Below is a collection of photos this year I am most proud of! I will explain below a little backstory and why I chose it. Unfortunately I accidentally formatted my portable hard drive where I store all my photos so they start from June (I now upload most to lightroom as well for safety).

First time taking my Sony camera and bike (Primos Dame) to Portland together! This photo was captured during the No Kings Protest a couple blocks from the waterfront. Outfit speaks for itself but combined with the bike gives off a quintessential Portland vibe.

One of the first times I really tried to go out and take photos this year during the night. I was lucky enough to stumble upon this gentleman working and capture this (with some help from Lightroom). I love the silhouette and framing of the bay doors and the way it pulls your eyes towards him.

During one of my rides up to Forest Park I noticed this garage door with a message I think we can all appreciate and agree with. As I was taking the photo looking through the viewfinder this homeless gentleman came along and asked to be apart of it. I think the symbology speaks for itself… it is a great example of where we should be spending our money and taxes.

One of my favorite photos of the year, taken at the MADE show the first day. This is a very up close shot of a huge ice cream cart bike thing Kool Stop has that is fully covered in ALL their different brakes. It was so much fun to look at and made their booth one of my favorites at the MADE show.

This photo is a great example of having a characteristic to it that is hard to explain but I just love it. The way the blur kind of lines up with The Athletic signs and the way the light on the car pulls across the screen is great. Taken at during a Swift Industries pop up where they also had flash tattoos (mainly why I went). I got a spork tattooed on my leg and also went down the block and got a walk-in tattoo of a wedding band as well!

This was taken on a group ride from the MADE show to the Simworks show room. May not be technically the best photo but the Montgomery Park sign has always been a huge symbol of the Portland skyline for me so stopping to get this photo was a must!

Taken during the second day of the MADE show. This was the main display bike at the Mischief booth, and that won an award (sorry, don’t remember which). One of my favorite designs from the show. The colors of the bike really pop in this photo and the shadow really draws your eye to the logo which I love.

Took this photo at Portland Trophy Cup! This was my first time ever going to a cyclocross event and man did it not disappoint. On top of it being a competitive race it allows any type of bike to compete, from 90s MTB, to Fat Tire bikes. During the Mens Category 1/2 the sun set and the spotlights came out. Never was able to figure out who this Chad of a person is but I took a really cool burst photo of him coming around the corner. This is my favorite out of the set (see the full Instagram post here).

This photo was taken outside of Something Cycles, usually when stopping by I take a picture. Without explaining in too much detail, the sharp lines of the building and signs in conjunction with the sidewalk and its little curb leaves so much to be explored in this photo. The cherry on top is that I didn’t even see the Postal worker walking into frame until he was in it and throwing up the piece sign!!!

This photo is on the same day as the one above but at Tanner Springs Park in the Pearl District. Easily my favorite park in downtown Portland. I had just picked up the lens being used and in my opinion marks a huge shift in my style or approach to taking photos. Although I have since learned the drawbacks of a manual focus vintage lens vs a modern auto-focus lens, it has forced me to really think about how I am taking a photo (ensuring in focus, ISO/lighting because of f/1.7, 50mm + crop sensor = 75mm f/2.6, etc.).

First kickstand.cc ride I met Zac (Zach?, sorry if I misspelled lol), who runs the group rides and when I saw the saucy Oakley’s they were wearing I had to ask to snap a pic. One of the first real portrait photos I think I have ever taken and this shit is CRISP. Easily in top three favorite photos of the year!

Fixed gear bikes have always been something I have admired from afar. Having tried it myself a year or so ago I know it is not for me but have HUGE respect for the skill required. This photo was captured during a Portland Fixed Gear event/race I went to. Cyclist (flow_pony on Instagram) in this pic has flippin cannons for legs, and is a prime example of why I respect fixie riders so much. This was captured during one of the races right as they come out of a super tight 180 degree into a long straight away meaning they had to SPRINT.

October was a little bit of a tipping point for me. Lots of rhetoric was being created about Portland being a “warzone” or “burning down by terrorist Antifa” and I felt it was my duty to do what I could to shed light on what actually goes down. This gentleman (also a veteran) is by far one of the most vocal and consistent protesters I saw at the ICE facility. I generally tried to not capture photos of protesters but after talking with him multiple times I got his permission to take his photo!

Another one of my favorite photos of this year. The vermin with his back to me is a MAGA/Pro ICE counter protester who would consistently come out to the ICE facility to start issues with people and demean them (made it VERY clear he was an MMA fighter and wanted someone to try and fight him…). Every single one of these twerps had there little Tik Tok livestreams going doing there best to spread misinformation.

This may take the cake as my favorite photo of the year! A lot of it is based on the context of the photo but it also speaks for itself… The dork with his Mommy and Daddy in tow is Thomas Wayne Allen. He thought by coming down to the ICE facility to assault people multiple times to the extent that he was court ordered to stay at least a block away because he got arrested multiple times in the same week. Seeing him then show up with his parents who are wearing matching sweatshirts I’ve only ever seen memes of was the cherry on top.

Last photo from the ICE facility but also I think the one that highlights the reality of the protests outside the ICE facility and where the violence comes from. Have one ICE agent standing up there with a pepper ball gun as a show of force while the other agent is on their phone. Below the menacing frog protestors (and other terrifying inflatable people) loudly express their disgust with ICE/DHS and their practices.

Second kickstand.cc ride of the year was just as fun as the first but WAY more wet. Was a super interesting experience because it was the first group ride I did on a route/loop I had done before (or so I thought). We rode out to Kelley Point Park and every time I thought I knew the next turn we would take some barely visible Desire Path and ride a trail for 5 minutes or so that I never knew existed and does not show up on any map or trails app. Once we got to Kelley Point and took a little break I was able to capture this photo. I am constantly amazed at the quality of a 40-50 year old lens!

Seeing that I love riding bikes and taking photos it should come as no surprise that I took a lot of photos of my own bikes while out and about. This photo of my Primos Dame is my favorite of the year. I remember lining the bike up and the second I saw the puddle I could see the photo in my head. One of the only times I have had that experience AND it work out so easily!

Last but not least, this photo was captured while taking photos of my 1991 Diamondback Apex for an Instagram post. Similar to macro photo of the mushrooms and grass the clarity in this photo is amazing. Compared to some of my other photos it may not hold the same weight in terms of context or emotion but again the fact that a 40-50 year old lens can do this is mind blowing.

If you made it to the end and are reading this – thank you very much and Happy New Year! This year has been truly eye opening into the beauty of the world. As someone who growing up had a lot of negative social experiences I had a lot of apprehension diving into the Portland Cycling scene but was only ever met with open arms, kindness, and humility.

I am incredibly fortunate to say that I met so many genuine and authentic humans this year I don’t think I could name them all if I tried! I am truly thankful for all of the experiences I have had this year and cannot wait to see what 2026 has to offer 🙂