Abgeschirmt: Lets start at the beginning: How went your birth?
Jeff: I don’t remember it at all. I was born in the woods of Washington. My father was a geological mapper and my mother worked on a farm. We grew up in a trailer in the forest with goats.

Abgeschirmt: How is life in Portland. Why did you move there?
Jeff: Life in Portland is great now that it is not raining everyday. It is a very strange and beautiful city. Some of my friends were living out here and I decided I leave new york for a bit and drive out here, I ended up staying a lot longer than I thought I would, its easy to lose track of time here.

Abgeschirmt: When did you pick up your first camera?
Jeff: I had this little mickey mouse camera when I was very little, it took this old type of roll film that I dont even think they make anymore and used disposable flashes.

Abgeschirmt: What are your thoughts on young photographers?
Jeff: I see a lot of very talented people emerging, taking amazing photos at a young age. I definitely feel there is a new aesthetic surfacing that is a rejection to the digital age and reforming ideas on photography, people are shooting film and making very beautiful, life-affirming images.

Abgeschirmt: What type of scenes/people do you enjoy photographing the most?
Jeff: I really consider myself a documentary photographer, I like to shoot things as they are happening in real settings, and finding moments in everyday life that stand out. It is fun to work with models though it is an interesting process to direct people and make images you want to see come to life.

Abgeschirmt: What did you experience during the work with Ryan McGinley?
Jeff: It was a life changing experience, I was just a small town kid and suddenly I was in New York working with Ryan, whose work I always admired so much, it made me realize anything is possible.

Abgeschirmt: Apart from shooting photos, what else do you do in your spare time?
Jeff: I like to cruise around on my bicycle and explore the city. Soon it will be hot enough to go swimming and that will probably take up a lot of my time.

Abgeschirmt: Ask yourself a question and answer it please:
Jeff: Ok. I get emails all the time about what cameras I use. So I will answer it here. I use a variety of cameras and since my photos span a large time period it is not just one….In the past and currently I have used a Canon AE 1, Nikon FM2, Contax G1/G2, Yashica T4 and T5, Mamiya 7. Bronica 645, Holga 120 and Holga 35mm, Polaroid Sx 70, 600, and Spectra, and also a zero image pinhole camera, plus some others. I guess I think that people get too hung up on gear, I don’t think it even matters, just get a nice manual 35mm SLR and some Kodak Portra film and have fun. Go out at magic hour everyday and go nuts!

Abgeschirmt: Your current favorite record:
Jeff: Townes Van Zandt – Our Mother The Mountain

Abgeschirmt: Shout outs:
Jeff: I’d like to give a shout out to my dogs Parker, Rhuby and Archie and our cat Alexander Pushkin. They will never know what the internet is!

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