The New York Times and moi recently did a story about how for the first time ever jails and prisons around the country are beginning to sign up inmates for health insurance under the law, taking advantage of the expansion of Medicaid. This sent me over to Inverness Jail to chat with inmate Devon Campbell-Williams. Photographing in prison is always a bit nerve wracking, trying to establish rapport, trying not to break any rules, trying to act cool when you are freaking out. Being a woman at a men's prison can help, for just the reasons you think it would. Devon was charming and sweet and in our allotted five minutes we talked about his plans to open a food cart based on carnival fair food and the fact that, due to the Affordable Care Act we both had health insurance for the first time that either of us could remember. All this while I danced around him, my finger remaining steadily on the shutter release.
Devon is one of more than 1,200 inmates in the Portland area alone that have been enrolled through the infamous state exchange, Cover Oregon. The biggest benefit of this is that enrolled inmates have coverage after they get out. People coming out of jail or prison have disproportionately high rates of chronic diseases, especially mental illness and addictive disorders but few have insurance. Oh, irony. As most things dealing with health insurance are, it is a tricky story. It comes down to who is going to pay the bill and whether more money could be saved over the long term if connecting newly released inmates to services helps to keep them out of jail and reduces visits to the ER, the most expensive form of care. 
lifestyle
Willamette Week's 2013 Restaurant Guide
Love the bounty of good eating that is Portland. Roe, Catagna, Ava Gene's are all vying for most buzz in the city these days (case in point, I have photographed all of them at least twice). But there are a plethora of others out there for those of us that hate waiting in line. So many choices in fact that it is nice that Willamette Week's Restaurant Guide helps narrow things down (or maybe simply make you aware of all the possibilities). Now go forth and chew.
Farm to Table, Pop-up Restaurant with Will Priesch for Portland Monthly Magazine
With just 10 stools and a rented kitchen, Will Preisch presents a pop-up vision of high-end eating: casual, personal, and thrilling. Want to make it to one of these amazing feasts? Called holdfast dinners, Will describes them as such, "holdfast is a “pop-up” restaurant operating out of kitchencru, a commissary kitchen and culinary incubator in nw portland. holdfast is a refined dining concept - not refinement in the sense of luxury - just pared down to what we consider to be the essentials of a wonderful meal; great food and drink, with excellent and unobtrusive service in a casual atmosphere. this is our opportunity to cook and feed people outside of the trappings of a traditional restaurant. clean. thoughtful. primitive. modern." Looked pretty delightful to me, and Portland Monthly.
The Addictive Allure of the Steelhead's Tug - Photos for the New York Times
in in print, lifestyle, on assignment, people
Spend a rainy day a few months back chasing down steelhead in the Deschutes River. My partners were fly fishing devotees, Chris Santella, author of 50 Places to Fly Fish Before you Die (guess I can cross one of them off my list) and environmental lawyer Dave Moskowitz, the Executive Director for the Deschutes River Alliance. These gentlemen spend 40 to 50 days on the river each season, knee deep in the rushing water, waiting for the fish to get irritated enough to make their move. For steelhead rarely feed once they are in the river, rather they seem to take a fly as an act of aggression. Even if they are present where you are fishing, they have to be in the mood (presumably, a bad mood) to bite. For these reasons days will sometimes pass with not a single acknowledgement of even their presence, making their elusivity all the more attractive to those that seek a challenge. This was much of the case on our day in the water, broken up by beer and a variety of fish tales from both men. As the sky grew dark, and I grew cold, Chris got the solitary respite of the day, a sharp tug on his line. He lifted his rod, exactly the wrong thing to do, and the fish was gone, never even seen. As we headed home, both men planned their next trip out. For myself, thwarted from even a single glimpse during an assignment where that was the only goal, I declined, and tried not to curse the fish. You can read the full story of our adventures, here in the New York Times.
Snow and Science Double Dip - On Assignment for the NYT's
A funny sort of twist of fate that I ended up on two section fronts for the Sunday New York Times last week. One was the Travel Cover, which ran a story I shot last year about backcountry skiing in Oregon. This involved me learning to backcountry on the job, while attempting not to kill my cameras (this is a mission I failed). Huge thanks to Three Sisters Backcountry for ensuring I didn't die. The second was for Sunday Business, a profile of intel's director of user experience research, Dr. Genevieve Bell. Not everyday you get to a bond with a robot and roam the halls of Intel.
Two very different projects, both ones that pushed me as a photographer. Which is what I love about working for The Grey Lady. Plus, I'm not gonna lie, seeing your pictures printed huge is kinda cool too.
Willamette Week's The Finder, in Print
Ah The Finder. Willamette Week's annual guide to all that is irreverent in Portland. Free in the warmer months, you can now get them for 5 bucks at Powell's. In it you can find tourist-worthy things like, best drinkable dirt, best gypsy cemetery, best survival kit, and best Tarantino set. I love assignments where my shot list includes things like tire swings, and urban goats. If you look really closely you can see my better half, Christopher Onstott, making a cameo in two of the images. It's like a post-modern Where's Waldo.
Pigs N' a Blanket - 1859 Magazine - In Print
Perfect weather, perfect subjects, not so well-behaved piglets. Well, two out of three ain't bad. I spent the day at Worden Hill Farm with the uber photogenic Ortloff Family, Susan and Wolfgang, and their three bewitching daughters; Kate, Hadley and Mia for the cover of 1859 Magazine. They bought the land from Susan's parents back in 2007 and left an urban lifestyle in Germany for mud-splattered days in Dundee, OR. I was wooed by the multitude of pig sizes, varying from holdable to rideable. I was also wooed by the family, who shared some of their cured pork and promised to invite me to their next bonfire. After a day of mucking around, dodging porkers who thought my feet looked like apples (note to self: do not wear red boots when photographing pigs) Susan waved good-bye and said cheerfully, "You don't think you smell, but you do."
Happy Campers, Pickathon 2013
in lifestyle, on assignment, people
Every August for the past 15 years a magical event called Pickathon takes place just outside of Portland. Four days of music, camping, beer drinking and general good times spill out onto Pendarvis farm. Not only is there amazing music at 6 stages tucked all over the woods but it is also the only large outdoor music festival in the United States to eliminate single use dish ware, cups (thanks to Klean Kanteen) and utensils. Plastic free since 2010 they also compost and use renewable energy. I was given the official job of photographic 'roamer' which basically means wander around and shoot whatever makes the event cool. See ya there in 2014.
Shooting Bikes and Brew for Travel Oregon
I spent a sunny day chasing down bikes and brews in Portland for Travel Oregon. Not sure which this town is more obsessed about. But while contemplating this I managed to hit three breweries before the sun went down....Coalition Brewing Co., Hair of the Dog, and Apex Bar with more than 50 beers on tap. Hey, it's a tough job but someone has to do it.
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - The Band Photos
in lifestyle, on assignment, people
So a couple of years ago I photographed the Jicks for Rolling Stone. This led to band photo session number one back in 2011 with their release of 'Mirror Traffic.' And now with 'Wig Out at Jagbags' (side note: Where do musician come up with their album names?) about ready to hit, the label decided it was time for round number two. I will just go on the record saying that band photos are tricky and can easily veer off into the land of awkward. Luckily, matching navy turtlenecks saved us from that fate. Yes, I realize the irony of that statement.
MusicFest NW is Rubbish - Willamette Week Cover
in in print, lifestyle, on assignment, people
You never exactly know how it is going to go with celebrities. Perhaps spending your life with people that never tell you no can have a warping effect. Thankfully this diva mentality was delightfully absent from Fred Armisen, of Portlandia fame. I can never decide if that show is funny or not and if audiences from Mid-Western states would want to hug me or shoot if we were ever to meet. Fred showed up as his alter ego, 70s-era punk rocker Ian Rubbish, for the shoot. At first I was afraid that he was going to talk in a British accent for the duration. In which case I'm afraid I would have had a hard time keeping it together, persistent giggles making it difficult to push the shutter. But no, though dressed as Ian, Fred played himself, a very sweet, laid back guy, who was game for whatever wacky things I could think of.
Totally Tubular
So many people I have talked to rave about surfing the Oregon Coast. Not too crowded, nice waves, quaint little towns. All I can think about is the cold. Even dipping my toes in that icy water makes me dream about senior beach week in Ocean City, Maryland. But I digress.
I appear to be the only one who has those issues though, as the go-to-spot, Short Sands, is littered with very hip looking crowds, swathed in neoprene. And I was more than game when long time friend and writer Lucy Burningham told me she needed a picture taker for her very first adventure into the waves.
Oh, and did I mention the Wall Street Journal wanted to hear all about it? We grabbed Christopher to shoot video and our merry band of journalists headed West.
As typical of the coast, we were blessed with perpetually changing weather, but after a lesson with Lexie Hallahan of Northwest Women’s Surf Camps we witnessed Ms. Burningham ride her very first wave. Almost made me want to jump in. I said almost.
If you are feeling like you may want to take a dip and a trip yourself, read the article.
Lucy and I first worked together for Imbibe Magazine in Croatia, where we found ourselves racing around the country chasing down truffle hunters and infused liquors. If that doesn't make for permanent bonding, I don't know what does. Check out another one of our adventures involving sauerkraut here. And if you are someone who like to bike and drink beer (this perhaps maybe everyone I know), then be sure to grab Lucy's fab book, Hop in the Saddle.
Learning to Surf on the Oregon Coast, with the Wall Street Journal from NashCO Photo and Video on Vimeo.
1859 Magazine - Mark Scott - Shredding Design
in in print, lifestyle, on assignment, people
Mark Scott, professional skateboarder and owner of Dreamland Skateparks, stood still long enough (1/250th of a second) for me to take his picture. 1859 Magazine's Into the Soul profile. Mark was a good sport, performing tricks for me over and over again, while still managing to keep a pencil tucked behind his ear. He also managed not to laugh outright as I slide up and down the sides of the skate park, trying not to kill myself with my lights. Was feeling rather proud of myself until I realized when I got home that I had sacrificed a sandbag to the skatepark gods of Lincoln City. D'oh.
On Location - The Rose Festival - Newspace Center for Photography Photo Workshop
Just taught a class at Newspace Center for Photography on how to create compelling images at Portland's Rose Festival. Students learned how to hone their own personal style while shooting the Rose Parade, City Fair, and the Milk Carton Boat Races. So sorry you missed it. But....I'm teaching another class this summer at Newspace, Finding Your Documentary Passion.
EAT COLLECTIVE: Lamb four ways at Levant
East Burnside eatery Levant chef Scott Snyder dishes up Lamb Four Ways for Willamette Week.
Oregon Business Magazine - Eleek - Designing Light
in in print, lifestyle, on assignment, people
Pulled out all of the stops and all of the speed lights (well, all four) to light a portrait of Eleek co-owner Sattie Clark for Oregon Business Magazine. Sattie was gracious and fun and Eleek is a pretty amazing green company and is considered a pioneer in the design and manufacture of energy-efficient lighting. While I was there the place was humming as they worked on a huge project to recreate lighting fixtures for Seattle’s 1906 King Street train station, based solely on historic photos. The monumental fixtures differ from the originals only in their durability and that LEDs are replacing gaslight. Eric Kaster, her hubby and co-owner took a brief moment from production to pose for a few pics as well.
Plus no toxic substances are used in manufacturing, and local scrap metal and other recycled materials are first choices, as well as products that come from sustainable businesses and from within a 50-mile radius, in order to help reduce their carbon footprint. I also found out that Eleek hires from the neighborhood, pays full benefits, offers flexible scheduling and pays bonuses to employees who walk, bike or bus to work.
All things that add up to an amazingly cool and progressive Portland business. Oh, and did I mention that Sattie and Eric met while both performing at Berbati's Pan some years ago? Yep, I know. It's like the perfect Portland love story.
Bad Habit Room - Saraveza - Portland Event Space Photography
A good friend of mine Mickey, who is the party planner guru at Saraveza in North Portland asked me to photograph their fabulous event space, Bad Habit, for their new website. My partner in crime, Christopher Onstott and I photographed the space empty and then again for an engagement party. And since we ended up falling in love with the place, stay tuned for our upcoming party there! Maybe we'll put you on the list...
Teenage Wasteland
I'm not sure why this is but I have a tendency to stalk teenagers, girls mostly. Good thing I am a female myself or this would be getting really creepy. Something about the way they hold themselves; a vulnerability that speaks to me. It is like they haven't quite figured out how to gloss everything over when having their picture made, something us older gals have gotten so good at. The girls in pink I saw walking as I was driving and literally stopped my car, made a u-turn and parked, then jumped out and gave them my photographer song and dance. I mean, how could you not stop, two girls dressed in black, both with pink hair? They were amazing and fabulous and without direction held hands and turned in their feet just as a sun flare hit my lens. I knew I would love the images before they were made, always a dangerous proposition. Something about teenagers that makes me want to stare at them for hours, their clothes, their style, they are like a code I want to crack, a secret world I want to visit. Maybe it is the combination of endless possibility mixed with overwhelming uncertainty. Kind of like how I feel most of the time.
Running around in circles for 1859 Magazine
Hot off the presses....the most recently photographed Alberto Salazar and his stable of runners for the March/April issue of 1859 magazine. Had maybe 5 minutes for the portrait, so it involved a fair bit of lighting set up before hand, dodging raindrops and stealing....ahem, borrowing, a ladder (thanks Nike!). Alberto was a nice guy but definitely not one to let a portrait shoot get in the way of practice. He is an in demand man and I enjoyed watching him seamlessly juggle jogging the track while talking on his phone and giving encouragement to his athletes. Way to multitask Alberto. And thanks to 1859 Editor Kevin Max and my producer Christopher Onstott for keeping me laughing as I lay belly down stalking muddy tennis shoes.
Read about Powell's... In Swedish
The Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter contacted me to photograph Portland's world renowned bookstore, the ever fabulous, Powell's. As a girl who spent a lot of her youth at the library, Powell's gives me that same warm and inclusive vibe. Maybe it is that slightly used, cozy smell, which the guy in my photo below seems to be drinking in. Or maybe it is the homeless people. Regardless, Powell's is one Portland institution that everyone can agree is pretty amazing. And just one more reason I love this city. And Sweden agrees! Or at least I will assume so, because, hey, I can't read Swedish.
