Pro Photo Supply

Michael Ballard () is a wedding photographer, a creative portrait photographer, co-owner of (with his partner), a partner to a model, a photo meetup organizer (), a workshop leader, a podcaster (), and a father to three children. With 300 weddings under his belt and his lifelong goal of owning a studio realized in the last year, Michael continues to focus on supporting the creative community of Portland while growing his own skills and knowledge set as well!⁠
⁠
⁠
We recently sat down with Michael to talk about his approach to capturing unique and authentic wedding photos, how owning a studio has helped him grow as a photographer, and how running a photo meetup group has given him a community and support system. Click the link in bio to read the article, see Michael’s work and the gear he uses.⁠
⁠

This month's highlighted Customer is James Shipma ⁠
⁠
"My name is James Shipma, I am a local Portland film enjoyer! Film photography is such a magical process that forces me to slow down, be mindful, and ultimately be present in the now. In doing so, it becomes that much more possible to find the beauty and wonder in the everyday and mundane, and I feel like I become that much more capable of appreciating the people and places around me. I love capturing candid and posed portraits, architecture and landscape, and abstract and conceptual work.⁠
⁠
At the lab I utilize the usual services like film development and printing, but I also receive the added benefit of seeing my friends (who are willing to give advice about overexposure and color theory and gear and everything in between).⁠
⁠
***All images are home scans from negatives that were developed by the Pro Photo Lab***⁠" ⁠
⁠
Go check out his instagram to see what he's been recently up to!⁠
⁠

There’s one week left to enter this year’s Annual Summer Film Photo Contest sponsored by and !⁠
⁠
Deadline to submit your entries at the link in our bio is September 22nd at midnight! Categories are Best Captured Moment, Icons of a PNW Summer, and Favorite Summer Spot, and we have loads of awesome prizes this year.⁠
⁠
Here’s some winning photos from the past five years to inspire your entries! We can’t wait to see what you submit!⁠
⁠
Past Winning Photos In Order:⁠
Dustin Pattison .time_⁠
Jack Brozek ⁠
Bo Tew ⁠
Aaron Durand ⁠
Miles Sprietsma ⁠
Eirinn Gragson ⁠
Mike Vos ⁠
Jon Moore ⁠
⁠
⁠
Enter your photos by September 22nd! ⁠
⁠

This month's store gallery is by Palouse In Winter by Austin Granger ⁠
⁠
This austere landscape entranced Granger and caused him to return again and again to the Palouse to search for subjects, subjects by turns strange, beautiful, evocative, and sometimes even frightful. ⁠
⁠
Stop by the Store Gallery this month to see these images along with others in the show up close and in high quality and sign the guest book. ⁠
⁠

This month’s highlighted lab customer is who is a professional pet sitter with a passion for animals and art. he combines her love of these passions by photographing and then drawing her favorite animal subjects with watercolor and colored pencils. She has over 120 portraits that have been scanned and printed at Pro Photo Supply, and we always love seeing her and her work come through our door! (Head to her instagram or our bio if you’re in need of a pet sitter or portrait)⁠
⁠

Our August gallery, a collection of wildlife and landscape photographs by Portland photographer , are on display now through the 31st. Xak’s work for this collection was created by experimenting with color and light in the natural world and are displayed in beautiful frames he hand-crafted himself.
⁠
Stop by our gallery in the next three weeks to see the full collection!⁠
⁠

Jake Chamseddine is a digital creator and Ambassador whose work for the last ten years has centered around touring with some of the world’s biggest musicians and bands. After a decade of touring, Jake is taking his love of photography and the lessons he learned on the road and applying them to new creative avenues, including his YouTube channel where he talks about his love of landscapes, his adventures with friends and family, and of course camera gear. ⁠
⁠
We recently sat down with Jake to talk about his life-long love for creating media, how he built relationships in the music industry, and how his career is expanding in 2024. Click the link in bio to read the article, see Jake’s work and the gear he uses.⁠
⁠
⁠

Depending on the type of image-making you do, filters are either an essential part of that process or something that you never think about. Currently on a filter craze, our staff member set out with a selection of filters from our filter wall and tested them out in the city. Here are the images he made and the filters he made them with.⁠
⁠
Frame 1 - The Canary with no filter⁠
Frame 2 - The Canary with ‘s Night Sky Filter⁠
Frame 3 - with no filter⁠
Frame 4 - with ‘s Night Sky Filter⁠
Frame 5 - with ‘s Night Sky Filter and Stellar Filter Kit (6-point star)⁠
Frame 6 - with ‘s filter (Mist+polarizer, 1/2 strength version)⁠
Frame 7 - Portland Oregon Sign on W Burnside with ‘s Goldmorphic filter⁠
Frame 8 - Pixie Cosmetic Tattoo Studio with ‘s filter (Mist+polarizer, 1/2 strength version)⁠
⁠
⁠
Have you read our article about finding the right lens filter for your photography? Check it out on our website (link in bio) and let us know what you think!⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠

We’re excited to announce the 2024 winners of our Catch The Color Photo Contest with Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm . ⁠
⁠
We selected among hundreds of entries to choose the best and brightest photos taken at the 2024 Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, celebrating the best time of the year when the tulips are in bloom. Thank you to all the applicants for sharing your beautiful images this year and congratulations to the winners. We’re looking forward to next year already. ⁠
⁠
In order: ⁠
⁠
Grand Prize Winner -Lisa Douglas ⁠
⁠
Flowers First Place- Julia Vaughan ⁠
⁠
⁠Catch All First Place- Terri Jacobson ⁠
⁠
Landscape and Field First Place- Jon Bierma⁠
⁠
Details and Macro Winner- Manoj Kumar ⁠
⁠
Flowers Honorable Mention- Rick Martin⁠
⁠
Catch All ⁠Honorable Mention- Katie Daly ⁠
⁠
Landscape and Field Honorable Mention- Carlos Miguel ⁠
⁠
⁠Details and Macro Honorable Mention- Jeff Risher ⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠

This month's gallery is by our very own ⁠
In their words:⁠
"These are a collection of images from the city of Portland, a place I am still learning to love. Creating nostalgia for my experience in this town as they are happening in real time so I can be present in the change. These photos represent a feeling of home to me, in a place I’m struggling to find home in. I know one day I will move away from this city and I will miss it. I will remember the beauty it held and the people that amplified it. Here is a documentation of my growing love for Portland, in hopes the images will remind me of its glory when I am no longer here."⁠
⁠
Stop by the gallery this month to see Bailey's whole show! ⁠
⁠

This month's gallery was curated by and highlights a collection of work done by six dope BIPOC photographers in Portland that she thinks you should know.⁠
⁠
In her words:⁠
"It's not easy to break through in a medium that is dominated by artists that don't look like us. But we're here, backed by generations of unrelenting resiliency, seeing and creating and documenting. It's a call we've been picking up forever. We've been here. We're still here.⁠
⁠
Thank you to Meaghan Sutton, Michel Paspur, Trevor Wilson, Paisley Lee, and Destinee Davis for your time and your incredible work.⁠
⁠
Their creativity inspires me deeply, and I hope you feel the same."⁠
-Danica Thomas⁠
⁠
Stop by our store gallery until the end of the month to see the collection of 24 images on display!⁠
⁠

Join Pro Photo Supply, Sony, and renowned Sony Artisan, Thibault Roland, for an immersive long exposure photography workshop in Astoria, Oregon.
With years of experience and a passion for capturing stunning landscapes, Thibault brings a wealth of knowledge to help participants master the art of long exposure photography. Through hands-on, personal instruction attendees will learn essential techniques for creating mesmerizing images with silky smooth waters and dreamy, painterly cloudscapes. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an expert in this style of photography and elevate your own skills to new heights. Explore Thibault’s portfolio and sign up today for an unforgettable workshop via the link in our bio!

We're highlighting one of our lab customers today!⁠
⁠
I am a film photographer in Portland, Oregon. I started my film journey in 2017 when I took black and white film photography because that was the only photography class that would fit in my schedule. I’m not going to lie, film was not my first choice. I feel foolish now because I reach for the film camera more often than I reach for my digital. I got my first film SLR shortly after highschool ended and I have been traveling and making photos with it ever since. That camera and I have traveled internationally and to the east coast three times now together. It’s a rare occasion when I leave the house without it.⁠
⁠
Visit the link in bio to read more about Haley and her journey with Film Photography!⁠
⁠

We’re thrilled to share the 2024 PDX Winter Light Festival Photo Contest winners! Huge thanks to all the photographers who submitted images and to for putting on such an awesome event! And congratulations to the winners! Swipe to see the Best Festival Fashion and Fire Photo categories!

- Best Festival Fashion Winner

Festival fan Leapin’ Louie outside of Pioneer Courthouse Square

- Best Festival Fashion Photo 2nd Place

Festival fan Aurelia Stardancer at Pioneer Courthouse Square

Jasmine Barganier - Best Festival Fashion Photo Honorable Mention

Festival fan Aurelia Stardancer with Fleur De Lux by KinSculpt, High Desert Makers, Jesse Pemberton, Tim Willis and Damien Teitelbaum at Pioneer Courthouse Square

Michelle Craig - Best Fire Photo Winner

Fiery Flowers and Zen Garden by Tim Holloway at Pioneer Courthouse Square

Mary Soelberg - Best Fire Photo 2nd Place

Fiery Flowers and Zen Garden by Tim Holloway at Pioneer Courthouse Square

- Best Fire Photo Honorable Mention

Fiery Flowers and Zen Garden by Tim Holloway at Pioneer Courthouse Square

We’re thrilled to share the 2024 PDX Winter Light Festival Photo Contest winners! Huge thanks to all the photographers who submitted images and to for putting such an awesome event! And congratulations to the winners! Swipe to see the Best Outdoor Installation and Best Indoor Installation categories!

Wade Swearingen - Best Outdoor Installation Photo Winner

Nautilus Deep Sea by Sparks Designs at Salmon Street Springs

Ryan McWayne - Best Outdoor Installation Photo 2nd Place

The Grove by BioLumina at Pioneer Courthouse Square

Jason Martin - Best Outdoor Installation Honorable Mention

BlUb bLuB by Integrus Architecture and Turner Construction at World Trade Center

Sachin Deshpande - Best Indoor Installation Photo Winner

BAJ (Butt Activated Jellyfish) by OctoEyes at World Trade Center
tastic - Best Indoor Installation Photo 2nd Place

Love Thy Beast by Zea Narvaez at Meier & Frank building

Shanon Barton - Best Indoor Installation Honorable Mention

Fathom by artists at Robot Octopodo

We’re thrilled to share the 2024 PDX Winter Light Festival Photo Contest winners! Huge thanks to all the photographers who submitted images and for putting on such an awesome event! And congratulations to the winners! Swipe to see the Best of the Fest and Best Captured Moment Categories!

- Best of the Fest Winner

Festival fan with Nautilus Deep Sea by Sparks Designs at Salmon Street Springs
_.magic - Best of the Fest 2nd Place

Nautilus Deep Sea by Sparks Designs at Salmon Street Springs

- Best of the Fest Honorable Mention

Frangible Chromatophores by Twisty Maurice at World Trade Center

- Best Captured Moment Winner

Festival fan enjoying FUN LUV’N Silent disco at the Electric Blocks

- Best Captured Moment 2nd Place

Fleur De Lux by KinSculpt, High Desert Makers, Jesse Pemberton, Tim Willis and Damien Teitelbaum at Pioneer Courthouse Square

- Best Captured Moment Honorable Mention

BAJ (Butt Activated Jellyfish) by OctoEyes at World Trade Center

Chad Brown ( ) is a photographer, filmmaker, creative director, advocate, and nonprofit leader whose work centers around telling stories of indigenous peoples in the Arctic and the BIPOC community’s connection to the outdoors. Chad’s visits to Pro Photo Supply are beloved by the staff as they usually come with tales from his most recent adventure and the challenge of figuring out how to lighten his gear load without compromising the quality of the stories he’s telling when traveling in the backcountry of the Arctic Circle. ⁠
⁠
Chad’s life has quite the story arc of its own, so we sat down to talk with him in our latest Behind the Camera about his shift from commercial to humanitarian work, what gear he uses to document stories in the toughest conditions, and how he hopes his work helps evoke change in our society. Visit our link in bio to read the article or visit our youtube page to watch the interview! ⁠
⁠

Here at Pro Photo Supply, we have a new staff member we'd like you to meet!⁠
⁠
"My name is Bailey (she/they) and I'm a film photographer from Eugene, OR. I attended the University of Oregon where I explored photographic theory, conceptual art, and analog processes. I graduated with a BFA in photography. I genuinely love the surprise and magic that film brings to every image as well as the process. The process of taking film photos is long, tedious, and delicate and I love it. A lot of times I just take pictures of things I think are pretty and cross my fingers they look good! If they don't turn out, they weren't meant to be documented in the first place. I feel thrilled to be around so many talented folks and it's been fun to dabble in the world of digital thanks to the Pro Photo family!"⁠
⁠
Please take a look at a selection of Bailey's images here and say Hi the next time you stop in!⁠
⁠
⁠

We’ll be at the three storefronts today if people are looking to safely venture out of their home!

Howard Lao (), a Portland-based freelance photographer who specializes in sports photography, has an undeniable passion for telling the stories of athletes of all levels. This passion stems from his own experience running track in high school and college at the University of Washington. Howard’s self-realization of the limits of his athletic abilities, in combination with the access his camaraderie with high-level athletes gave him, began to foster his passion for documenting the life of an athlete.⁠
⁠
We sat down to talk with Howard about how his experience as a collegiate athlete spawned his love for photography, what gear he uses to document professional and local athletes, and where he sees his talents taking him next. Check out Howard's photos and read the full article linked in our bio!⁠
⁠
⁠

Wednesday January 17th, we'll be CLOSED for the safety of our staff and customers.

For the safety of our customers and staff, all three Pro Photo Supply storefronts will be closed Tuesday, January 16th, 2024. Please check back here for future updates!

We are currently open but will be closing at 5pm today. ❄️❄️❄️

We're looking back at our year and wanted to bring you all who made it possible along for the ride. Thank you to everyone who visited our store or website, bought a roll of film, printed a photo at our lab, rented a lens, or enriched our community this year. We couldn't do it without you and we appreciate you all!⁠
⁠
We can't wait to see what 2024 brings!⁠
⁠