We took the Metro to the Louvre, so I didn’t see this entrance staircase until I was leaving. It’s really a pretty incredible feat of engineering. The spiral staircase floats around a column that doubles as an elevator and connects the outside courtyard to the belly of the museum. Definitely go in this way if you ever go to the Louvre.

I think I like this shot of it better.

As you may or may not know, I’ve been a PhotoShelter customer for several years now. I love their service. It is, by far, the BEST way to show proofs to clients and deliver high rez finals. It also easily fits in to my digital workflow with Lightroom via a plugin, so using it saves me tremendous amounts of time and energy. Time and energy that I now spend focusing on my business, rather than mundane tasks that waste countless hours like creating Adobe web galleries, FTPing files, or (cringe) burning DVDs.

Every job I’ve delivered since 2010 is online high rez. Not only can my current clients redownload their images at any time, but I can quickly share and relicense available images to new customers. As a bonus, it also serves as an offsite backup in case something every goes terribly wrong at my office (knock on wood).

Anyway, when Lauren Margolis of PhotoShelter asked me to do in an interview about my architectural and interior photography, I jumped at the opportunity. I was totally flattered and I think the interview came out really great. Click the link below to read it on PhotoShelter’s blog:

Architectural Photography: Just Like Playing Tetris…Right?.

Thank you to all my clients for making this year so great. You all are a truly a pleasure to work for and I look forward to many more projects together.

Also, thank you to all the stylists, models, assistants, art directors, photo editors, art buyers, and marketing directors I’ve worked with this year. The success of all these shoots wouldn’t have been possible without your collaboration.

Finally, a special shout out to Justin Tunis and Daniel Cronin for being two excellent go to assistants. Thank you for your hard work, your professionalism on set, and being easy to travel with. I’ll be calling you soon.

I am beyond excited to share with you the good news about my first major photo contest win. For the 1st Annual PDN’s Objects of Desire photo contest, I won in the Food & Still Life category for this sizzling shot of bacon. The shot, art directed by Michael Novak, was originally taken for Portland Monthly as part of a breakfast feature story.

This was my first major photo contest win and I am really proud to finally make it.

To see my shot online and the other winners, go to www.pdnobjectsofdesire.com/gallery/winners2011/

I am huge in Germany. Just kidding, but I am pretty stoked to have the cover feature for the November/December 2011 issue of 20 Private Wohnträume. The magazine picked up the photos I shot for Jessica Helgerson of this Mid Century Remodel in Portland. It’s been one of my favorite shoots and the work from it has definitely been instrumental in getting my career where it is today. It’s nice to see them live on again in print. Below are the rest of the spreads. Enjoy!

Now this was a dirty job (as you can tell from my laptop power supply). But it was a fun job and a new challenge from my usual gigs. Columbia/Okura, a joint venture of Columbia Machine, Inc. and Okura Yusoki Co. Ltd, makes these incredible robotic systems to pack and load pallets. Watching them in action is pretty cool experience. The A1800 above can load 30+ cases from a loading point to a pallet in one minute. There’s 8 cans of paint in one case, so we’re talking 240 cans of paint load per minute. That’s ludicrous speed. And it’s accurate. Loading the stock at different angles for proper load distribution. All the robots are custom programmed and built to individual client specs.

Columbia Okura was looking for dramatic photos of their product lines for their new website and I was happy to oblige. These are pretty big machine systems that are built and tested right in their warehouse in Vancouver, WA. The goal of the lighting was to isolate the robot, end effector, and pallet system from the rest of the warehouse. Using big strobes and a fast shutter speeds, I was able to darken the background and give the machines a hero quality. The other part of the shoot involved showing the employees building and testing the systems. For those shots, I shot handheld and used a huge softbox for a natural looking fill. All in all, we got quite a large image library and you can see the shots in action over at www.columbiaokura.com

For more heavy metal, check out the shots below.

It’s been a busy summer and I’m really excited to start showing some of the work I’ve been doing lately. If you’re wondering why I haven’t been blogging much, it’s because a lot of my shoots are under embargo until the images are published. This week, I’m going to recap some work from three very different clients.

This first project is an architectural shoot for long time client DLR Group. DLR is one of the top architecture firms in the country and their work has always been standout. This project in particular struck me as truly inspired design. I scouted this project in January and didn’t actually shoot it until May when we had better light. On the shoot, I worked closely with project designer Levi Patterson wangling kids, building furniture, and even moving a piano to get all these wonderful shots. The interior of the auditorium is one of the most striking spaces I’ve ever photographed. Here’s what DLR has to say about the project:

Connection. Identity. The Scappoose High School Auditorium is designed as a community center created to link the broader citizenry and the school; the architecture creates a point of connection for the students and the residents of Scappoose, Oregon to foster a shared identity. DLR Group designed the 400 seat auditorium so the connection between school and community would grow and inform through student and citizen performances, as well as student, local, and regional art display. The notion of the theatre lobby as a space to display public and student art was enriched with its additional use as the new public entry and commons. The relationship between connection and identity in the design are codependent; by inviting connection the design has created an identity that transcends physical materials and form, but is an identity of ownership by students and the community. The form of the auditorium is kinetic energy. The staccato rhythm of the performance hall massing, with the large fly loft and new entry volume, were envisioned to create the same experience as the lifting of keys after the last movement of a piano concerto; the reflection and memory, the breath, that accompanies the end of a powerful performance.

Are here are the rest of the shots for you architecture and design lovers:

Credits:
Scott Rose – Principle-in-Charge
Levi Patterson – Project Designer
Kent Larson – Project Architect

I can’t imagine traveling anywhere now without a GPS like my trusty Garmin here. We took the long way home from a shoot the other week and traveled through a beautiful part of Eastern Washington. Neither of us had been in that area before and it was well worth the detour.

Shooting landscapes in motion reminds me of photographing the ocean. The constant changes of view create unique moments that are fleeting to capture. Like waves crashing, each second is different with light and land changing rapidly. If you see a moment, you shoot it because it won’t ever exist again.

I think one of the most rewarding things about being a photographer is seeing your work in action. I recently donated a few images to PDX11 to use on their website. This small grassroots organization wants to ”put Portland on the global map as the place to go when looking for software talent and investment opportunities.”

Well I certainly hope these shots help them do that. And with support from the Portland Mayor’s office, EMMA, IBM, Intel, Hopworks Urban Brewery, and many more, I think they’ll be drawing lots of creative and smart people to Portland. After all, it is one of the greatest cities to live and work in the US.

Here are some more screen shots from www.pdx11.org designed by the über-talented Matthew Johnson of Arutai Studios.

I have to give a little shout out to Molly and Michelle of Hinged Strung Stitched here. Not only did they custom build my case for me, but they also create many of the products my wife offers to her wedding clients. Lauren also did a really excellent lifestyle shoot with the two of them in action and goofing around.

Here are some more photos and details about my new portfolio.

I went with bamboo and cloth for my book/case combo because so much of my work has that natural kind of feel to it. I didn’t think leather, plastic, or steel really fit with how I shoot. But, my work is also very clean and composed. The simple design of the book and case mimic that perfectly.

Laser etching my logo turned out way better than I thought. I contemplated screen printing, but my logo is just black and grey. It would have looked dull on the cover. The relief in the wood creates a really nice lighting effect, subtle but noticeable. This compliments how I shoot with natural light.

For years, I was stuck with single sided paper and doing only one spread per page. I could have used acetate sheet protectors to hold my photos and do full spreads, but because the feel of the paper is so important to me, I just went one sided. Finally Moab came out with a really beautiful and thick double sided paper that works. Most double sided paper is too thin and you see the back photo on the white areas of the page. The Lasal Matte doesn’t do that. And it’s prescored and drilled to fit my book. Double bonus!

It’s the little things that matter. Every good portfolio presentation I’ve seen has some sort holder for leave behind promos. Molly’s idea to put a little off center window in the holder was brilliant. I love the effect and how it frames the promo almost like a web thumbnail.

And here’s the promo made from the same paper that’s in the book. Consistent look, color, and feel.

Now I’m ready for some portfolio showings! Please contact me if you’d like to see the real thing in person.