The Portland Metro Photographic News

Each month we feature a gifted photographer to showcase his/her special photographic talents and vision.  The featured photographer need not be a full time professional photographer, but the images must be of the highest professional quality to be considered.  All types of photography are considered: fine art, portrait, wedding, event, photojournalism, landscape, architectural, etc.  We are looking to expose our site visitors to the diversity that is photography.

If you would like to be considered for this feature, please let us know.  We would be delighted to send you the details.

Contact: reporter@hubbardcamera.com

Become a MEMBER of PMPN today and keep abreast of all the Pacific Northwest photography news.  It's FREE! 

Editor's Note: Jon Canfield, an world-class photographer, writer and friend, took precious time away from two book projects to provide this compelling article on the importance and eloquence of black and white photography.

Jon Canfield is a photographer and writer with a love of nature, macro, and landscape subjects. He is a frequent contributor to PC Photo, Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Pro, and Shutterbug magazines where he writes on a variety of subjects, particularly in the digital output area.

A popular instructor with NANPA and the Lepp Institute, Jon is also the author of several books on digital imaging, including the best selling RAW 101, and The Digital SLR Guide. Prior to moving full time into photography, Jon worked at Microsoft on digital photography projects. Jon’s clients include Pantone, Canon, HP, Microsoft and Inkpress, among others.

The irrepressible Black and White Image

I find it interesting, and in some ways amusing, that black & white photography has become more popular than ever. With so much of the world focused on bright (often artificially bright) color to grab your eye, black & white imagery has a simpleness about it that is refreshing. What I find amusing is that many of today’s fans of this medium have never shot film and seem to view it as a new discovery of sorts.

For me, black & white has a special place because of the way everything is reduced to its essentials. Reducing a scene to shades of gray allows you to focus on textures and shapes and the way light interacts with shadow. A quality monochrome image needs to be stronger in composition and more precise in exposure than the equivalent color image that might get by with a weaker composition. For me, this need translates into a slower, more thoughtful approach to image capture, and one that I find relaxing in our all too hectic world.

One of my main influences growing up was Ansel Adams, who obviously knew a thing or two about creating a compelling image in shades of gray. It was through Adams’ images that I discovered Yosemite and a love of photography. His iconic scenes have been shot by thousands of photographers trying to reproduce what he captured so masterfully. While some of these images have been very successful, and I confess that I’m guilty of doing the same at times, I think the real value here is to learn what makes the image, whether it’s “Clearing Winter Storm” or “Moon and Half Dome”, or any of the other classics, so successful, and applying that to your own imagery.

I’ve made it a personal project to capture many of Yosemite’s waterfalls in black & white, but not with the intent of reproducing anyone else’s compositions. In a heavily photographed area like Yosemite, this isn’t as easy as it might sound, but there are still unique images to be found by stepping off the marked trail (and for many visitors, just stepping outside of the parking area). As an example, the photo shown here, Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, was shot from near the top of Sentinel Dome, across the valley and a fair hike with a bit of scrambling.

Since I shoot digital, all black & white work is done in post processing. But, when shooting, I try to see in black & white, planning ahead to visualize what the end result will be. As an added benefit, I find that this type of visualizing has helped my color photography as well and made me much more aware of what is in the frame. It may sound like basic stuff to many, but it opened my eyes and gave me a whole new insight into what makes for a successful photograph. And, in the days of six frames per second, it’s refreshing to go back to the slow composition style of large format photography.

This particular project is going to keep me busy for years. Yosemite has so many waterfalls, and from one day to the next you can capture a completely different image of the same subject that I doubt I’ll ever feel truly finished with this subject. And in the meantime, what I’m learning is helping to shape my entire photographic style. While I have no delusions of becoming another Ansel Adams, I’d like to think that by studying his work, and other great masters of black & white photography, I can learn and apply the concepts to my own work to become a better photographer.

-- Jon Canfield

PMPN recently had the pleasure of interviewing the husband-wife photography team of Terry Donnelly and Mary Liz Austin.  Their business, Donnelly-Austin Photography is located on Vashon Island, Washington -- just a quick ferry trip from Seattle.  This Pacific Northwest photography team has established a thriving business that shatters the usual stock photographer/agency mold.   Their love of photography, keen eyes and marketing savvy are providing them with a business model that makes their travel, calendar, magazine and text book illustration photography "in demand" and their business prosper.

 At right: Mary Liz Austin and Terry Donnelly

Their careers began working retail in the Midwest.  Terry eventually found a niche for his 4 x 5 photography in the calendar market.  Through Terry's photographic journeys, they fell in love with the Pacific Northwest, moved to Seattle in 1990 and then to Vashon Island in 1994.  In the beginning, Terry was the photographer and Mary was the marketing department for the business.  That lasted an entire year.  As Mary recalls, she would occasionally make creative suggestions while watching Terry shoot and assignment.  Eventually, these suggestions lead to Terry saying, "Why don't you do it?"  She did, and has ever since.

You might expect Mary to be the digital shooter and Terry would be the die-hard film shooter.  In reality, it's just the opposite.  Mary says, "I like the slowness of large format photography, and how it allows me to concentrate on a single shot."  Terry has become the digital guru of the family, and uses Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 7D cameras.  Mary's camera of choice is the Wista 4x5 field camera.

 Once or twice each year, they will go out on specific shooting assignments for clients.  However, most Terry and Mary's shooting assignments are self-funded and designed to cover locations and subjects that their research indicate editors and publishers are most often buying.  Terry says they have to look at photography as a business and be almost "mercenary" in deciding what to photograph.  Whatever is selling is what demands their photographic time and attention. 

By carefully watching the trends and purchases of the photo markets they serve, they continually create new stock photo images that have the highest likelihood of finding a buyer.  Finding these photographs has taken them to Nova Scotia, Ireland, the Caribbean and nearly every state in the U.S.  "In their work, they seek those elusive conditions, which reveal the mystery and grandeur of nature."  In most cases, locating these shots takes them off the beaten tourist paths and during seasons when tourist are not around.  This isolation allows them to be fully engaged in capturing unique images that grace the pages of travel and scenic publications.

Since the 1990s, Mary and Terry have accumulated thousands of images that have been taken for specific assignments or as additions to their stock image collection that now numbers over 8,000 orderable images on their website.  That's right -- their website.  Donnelly-Austin Photography has abandoned the traditional stock agency model to sell directly to the editor, publisher, designer, etc.  There's no room for a middleman in their business strategy.

Why not use a stock photo agency?  Terry cites several factors that ultimately led to their decision to go it alone.

• They didn't want to give up the rights to their images.
• Stock agencies were not doing enough promotion of their work
• Wanted more pricing control and lower commissions

The Donnelly-Austin Photography website is now a full-service stock photo site.  The website is clean, simple, searchable and FAST.   Images are presented in a thumbnail manner that makes it quick and easy work for a photo editor or designer to search by topic, find appropriate "selects" and place an order for electronic delivery.  And that's the user experience that best serves today's deadline-driven photo editors, publishers and designers.

This success doesn't mean that the organization is without business concerns.  The current economic climate has impacted Terry and Mary, and has presented new challenges that require them to be flexible and open to new solutions.  "The main changes affecting the business are the consolidation of the market place, downward pressure on prices (which is pretty obvious), adapting to the digital workflow and the vastly increased amount of work required to stay in the game.  Life was simple when we could send transparencies off via Fed Ex, and let someone else scan and color correct them," says Terry.

Terry believes they maintain a competitive advantage by:

In addition to stock photography that consumes the majority of their working hours, Donnelly and Austin have six books using exclusive collections of their work: Wild Seattle, A Celebration of the Natural Areas in and around the City, © 2004, published by Sierra Club Press; California Wild, Preserving the Spirit and Beauty of our Land, © 2004, published by Voyageur Press; Oregon, Preserving the Spirit and Beauty of Our Land, © 2003, Voyageur Press; Washington, The Spirit of the Land, ©1999, Voyageur Press; Seattle ©1999, and Beautiful America; and Heaven on Earth, ©1999, Abbeville Press Publishers.  Their list of clients include: Sierra Club, Audubon, Barnes and Noble, American Greetings, Hallmark, National Geographic Books, Outside Magazine, Reiman Publications, and Brown Trout Publishers.

At the end of our interview, PMPN asked Terry and Mary what advice they would offer to photographers aspiring to be competitive in the stock photography market.  They quite readily shared the following experience-based advice.

• master photographic mechanics first, then it's all about light and emotional impact
• don't worry about quantity, worry about quality
• don't include too many of the same image in your work
• make very "tight" presentations of your work -- each image should be "mouth watering"
• professionals must look at their photography from an editor's point of view -- disassociate yourself from the personal experience or any image preferences
• get the word out through personal contacts and social media avenues
• know your customer
  

What's next for the team of Donnelly and Austin?

Terry is starting on the teaching circuit with classes on digital workflow at the Vashon Art Center and later this summer at Yellowstone Buffalo Ranch with a 4-day wildflower workshop.  Somewhere in between the photographic couple will be traveling to Wyoming, Colorado, Hawaii and the Caribbean to add to their stock photo collection.

Terry Donnelly and Mary Liz Austin are certainly Pacific Northwest originals.  They are photographic entrepreneurs who have found their niche.  They have also found that livable zone between "photography is my passion" and the hard core "business of photography" that enables their professional and married lives to prosper.

All images in this article: © Donnelly-Austin Photography

Editor's note: Bill Schwab's exhibit of exquisite black and white photography opens today (November 30th) at the Camerawork Gallery on the Linfield College Nursing Campus Peterson Hall in Portland.  This exhibit has been a long time coming to Portland and was well worth the wait.  Make it a point to visit the exhibit before January first, and experience the photographic artistry of Bill Schwab. See PMPN story for exhibit details.

 
Above: A portion of the Bill Schwab exhibit at Camerawork

"The measure of a good photographer is what he can do in his own backyard."  No one takes his own advice better than acclaimed photographer Bill Schwab.  Although Bill does occasionally travels to a few distant shooting locations, this Michigan native finds himself most challenged and inspired by his midwest home.

Bill's fascination with photography is probably written in his DNA.  His grandfather owned a photography studio in the late 1800s, and the "bug" has remained in the family ever since.  His own adventure into photography began at an early age with a Kodak "Brownie" and a home darkroom kit.  By the age of 12, he was processing his own film and making contact prints.  Bill's commitment to "wet" photography continues to this day.

Bill would earn a Fine Art degree in Photography from Central Michigan University, but not until he had spent a year as an assistant to noted photographer Alen MacWeeney in New York City  It was during this mentoring period with MacWeeney that he gained his understanding and appreciation for light and atmosphere.  Printing for MacWeeney honed his darkroom skills and allowed him to began developing his own techniques for fine art printing.

After graduation, Bill began his professional career as a photojournalist in Dearborn. His interests soon expanded to include: corporate assignments (especially portraiture), urban landscapes and "lots" of magazine work. Bill's artistry and craft have develop over the years to become the emotional and visual outlet for his love of nature and landscapes. 

The equipment, techniques and processes Bill uses to craft his images remain constant.  Staying steadfast to his established methods enables Bill to forget much of the mechanics of photography and concentrate on his vision of the final print.  His "old reliables" include:

• Hasselblad cameras (favorite lens 50mm)
  
• Kodak Tri-X film
• HC-110, Dilution B, 68 degrees at 5 1/2 minutes
• Ilford regular and warm tone papers
  

Bill is active in Analog Photography Users Group (APUG).  It's was this involvement in APUG that gave rise to his annual Photostock workshop.  The 10-day immersion into alternate photographic processes takes place each summer at his retreat, the Birchwood Inn, on the shores of Lake Michigan. The event has grown to accommodate more than 50 students, and is sold out as soon as the dates are announced.

To ensure he has no idle time, Bill leads occasional photographic excursions to Iceland. It was the reading of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea while in grade school that gave birth to his life long fascination with the island nation.  Since his first visit, Iceland has been a constant source of creativity.  Bill finds Iceland to have a isolate, almost meditating, quality that beckons him and his camera.

Bill does have a need to earn a living.  His photographic book, Gathering Calm, has become a classic.  The original printing has sold out, but he is in the process of issuing a second edition of the much collected work. It should be available soon.

Bill has recently entered into an agreement with a cruise ship company to include his work in their liners' exclusive art galleries.  He has also been invited to take several cruises each year to act as the ship's on-board, resident photographic artist.  As the on-board photographic celebrity, Bill will be available to answer passengers' questions about fine art photography and collecting.

Today, Bill's evocative black and white imagery are almost ethereal in nature and are recognized by museum, galleries and collectors as master works.  His art can be found in private and corporate collections, the George Eastman House, The Art Institute of Ohioand the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Bill acknowledges the role Adams, Weston and Cunningham, Stieglitz and Sturgess have had in shaping his photography.  But, one look at any of his images and it's apparent that Bill has long since developed his own unique style that sets him apart from his photographic heroes.  His near dream-like art quietly shouts for attention and reflection.

PMPN asked Bill if he had some advice for photographers wanting to break into the world of fine art photography.  After some thought, he made these suggestions:

• Don't quit your day job,
• The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence,
• Hold on to your dream and work hard,
• Photograph with your heart,
• Be thick skinned,
• Be your best advocate,
• Have patience,
• Realize that you have to be a "Jack of all trades".

PMPN is proud to feature Bill Schwab and provide this online preview of the stunning photography now being displayed at the Camerawork Gallery in Portland.

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

© Bill Schwab, all rights reserved  

 Visit Bill Schwab's Website

 Editor's note:  As I was researching and writing PMPN's story on Toy Cameras, an email arrived from PMPN member and photographer Tom Kirkendall.  His timing was impeccable.  In his email were twelve black & white images from his current Toy Camera Project.  All he said was, "I would like to share some photo images with you and your members." The photographs were imaginative and mesmerizing.  I wrote Tom for permission to do a story on his project and requesting that he send me a picture of himself and his wife (his indispensable photographic partner).  As soon as the picture arrived (shown at left), it was apparent Tom's sense of humor and his experimental toy photography was right up PMPN's alley.

Tom Kirkendall's base of operations is Edmonds, Washington.  His growth into photography are the stuff that inspired the lyrics of dozens of Beach Boys records.

Tom, Vicki and family on another trek.

"I never considered myself an artist when I was a young pup. I hated art class in grade school and junior high. Never saw the front door of an art class in high school. Was not even aware they offered it.  My teen years were consumed by surfing everyday I could. Nothing else mattered. Other quick thinking sports attracted me like racket ball , hand ball, bicycle racing and street skateboarding. Anything where you had little time to plan or think out your next move was cool with me. I still don't consider myself an artist ..... just a record keeper of landscapes.

After high school I began to take an interest in photography. Inspired by one of the local newspaper photographers, Wayne Upchurch, I looked at it as a great way to make a living. Being a photojournalist, now that looked like fun. Having things happen in front of you on the move and ever changing.  And, you had to capture that small fraction of a second in time to tell a complete story.

Now that was fun!! My ticket out of town and the road to a first class education was Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara. Off I went in my 69 VW bug with two surf boards, a racing bicycle and a duffel bag full of hope and dreams. Brooks was great, but it did come to an end in 1978. Now what. Go North young man, go North.

Arriving in the Seattle area, I never did land a job as a full time photojournalist. However I did find adventure at every step. Climbing, hiking, cycling, skiing, surfing or what ever came our (with Vicky my wife and photo partner) way.

Mostly a landscape photographer now and still having fun. Looking for new photo adventures I started toying with toy cameras. First the Diana, which I found on the shelf of a relatives basement. It looked like it had been there from about the time the pyramids were built. I soon learned that two negatives side by side on a 120 roll of film would fit in my 4x5 enlarger, and the Two Views Project was born. I also photograph with a Holga Camera a fair amount. I really like the look each of these cameras give. It is a mental break from trying to get the perfect landscape image. With toy cameras you do the best you can and you never really know what you are going to get. THAT is the good part!!! The mystery, the unknown, the surprise. Digital cameras with the preview on the back suck all that unknown excitement right out of photography."

The images from Tom's Two Views Project (displayed below) are perfect illustrations of the craft discussed in PMPN's Toy Camera story.  Here's an overview of this personal project in Tom's own words.

"Each image is a print from side by side negatives on a roll of film. This is not just two random negatives printed then placing the prints side by side. You have to think ahead --  compose -- expose -- print as one unit. It is a lot of fun to approach a subject from two different views, exploring the contrast, angels, patterns and texture to come up with something pleasing.

The camera of choice for me is the Diana, loaded with Ilford HP5+ processed in HC110 or Pyro HD and printed in the darkroom on Ilford Multigrade IV Glossy Fiber Paper."

The Two Views (Toy Camera) Project by Tom Kirkendall

©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved

©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved

©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved 

©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved

©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved

 
©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved

©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved

©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved 

©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved 

©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved 

©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved

 
©Tom Kirkendall, all rights reserved

As Tom says, "Long live funky, fuzzy, fantastic photos!"

 Visit Tom Kirkendall's website.

 
© 2009, hub

You can see his attention grabbing artistry in museums and galleries around the world.  You are mesmerized by the iconic images displayed on his website.  But, it’s not until you meet and listen to him reminisce about his love affair with photography and how it has shaped his life that you truly appreciate this Oregon legend.

Stu Levy became “camera-aware” in Ohio where he was born and raised.  He had a fascination with his dad’s equipment. But the bug really took hold in high school.  He was that student with the camera who took all those pictures for the school’s newspaper and year book.  Stu’s photographic interests quickly grew to include street photography and the occasional rock band.

Stu moved on to college and brought his photographic avocation along for the ride.  His major: medicine.  Stu earned his medical degree and was given the opportunity to perform his residency in Oregon where he settled and eventually established his family medical practice.  Little did Oregon know, at the time, that it was providing a home and a source of inspiration to a photographer whose name would become synonymous with Pacific Northwest fine art photography.

Heavily influence by a workshop he took from Ansel Adams in 1979, Stu would return to Yosemite as an assistant instructor at the workshop for several summers.  Since that time instruction and the sharing of his craftsmanship has become an integral part of Stu’s photographic life.  Hundreds of students have and continue to learn landscape and portrait photography techniques from this master of the black and white art.

Grid Portrait, "Artist's Proof & Consequences", ©Stu Levy

He has recently found a new outlet for his creativity in Grid Portraits.  Grid Portraits use “several images contact printed together, a space and time scan is made of the subjects in their environments.”, Stu explains.

Stu’s first gallery exhibit was at Camerawork Gallery in 1982.  Since then his work consistently wins awards and has been exhibited in scores of galleries across the country.  His work can be found in prestigious collections ranging from the George Eastman House to our own Portland Art Museum.

His photographic heros are varied.  Because of his close association, Ansel Adams tops the list.  But he also finds motivation in the works of Minor White (“for the mystery in his work”), Elliot Porter (“for his landscape work”), Edward Burtynsky of Canada and Linda Connor.

Stu has reduced his medical practice to half-time to allow him the freedom and time to focus on his photographic interests in landscapes and portraits.  He has a list of favorite shooting locations in Oregon, Arizona and California that continually beckon him to take just one more picture.  He is also preparing for two major exhibits -- the Emerald Arts Center in Springfield, Oregon and the Oregon Jewish Museum in Portland -- this December.  And just for good measure Stu is in the process of producing an impressive, limited-edition book of his “Grid Portraits”.  (Save you pennies, ladies and gentlemen.  PMPN was able to view a draft of the book to be published by Nazraeli Press.  You’ll want it for your collection.)

"Hemlock Tree", ©Stu Levy

Stu’s medium is black and white film photography.  He has honed the craft to accommodate his shooting style and artistic vision.  The resulting black and white images grace the walls of museums, galleries and private collectors around the world.

The primary tools of Stu's craft include:

• A classic 4”x5” Linhoff Master Technika camera
• TMax 400, TMax 100 and Fuji Acros 100 films
• Kodak Extol film developer
• A Durst 5”x7” enlarger
• Fuji and Schneider lenses
• Agfa Variable Contrast, Kodak Polymax Fine Art and Ilford Multigrade Warm papers

The word “digital” is creeping into Stu's vocabulary and photographic workflow as he begins the arduous task of scanning decades of negatives to establish a digital archive that will preserve his work in a format appropriate for fine art digital printing.

When asked, “What inspires your photography?”, a slight smile comes to his face when he answers, “Whatever tickles my retina.”

Answering the question, “What advice would you give to those wanting to become fine art photographers?”, required more deliberate consideration.  But, after some thought, Stu offered the following:

• “Above all else, master your craft.  Craft first”
• “Don’t limit yourself.”
• “Be patient.”
• “Get it right in the camera.”

PMPN is proud to feature Stu Levy and his work.  We also encourage readers to take every opportunity to view Stu’s art or attend any of his Oregon workshops. Stu’s body of work is monumental and is a testimonial to his craft, his vision and his concern for the preservation of nature.

Enough said.  Stu Levy’s images tell their own stories.

"Eel Creek Dunes IV", ©Stu Levy

"Golden Gate Bridge - 176", ©Stu Levy

"Gordon Gilkey", ©Stu Levy

"Havasu Stream", ©Stu Levy

"Ice, Oneonta Creek", ©Stu Levy

"Lower Calf Creek Falls", ©Stu Levy

"Malostranska Station", Prague, ©Stu Levy

 
"Mudflower", ©Stu Levy

"Punch Bowl Falls", ©Stu Levy

"Rainforest", Hawaii, ©Stu Levy

"Sunset", Face Rock, ©Stu Levy

"Under the Charles Bridge", Prague, ©Stu Levy

"White Log", Chain of Craters Road, ©Stu Levy

Visit Stu Levy's Website

See the Stu Levy Poster Collection

 UPDATE 9/26/2009:  The New York Times' "Why We Travel" Section features Susan's Oregon tulip image this week.  Click here to see the cover.

 Spend time touring Susan Frost’s picture-laden home in Portland and talking about her career in photography, and you’ll quickly realize that this photographer is not only skilled at her craft but is also an extremely focused business woman and marketer.  Determined to make her living as a professional photographer, Susan, long ago, realized that her passion for photography and travel was not enough to put food on the table.

 Susan first honed her skills as a photographer.  (A piece of advice she freely passes along to anyone considering a photography career.)  An avid traveler, she has spent years learning to capture the mood and flavor of the many countries she explores.   As a result, Susan’s work is now in demand by travel-oriented publications and newspapers such as The New York Times.

Her preference is to select subjects which would be desirable for display in commercial venues -- like corporate offices and restaurants.  Susan knows that these buyers of fine photography represent on-going opportunities with the means and commitment to support a commercial photographer. 

The Brio Tuscan Grille and the Bravo Cucina Italiana restaurant chains are enthusiastic customers who make extensive use of her travel images. Over 100 restaurants throughout the U.S. now decorate their walls with Susan's work.

 The image at left has found a permanent home at the Bravo Cucina Italiana restaurants.

Susan believes that becoming too specialized closes the doors to many opportunities.  As a result, she has developed her photography skills to include architecture, advertising, portrait, wedding and landscape photography. 

To accommodate her expanding interests and clientele, Susan has constructed an intimate home studio that provides an ideal space to pursue portrait, still and product photography. This dedicated space, equipped with a flexible electronic flash system, a large selection of backgrounds, props and her preferred camera system -- Canon -- enables Susan to tackle assignments varying from individual formal portraits to commercial product photography.

Wedding photography represents a growing portion of Susan's business and has added to her repertory of photographic skills.

©Susan E. Frost, All Rights Reserved

To further expand the market for her images, Susan has found that stock photography is a rewarding avenue for her work and a more predictable source of income.  Her collection of more than 1,800 stock images is now available through Ozimages.

Most recently, Susan's work has been accepted by Gango Editions.  Gango Editions (shown above right) provides Susan with high visibility to a large commercial audience for the sale of her work as affordable poster prints.  This relationship opens a direct path to large merchandisers like the Pottery Barn, Fred Meyer and Target chains of retail stores. 

 As if photographic assignments weren't enough to fill her days, the always energetic Susan finds time to publish specialized books of photographic art.  Her “Portland, Oregon – A Photographic Portrait” book (shown on left) has become a successful hardback publication documenting the urban and rural aspects of our community that make it a photographic and cultural treasure. 

And to add a little variety to her life, Susan actively mentors aspiring photographers, produces seminars on travel photography, exhibits her work, teaches private classes, provides critiquing services and is a member of several photographic organizations including ASMP, PPA and PMPA.  She even finds time to provide marketing consulting services to others in our business. 

1. Learn your craft – become an exceptional photographer
2. Be pro-active
3. Know your market and its needs
4. Introduce yourself to publication editors – and keep in touch (but “don’t bug them to death”)
5. Treat photography as a business
6. Don’t give up – keep trying.

On September 27th, you'll want to check out the New York Times' 'Why We Travel' segment.  Susan's image taken in Oregon's tulip fields will grace the popular section's front page.  In the meantime, here are a few of Susan's favorite images.

©Susan E. Frost, All Rights Reserved

 
©Susan E. Frost, All Rights Reserved

    
Photos above ©Susan E. Frost, All Rights Reserved

©Susan E. Frost, All Rights Reserved

For being a model of photographic and business excellence, PMPN is pleased to showcase the work and imagination of Portland’s own, Susan Frost.  Visit Susan's website.

Lauren’s academic background as an Architect forged her sense of design and the elements of imagery.  Her careers in gallery management, book design and as a creative director honed her creative sense and provided her the artistic experience and confidence to begin exploring her vision through the camera’s lens.

“I was trained as an architect, and that education involves courses in painting, drawing, sculpture, graphic design, photography, lighting design, furniture making, etc. So I had an opportunity to try many different mediums. I think photography is what I gravitated to because I’m better at creating art by extracting it from an existing condition rather than inventing it purely from memory or my imagination.”

Driven by the revelations of her life experiences and a need to explore all that photography offers has resulted in the development of her own style that incorporates a blend of photographic techniques.  The result is a process which is comfortable to Lauren and allows her to control her vision from capture to final print.  “I’m a hybrid.  Meaning, I shoot in film, scan my negatives on an Epson v750, use Photoshop to do basic darkroom-like manipulations (contrast control, sharpening, dodging & burning), and then print digitally on an Epson 4800.  I primarily shoot 6x6 medium and 4x5 large formats, and I do all my own scanning and printing. I am a firm believer in developing the craft of one’s artistic discipline, so I have put a great deal of time and expense into becoming a very good printer. I use separate methods for printing in black and white versus color and I am continually trying to educate myself on better practices.”

With a fine art photography career that is just starting, Lauren’s credentials are impressive:

Publications

• 2009 Oregonian
• 2009 WashingtonPost.com
• 2008 SHOTS Magazine
• 2007 Px3 Winners Book

Solo Exhibitions

• Cameraworks Gallery, Portland, 2009
• Sherman Hines Museum of Photography, Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2009
• BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, MD, 2008
• Anderson Gallery, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2008
• PhotoWorks Gallery, Glen Echo, MD, 2007
• Good News Mountaineer Garage Gallery, Charleston, WV, 2007

In addition, Lauren has appeared in more than a dozen Group Exhibitions throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Lauren is currently preparing to put her experience as a book designer to good use. “ I’m focusing creating artist books for each of my portfolios.  This has been a long term goal and something I’ve been preparing for some time.  I used to be a book designer and I enjoy everything about the process from graphic design to editing to sequencing to printing and construction.  I’ve been studying book arts, and I believe that the way I work (in disciplined portfolios) is ideal for presentation in books.  Beyond this endeavor, of course I am continually working to grow a larger audience.  I am not dependent on any income from photography, so I am pretty free to focus on whatever my interests are at a particular time.”

When asked what advice she would contribute to emerging photographers, Lauren modestly comments, “I’m still emerging! I think the best advice I could offer would be to narrow your focus to subjects that are personal rather than ones you photograph because they haven’t been done or that you think would sell.  I think there are constant trends that should either be participated in or avoided, but everything should always be guided by “Am I staying true to myself?”  I think that art at its best, whether it’s a photograph, painting or sculpture, inspires because you feel the presence, and therefore a connection to the artist.”

Enjoy the photography and insights of Lauren Henkin’s photography.

©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

 
©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

 
©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

 
©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

 
©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

 
©Lauren Henkin, All Rights Reserved

 Lauren Henkin can be contacted by email.

by Tom Hubbard, PMPN, May 24, 2009

Minor White’s 21st century fine-art successor may well be Oregon’s spiritually guided and technical perfectionist, John Wimberley.  To say that John is a landscape photographer is akin to saying Einstein was merely a math teacher.  Here’s a photographer who has incorporated photography into his being and life’s philosophy, bringing an energy and insight that spark his imagination to craft images that move and inspire.

John’s forty-year career in photography began in the Navy where he photographed flight operations while serving as an aviation electronics technician on aircraft carriers during the Vietnam War.  With his service obligations behind him, John found his true passion for black and white photography while photographing in Canyon del Puerto, California.

All the while, John was personally immersed in the long-term study of Jungian psychology, shamanism and spiritual disciplines.  This personal introspection became visually apparent in a new dynamism in his images.  And, by 1973, John held his first one-man show to overwhelmingly positive critical review.  Artweek Magazine reported: “His prints are not merely technically correct, but wonderfully alive.”

Descending Angel by John Wimberley

 
Crater Lake, 1977 by John Wimberley

Today, John lives in Ashland, Oregon.  His fine-art photography has been honored in more than 60 exhibits and is represented in more than 500 public and private collections – including many major museums.  His recent work is driven by his continued deep interest in shamanism, giving rise to his latest book, Evidence of Magic, an exceptional series of images documenting and portraying the spiritual life of Native Americans through their eternal rock art.

Who does John Wimberley hold as his photographic heroes?  “The truth is, I have a very diverse group of photographic heroes that range from Jerry Uelsmann to Edward Weston to Henri Cartier-Bresson and Christopher Burkett. I look for the power and spirit that is conveyed by the pictures, regardless of style or period. To make my short list, the photographer must have demonstrated very high aspirations and actualized them through relentless commitment and impeccable technique.”

For those of us with a thirst for understanding the workings of fine art photographers, here’s an accounting by Georgette Freeman:

“John's camera, an all-metal, 5x7 inch Sinar view camera, together with 6 lenses and its carrying case, weighs about 30 pounds. Add to that the 6 loaded film holders he likes to carry in the field, which weigh 12 ounces each, and the 15 pound metal tripod he carries over his shoulder, and John is packing at least 50 pounds on his back when he leaves the van to go photographing. And, at that weight, which is nearly half his body weight, there is precious little room left over in his kit for extra film to be overshot.”

John remains committed to traditional camera, film and darkroom techniques.  He feels at home with these old “friends” and believes that this acquired intimacy allows him the freedom to “forget” about the process and concentrate on the place, the moment and the message.

John Wimberley has recently been made a member of Hub’s Visionary Photographers.  His first article is a window into John’s photographic philosophy and the spiritualism that directs his lens.

Now’s a very good time to stop writing and allow John Wimberley’s eloquent black and white imagery tell their stories.

Bitter Ridge #100, 2005 by John Wimberley

Bitter Ridge #61, 2005 by John Wimberley

 
Bitter Ridge #181, 2005 by John Wimberley

 
Realization of Anima by John Wimberley

 
Leda's Landscape, 1984 by John Wimberley

 
Lightning Struck Tree #1, 1987 by John Wimberley

 
Lone Grave Butte #580, 2008 by John Wimberley

 
Lough Bunny, 1986 by John Wimberley

 
Reese River Valley, 1997 by John Wimberley

 
Stone and Sky, 1979 by John Wimberley

Still thirsty for inspiration?  Then experience John Wimberley and his art first hand.  Attend one of his upcoming Oregon workshops:

During this exciting workshop, you’ll explore an alternative model for making photographs. Instead of searching for possible pictures in the usual way, you’ll learn how to allow objects in our environment to guide us, moment by moment, toward potential pictures. This radically new approach allows creativity to blossom spontaneously, while reducing interference from self-doubt or prior concepts.

Please inquire if you are interested in either of these workshops.

by Tom Hubbard, PMPN, May 13, 2009

(Note: PMPN is committed to showcasing Oregon and Washington’s finest photographers.  It is significant and telling that our Pacific Northwest community is home to some of the finest photographers whose interests and expertise cover the full range of photographic specialties.  So, from wedding to commercial and from portrait to fine art photographers, PMPN provides this public stage to share their careers, their works and their visions.)

Since I share a journalism background with Dan Christopher, it was a pleasure to spend time at Dan’s home and studio, sharing media war stories as well as learning about his life-long love affair with photography.  Dan has been a trusted television news reporter to millions of viewers in the Oregon/Washington area for over 40 years.  His warm, on-air personality and insightful commentary earned him a special place in the hearts of viewers who tuned in to KATU News to hear a friend share and explain the important events of the day.

Now retired from the day-to-day craziness of the broadcast media, Dan is free to pursue his first passion, photography.  (Well… maybe second passion.  Dan’s wife, Laurie, holds first place.)

“Like my interest in broadcast journalism, my love for photography is steeped in a natural curiosity about the human condition and the desire to capture what is unique. Photographically, it may be the glint in someone’s eye. Perhaps a smirk. It may be deep rooted and weathered wrinkles on the face of experience. There is beauty in all of them. I don’t photograph people. I photograph personalities. I want what’s inside. Most importantly, I want the whole photographic experience for those who come before my camera to be relaxing and a pleasure. My goal is that each portrait becomes a lifetime treasure.”

It is Dan’s gift for portrait photography that draws customers to his inviting studio.  Everything about his business reflects a devotion to making every customer’s experience unique and personal.

Dan says that canvas surface prints are the most customer-preferred and has worked for years with a professional processing lab that understands his style and printing preferences.  The customer’s final print options are nearly endless and can be tailored to each individual style and home/office decorative treatment.

In the end, Dan offers not only personalized photography but above all, a personalized finished product that creatively portrays the uniqueness of each portrait subject.  A kind of care and imaginative photography that keeps families coming back to document their lives through the lens of Dan Christopher.

Dan’s interests, although primarily portrait, have diversified to include some interesting subsets such as maternity, newborn, commercial architectural and some documentary photography.  This successful diversity and breadth of his craft are evident in the gallery below.

Dan’s awards are numerous and a credit to his dedication to professional photography.  Here are a few of his awards from Professional Photographers of Oregon.

•    Best Overall Portrait
•    Best Children’s Portrait
•    Best Portrait of Two
•    Courts of Honor
•    Kodak Commercial Division Gallery Award
•    Best Color All Divisions, Charles Conkling Trophy
•    Judge’s Choice Award

The Portland Metro Photographic News is proud to feature Dan Christopher as our newest Showcase Photographer.  His gift for portrait photography is another reason why the Portland metro photography community has earned a reputation for exceptional professional portrait photography.

View more of Dan's work and learn about his photographic services by visiting his website.