Emerald Bay Photography News and Updates

With the holidays over, and 2005 just getting ready to really rev up, Emerald Bay Photography is jumping into the new year with both feet. Look for these cool improvements in the present or near future:

- Emerald Bay Photography is the newest member of the prestigious AIAP - that is short for "Association of Independent Architectural Photographers". By requiring client referrals prior to acceptance of membership and making its members adhere to a strict code of ethics, the AIAP promotes good business practices and client trust in the industry. I'm delighted to have been chosen to join this elite group. A thanks goes out to the clients who supported my application.

- Look for a vastly improved facelift of my galleries in the near future. The antiquitated system of having to manually upload each and every single image to a remote server running Zope, and caption them individually, has proven to be a real burden on productivity. Thankfully, there is a software called Gallery. It's sleek php scripts and browsable thumbnails have been hailed by photographers. It will be installed, configured and should be up and running on the server (graciously hosted by Jake Ortman) within a month or two. Temporarily however, a few high-volume galleries are hosted on the Photoreflect server.

- The new business software PhotoByte will streamline and simplify Emerald Bay Photography's day-to-day operations. A big thanks goes to the great (and generou) Tom Zimboff, who has decided to make this previously proprietary software suite (selling at a steep $1200) available for free - supporting his continous quest to educate fellow photographers about the intricacies of running a photo business. His book Focus on Profit is a must-have for every photographer.

- Most of all though - look for fresh images from various local events, starting with the 2005 Chevrolet US Snowboard Grand Prix at Mt. Bachelor this weekend (weather permitting), the Attaboy 300 World Sled Dog Championships race in Central Oregon, and much more. Emerald Bay Photography will also continue to be featured in Bend Living magazine and on Bend.com, as well as writing articles on various photography issues at O'Reilly Media.

So thanks to all my clients for their business in 2004, and I hope to be able to serve you all just as well (no! better!) in 2005!

Labels: photography

There are not too many places anymore you can see a wolf up close and personal.

A hike in Yellowstone National Park may provide you with a glimpse - if you're lucky. If you're a farmer in Western Idahoe, you might have had an encounter. Plus, a variety of cheesy game farms in Montana have them, so photographers can get closeup shots of the creatures without actually having to go track them down (boooo!).

And finally there are the rescue operations, many located in the Pacific Northwest, that take in injured or sick animals - providing them with a safe place to heal up, and ultimately releasing them back into the wild. For the few unfortunate souls who are not deemed fit to fend for themselves in the great wild anymore, these rehab centers essentially become comfy retirement homes. These animals sometimes also serve double-duty in breeding programs, but mostly, they are the attractions that supply the rehab centers with the necessary tourist dollars to continue their good work.

Ultimately, centers like Wolf Haven in Tenino, Washington, and Wildlife Images in Grants Pass, Oregon, serve as the last places for the general public to experience wolves and other wild creatures up close.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Southern Oregon, and a friend suggested we'd go to Wildlife Images. Seeing wolves, bears, cougars, bobcat, eagles and an assortment of other wild animals in their small caged areas, I was reminded more than anything else of all this wild splendor lost - of how we humans, in our infinitely deluded faith in being a supreme race, wipe everything that even remotely threathens us from the face of the planet. What we don't hunt to complete extinction, we shove into remote corners of the wilderness, giving it a half-ass chance to survive, but never a full chance to thrive.

Luckily, the wolf is making a comeback, and studies have been published, highlighting the negative impact the disapperance of the wolf from the eco-system has had.

So maybe instead of wasting your money this holiday season on some meaningless toy or other useless piece of material crap, consider instead giving the gift of true joy and life and adopt a wild animal from one of the rehab centers (Wildlife Images, Wolf Haven).

Or - you can buy a print of the one of the below wolf photographs (all taken at Wildlife Images), and Emerald Bay Photography will donate 100% of the sales price to the wildlife rescue organziation of your choice.








8 x 10 Prints are $45
11 x 14 Prints are $55
11 x 17 Prints are $65

All prints are unmatted and unmounted, prices do not include shipping.

Labels: oregon stock photography, photography