Personal Projects​

I operate two stock photo web sites, www.seattlephotographs.com and www.washingtonphotographs.com and like many photographers, I have personal projects, which can be a single photograph, or an entire series taken over several years. While is it awesome to work for great clients, with photography assignments the photographer is taking photographs of things their client wants. With a personal project, on the other hand, the photographer takes photographs of subjects they want, subjects that truly interest them without any thought of whether or not someone will ever buy them. This is photography for the fun of it. If the photographer is lucky, someone will get inspired by one the photographer's personal projects and hire them for a project based on that.

Ballerina in a Canola field

Meet Kira the ballerina. She is practicing in a field of canola in the Palouse region of western Idaho. We were working on a farming themed photo shoot when she casually mentioned that she is a ballerina. Not to waste a unique opportunity, we did a few shots in a nearby canola field. 

Wheat Farming in the Palouse

The rolling wheat fields of the Palouse region of Washington State are a photographer's paradise. Seen from the summit of Steptoe Butte, they stretch out as far as the eye can see. Set within this amazing landscape are the wheat farmers of the Palouse. I was fortunate enough to meet several wheat farmers who allowed me to follow them around and photograph their activities as they worked to prepare and harvest their fields.  

Horseback Riding on the Ocean Beach

These photographs were taken in Long Beach, Washington, site of the annual Long Beach Rodeo. In between performances I was able to meet up with several cowboys and cowgirls and arraigned to photograph them as they rode their horses through the ocean surf. This is Darcie.

Farm Girl in a Wheat Field

For years I have been wanting to get photographs a farm girl in a wheat field. Things finally came together in August of 2020 and I spent the day roaming around the wheat fields in the Palouse region of eastern Washington with my friend Jazzmin. 

The wreck of the Peter Iredale

The rusty skeleton of the Peter Iredale is all that left of the ship that ran aground here in 1906 on the Oregon coast near Astoria. It ran aground with such force that three of the ship masts broke. All 27 crew members plus 2 stowaways were rescued.  

The Four Elements Project

Beginning with the ancient Greeks and continuing through the middle ages, people believed everything was made of four basic elements: air, earth, fire and water.  This is a photographic series that illustrates some of the ways that we humans can experience each of the four elements.

Girl in the Lavender Fields

Sequim, Washington, located on the Olympic Peninsula is known for its lavender farms. I was fortunate to meet up with Hannah, a local girl who happens to love lavender.

Jessi's World

I have been a big fan of American artist Andrew Wyeth for years. He is most famous for his 1948 painting, Christina's World, which is an icon of American art. The painting depicts one of Andrew Wyeth's neighbors, Christina Olson, crawling across a field in the family's farm in Cushing, Maine. I thought it would be interesting to create a similar photograph with a real person. So did Jessi. The result is Jessi's World.

Graffiti Garage

Contrasting elements make for interesting compositions. My acquaintance and I visited what's known as the "Graffiti Garage" in downtown Tacoma. Kathleen and I created these images.

Abandoned Farm Houses

Abandoned farm houses can be found throughout eastern Washington. Some of them are probably more than 100 years old, and it is amazing that they are still standing.

Rodeos

Rodeos are one of America's most enjoyed cultural traditions. Rodeos are full of excitement, speed, danger, cheering fans, cowboys and cowgirls, country music, great food, rodeo queens and princesses, tradition, beautiful horses, and my favorite: outstanding subjects for great photographs.

Visit to an Old Cemetery

Cemeteries can be creepy places, but they can also be interest locations for photography. Meet Kelsey.

The Warrior Princess

She was practicing her moves at the sand dunes near Moses Lake.

Cowgirls

I am fortunate enough to meet many interesting people as I travel around Washington State, and this includes cowgirls. I have met them at rodeos, farms, ranches, and even at the ocean beach. 

A Ghost in Oregon

These were recently taken at an abandoned military installation near Astoria that was active during World War I.

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