Letters Home a visual diary of Matthew Ginn's activities in Portland, Oregon, and beyond971-219-7189
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Brown pelicans
I’m slowly going through the hundreds of photos I took on this weekend’s camping vacation adventure on the Oregon coast, trying to figure out the best way to present them. It was a great trip, filled with cool wildlife, natural wonders and spectacular vistas. Well, maybe not spectacular vistas per se, but … memorable? I’ve [...]
Portland high school architecture
As one of my personal projects this summer, I’ve set out to photograph all 10 public high schools in the Portland school district. The buildings represent a significant but under-appreciated investment in public architecture. In Portland, the (original) buildings generally date from two periods. Major construction on six of the 10 occurred between 1909 and [...]
A little off the top
Last night I did a short portrait session with our in-house supermodel to celebrate her new haircut. I set up some strobes in the kitchen and fired away for a while, never 100% satisfied with the look. I moved the lights here and there, used different modifiers and such, and there are some good shots [...]
Rose City Open disc golf tournament
Portland is a hotbed for many non-mainstream sports, and disc golf is among the more popular of these. There are about two dozen courses within an hour’s drive of downtown, and others are planned. The idea is a pretty straightforward cross between traditional golf and Frisbee. Instead of whacking a little white ball from bunker [...]
The cottonwood comes down
Just over two weeks after it received a last-minute stay of execution, the black cottonwood tree in our front yard has been taken down. It took four men from All Around Arbor less than four hours to dismantle the 40-foot tree on July 9. Friday morning dawned clear and hot in St. Johns, and I [...]
Fort Vancouver
For last Monday, the last full day of my parents’ visit, we decided to check out Fort Vancouver, the original Hudson’s Bay trading post in Vancouver, Wash. I had been to the National Historic Reserve several times, but somehow never seen the fort itself. Needless to say, we were quite impressed by it. The Hudson’s [...]
Portland Fireworks
For the Fourth of July we wanted to give my parents a good view of the fireworks going off all around the city. Perrie sourced an excellent, top-secret, limited-access location with a prime view of the downtown fireworks and a good field of vision to see many of the other shows and private displays in [...]
Mt. St. Helens?
The original plan was to meet my parents at Mt. St. Helens on July 1, but since the weather was pretty grey and drizzly we postponed that trip and went to Bonneville Dam instead. The forecast for July 4 was much more promising, and when we awoke to mostly clear skies in Portland the biggest [...]
Lan Su Chinese Garden
The main event for Saturday was a trip to the Lan Su Chinese Garden, a gem within the otherwise forgettable four-block stretch that passes for Chinatown in Portland. In addition to our self-guided tour, we enjoyed a Chinese yo-yo demonstration and lesson. We also had tea in the Tower of Cosmic Reflections, some of which [...]
To market, to market
Saturday morning was mild and sunny so we took my parents to the St. Johns Farmers Market, just a few blocks from our home. Mum and Perrie particularly enjoyed a demonstration on making curry.
Ann Lowy, 1932-2010
My Great Aunt Ann passed away early Monday morning at age 78, at her home in England. She was a loving wife and mother, and one of the most gracious people I’ve ever met. Our thoughts are with “Gruncle” Stanley, their children Gillian, Edward, Richard, and their respective families. (This photo was taken July 13, [...]
A visit to Bonneville Dam
My parents were in town for the long weekend, so we did lots of touring around. We had planned to visit Mt. St. Helens on July 1, but the weather was cloudy and rainy, so we went to the Bonneville Dam instead. The visitor center is very informative, and our guide explained the hydroelectric process [...]