OREGON ON FILM
Black + White grainy captures of the Pacific.
Many years ago, love brought me to Oregon.
And Oregon brought vision and hope.
It was 2016, I was shadowing a photographer in Portland.
She was fascinating in ways I figured I’d never be.
She wore just black and white. Every time.
Perhaps she was just more disciplined than I.
Her name was Madeline, and she took me along to places like Indian Beach to photograph elopements.
Our styles couldn’t have been more different.
But I sincerely had a deep appreciation for hers.
After summer ended, I continued to fly to Oregon, and continued to meet love.
Met by the hidden hikes,
the glacier melt lakes,
the constant change of scenery,
a snow-capped hood,
the best pepper jerky,
roaring coastlines,
jagged and misty.
The sky felt heavy,
but never weighed you down.
The air was magnetic,
it drew you in,
and guided you home.
I’ll never forget that 2 year love affair
with the luscious Oregon.
This is why, I had to return.
In July 2021, I decided to go.
It was at great expense,
but felt worth it.
During my time there,
I took along my film camera.
These are the photos.
Trillium Lake, July 2021
Cascades, July 2021
Angel's Rest, July 2021
Thank you Smith Rock, July 2021
Canoeing at Sparks Lake, Bend area, July 2021
Prohibited Area, July 2021
Portland, Oregon, July 2021
Ants on Cape Kiawanda, July 2021
Litter with a message, Portland, Oregon, July 2021
The Max, Portland, Oregon, July 2021
Hayden and I, atop Angel’s Rest, Columbia River Gorge, July 2021
Good morning, Mount. Hood, July 2021
The climb to Angel’s Rest, Columbia River Gorge, July 2021
Streets of Portland, July 2021
“I’ll take me coffee from here”
I went to Oregon
with hopes of redemption
of re-claiming the land
of love and hope
when at a time it felt so distant.
When I left, I reflected on how it felt
to experience this place outside of what it was to me.
Oregon is spectacular, but this trip sobered me up.
It gave me the truth, that Oregon is complex.
It’s not just a fairytale.
When it’s hikes are swallowed by flames,
It’s not just a fairytale.
When record-breaking heat waves wipe out many houseless folk,
It’s not just a fairytale.
When the state is polarized and racism is rampant,
It’s certainly not a fairytale.
However the deep greens and fir trees will always be a refuge.
If they can survive the burns.
