Google Economic Impact Report | Seattle editorial photographer

Back in March I got a surprising phone call. It was about 6 in the evening on a Monday and a producer at North6 was searching for a photographer to shoot for a Google project. Where? A remote Alaskan town. When? That weekend. I half expected a radio DJ to burst out laughing on the other end. But the assignment was to photograph an aerial tour guide in Talkeetna, a few hours north of Anchorage, as part of Google’s state-by-state Economic Impact Report highlighting how small businesses use Google services. I hoped for a chance to fly around Denali, but alas, that shoot became impossible due to scheduling. But I stayed in touch with the client and fortunately there were opportunities to take on assignments for the project in far more familiar places.

I photographed Portland Meat Collective Founder Camas Davis in Oregon, then Sip & Ship Owner Diana Naramore in Seattle, and flew to Boise, Idaho, to photograph Tsheets.com Founder Matt Rissell on a quick there-and-back trip April 1st.

Portland Meat Collective Owner Camas Davis teaches a class about preparing and cooking pork at Elder Hall in Portland Wednesday Mar. 18, 2015. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Portland Meat Collective Owner Camas Davis teaches a class about preparing and cooking pork at Elder Hall in Portland Wednesday Mar. 18, 2015. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Portland Meat Collective Owner Camas Davis teaches a class about preparing and cooking pork at Elder Hall in Portland Wednesday Mar. 18, 2015. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Portland Meat Collective Owner Camas Davis teaches a class about preparing and cooking pork at Elder Hall in Portland Wednesday Mar. 18, 2015. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google

Sip & Ship Owner Diana Naramore at her Ballard location in Seattle Tuesday March 23, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Sip & Ship Owner Diana Naramore at her Ballard location in Seattle Tuesday March 23, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Sip & Ship Owner Diana Naramore at her Ballard location in Seattle Tuesday March 23, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Sip & Ship Owner Diana Naramore at her Ballard location in Seattle Tuesday March 23, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Tsheets.com CEO Matt Rissell poses for a portrait at their office April 1, 2015 in Eagle, ID. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Tsheets.com CEO Matt Rissell poses for a portrait at their office April 1, 2015 in Eagle, ID. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Tsheets.com CEO Matt Rissell poses for a portrait at their office April 1, 2015 in Eagle, ID. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Tsheets.com CEO Matt Rissell poses for a portrait at their office April 1, 2015 in Eagle, ID. Photo by Daniel Berman for Google.

Bertha tunnel project activist Cary Moon for Seattle Weekly | Seattle editorial photographer

I had a great assignment from Seattle Weekly earlier this month to photograph Cary Moon, an activist and urban designer who opposes continued development of the Bertha tunnel project. For those not living in Seattle, the waterfront highway a.k.a the Highway 99 Viaduct, is being torn down and replaced with a tunnel. The project has been plagued with problems and delays, some technical, some bureaucratic — all expensive. Check out the story for a much more thorough peek into why this divisive issue matters so much. We battled the wind on top of Pier 86 in downtown for a view of the skyline and then moved to under the viaduct for another view of the city.

Bertha tunnel project activist Cary Moon. Photographed for Seattle Weekly.

Bertha tunnel project activist Cary Moon. Photographed for Seattle Weekly.

Bertha tunnel project activist Cary Moon. Photographed for Seattle Weekly.

Bertha tunnel project activist Cary Moon. Photographed for Seattle Weekly.

Bertha tunnel project activist Cary Moon. Photographed for Seattle Weekly.

Bertha tunnel project activist Cary Moon. Photographed for Seattle Weekly.

Thanks for looking,

Daniel

Harry Partch instruments for KUOW | Seattle editorial photographer

It’s not every day that you get to see and hear a piece of history. Make that pieces. I got an assignment last week from KUOW to photograph Charles Corey, the 30-year-old caretaker of the Harry Partch instruments collection at the University of Washington School of Music. In a fun story by Marcie Sillman you can actually hear the renowned, intricate instruments. Partch created the instruments between the 1940s and 1970s, and they are based on the Just Intonation scale, not anything like what we are used to hearing from traditional instruments. You can find some really intense theatrical productions of Partch’s arrangements on Youtube too that help put his life’s work in context. He wasn’t just a composer and musician, he was also a playwright and auteur.

Chuck Corey, 30, is a faculty research associate in the University of Washington School of Music where he curates the Harry Partch instruments collection. Corey demonstrates the Adapted Viola. Photo by Daniel Berman for KUOW

Chuck Corey, 30, is a faculty research associate in the University of Washington School of Music where he curates the Harry Partch instruments collection. Corey demonstrates the Chromelodeon, created in 1941. Photo by Daniel Berman for KUOW

Chuck Corey, 30, is a faculty research associate in the University of Washington School of Music where he curates the Harry Partch instruments collection. A view of the Cloud Chamber Bowls, created in 1950. The bowls are the sawed-off bottoms of large glass bottles made by Pyrex, and produce different tons when tapped on the top or bottom or scraped along the side. Photo by Daniel Berman for KUOW

Chuck Corey, 30, is a faculty research associate in the University of Washington School of Music where he curates the Harry Partch instruments collection. Corey demonstrates Bass Marimba, which requires standing on a large bench to reach playing height. Photo by Daniel Berman for KUOW

Chuck Corey, 30, is a faculty research associate in the University of Washington School of Music where he curates the Harry Partch instruments collection. Corey demonstrates the Kithara II, created in 1954 by Partch. Glass tubes are moved up and down on the sides to create varying pressure and different tonality. Photo by Daniel Berman for KUOW

Chuck Corey, 30, is a faculty research associate in the University of Washington School of Music where he curates the Harry Partch instruments collection. “I’ve been doing this almost 13 years now,” Corey said. The instruments were created between the 1940s and 1960s by the American composer Partch. The instruments are renowned for their complex and unique sound structure abilities based on the Just Intonation scale, which was designed to more naturally imitate human voice pitch. Photo by Daniel Berman for KUOW

Alison Holcomb & Gregg Holcomb cover for Seattle Weekly | Seattle editorial photographer

Alison Holcomb & Gregg Holcomb cover for Seattle Weekly | Seattle photographer Daniel Berman

Alison Holcomb & Gregg Holcomb cover for Seattle Weekly | Seattle photographer Daniel Berman

Alison Holcomb & Gregg Holcomb for Seattle Weekly | Seattle photographer Daniel Berman

My first assignment for Seattle Weekly was this cover shoot for a sensitive story about Alison Holcomb and Gregg Holcomb’s unique histories. Alison was the writer and public face of Initiative 502, which legalized recreational marijuana in 2012 here in Washington. Her husband Gregg is the owner of the Capitol Hill bar Witness. Her story as a drug law reformer and activist for criminal sentencing reform intertwine with her husband’s tragic reality. His father was murdered. He is alone among his siblings in calling for rehabilitation for the murderer, and not a life sentence. There is so much more to this powerful story by Nina Shapiro, please give it a read.

Coffee culture in Seattle for Koffietcacao Magazine | Seattle editorial photographer

City Trip Coffee Culture story in Seattle photographed on assignment for KoffieTCacao Magazine in the Netherlands.

City Trip Coffee Culture story in Seattle photographed on assignment for KoffieTCacao Magazine in the Netherlands.

City Trip Coffee Culture story in Seattle photographed on assignment for KoffieTCacao Magazine in the Netherlands.

City Trip Coffee Culture story in Seattle photographed on assignment for KoffieTCacao Magazine in the Netherlands.

I had a great opportunity earlier this Fall to shoot a story on Seattle’s coffee and chocolate culture for a Dutch travel/coffee/chocolate magazine called Koffietcacao. Over two long days, I had a blast exploring some of the city’s favorite shops, while also gathering images that spoke to the lifestyle in our city and captured a few scenic sights along the way. My mind raced after each day, it was impossible not to sample coffee at nearly every place I went. Have you ever had six cups of coffee in a day? I did it for….journalism. All in all, the publication ran my photos across six pages and even gave me a doubletruck opener! What more can a photographer ask for than a great assignment and great play?

Milstead Coffee in Fremont, Seattle, October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Patrons relax inside and out at Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Capitol Hill, Seattle, October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Capitol Hill, Seattle, October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

A cupping tasting session is hosted weekly at Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Capitol Hill, Seattle, October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Checking the color and scent of roasting beans at Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Capitol Hill, Seattle, October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Capitol Hill, Seattle, October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

A cupping tasting session is hosted weekly at Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Capitol Hill, Seattle, October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

A cupping tasting session is hosted weekly at Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Capitol Hill, Seattle, October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Tourists gather near one of Seattle’s first Starbucks location across from Pike Place Market. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Espresso Vivace Manager Kasey Frix prepares a beverage for a patron October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www,bermanphotos.com

Espresso Vivace Manager Kasey Frix prepares a beverage for a patron October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www,bermanphotos.com

The Olive Way Starbucks in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood is among the nation’s first to serve wine along with the usual coffee and treats. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

In the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Café Presse Assistant Manager Hannah Schwartz prepares a beverage for a patron October 9, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Theo Chocolate in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle offers guided tours of the company’s factory, which produces well-renowned chocolate in exotic flavors such as Dark Chocolate and Spicy Chili Pepper. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Theo Chocolate in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle offers guided tours of the company’s factory, which produces well-renowned chocolate in exotic flavors such as Dark Chocolate and Spicy Chili Pepper. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Milstead Coffee in Fremont is situated alongside a popular cycling route, the Burke-Gilman trail in Seattle, October 8, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

The Olive Way Starbucks in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood is among the nation’s first to serve wine along with the usual coffee and treats. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Chocolopolis in Seattle is a renowned chocolate shop in the Queen Anne neighborhood, crafting dozens of colorful, tasty chocolate morsels with exotic flavors.

Joe Bar in Capitol Hill in Seattle is a quiet respite from the bustling neighborhood. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

A Starbucks located on the 40th floor of Columbia Tower, the tallest skyscraper in Seattle, offers commanding views of downtown at no cost.

Thanks for looking!

Daniel

Color Expert Leatrice Eiseman for American Way Magazine | Seattle editorial photographer

Pantone Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman at home in Washington State Sept. 24, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman for American Way

You know those color wheels, the ones with samples of every conceivable hue from Pantone? I got the chance last month to photograph Pantone Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman. She’s a color expert. American Way Magazine is the in-flight publication from American Airlines and they interviewed Lee for their monthly In-Brief column. My assistant and I hopped on a ferry over to Bainbridge Island to meet Lee at her beautiful home nestled in the woods. Her walls are covered with art and past interviews in prestigious magazines and books. We set up a white seamless and lights in her upstairs office, trying to not disturb the two designers working a few feet away at their iMacs. For the published shot, I asked her to hold a copy of Pantone’s new book about the role of color in fashion over the years. It’s not every day that I get to photograph people whose work has such an influence in my own personal field!

Thanks for looking,

Daniel

Bill Gates for La Stampa Italy

Microsoft Corporation founder, technology advisor and board member Bill Gates is photographed during a wide-ranging interview with La Stampa Editor-In-Chief Mario Calabresi May 24, 2014 at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle, Washington, USA. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com for La Stampa.

This spring has kept me hopping and shooting a lot of new editorial and commercial assignments. I can’t share them all yet, but one came in late last month (for the first time ever via LinkedIn) to photograph Bill Gates being interviewed for a large Italian newspaper called La Stampa. The paper is launching a new series about global issues and the wide-ranging interview covered a lot of ground. I was allowed to shoot the first and last five minutes of the interview, for which La Stampa Editor-in-Chief Mario Calabresi flew in from Turin. It was a little surreal to be inside Bill’s office at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and hear him speaking about everything from who his heroes are to what lies ahead for the newspaper industry. I did my best to be low-key and inconspicuous as I moved around and tried out different angles. Bill never acknowledged me, but I suspect he is very used to this kind of thing. At one point I was trying to line up a shot from his profile side and almost sat down in his chair — I caught myself and thought better of it. It was one of those crazy days planned for a week and all over in a matter of minutes, I am just happy to see it ran in print today.

Microsoft Corporation founder, technology advisor and board member Bill Gates is photographed during a wide-ranging interview with La Stampa Editor-In-Chief Mario Calabresi May 24, 2014 at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle, Washington, USA. Photos by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com for La Stampa.

Microsoft Corporation founder, technology advisor and board member Bill Gates is photographed during a wide-ranging interview with La Stampa Editor-In-Chief Mario Calabresi May 24, 2014 at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle, Washington, USA. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com for La Stampa.

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You can see more from this shoot at La Stampa’s website and in my archive.

Thanks for looking,

Daniel

Brooks Running Company for Footwear News

In April, I did a shoot about the turnaround at Brooks Running company for Footwear News, a Condé Nast trade publication dealing with the footwear industry. The story is about how after 100 years in business, Brooks CEO Jim Weber has managed to overhaul the company from the brink of bankruptcy into a company that sold a half billion dollars in products last year. It was no easy feat. It required dumping entire product lines, launching new ones, and hiring executives from visionary brands to come work in new divisions at Brooks. Over what became a very long day, I photographed Brooks CEO Jim Weber, as well as Shane Downey, head of the new heritage line, Pete Humphrey and Eric Rohr in the Brooks Running testing lab in the Eastlake neighborhood, and several other employees for a lookback quote section about their experiences and memories at Brooks. The magazine cover story published last month and I am excited to share the tear sheets! It’s always a sweet assignment when I get the chance to photograph and meet people who do interesting work in interesting places.

Brooks CEO Jim Weber // photo by Daniel Berman for Footwear News

Brooks VP of R & D Pete Humphrey, left, and Brooks biomechanist Eric Rohr in the Brooks testing lab at temporary offices in Seattle.

Brooks VP of R & D Pete Humphrey, left, and Brooks biomechanist Eric Rohr in the Brooks testing lab at temporary offices in Seattle.

Brooks Running company has had an amazingly successful turnaround in the last few years. Photographed at their offices in Seattle Monday April 14, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com for Footwear News.

Dan Sheridan is Senior Vice President and General Manager of North America for Brooks Running.

Brooks Running Heritage Line Manager Shane Downey // Photo by Daniel Berman for Footwear News

Brooks Running CEO Jim Weber photographed for Footwear News. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Brooks Running CEO Jim Weber photographed for Footwear News. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Brooks Running Senior Vice President and GM for North America Dan Sheridan photographed for Footwear News. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Thanks for looking,

Daniel

Shelton Mayor Gary Cronce for Cityvision

I had a fun assignment a few months ago that was recently published. I traveled a few hours south to the Peninsula area town of Shelton, Washington to photograph Mayor Gary Cronce. I wanted to capture his connection to the town, where he also runs a jewelry business, and so my assistant and I roamed with minimal equipment and just walked around. I loved the bright colors of some walls along a back alley and was struck by the visual starkness of some of the area’s scenic landmarks, like the train parked on Main Street.

Shelton Mayor Gary Cronce, photographed March 3, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.co

Shelton Mayor Gary Cronce, photographed March 3, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Shelton Mayor Gary Cronce, photographed March 3, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Shelton Mayor Gary Cronce, photographed March 3, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Shelton Mayor Gary Cronce, photographed March 3, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Shelton Mayor Gary Cronce, photographed March 3, 2014. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Thanks for looking!

Daniel

Darrington, one week after SR 530 mudslide | Seattle editorial photographer

A week ago, a deadly mudslide ripped through a small-town of Oso, Washington, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 21 people. Officials believe 30 residents are still missing, down from a high of 120 people just a few days ago. Life in this part of Washington state has come to a screeching halt. The after effects of the mudslide — flooding of the Stillaguamish River, dozens of homes destroyed, access to surrounding cities cut off — continues to affect daily life. I had to see what it was like on the ground in Darrington, one of the areas closest to the mudslide. Many people in Darrington live and work around where the slide occurred, and if they didn’t have homes there, they know people who do – or in some cases, did. I was impressed by the way the communities have supported one another. I will be returning soon to keep working and exploring and seeing what I can do to tell the stories of the people here.

A flag was lowered to half-mast along Interstate 5 near the Snohomish River Saturday March 29, 2014, one week after a huge mudslide tore through the nearby town of Oso, leaving 18 dead and 30 residents still missing. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com.

The Sauk River winds along Mountain Loop Highway Saturday March 29, 2014, one week after a huge mudslide tore through the nearby town of Oso, leaving 21 dead and 30 residents still missing. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com.

Rain bears down on Mountain Loop Highway on the road to Darrington, Wash. Saturday March 29, 2014, one week after a huge mudslide tore through the nearby town of Oso, leaving 21 dead and 30 residents still missing. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com.

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