Environmental Portraits and Projects
An environmental portrait is visual story-telling, like a movie but in this case, within the borders of a still photograph. Environmental portraits are a combination of portraiture, journalism, and cinematography, casting a participant as an actor in a personal story of work, recreation, romance or hobbies. These unique photo expressions have become so popular that they often shape-shift as executive portraits, engagement photos, and even headshots. Besides skilled photography, they require imagination, brainstorming and- yes- some acting ability on the part of the participant!
Up from the Ashes
Up from the Ashes is a photo documentary about the impact of the 2020 Oregon Labor Day fires on communities and individuals. It required a year of field work and hundreds of miles of travel through areas affected by the largest single wildfire event in Oregon’s history. Up from the Ashes has appeared in three gallery exhibits and was set to the the orchestration of Barber’s Adagio for Strings, performed at the 2021 Siletz Bay Music Music Festival as a tribute to those who survived the fires, and those who sadly didn’t. Up from the Ashes is a photographic meditation on the human spirit in the face of threats like global warming.
