Event, Portrait, Commercial, and Headshot Photography
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Alcatraz Views Photo Book is Now Available!

I’m excited to announce that my new photo book Alcatraz Views is now available for sale. I’ve always been intrigued with the stories of “The Rock”; Alcatraz Views brings together a collection of my interesting photos of Alcatraz along with explanatory captions that provide insight into the stories behind the photos. With a history including time as a military fort, then a prison, and now a tourist attraction, Alcatraz offers a variety of photographic scenes and stories.
Alcatraz Views book: photos and history from The Rock
I’m pleased with the timing on this release; if your holiday gift list includes history buffs or anyone who appreciates interesting photography, Alcatraz Views would be a great gift and there’s plenty of time to order the book and have it shipped for arrival prior to Christmas.

Alcatraz Views is available either as a printed book or as an electronic book for viewing on the iPad or iPhone.

Coming Soon: Alcatraz Views

I’m wrapping up a project to produce my first photo book. Titled Alcatraz Views, the book is a collection of photographs documenting Alcatraz. “The Rock” has been a military fort, a military prison, a federal prison, and now a tourist attraction. Photos are accompanied by descriptive text narrating the story of the island and the images.

Old Entrance at Alcatraz

The book is currently in production and I’m ensuring that everything is up to the desired level of quality. My goal is to have Alcatraz Views available for sale beginning in early December so that it’s ready for those looking for a great Christmas gift for anyone who appreciates photography and history.

Alcatraz Views will be available either as a softcover book with images on a nice lustre paper or in electronic format viewable on an iPad. Stay tuned!

Elected to the PMPA Board of Directors

PMPA LogoYesterday the membership of the Portland Metropolitan Photographer’s Association (PMPA) elected a new board of directors for the coming year; I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been elected to a position on the board. I will be serving as the Social Director.

The PMPA is the local affiliate of the Professional Photographers of America; our group provides professional development and networking opportunities that allow photographers to strengthen their photography and business skill. We have a good mix of some returning board members as well as a few new faces and I’m looking forward to working with the group’s leadership to increase the social opportunities for interaction and photography.

If you’re a photographer in the Portland area and not yet a member of PMPA, please join me for an upcoming meeting. Drop me a note and I can provide more information.

Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson Talk Venture Capital at Urban Airship

Last week I had the opportunity to photography Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson, two of four directors in the Foundry Group, a Boulder-based venture capital firm. While in Portland, they led a talk and panel discussion on various topics related to funding, founding, and legal topics for entrepreneurs. The event was in the big open space at Urban Airship, who just happened to announce a big funding round this week. Here are a few photos from the evening.

Venture Capital is Serious Business
Venture Capital is Serious Business

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Holiday Event Photography: Reserve Your Date

As we approach the holiday season, companies and organizations are in the midst of planning various gatherings, dinners, and celebrations. If you haven’t yet arranged a photographer for your event, now is the time. My calendar is starting to fill with various events in the coming months and I’d love to be at yours… contact me and let’s ensure you have some memorable photos of your memorable event.

Looking down from a balcony over a social mixer event

86% of Your Business’ Website Visitors Are Looking for This

When I talk with business owners and managers about photography, a few types of images often come up in the conversation:

  • product images
  • office photos
  • event photography

Headshots or business portraits can also be important for one’s personal brand, but they’re just as important to a company brand. I recently conducted a poll on Twitter, asking:

Do you routinely look at “About Me” or “About our Team” pages [on websites]? Here are the results:

Interest in About Pages

When nearly all of your website’s visitors are checking out the pages that describe your business and personnel, are they seeing a bland text description or are they going to see interesting photographs of your personnel or offices? Whether you’re a solopreneur or a business with a lot of employees, a well-crafted About page can help your web visitors form an impression and begin a relationship with you.

You’re interesting. Your clients (and potential clients) are going to be exploring your website to find out more about you. Show them the whole picture (pun intended).

One final thought: does your About page leave visitors with all of their questions answered, or does it leave them wanting to contact you to find out more?

How is Photography Pricing Calculated?

Pricing seems to be one of those mysteries in the photography world that can end up confusing potential clients. I aim to make things as simple as possible with a flat-rate pricing model that ensures my clients don’t run into any surprises.

I recently updated my pricing page to offer both the quick summary of how my pricing works as well as more details and backstory for those curious to learn more.

If you’re looking for great images without pricing and billing hassle, let’s talk!

Photo of man speaking at a conference - event photography

Your Personal Brand and Your Profile Photo

portland business portrait headshot of a manAs our economy is shifting, one’s personal brand becomes important. Managing one’s presence has always been important for the self-employed but in an increasingly-connected world, even employees of larger companies find it important to manage one’s identity such that they’re perceived in a favorable way. Social media options such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ heighten the importance of being able to present a consistent, professional image.

Last week I read an article called “The CEO of ME” which discussed ten tips for establishing and maintaining your personal brand. Number six on their list is “Get a headshot.”

I couldn’t agree more. Let’s work together and create some photos which show you in your element, either traditional headshots or environmental portraits. Here’s how to contact me.

Continuing Photography Education: Hot (Air Balloon) Photos

Last weekend I traveled down to California to attend a photography workshop. I feel that it’s important to always be honing my photo skills and learning new things in order to better create great images for myself and my clients.

One portion of the workshop involved our group (seven attendees) creating images to document the Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic. Here are a couple images; or you can view all of my selections from the event.

Big flames make hot air as a balloon lifts off into the sky over Kaiser Park
 
Attendees prepare to duck as a balloon drifts to one side during a gust of wind.

No Rocks Under Stone

Looking west into a covered walkway near the Mosier Twin Tunnels in the Columbia River Gorge

Last weekend I was in the Columbia River Gorge on a family camping trip and we hiked into the Mosier Twin Tunnels. On the west end of the tunnels is this concrete structure designed to prevent any falling rocks from impacting hikers. It was a very moody, grungy-looking place.

Interested in buying this as a print? View available sizes and prices.