San Francisco in June

This summer I went to San Francisco for the first time. Funny thing about San Francisco is - its almost exactly like I'd expected. I had a lot of good coffee, saw a lot of great art, and met my fair share of artists. While down in SF I connected with my friends Morgan, Isabel and Mitchel - I also chanced upon a Bryan John Appleby show. All the art, friends and fog made me love it there.

Libby + Derrick | Oswald West State Park Engagement

We had scheduled the shoot for 5:30pm. Looking at the weather all day I wasn't sure how it would be. It was raining off and on - and windy. We thought about rescheduling, but decided to brave the elements and hope to find something beautiful. When we reached the location we were blown away by the rolling fog and beautifully overcast skies. Libby, Derrick and I shot till sundown. Fog rolled in and out, sometimes so heavy we couldn't see 30ft in front of us. This is one of my favorite engagement sessions I've ever done. Thank you Libby and Derrick for allowing me to share the afternoon/evening with you guys. 

BREAKFAST x Columbian Cafe / Astoria, OR

We live in the sleepy coastal town of Astoria. There are many charming places to invest your time; cafes, book stores, art galleries.. the place we chose this particular morning is called the Columbian Cafe. I'm not sure how long its been open, but I now there is character in its walls and story on the shelves. Sophie and I went there breakfast. I had met Kyle (chef) the night before at a show in the Voodoo Room and decided we would pay him a visit in the morning. We made it in around 10:40am. Cozied up to the counter - we were greeted by Kyle and Tania. Water, coffee, housemade bread and jam - it isn't hard to remember why we love the Columbian. Sophie ordered the vegetarian Mercy (chef's choice) and I ordered the meat inspired Mercy option. Mercy is a beautiful thing. It allows the chef to create in a way that keeps them inspired. No guidelines beyond your general meal desire; be it meat, vegetables, fish, etc. I admire this as a menu item. We talked to Kyle about what inspires him in the kitchen and otherwise. He is from a small farming community about an hour outside of town. Now he lives here - pursuing craft and passion behind the bar in this little restaurant, in the sleepy town of Astoria. People like Kyle are why folks love it here. I am inspired to see Kyle cook and to be served a meal by his hands. To be honest I have no idea what to call the meal I was served. It was beautiful, delicious, creative, colorful, warm, spicy.. as far as ingredients I know there were eggs [scrambled and presented in a crepe-like flat], hash browns, mushroom, chorizo, cabbage, cilantro, various spices and topped with avocado. Sophie had pan seared potatoe slices, stir fried vegetables, and poached eggs, topped with green beans and beet pesto. We left the restaurant full; full of excitement, inspiration, delicious food, and a desire to create meaningful things with our hands in the same way we had been treated to during our visit to the Columbian Cafe. 

Jon + Meredith x Astoria, OR / Columbia River Engagement

Its been a long year. I haven't posted a set of photos like this since May 31st. Since then I've taken so many photos, been so many beautiful places and have so much to share. While I work on future blog posts - this is an engagement session I did this past summer on the Columbia River. The owners of Buoy Beer allowed us access to their rooftop overlooking the river and we had a blast. Thank you Jon and Meredith for letting me shoot your engagement photos!

Kennedy + Shane x Eklutna Lake, AK Engagement

I was able to connect with Kennedy and Shayne in Alaska a few weeks ago to shoot their engagement session. I'd been wanting to shoot photos at a lake in the mountains for a while and they took me to Eklutha Lake. Needless to say, I was really happy with the location they chose. Thank you for letting me join you and having me shoot your photographs!

My Wife Made Pie

Being back in Oregon is so great. The air is crisp, temperatures in the mid 60's and I can see evergreen trees around every corner. Its been a busy couple days getting back up to speed on all things home -  setting up shoots, writing emails, editing two months of personal work.. I am spent. So.. on this rainy March 11th, my wife made apple pie. The apples were brought to us by some friends from church and the flowers were picked off a tree that I'm pretty sure is growing wild in our back yard. Oregon is refreshing. 

Cold Feet - Warm Hearts / Snow in Florence, AL

I thought I had managed to escape the snow that has been falling in record amounts all over New England... apparently it followed me south. The forecast said snow and ice would start at 1pm. 1pm came and went. I figured it was another false alarm. 2pm.. snowfall. It snowed till 8pm. Florence, AL had about 5" of solid fluffy and beautiful snow. We spent the afternoon throwing snowballs and building a 6ft tall snowman. Felt nice to get out and embrace the cold with family. 

Israel Nebeker of Blind Pilot, Gregory Alan Isakov and Anna Tivel @ The Voodoo

Israel Nebeker is one of my favorite musicians and songwriters. He fronts a band called Blind Pilot and took an evening to host a free show with Gregory Alan Isakov and Anna Tivel at the Voodoo Room. Normally Blind Pilot and Gregory will play to thousands of people a show, so finding them in a room that can barely fit 75 was a rare treat. Cheers to secret shows and beautiful songs!

46 ° North Farm

I am working on a project called Pipe & Knife. The idea behind P&K is to highlight real people doing meaningful things. 46° NORTH FARM is exactly what I aim to share with that publication. 46° North supplies fresh and locally grown produce to markets and individuals throughout the Coastal NW area. I will have more of a write up on these fine folks in P&K's debut issue, but here are some photos of them. Real people, doing meaningful things. I believe in farm to table. Support your local farmers.