Paul Jr.

Paul is one of the most remarkable young men I've had the privilege to meet. Underneath his quiet and polite demeanor you'll find an ambitious young man.
An accomplished guitarist, he makes an appearance on at least 3 albums that I'm aware of and has played for numerous bands throughout this area. He has traveled extensively in China and how many times he's been there...I've lost count. His first excursion was to play in a band that was doing a cultural exchange in the Hunan Province.
Paul has already started his college career and is also studying in addition to medicine Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic and plans to translate some of the original texts of the Bible to English as a project.

Clouds and Fire

Watch this year for the release of "Clouds and Fire", a new album by Christian artist Scott Riggan.
Scott and I have been friends for few years now and we spent several months with the graphic artist hashing over what his new album was going to look like. At first he was thinking of a '70's era illustration, then starting thinking about photography instead. The idea behind "Clouds and fire" was the Biblical account of God leading the Israelites through the wilderness of the Sinai peninsula by a pillar of clouds by day and a pillar of fire by night.
We talked about all kinds of possible illustrations, Scott wearing a parachute and falling through the clouds leaving a fiery contrail in his wake (get it, clouds and fire...yeah, Scott didn't like either). Scott with this backpack next to a campfire in the desert, resting after a long day of walking. It seemed that the journey that Christians travel was the predominant theme in our discussions.
One evening, he was telling me about some b/w photography he had seen of some musician doing just everyday stuff. Making scrambled eggs, hanging out watching TV, sitting by his stranded car in the middle of nowhere...and that's when it hit me...stranded car!
The idea was complex, but not obscure. The Israelites were on a journey that they had no control over, just a pillar of clouds and fire, and the God who was leading them to a promised land. The stranded car is the universal symbol of how we are NOT in control of our destiny at all times, and that our journey is not always our own.
We found "nowhere" somewhere between Middleton and Emmett, Idaho. It was the perfect location and yes, the Pontiac GTO was fully functional and not really stranded. (Thanks Kent!)
Check him out at www.scottriggan.com, and check out his music at www.indieheaven.com

PMA 2008 Las Vegas

PMA 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. I went with the expectation of learning more about what the photo industry was doing, and quite honestly I did. It has been 10 years since I attended the PMA convention and many things have changed. I saw an industry scrambling to reinvent itself in the wake of the digital age, some products and services looked interesting, many did not. One thing that seemed to me was striking was the fact that fewer and fewer people are making prints. This affects the print/processing industry the photographer, and sadly the one who didn't think it was important to make prints.
It seems seductive in this way when you can take a photo and park it on a hard drive free of any charge except for the cost of PC it lives on. Two problems exist...one, when the hard drive fails the photos disappear. Two, if you save your images on CD's or DVD's and put them in a trunk for your descendants to find in about 100 years, guess what? Technology will have moved on and there will probably not be anything to play those carefully saved and stored CD's and DVD's. Again the images are lost. A modern example would be Betamax tapes, 5" data disks, 8 track tapes...well the list could go on. What was "state of the art" of yesterday is unusable today. The ONLY way to preserve those memories is to make prints!
The visible image has been around for centuries! You can find them painted in the caves of Bordeaux France, the frescos of Rome, the oil paintings of the Renaissance, the photo of Matthew Brady. Never underestimate the power of the humble print.
The photographic industry is in the business of memories. Your local photographer and your local photofinisher are both committed to the same thing; providing the best quality images for you and your family to enjoy. Of all the personal items you can invest in, the only thing that will have any meaning to anybody will be the photos in the photo album.

Jenny and Tavi

On January 12, Jenny and Tavi got married. The church was amazing being a great example of Romantic Style Architecture complete with an amazing amount of stained glass on every wall! Not only did I have an attractive couple, but also perfect surroundings to make for an amazing wedding session! Best Wishes Jenny and Tavi!

At long last, I'm finally on the web!

Just a week ago, I launched my first website. It was really a decision of whether or not I was going to take my photography business seriously, and finally I felt my cash flow was such that I could take on yet another expense. I've done pretty well via word-of-mouth, and many meetings at local coffee shops while potential clients pour over my laptop. It was time to get serious and start growing.
I love portraiture and the beauty that lies within each person I have the privilege of photographing. I enjoy the fun and spontaneity of weddings, the elegant bride, the dashing groom and all the other extras that play a part in a wedding.
I love travel, I find myself returning to the Oregon Coast with camera in hand often. The grace and power of that mighty section of coastline is an inspiration that I never tire of. One of my current projects is to have a definitive image of each and every lighthouse on the Oregon Coast so keep watching my galleries for images I will offer up for sale. I also frequent China, which is a rich land of contrasts between the ancient and the new.
Almost as much as I love photography, I love aviation. Put the camera and the airplane together and Phil just doesn't want to go home anytime soon. I hope this year I will be able to fill the aviation gallery with exciting images that can be purchased.
I am very excited to be here out on the web and please come back often to check out the website and blog.