It was such a joy to capture Ben Heller and Kayti Krepel’s marriage! I already knew them a bit from our church in Seattle, but I felt like I got to really see them at their wedding. The service was a beautiful celebration of their relationship and their faith. I also loved all the hippy details that made their day special: outside at Parsons Gardens, barefoot, acoustic, and full of color. And did I mention that the entire wedding party decided to climb up into a tree for photos? Awesome.
James McGeathey and Tiffany Turner had a small, beautiful ceremony with family and friends at Elizabeth Park in Bellingham. Throughout the day, I enjoyed James’ fun, playful attitude and Tiffany’s creative attention to all the details. There was definitely a classy, creative vibe to the celebration, and I was especially impressed by the wedding cupcakes. You are both supported by your friends and family, and I wish you the best in your new marriage!
Liz and I started off a crazy month of wedding photography by capturing Zach Wright and Dannielle Coleman’s wedding at Bybee Farms in North Bend, Washington. We were refreshed not only be the gorgeous outdoor location, but by the overwhelming support we felt for Zach and Dannielle by their friends and family. Their grounding in their faith and their heartfelt commitment to each other were a blessing to witness.
View the full gallery and order professional prints here.
The U.S.S. Grover is a glass bottom boat that I built for my camera. This project simply designed to be a way of capturing images underwater, particularly in shallow areas where one may not make a point of using a truly waterproof camera. Through the complexity of both fabrication and use, however, I encountered several unexpected outcomes.
In many ways, I found that the images we do see from underwater are less interesting than the fact that we can’t naturally see through water (even if we submerge ourselves, our eyes won’t focus the light). By cobbling together a contraption that interrupts this boundary, we cross into a world that is alien and uninhabitable. There is a degree of physicality to this process: wading through cold water, leaning down to block glare, and peering through your own shadow. Even the device itself breaks the surface of the water and changes its flow. Something about this feels mythical–like physically reaching into an otherworldly portal. And interestingly, this portal can send us in many directions. Without a shadow to block glare, the darkness underwater turns the glass window into a reflective mirror, revealing the world above me–at whatever distance I choose to focus. It is also possible to focus neither underwater or above, but only on the pane of glass itself.
Musing about the implications of this project, I’ve wondered how much photography has been altered by the limitations our cameras face in accessing the world? I wonder also, how building appendages that extend the reach of our cameras might redefine our relationship to image making?
What do you think?
View HD version of Journey Through a Log here.
As I’ve dabbled in sculpture, I’ve become particularly fascinated by interior spaces of wood. Any time a cut is made through wood, we get a snapshot of the inside, but we rarely get to see any continuity between these spaces.
This video is a journey through the interior of about 3′ of a log. For each of the 113 frames, a physical cross-section of wood was cut off (in a long, sawdusty, painful process). “Journey Through a Log” is the resulting stop motion.
During my time in Havasupai, I frequently returned to photographing the formations of rocks. Some formations looked almost like alien worm colonies. Others looked more like lava tubes, and a few made me think of giant bird bones that had been sectioned out. After two or three days of watching how the water interacted with objects it touched, it became apparent that these formations were the result of contact with plants that had since died and rotted out. Even tender new roots from grass seemed to calcify as soon as they could grow. In a very immediate way, the shapes and textures of the canyon are determined by the lives of the plants growing in it. Knowing this, it is clear why the formations of travertine reminded me living forms.
From a more general perspective, I profoundly appreciate how my completely superficial aesthetic interest opened the door to a deeper empirical understanding–moreover, how this understanding then multiplied the depth of my wonder at the visual content.
Right now I’m in the middle of preparing my Thesis Show and shooting a ton of weddings. I’m excited about everything I’m doing, but it’s way more than I’ve juggled before! There’s always time for distractions, though–these MRI cross-sections of fruit (from the “Inside Insides” blog) are way too awesome not to share.
Vertical Pineapple cross sections
Go to the Inside Insides blog to view more imagery. If you like this, you should check out Nick Veasey’s X-Ray Photos.
Curious Imagery just launched a social presence on Facebook. While a walk by the ocean is my preferred “social media,” I’m hoping that this will make it easier to communicate with clients, get feedback on what’s working best, and share my photography.
You can help give this a little momentum just by clicking the “Like” button below. Thanks!
For you Facebook Gurus out there, I’d love tips. How have you seen a business page used best?
Liz and I had a great time shooting Tony Campo and Susannah Terry’s wedding at the Pacific Beach Resort and Conference Center near Ocean City. The lighting and environment proved to be a technical challenge, but we loved the energetic atmosphere. The love shown to them from their friends and family was inspiring, and the desert buffet was also very impressive.
If you’d like to see more than just our favorites below, visit the full gallery here.
