. 

The comments under my Facebook post have many more great women photographers listed: 

Post by Thomas Boyd.

1. Melissa Lyttle: Has a strong body of work over a long period of time that shows her ability to get close to people and be trusted. And...did I mention aphotoaday.org and everything else that goes along with it?

2. Ami Vitale: Consistently strong work worldwide. 

3. Kendrick Brinson: Produces fresh, new, quirky and fun work to look at.

4. Sara Naomi Lewkowicz: Evolving into a very important photographer with her domestic abuse work. 

5.  Erika Schultz: One of the best female newspaper photographers in the country. I like how she sees the world.

6.  Stephanie Sinclair: Her Too Young To Wed story will stand the test of time.

7. Beth Nakamura: She brings rock solid, fresh work every day. She's a great mentor to young photographers.  Her writing is as beautiful as her photography.

8. Lisa Krantz: Is one of the best newspaper project shooters in the country.

9. Carey Wagner: I'm just starting to follow Carey, but from what I've seen, she's going places and should be on everyone's watch list.

10. Melanie Burford: Her project work is something everyone should study. Her work is intimate and powerful.

11. Barbara Davidson: Clicking on her name take you to her Pulitzer Prize in feature photographer...enough said.

12. Leah Nash: She's always working hard and bringing the goods. 

13. Jaccquelyn Martin: Being an AP photographer is a very demanding and difficult job and she takes it to the next level with her project work with albino children called "Tribe of ghosts".

Of course, this list doesn't even come close to being a comprehensive list of outstanding women photojournalists, but it's a good start. 

Check out some of the names mentioned on the Facebook thread:

---

Imperial Stock Ranch photographs Anna Cohen's fall collection

I hung out with photographer Michael Jones and his crew as he photographed the Imperial Stock Ranch's fall collection by fashion designer Anna Cohen. I learned a lot from them both. Watching Anna adjust the apparel and making very fine adjustments to model Madeline Powell's pose was very instructive. Michael used silks and reflectors to shape the light like I've never seen before. He created huge areas of reflection that really added a nice three dimensional sculpted look that was still believable and natural.

A week at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio

I covered the Oregon Ducks playing the Texas Longhorns in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. For a non-BCS bowl, it was pretty good show.

Tribal Fishing on the Columbia River

I started documenting the efforts of tribal fishers in the summer of 2012 and hit it much harder this summer. This gallery shows the entire body of work.

I started with the First Foods Ceremony in Celilo, Ore. in April, went to Lake Cle Elum and saw the first sockeye salmon return to the lake in 100-years, and risked life, limb and equipment to document lamprey fishing at the Willamette Falls. I finished with the Gunnier brothers at Lyle Falls hauling in huge Chinook salmon three at a time in their dip nets.

Here's a link to the story I wrote for The Oregonian.

©The Oregonian

Tree killing time

We kill trees every year about this time. We make no apologies. We put it on the ground pack it to the car and strap it down. It ends up in our living room with fancy lights and decorations. This is what it looked like:

Pop-up Drive-in Theater under the Ross Island Bridge

I expect to see more of these next summer. Organizers set up an inflatable movie screen under the Ross Island Bridge and showed, "Singin' in the Rain." Everyone seemed to have a good time.

Hood River, Oregon

Rita Wilson performs for No Kid Hungry fundraiser

I had the pleasure of photographing Rita Wilson singing at a fund raiser for No Kid Hungry at the Everett Street Bistro. They managed to raise over $90,000 and ate some first class food in the process with Sarah Schafer, Executive Chef, Irving Street Kitchen; Richard Reddington, Executive Chef & Owner, Redd and Redd Wood; Alissa Rozos, Pastry Chef, St. Jack; and Cathy Whims, Executive Chef & Owner Nostrana.

Pickathon 2013

This is my fifth year covering Pickathon and unlike other annual events I shoot, I never seem to tire of it. It's not just the music, which for the most part, I'm totally into. 

It's about the festival's photo policies. They believe in simple rules. They don't impose a three song limit unless the artist specifically requests it. Since I've been shooting there only one artist has ever imposed it.

I don't remember ever being asked to do anything or ever being stopped from going somewhere by security. This is a remarkable thing to say these days. It seems like every year, every venue and every event continues to tighten controls on photographers. I could write an entire essay on this issue, but I my point is that Pickathon does it right and they always have. I hope that never changes. 

Columbia County Fair