It’s the two-year anniversary of this newsletter! I’ve grown to love putting these quarterly missives together, and I want to take the opportunity to thank all the incredible editors, art directors, producers and multi-hyphenates I’ve worked with this year (and in all the years before). Your continued trust and support mean everything to me.

 

Some highlights from the season:

 

Shoots of all shapes and sizes! I had some wonderful collaborations with new teams at Red Bull, Nordstrom, Stanford, Sound Transit and more.

 

Time in the field with incredible journalists. I’m constantly in awe of the work reporters do—it’s not for the faint of heart. Historically, only a small fraction of my editorial projects involve working directly with writers, so it’s been a privilege to have such great company in the field over the past few months.

 

A short but sweet trip to NYC. I met with editors, caught up with old friends, and attended the American Photography party. It’s always an honor to be included in the book.

 

 

And… a new puppy!
As you can see above, we’re deep in the shark phase.

 

Now, on to the work. I hope everyone enjoys a gentle wind-down to 2025, and I’ll see you on the other side!

 

Amanda Knox for Die Zeit

In mid-September, my assistant Ramon and I hopped a ferry to meet Amanda Knox at her home for a new column in the paper called The Conversation. Amanda was a lovely and accommodating subject who impressed me with her vast knowledge of languages.Read the story here.

Bioluminescence in San Juan Island for Afar

I present to you the most technically challenging shoot of my career. The assignment: one image of bioluminescence in the San Juan Islands for Afar. Picture shooting in complete darkness, in a tandem kayak for the first time—plus plenty of wind.

 

Did I worry, walking back to my car at 1 a.m. after four hours on the water, that I had anything usable for print? I’m not supposed to say yes. Long story short, I put my Z9 and a 20mm f/1.8 through their paces. I leaned into the dreamy softness of ISO 25,600 and a 0.5-second shutter—and was pleasantly surprised by the result. Thanks to editor Michelle Heimerman for an unforgettable island adventure.

In Toxic Detention for The Margin

It’s always a unique challenge to photograph someone who must remain anonymous. As part of continued reporting on the Northwest ICE Processing Center, I met with a former detainee who, for safety reasons, asked to use the pseudonym Roxanne.

 

Opened in 2004 on an EPA-designated Superfund site—land with hazardous levels of contamination—the NWIPC has been the subject of thousands of complaints obtained through public records. Many allege that migrants inside the facility breathe toxic air and drink and bathe in contaminated water, leading to nausea, rashes, and other health issues.

A huge thanks to my wonderful assistant and translator Danni Mar for their support on this assignment. I hope you'll take a moment to read Rico Moore's important, heartbreaking reporting here.

Three Women Sound the Alarm for NYT

I traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska with writer Adam Popescu earlier this summer for The New York Times Museum Special Issue. We spent a jam-packed 48 hours hopping between galleries, museums, and the university for a story on three women creating a climate-change-inspired exhibit. Read the story here.

Kassa Overall for Seattle Met

Kassa Overall is a talented jazz musician who just released a new record. We spent a fun afternoon at his home studio and Pike Place Market for his Seattle Met feature. Read the story here. 

New Work for Kenji Lopez-Alt

I spent a fun afternoon with Kenji and his wonderful production manager Lena creating some new images for his website. Take a peek!

Retiring in Luxury for NYT

Read the story here.

The Stranger, A Progressive Kingmaker for NYT

It's always fascinating to get an inside look at a newsroom as someone who spends so much time working with them from the outside. Read Karen Weise's story on The Stranger's influence on local elections here.

Nida Abu Baker for Lux Magazine

I first worked with Lux years ago and was happy to get a call in September to photograph an upcoming feature on Nida Abu Baker. Read more here.

Author Morgan Housel for Financial Times 

I met with author Morgan Housel at home for a Financial Times cover story on how to get better at spending money. Read it here.

 

 

✨ Other Works ✨

🍷 For Food and Wine: Best New Chefs Guide

💌 For AARP: How Caregivers Can Preserve Dignity

🌭 For Stanford Magazine: A Profile of the 40 Year CFO of Costco

💅🏻 For Seattle Met: How One Mall is Cultivating Joy and Inclusion

 

The Launch of Seattle Photo Book Club!

My friends and esteemed colleagues Jovelle Tamayo and Ramon Dompor and I organized a photo book meetup with fellow visual creatives at Photographic Center Northwest on December 2. I only snapped a few photos because I was having so much fun nerding out over great books. We’re excited to make this a quarterly event. Follow along here.

 

What I'm Loving and Looking Forward To

I just rewatched Taxi Driver for the first time in a long while. It feels shockingly relevant today. The colors in that movie are a dream.

 

The new Geese record is fantastic. This article made me lol.

 

The New Yorker at 100 was a great watch. I learned so much about the storied, beloved publication.

 

I’m heading to the coast this weekend to spend the last few days of a whirlwind fall with good friends. If this difficult and transformative year has taught me anything, it’s that having a strong core group of friends is everything.

 

RIP Martin Parr, one of the best to ever do it. This photo of pig cakes is my favorite of his. I don't know why, but it just makes me happy. I love it.