One of my favorite gigs of the year is photographing Pacific Northwest College of Art students moving into ArtHouse in downtown Portland.
It's not just the feeling of celebrating young creatives, meeting their families and seeing their excitement for their very first dorm room — it's coming face to face with the future of this community.
This next generation of young people is so bright and full of potential. I'm always left in awe of their ideas, warmth and social generosity.
Working with PNCA is a privilege because they trust Human Centric Media to utilize our journalistic and rapport-based approach to event photography on such an important day. There's always a buzz of activity both inside and outside the dorm, parents crying as they depart, and students breathing a sigh of relief as they settle in, having completed a major transition in their lives.
Every bright smile and relationship built fills my cup and provides the school with an evergreen media asset that shows the meaningful impact of their work. These photos are used to appeal not just to funders but prospective students and their families.
We all know that the real benefit of a college education is more than just the (excellent) classes and wisdom of professors — it's the relationships you build, and those begin forming on the very first day.
I'm really proud of what we've managed to do together, and excited to return again in 2026.
