Pacific Northwest

Moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2006 opened up a vast world of visual possibility. I had lived in an intimate landscape (very northern part of the Shenandoah Valley) for 44 years. And then I was greeted by majestic mountain ranges, bald eagles, a visually exciting city, foggy waterscapes, and the eternal Pacific Ocean. It also taught me about the beauty of neutral gray to enhance colors and give subjects a ‘soft-box’ feel. There is nothing more beautiful to me now than a pearlescent gray sky and its effect on the landscape.

I’m not a wildlife photographer, but I’ve included the images at the bottom of this gallery because the time I spent in the Southeast Passage of Alaska was a peak experience for me. Whales all around a 100-foot yacht, glaciers calving and crashing into the sea, goats climbing vertical walls, otters and eagles and bears….OH MY! So these images are here just to remind me of the grandeur and beauty that exists in this part of the world.

Beginning to teach in Coupeville, Washington, at the Pacific Northwest Art School was pivotal for me. Thinking deeply about my own photography and how I might communicate to students what I felt about crafting meaningful images, brought depth to my own practice and philosophy. It continues to do so every year and fifteen years on now, I can say that I’m beginning to get the hang of it! So join me…whether in a class to explore the art and craft of creating books, or for my week-long intensive that focuses our intent for our photographs. It’s a wonderful place to give yourself the gift of greater awareness. It would be a great privilege to assist you on that journey.