I recently returned from a short, northwest road trip to Washington to attend the Bellingham Visual Journalism Conference. It was a much needed break from work and an opportunity to recharge and learn/refine some skills. I took the long way there, spending a few nights camping in central Oregon and on the coast. Having never been through Oregon, I’m happy I made the detour and had a chance to drive through and see some spectacular forests and coastline.

The conference itself was intense, but incredibly helpful. I spent a few days learning to shoot and edit DSLR video (something I really needed to improve on), as well as taking in some amazing stories from photographers whose work I admire. Just being around people with such a passion for what we do was alone worth the trip for me. I met a number of talented people, and I’m thankful for the few minutes they spent talking with me and reviewing my work.

These are a few photographs I made along the way, mostly with water and/or cool tones being central to the image. Water, as well as personal reflection, seemed to be recurring themes of my trip.