Each time we come here, we walk away raving about how this place has such unique and inviting character.  The way the avenues subtly come to life with moms & jogging strollers, feelgood college students on their way to class, and open-air markets with fresh produce, farm-raised honey, and goodwill.  It's similar to the larger cities we're used to, but something is almost indescribably different about Portland.  

I couldn't help but grin when I came across this image the other day.  Meet Kay & Margie.  Kay is Crystal's grandmother, and Margie is Kay's sister.  I don't remember the date, but sometime in the not too distant past Crystal snapped this frame with our Panasonic Lumix LX3 point-and-shoot camera.  It's the kind of picture that has no choice but to brighten everyone's day.  So, enjoy it, and let it make you happy!

We involuntarily paused for just a moment during some outdoor wedding portraits last weekend. Out of the corner of our eyes, we caught a glimpse of a beast with a pituitary malfunction dragging an unlucky middle-aged man through the city.  I turned and froze, much like the Grizzly Man probably did moments before his untimely demise.  It was then that I exhaled and whispered a foul word of relief, realizing the mammoth beast was just a dog.  A Mastiff really.  And as you can tell by the photo, I'm pretty sure he does the walking when it's time to trot around downtown Portland.

Last weekend Crystal & I photographed Amanda & Justin's amazing wedding in Walla Walla.  Crystal shot this image as we drove along I-90 with a Canon 1V and Fuji Velvia 50 film.  I love how authentic this image looks, even without the magic of Photoshop ;)

A few days ago, I dropped off a bunch of film at Moonphoto Lab in Greenwood.  One of the black and white rolls had only seven frames on it.  These are two of those frames.  I'm fairly certain it was a cheap Kodak film, and the lighting conditions in the bathroom of our old home were less than ideal.  Crystal shot these two frames of Gibson & Ella a few years ago, as any mother bathing two toddlers would, very quickly, and without concern for exactness.  Today is the first time I saw these images, and it caused me to realize something I often overlook in my own mad dash for idealism in the photography world.  There is inexplicable beauty in imperfection.  A photograph is akin to a favorite song, or a familiar scent.  It has its own way of taking you by the hand and leading you back to a time you've nearly forgotten; its own way of forcing you to close your eyes, crack a subtle smile, and relive time traveled.