I was holding back tears in December while photographing the first Covid vaccinations in Oregon. Whatever your views on vaccines, it was still a watershed moment, and I was honored to be part of it.  OHSU hired me to be part of this live-stream telecast, celebrating the arrival of the vaccines to our state and its beleaguered healthcare staff.

Speaking of vaccines and Covid, many of my photography clients are still hesitant to schedule photo shoots during the pandemic. While I understand (and share) the caution, there are also very good protocols for creating safe photo shoots. Whether you need images for a new ad, or portraits of your team, or a story told for your publication, we remain ready to create a safe and enjoyable experience for you.

I have a chainsaw that I use on my property, and while it’s made by Greenworks, the bar has the Oregon logo on it.  So I was familiar with their product when Jason, from Oregon, contacted me about doing a shoot for them.

Oregon is an Oregon-based company that produces blades, bars, and chains for chainsaws, mowers, harvesters, and other outdoor equipment.  Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, I’ve been familiar with their products for years.  But it wasn’t until I met with Jason that I understood much about this international company.

We scheduled two photo shoots, working with real loggers on-site in Washington and Arkansas.  In SW Washington, we worked with a logging crew on a huge site.  While we usually think of loggers tromping around with chainsaws, the reality is that most work is done inside of huge, powerful machines.  I felt like I was photographing in a Transformers movie.

Arkansas?  Yep, they log in Arkansas.  More than half the state is forested, with primarily hardwood forests, but also pine.  So logging is big business there.  We spent a couple of days south of Little Rock, working with a local logging outfit, and a local supplier.  In spite of the rain (or perhaps because of it), we were able to capture these guys hard at work.  It was an enjoyable assignment, made all the better by the experience of southern hospitality, barbecue, and some beautiful scenery.