The Port Gamble Predicament | High Country News

As I straddle the line between commercial photography/videography (with The Emerald Collective) and personal editorial work, some things are becoming quite clear: the images I want to make at this point in my life must add a momentum to something. Having always been interested in environmental issues (yet not knowing how to make a difference), when Colorado-based, non-profit magazine the High Country News reached out to me from a referral from Theo Stroomer, I jumped on the opportunity. Long story short, two days were spent near the Washington coast to photograph the drawn-out issue of land rights between Pope Resources and the S'Klallam tribe. The land - some 7,000 acres of it near Port Gamble and Point Julia - is up for sale, but with a termination date in March of 2013. Do yourself a favor and drop by the HCN website for a subscription and a read-through. The following are a number of favorites images and resulting tear sheets from the cover story in the most recent HCN, which went to print November 26, 2012. Loved getting out there in the forest with a camera and my two boys from The Emerald Collective. If you have any interest, a short documentary video of the trip can be found here. Thank for looking... enjoy!

Morning light cascades over smooth waters on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, at the tip of Port Gamble Bay in Port Gamble, Washington.

A heavy rain breaks the surface of a murky pond within the expansive network of hiking trails of the String of Pearls on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, outside of Port Gamble, Washington. Over 7000 acres of this timberland - along with nearly three miles of shoreline - is up for sale, yet the to-be owner remains undecided after years of convoluted agreements, disagreements and squabbles over true ownership rights.

Ben Jennings, foreground, gets trimmed up by independent haircutter Sally Tuson - both of which are from Poulsbo - on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, in Port Gamble, Washington. Tuson opened her shop in Port Gamble in August and has seen good - yet scattered - business. Jennings has gotten his hair cut from Tuson for nearly 15 years. "She gave my grandson his first haircut," Jennings said.

Jenarose Fulton stands over her late husband's grave Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington. Fulton, who lives on the reservation, had seven of her own children. After her daughter passed, Fulton took care of three additional children. Three of her children are buried here in addition to her husband. "The dogs keep me happy now," Fulton said.

Jeromy Sullivan, Chairman of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, poses for a portrait on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington. Sullivan is at the forefront of the dispute between the tribe and Pope Resources over the 7000 acres of land and shoreline in and around Port Gamble. The land is up for sale, yet the to-be owner remains undecided after years of convoluted agreements, disagreements and squabbles over true ownership rights.

A chum salmon attempts to fight its way into a hatchery and to its eventual death on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington. The S'Klallams have long caught fish from Port Gamble Bay for both eating and breeding for the next year's harvest. November is the spawning month for chum. While not the best salmon to eat in terms of flavor, the tribe offers up the corpses of slaughtered, spawned chum to families on the reservation for free.

James Jones, 38, attempts to untangle and clean a fishing net on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington. Like his father before him, Jones grew up fishing.

Ramon Villa, right, and John DeCoteau, center right, work to unload and weight their catch after harvesting geoducks on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington. Geoducks are pulled from the bottom of the bay by way of a diver swimming along the bottom with a rebreather and a water wand. The creatures can often be worth up to 30 dollars a piece, and are frequently shipped overnight to China by third party sellers.

Ramon Villa, 23, shows off one of his catch after harvesting geoducks on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington.

The serene green of a pocket of forest in the String of Pearls hiking trail network gleams after a heavy rain on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, in Port Gamble, Washington. Over 7000 acres of the surrounding timberland - along with nearly three miles of shoreline - is up for sale, yet the to-be owner remains undecided after years of convoluted agreements, disagreements and squabbles over true ownership rights.

In this long exposure, historic homes - many of which are now gift shop conversions - are illuminated by the passing headlights of cars on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012, in Port Gamble, Washington. The town, which was founded in 1853 as a base of operations for a timber mill, exists now as a tourist destination mainly in the summer months.

A chum salmon corpse rots on the beach outside of a hatchery on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington. The S'Klallams have long caught fish from Port Gamble Bay for both eating and breeding for the next year's harvest. November is the spawning month for chum. While not the best salmon to eat in terms of flavor, the tribe offers up the corpses of slaughtered, spawned chum to families on the reservation for free.

S'Klallam tribal member Dwayne Luker, in yellow, and Donald Rodgers, in green, work together to net a host of chum salmon for slaughter and spawning on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington. November is the month for spawning. The tribal members incubate the eggs with a mixture of river water and male salmon semen before pumping the concoction back into the bay for the next season's generation of salmon.

S'Klallam tribal member Dwayne Luker, in yellow, and Donald Rodgers, in green, work together to net a host of chum salmon for slaughter and spawning on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington.

S'Klallam hatchery worker Ben Ives, left, manager Tim Seachord, center, and Jeff Fulton, right, beat a batch of chum salmon to death before gutting them for eggs to mix for manmade spawning on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington. November is the month for spawning. The tribal members incubate the eggs with a mixture of river water and male salmon semen before pumping the concoction back into the bay for the next season's generation of salmon.

Blood drains from a pile of dead male chum salmon on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington. November is the month for spawning. The tribal members incubate the female salmon eggs with a mixture of river water and male salmon semen before pumping the concoction back into the bay for the next season's generation of salmon.

Cassandra Laroche drains a mixture of chum salmon eggs, semen and river water into buckets to initiate the fertilization process on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington. November is the month for spawning.

S'Klallam hatchery worker Jeff Fulton takes a breather after beating a batch of chum salmon to death before gutting them for eggs to mix for manmade spawning on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe reservation in Washington.

Jon Rose, president of the Olympic Property Group, poses for a portrait on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, at the site of the old Port Gamble mill on the shores of Port Gamble, Washington. OPG - an independent satellite company stemming from the Pope Resources Company - has dealt with the property issues and selling woes of the 7000 acres of land and Port Gamble shoreline for years.

Piles of refuse and rusting metal populate the site of the old Port Gamble mill - originally owned by Pope & Talbot - Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, in Port Gamble, Washington. The site, which ceased formal timber operations in 1995, is the culprit in the ongoing need for cleanup efforts now projected to cost 12 million dollars.

In a wash of storm water and machine oil, piles of refuse timber bits sit at the site of the old Port Gamble mill - originally owned by Pope & Talbot - Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, in Port Gamble, Washington. The site, which ceased formal timber operations in 1995, is the culprit in the ongoing need for cleanup efforts now projected to cost 12 million dollars.

A pathway cuts through the green of a pocket of forest in the String of Pearls hiking trail network gleams after a heavy rain on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, near Port Gamble, Washington. Over 7000 acres of the surrounding timberland - along with nearly three miles of shoreline - is up for sale, yet the to-be owner remains undecided after years of convoluted agreements, disagreements and squabbles over true ownership rights.

TEARSHEETS

Space Shuttle Trainer for The Associated Press

While attending the Eddie Adams Workshop, my outstanding Team Turquoise leaders awarded me with an assignment with The Associated Press. I cashed it in this past weekend with an afternoon spent photographing the one and only NASA Space Shuttle Trainer at Seattle's Museum of Flight. Pretty amazing experience; every astronaut that ever left the Earth's atmosphere for the great beyond had trained in the cramped, stuffy cockpit that I photographed in that morning. The big, wooden replica now sits in a permanent exhibit in south Seattle. Do yourself a favor and go feast your eyeballs on a slice of retired space history. Thanks to Santiago Lyon, Emilio Morenatti, Natan Dvir, Ted Warren and Elaine Thompson for the chance and help at the assignment. Enjoy a couple of little moments from my time with the trainer.

Layne Benofsky, 40, checks his email on his phone while inside the NASA Space Shuttle Trainer, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, in the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. An employee of the Museum of Flight, Benofsky took on the role of mascot for the day's events. The trainer, which was built in the 1970s and used to train every space shuttle astronaut over three decades, opened to the public Saturday and will remain a part of the museum's permanent exhibits. (AP Photo/Jordan Stead)

A mock astronaut, right, greets children with free posters at the moment of opening the NASA Space Shuttle Trainer exhibit for public access, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, in the Simonyi Space Gallery at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The trainer, which was built in the 1970s and used to train every space shuttle astronaut over three decades, opened to the public Saturday and will remain a part of the museum's permanent exhibits. (AP Photo/Jordan Stead)

Wilmer Dursteler, left, squeezes his way out of a flight simulator at the foot of the NASA Space Shuttle
Trainer, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, in the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Dursteler had come from southern California to view the trainer. The trainer, which was built in the 1970s and used to train every space shuttle astronaut over three decades, opened to the public Saturday and will remain a part of the museum's permanent exhibits. (AP Photo/Jordan Stead)

Trinity Johansen, 9, pauses to tie her shoe beneath a timeline of human space travel at the NASA Space Shuttle Trainer exhibit, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, in the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The trainer, which was built in the 1970s and used to train every space shuttle astronaut over three decades, opened to the public Saturday and will remain a part of the museum's permanent exhibits. (AP Photo/Jordan Stead)

Ron Donaglia, center, formerly of the U.S. Air Force, climbs from the NASA Space Shuttle Trainer, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, in the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The trainer, which was built in the 1970s and used to train every space shuttle astronaut over three decades, opened to the public Saturday and will remain a part of the museum's permanent exhibits. (AP Photo/Jordan Stead)

Amanda Plemmons shows off her custom-made space shawl while exploring the NASA Space Shuttle Trainer exhibit, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, in the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. "Standing inside the trainer and looking up; it's almost as good as being there," Plemmons said. The trainer, which was built in the 1970s and used to train every space shuttle astronaut over three decades, opened to the public Saturday and will remain a part of the museum's permanent exhibits. (AP Photo/Jordan Stead)

Election Night 2012 | Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington

Had the pleasure to photograph one of the most historic events to occur in my city in my lifetime. In a complete wash, Barack Obama was reelected while Referendum 74 and I-502 passed to (more or less) citywide agreement. Thanks to Josh Trujillo for the assignment for The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.  Enjoy!

From right to left, Matt Farler, Andrew Hopkins, Allison Miller and Austin Derck all scream in unison as President Barack Obama's projected win flashes across a TV tuned to CCN on election night Tuesday, November 6, 2012, at Neumos on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Wash. Crowds flocked to return parties hosted by a number of bars in the area to wait out final ballot results. In addition to President Barack Obama's reelection, Referendum 74 and I-502 were both passed in Washington state.

A group of men clamber onto an elevated surface to dance with one another to celebrate the passing of Referendum 74 on election night Tuesday, November 6, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Wash.

A KOMO 4 reporter struggles to communicate with his superiors over the din of a crowd that had taken to the streets in celebration of a second term win by President Barack Obama on election night Tuesday, November 6, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Wash. Beforehand, crowds had flocked to return parties hosted by a number of bars in the area to wait out final ballot results.

Radhika Prabhakar, center left, anxiously awaits polling results on election night Tuesday, November 6, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Wash.

Isabella Contreras, a performer at Entre Hermanos, prepares to show off a dance routine to a crowd outside on election night on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Wash.

Crowds took to the streets to celebrate following a projected second term win by President Barack Obama on on election night Tuesday, November 6, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Wash.

Crowds took to the streets to celebrate following a second term win by President Barack Obama on election night Tuesday, November 6, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Wash.

Crowds took to the streets to celebrate following a projected second term win by President Barack Obama on on election night Tuesday, November 6, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Wash.