Now Part 107 Remote Pilot certified for drone photography
January 20, 2026

A seagull flies over the Snohomish River in Everett, Washington, USA, on Tue., Jan. 27, 2026.

I now have my Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate from the FAA allowing me to use a drone on assignment. I also have drone liability insurance and can provide a COI on request. 

Here’s my drone photography and video portfolio. 

It’s been more fun than I expected to fly this thing and get a different perspective. Looking forward to flying more as the Pacific Northwest weather dries out in the coming months. 

New story: Investigating an Alzheimer’s mystery
November 1, 2025

Doug Whitney, 75, at his home in Port Orchard, Washington, USA, on Wed., March 12, 2025. Doug Whitney is the son of Mildred Reiswig, who died of early-onset Alzheimer's disease along with 9 of her 13 siblings. It was later discovered that the family carries a genetic mutation that makes them more likely to develop early-onset Alzheimer's, usually before the age of 53. Doug, a retired Navy mechanic, carries the mutation but has not developed symptoms of the disease. Because of this, Doug has been active in Alzheimer's research including volunteering for annual testing at Washington University in St. Louis. Doug's older brother Roger died of early-onset Alzheimer's but his other siblings have not developed symptoms. Doug's son carries the mutation, but in his early 50s has still not developed symptoms.

I’ve added a new story to my portfolio: Investigating an Alzheimer’s mystery.

The story, photographed on assignment in the spring of 2025, was commissioned by Matt McCann at the New York Times and written by Pam Belluck. The subject is Doug Whitney, a man who should have died from early-onset Alzheimer’s because of genetic susceptibility but somehow hasn’t developed any symptoms. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have been studying him for more than a decade looking for answers about the debilitating disease. 

Laser guidelines help researchers align a Doug Whitney, 75, in the scanner before a PET scan as part of annual Alzheimer's Disease research testing that Whitney undergoes at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on Tue., March 18, 2025. The mask hardens as it cools and helps hold the patient's head in place during the scan. This scan uses the MK-6240 radioactive tracer, which is used to visualize tau proteins in a patient's brain, a common indicator of Alzheimer's disease. Because of radioactive decay, the use of the tracer requires a precise timeline of medicine creation, injection, and scanning. Whitney carries the PSEN2 genetic mutation, which almost always leads to early-onset Alzheimer's disease and death by about age 55, as was the case with all members of his family who have inherited the genetic mutation. Whitney was identified as a so-called "escapee" in 2011 when it was discovered that he is one of three known such inheritors of the mutation who have not developed Alzheimer's and has taken part in a number of clinical research studies connected to WashU's Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network study, which includes annual visits to St. Louis for ongoing study.
Neurologist Joy Snider, MD PhD, (right) checks hand-eye coordination during a neurological and physical exam on Doug Whitney, 75, of Port Orchard, Wash., looking at vital signs, reflexes, peripheral vision, and other things, in the Memory and Aging Project suite in the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on Mon., March 17, 2025. Whitney carries the PSEN2 genetic mutation, which almost always leads to early-onset Alzheimer's disease and death by about age 55, as was the case with all members of his family who have inherited the genetic mutation. Whitney was identified as a so-called "escapee" in 2011 when it was discovered that he is one of three known such inheritors of the mutation who have not developed Alzheimer's and has taken part in a number of clinical research studies connected to WashU's Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network study, which includes annual visits to St. Louis for ongoing study.
Clinical research nurse Wendy Sigurdson (left) and research nurse coordinator Georgia Stubbs-Cucchi look at a blood plasma sample collected from Doug Whitney, 75, as part of annual Alzheimer's Disease research testing that Whitney undergoes at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on Tue., March 18, 2025. Whitney carries the PSEN2 genetic mutation, which almost always leads to early-onset Alzheimer's disease and death by about age 55, as was the case with all members of his family who have inherited the genetic mutation. Whitney was identified as a so-called "escapee" in 2011 when it was discovered that he is one of three known such inheritors of the mutation who have not developed Alzheimer's and has taken part in a number of clinical research studies connected to WashU's Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network study, which includes annual visits to St. Louis for ongoing study.
Doug Whitney, 75, and wife Ione Whitney, walk between appointments as part of annual Alzheimer's Disease research testing that Whitney undergoes at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on Tue., March 18, 2025. Whitney carries the PSEN2 genetic mutation, which almost always leads to early-onset Alzheimer's disease and death by about age 55, as was the case with all members of his family who have inherited the genetic mutation. Whitney was identified as a so-called "escapee" in 2011 when it was discovered that he is one of three known such inheritors of the mutation who have not developed Alzheimer's and has taken part in a number of clinical research studies connected to WashU's Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network study, which includes annual visits to St. Louis for ongoing study.
Nuclear medicine technologist Nick Dunn places a mask on Doug Whitney, 75, before Whitney has a PET scan as part of annual Alzheimer's Disease research testing that Whitney undergoes at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on Tue., March 18, 2025. This scan uses a radioactive C-11 tracer that allows researchers to visualize amyloid plaques, associated with Alzheimer's Disease, in PET scan brain images. A mask that hardens as it cools is used to hold his head in place. Whitney carries the PSEN2 genetic mutation, which almost always leads to early-onset Alzheimer's disease and death by about age 55, as was the case with all members of his family who have inherited the genetic mutation. Whitney was identified as a so-called "escapee" in 2011 when it was discovered that he is one of three known such inheritors of the mutation who have not developed Alzheimer's and has taken part in a number of clinical research studies connected to WashU's Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network study, which includes annual visits to St. Louis for ongoing study.
Doug, 75, (left) and Ione Whitney, 74, hold hands at their home in Port Orchard, Washington, USA, on Wed., March 12, 2025. Doug Whitney is the son of Mildred Reiswig, who died of early-onset Alzheimer's disease along with 9 of her 13 siblings. It was later discovered that the family carries a genetic mutation that makes them more likely to develop early-onset Alzheimer's, usually before the age of 53. Doug, a retired Navy mechanic, carries the mutation but has not developed symptoms of the disease. Because of this, Doug has been active in Alzheimer's research including volunteering for annual testing at Washington University in St. Louis. Doug's older brother Roger died of early-onset Alzheimer's but his other siblings have not developed symptoms. Doug's son carries the mutation, but in his early 50s has still not developed symptoms.
PET research technologist JulieAnna Hudson (standing) prepares Doug Whitney, 75, for a PET scan as part of annual Alzheimer's Disease research testing that Whitney undergoes at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on Tue., March 18, 2025. This scan uses the MK-6240 radioactive tracer, which is used to visualize tau proteins in a patient's brain, a common indicator of Alzheimer's disease. Because of radioactive decay, the use of the tracer requires a precise timeline of medicine creation, injection, and scanning. Whitney carries the PSEN2 genetic mutation, which almost always leads to early-onset Alzheimer's disease and death by about age 55, as was the case with all members of his family who have inherited the genetic mutation. Whitney was identified as a so-called "escapee" in 2011 when it was discovered that he is one of three known such inheritors of the mutation who have not developed Alzheimer's and has taken part in a number of clinical research studies connected to WashU's Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network study, which includes annual visits to St. Louis for ongoing study.
A photo of the fourteen Reiswig siblings, including Mildred (center row, second from left), the mother of Doug Whitney, now 75, at his home in Port Orchard, Washington, USA, on Wed., March 12, 2025. Doug Whitney is the son of Mildred Reiswig, who died of early-onset Alzheimer's disease along with 9 of her 13 siblings. It was later discovered that the family carries a genetic mutation that makes them more likely to develop early-onset Alzheimer's, usually before the age of 53. Doug, a retired Navy mechanic, carries the mutation but has not developed symptoms of the disease. Because of this, Doug has been active in Alzheimer's research including volunteering for annual testing at Washington University in St. Louis. Doug's older brother Roger died of early-onset Alzheimer's but his other siblings have not developed symptoms. Doug's son carries the mutation, but in his early 50s has still not developed symptoms.
Dr. Jorge Llibre-Guerra (left) speaks with Doug Whitney, 75, (blue plaid) and wife Ione Whitney, about recent updates to his research on Doug's brain at the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Washington University School of Medicine as part of annual Alzheimer's Disease research testing that Whitney undergoes in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on Tue., March 18, 2025. Llibre-Guerra is an Assistant Professor Neurology at Washington University's School of Medicine. Whitney carries the PSEN2 genetic mutation, which almost always leads to early-onset Alzheimer's disease and death by about age 55, as was the case with all members of his family who have inherited the genetic mutation. Whitney was identified as a so-called "escapee" in 2011 when it was discovered that he is one of three known such inheritors of the mutation who have not developed Alzheimer's and has taken part in a number of clinical research studies connected to WashU's Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network study, which includes annual visits to St. Louis for ongoing study.
Doug Whitney, 75, of Port Orchard, Wash., exits the machine after receiving a CAT scan and MRI scan at the Center for Clinical Imaging Research at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on Mon., March 17, 2025. The scans are some of the ways that researchers look at the physical structure of Whitney's brain, including buildup of amyloid plaques and tau proteins associated with Alzheimer's Disease symptoms. Whitney carries the PSEN2 genetic mutation, which almost always leads to early-onset Alzheimer's disease and death by about age 55, as was the case with all members of his family who have inherited the genetic mutation. Whitney was identified as a so-called "escapee" in 2011 when it was discovered that he is one of three known such inheritors of the mutation who have not developed Alzheimer's and has taken part in a number of clinical research studies connected to WashU's Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network study, which includes annual visits to St. Louis for ongoing study.

Disaster relief supply delivery in Alaska, for About Amazon
October 30, 2025

A Prime Air flight carrying disaster relief supplies arrives to be unloaded by a Naniq Global Logistics Team in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Workers from Naniq Global Logistics unload disaster relief supplies from a Prime Air flight in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.

For About Amazon, I spent a few days in Anchorage, Alaska, documenting the shipment of disaster relief supplies donated to the Red Cross as part of relief efforts after Typhoon Halong displaced thousands of people from western Alaska villages. I was on the tarmac when the Prime Air flight arrived with pallets of donated goods, and then followed the goods as they moved along the supply chain until they were handed off to the Red Cross for further distribution. 

Workers from Naniq Global Logistics unload disaster relief supplies from a Prime Air flight in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Workers from Naniq Global Logistics unload disaster relief supplies from a Prime Air flight in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Naniq Global Logistics employee Mike Miller loads disaster relief supplies from a Prime Air flight while Amazon employee Zach Adair looks on in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Naniq Global Logistics employee Mike Miller drives a load of disaster relief supplies away from a Prime Air flight in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Pallets of disaster relief supplies stand in a Naniq Global Logistics warehouse after being shipped by Prime Air in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Keila Suka loads pallets of disaster relief supplies onto a truck in a Naniq Global Logistics warehouse after being shipped by Prime Air in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies will be taken to Amazon Delivery Station WGE2. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Jonathan Savage, a driver with Naniq Global Logistics, prepares a truck loaded with disaster relief supplies to transport to Amazon Delivery Station WGE2 in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Jonathan Savage, a driver with Naniq Global Logistics, prepares to unload disaster relief supplies at Amazon Delivery Station WGE2 in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Jonathan Savage, a driver with Naniq Global Logistics, unloads disaster relief supplies at Amazon Delivery Station WGE2 in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Disaster relief supplies stand after being unloaded at Amazon Delivery Station WGE2 in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Nicole Cooper, Process Assistant at Amazon Delivery Station WGE2, moves disaster relief supplies to a storage location at WGE2 in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Sun., Oct. 19, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and will be handed off to the Red Cross to support those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
An Amazon truck arrives to deliver disaster relief supplies donated to the Red Cross in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Wed., Oct. 22, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and the Red Cross will distribute them to those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Amazon employee Orlando Begay (from left) and and Jennifer Barry and Ellen White, with the Red Cross, unload disaster relief supplies donated by Amazon to the Red Cross in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Wed., Oct. 22, 2025. The Red Cross will distribute the supplies to those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Amazon employee Orlando Begay unloads disaster relief supplies donated to the Red Cross in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Wed., Oct. 22, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and the Red Cross will distribute them to those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Ellen White, with the Red Cross, uses a forklift to move disaster relief supplies donated by Amazon in a warehouse after being given to the Red Cross in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Wed., Oct. 22, 2025. The Red Cross will distribute the supplies to those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Amazon employee Orlando Begay unloads disaster relief supplies donated to the Red Cross in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Wed., Oct. 22, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and the Red Cross will distribute them to those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Amazon employee Zach Adair (left) and Red Cross worker Kevin Pyszora unload disaster relief supplies donated by Amazon to the Red Cross in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Wed., Oct. 22, 2025. The Red Cross will distribute the supplies to those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
Disaster relief supplies donated by Amazon to the Red Cross stand in a warehouse after being given to the Red Cross in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Wed., Oct. 22, 2025. The Red Cross will distribute the supplies to those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.
An Amazon truck used to deliver disaster relief supplies to the Red Cross stands parked near a Red Cross van in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, on Wed., Oct. 22, 2025. The supplies have been donated by Amazon and the Red Cross will distribute them to those affected by Typhoon Halong in western Alaska.

Activity at the Port of Seattle as tariffs threaten global trade
September 17, 2025

Trucks carrying shipping containers wait to be unloaded and stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.

As the on-again, off-again tariff war continues, I’ve photographed shipping activity at the Port of Seattle for a few outlets. It’s such a fun thing to photograph, I can’t imagine what it’d be like to actually be on the ground among the shipping containers….hoping an assignment like that comes through some time. 

Trucks carrying shipping containers wait to be unloaded and stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.
Semi-trucks stand parked outside the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.
Shipping containers stand stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.
Shipping containers stand stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 4, 2025.
Shipping containers stand stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 4, 2025.
Shipping containers stand stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 4, 2025.
Mount Rainier is visible in the distance beyond the West Seattle Bridge and shipping containers stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 4, 2025.
Trucks carrying shipping containers drive near the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.
Shipping containers stand stacked in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Fri., April 4, 2025.
Seen behind a chainlink fence, a semi-trucks carries a shipping container in the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., Aug. 11, 2025. Tariffs on Chinese goods were set to raise to 145% at midnight tonight, but US President Donald Trump announced he would again extend the tariff deadline by 90 days.

New story: To Train a Mustang
August 13, 2025

Loriann Warner, of Eatonville, Wash., rests her hand on the back of her mustang, Glory, during a morning walk before the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches.
Loriann Warner, of Eatonville, Wash., and her mustang, Glory, display first place ribbons won in the Mounted Division events during the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. Loriann and Glory won 1st prize in the Mounted Division, which comes with an approximate $2500 prize, the largest prize in all divisions in the competition. In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches.

I’ve added a new story to my portfolio: To Train a Mustang.

The story, photographed on assignment over the summer of 2024, was commissioned by Bear Guerra at High Country News and written by Elizabeth Whitman. It focuses on a group of people who adopt wild horses from the US Bureau of Land Management and train and show them in an annual competition in eastern Washington state.

Emily Fouts, 17, of Lake Stevens, Wash., leads her mustang Feathertail through an arch obstacle with streams as practice for the Freestyle portion of the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. In the Freestyle portion of the competition, trainers lead their horses around the arena demonstrating how they respond to commands or negotiate obstacles like this arch. Fouts says this was her first mustang. "She's been so easy," she said, "I was touching her day two." In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches.
Marjie Hicks, of Roy, Wash., displays a tattoo of the BLM brand of her first mustang, Samba, next to Roulette, one of two wild mustangs Marjie Hicks, of Roy, Wash., took on this year as part of her participation in the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition, at her home in Roy, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 9, 2024. The tattoo starts with "...the horse you need," a continuation of a quote that Marjie says describes her relationship with her first mustang, a Chestnut mare. "In the horse world, the worst horse you can get is a Chestnut mare," she said, "You may not get the horse you want, but you get the horse you need." The markings beneath the quotation are a type of coding that starts with a shape indicating that the horse is part of a US government program, a vertical set of marks indicating year of the horse's birth (15 for 2015, in this case), and then the horse's registration number (024388 here). In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, Marjie and other trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches. Though Marjie is planning only to show her horses "in hand," rather than riding them, some trainers get the horses accustomed to having a saddle and rider on their back.
Marjie Hicks, of Roy, Wash., stands with one of her mustangs, Roulette, during a morning walk before the start of the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Fri., Aug. 2, 2024. In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, Marjie and other trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches. Though Marjie is planning only to show her horses "in hand," rather than riding them, some trainers get the horses accustomed to having a saddle and rider on their back.
Marjie Hicks, of Roy, Wash., looks over her notes for her routine before the Freestyle portion of the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. In the Freestyle portion of the competition, trainers lead their horses around the arena demonstrating how they respond to commands, ignore stimuli, or negotiate obstacles. In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches.
Loriann Warner, 32, preps her mustang Glory for a training session and saddle ride at Frontier Park in Graham, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 16, 2024. Frontier Park is close to where Warner keeps her horses in nearby Eatonville, and features both a horse arena and trails. Warner is a participant in the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth program, a wild mustang training program run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in which trainers pay $125 per horse to receive a wild mustang in the early spring and then train the horse for competition in mid- to late-summer of the same year, after which the horses are either kept by the trainers or auctioned to people who want to own a mustang. Glory is Warner's fifth wild mustang.
Loriann Warner, of Eatonville, Wash., brings coffee to niece Kiyra Marjamaa-Warner, who was sleeping in Warner's horse trailer with her son Warren Threadgill (foreground) and daughter Julianne Threadgill, before the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches.
Loriann Warner, 32, rides her mustang Glory up a steep hill during a trail ride training session at Frontier Park in Graham, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 16, 2024. During a trail ride, Warner leads the horse through different controlled paces and works to get the horse used to navigating unfamiliar territory. Warner says she's "asking questions" of a horse when she trains it, rather than commanding it. "Most people will say 'I'm training a horse' but I'm asking if she'll do something for me...it's a more compassionate, graceful approach," she says. "Maybe sometimes the answer [from the horse] is 'no.' I asked her and she gave me her answer. It's never 'you have to do this for me,' it's 'can you?'" Frontier Park is close to where Warner keeps her horses in nearby Eatonville, and features both a horse arena and trails. Warner is a participant in the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth program, a wild mustang training program run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in which trainers pay $125 per horse to receive a wild mustang in the early spring and then train the horse for competition in mid- to late-summer of the same year, after which the horses are either kept by the trainers or auctioned to people who want to own a mustang. Glory is Warner's fifth wild mustang.
Hannah Brown, of Burlington, Wash., leads her mustang, Cooper, during the Mounted Division at the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. Brown has only had the horse for a month, taking care of Cooper after the horse's first adopter suffered a non-horse-related injury making her unable to participate in the competition. Though the 6-year-old horse competed in the mounted division, Hannah said, "He's not quite ready to ride," and led the horse around by hand. Hannah received an award for being so willing to help out another horse trainer. In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches.
Loriann Warner, 32, uses a rope to guide her mustang Glory during an arena training session at Frontier Park in Graham, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 16, 2024. During the arena training session, Warner leads the horse through different controlled paces and sees how the horse responds to different pressures and directions on the rope. Warner says she's "asking questions" of a horse when she trains it, rather than commanding it. "Most people will say 'I'm training a horse' but I'm asking if she'll do something for me...it's a more compassionate, graceful approach," she says. "Maybe sometimes the answer [from the horse] is 'no.' I asked her and she gave me her answer. It's never 'you have to do this for me,' it's 'can you?'" Frontier Park is close to where Warner keeps her horses in nearby Eatonville, and features both a horse arena and trails. Warner is a participant in the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth program, a wild mustang training program run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in which trainers pay $125 per horse to receive a wild mustang in the early spring and then train the horse for competition in mid- to late-summer of the same year, after which the horses are either kept by the trainers or auctioned to people who want to own a mustang. Glory is Warner's fifth wild mustang.
Loriann Warner, 32, removes the saddle from her mustang Glory after a trail ride training session at Frontier Park in Graham, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 16, 2024. During a trail ride, Warner leads the horse through different controlled paces and works to get the horse used to navigating unfamiliar territory. Warner says she's "asking questions" of a horse when she trains it, rather than commanding it. "Most people will say 'I'm training a horse' but I'm asking if she'll do something for me...it's a more compassionate, graceful approach," she says. "Maybe sometimes the answer [from the horse] is 'no.' I asked her and she gave me her answer. It's never 'you have to do this for me,' it's 'can you?'" Frontier Park is close to where Warner keeps her horses in nearby Eatonville, and features both a horse arena and trails. Warner is a participant in the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth program, a wild mustang training program run by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in which trainers pay $125 per horse to receive a wild mustang in the early spring and then train the horse for competition in mid- to late-summer of the same year, after which the horses are either kept by the trainers or auctioned to people who want to own a mustang. Glory is Warner's fifth wild mustang.
Loriann Warner, of Eatonville, Wash., looks toward the crowd during awards ceremony of the Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024. In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches.
Cooper, a mustang trained by Lillian Nagy, calmly grazes in a corral at her home in Graham, Washington, USA, on Sun., June 9, 2024. Lillian got Cooper in a previous year's Mustang Yearlings Washington Youth (MYWY) Mustang Madness competition program, in which she won 1st place in the Senior division. "I got a good horse who was willing to work with me and learn stuff," she said. In the MYWY Mustang Madness competition, horse trainers receive a wild mustang from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program in March and then work with the horses to present them at the competition in late summer, about 5 months later. For the competition, trainers work with the horses to get them to stand calmly with tack on their body, respond to standard horse movement commands, and to ignore distracting stimuli including noises and touches. Some trainers also get the horses accustomed to having a saddle and rider on their back.

Behind the scenes of Cascade PBS’ Black Arts Legacies final season
July 29, 2025

Andrew Lee Creech, playwright and performer, rehearses a monologue from one of his plays during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot with Meron Menghistab at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Mon., March 24, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Mixed media artist Jite Agbro works in her Ballard studio during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Thu., March 20, 2025.

While serving as Associate Photo Editor at Cascade PBS, I helped produce still photo shoots for the fourth and final season of Black Arts Legacies, a series focusing on living and dead Black artists in Seattle. I worked with the team to schedule the shoots for photographer Meron Menghistab, who has served as lead photographer for the series since the start, around the artists’ schedules and multiple video shoots. I also photographed some alternate, behind the scenes, and detail images to help flesh out the final presentation on the website and broadcast.  

The artists here are print artist Jite Agbro, drummer and music producer Kassa Overall, and playwright and actor Andrew Lee Creech.

Congratulations to the whole team for making this project over the years!

Drummer and producer Kassa Overall performs in his backyard studio for a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photoshoot with Meron Menghistab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., March 10, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Paint and tools lay on a table used for mixing paints as mixed media artist Jite Agbro works in her Ballard studio during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Thu., March 20, 2025.
Andrew Lee Creech, playwright and performer, rehearses a monologue from one of his plays during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot with Meron Menghistab at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Mon., March 24, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Drummer and producer Kassa Overall's drumsticks rest on a snare drum after he performed in his backyard studio for a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photoshoot with Meron Menghistab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., March 10, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Meron Menghistab photographs mixed media artist Jite Agbro works in her Ballard studio during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Thu., March 20, 2025.
Meron Menghistab photographs drummer and producer Kassa Overall in Overall's backyard studio for a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photoshoot in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., March 10, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Meron Menghistab photographs playwright and performer Andrew Lee Creech during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot with Meron Menghistab at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Mon., March 24, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Mixed media artist Jite Agbro in her Ballard studio during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Thu., March 20, 2025.
Drummer and producer Kassa Overall performs in his backyard studio for a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photoshoot with Meron Menghistab in Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., March 10, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)
Andrew Lee Creech, playwright and performer, rehearses a monologue from one of his plays during a Cascade PBS Black Arts Legacies photo shoot with Meron Menghistab at the ACT Theater in Seattle, Washington, on Mon., March 24, 2025. (M. Scott Brauer / Cascade PBS)

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