04 July 2009

giveaway: jeffrey allen photography

happy fourth of july! since today is independence day when we celebrate America, the Beautiful i thought it only appropriate to feature jeffrey allen; a photographer who has a knack for capturing beauty in scenes all across the fifty nifty United States. you won't believe how truly talented this guy is. i could hardly choose which photos to showcase here, so i chose those closest to my heart. you can stroll into his gallery to view more fine photography.



jeffrey is offering two m.writes readers a print of their choice (glossy or lustre, any size up to 11x14). simply leave a comment to enter to win. and to be patriotic, tell me your favorite spot in America. comments are open until monday / july 6 / midnight / mountain time. two photographic print winners will be announced tuesday.

thank you, jeffrey, for such a generous giveaway. read on to find out more about the photographer himself and his (what i might call, perfected) skills.


I got my start in photography learning from my dad - we would go out into nature to photograph the landscape. For awhile I really focused on nature photography but soon I discovered a love for the urban landscape - cities, lights, bridges, signs, and other random things in town.

As far as equipment goes, I mainly use a large format camera - picture an old timey photographer under a black cloth except with a more modern camera (although mine is still about 40 or 50 years old). These cameras use 4x5 inch sheets of film rather than rolls of film. It ends up being roughly the equivalent of a 150 megapixel digital camera. I also use a Holga which is a cheap plastic camera that because of its flaws takes really cool pictures - kind of dark and out of focus around the edges. Those flaws are really what make the Holga so great. I also have an old metal body canon SLR that I use when I can't use my large format camera.

When looking for things to photograph I try to find subjects that stick out to me personally - I try to capture what it "feels like to be there". Sometimes a very simple, straightforward view works - kind of like a portrait of the place. Sometimes I'll try to find an interesting view or a new way of looking at it - almost like a candid shot of the place. The main thing is that the picture means something to you when you look at it.

peruse jeffrey's blog + website.

all images in this post copyright jeffery allen.
used with permission.

114 comments:

Unknown said...

my favorite place in America is my parents' back deck. views of the hills, dogs running around, friends and family, BBQ, and cold margaritas.

sara said...

Well, I'm Canadian...so, if I were to chose a place in Canada, I would say Peggy's Cove (Google it, you will not be disappointed).

My favorite place (so far) in the United States would be the Wagon Wheel Market. To be honest I couldn't tell you it's exact location - but I know it's in Florida and definitely around the Clearwater area. It's so fun and awesome to see all kinds of neat and beautiful things!

Brooke said...

Great question that has left me thinking about several spots all throughout the USA. One favorite is my parents' old weeping willow tree in the backyard. Tall, sweeping, beautiful.

JJB said...

My favorite place in all of the United A
States... I think it's a tie between Jackson Hole and Sedona. Time just seems to slow down and all worries seem to melt away in the shadow of these awe-inspiring landscapes.

Berta said...

I think my favorite spot in the US is right in my home town in Idaho! 'Nature' is splendid here and the camera captures it in all it's glory.

Beautiful pictures - I would love to own one of them - what a talented artist. Thanks for the chance!

Jessica Petersen said...

My all-time favorite place in the U.S. is Lake Powell. Typical Utah answer BUT the place is really quite beautiful! There is nothing like going down the skinny canyons where the red walls go straight up for what seems like a mile!

maryirene said...

my favorite place in the usa? that's a hard one. luckily i've had the chance to see quite a bit of it driving from the west coast to the east coast, and back. this truly is a beautiful and God given land.

i do have to say that my favortie city is boston, massachusetts and my favorite place in nature is definitely hebgen lake, montana.

jeffrey, i agree with marta, you have definitely got some skills!

Mary said...

There's just so many amazing spots, it's hard to pick just one, but I have to go with the old streets of downtown Boston.

Happy 4th!

Laura said...

There are so many places in America that I love- New Orleans, New York, Savannah...but the places I love most are my hometown (Charlottesville, VA) and the little town where my parents grew up (Scottsville, VA). I love the mountains and the river and all the farmland. It's beautiful. Happy Independence Day!

Meghan said...

I would LOVE one of these photographs. I'm from Michigan, and my favorite spot in America is what we call "up north," basically northern Michigan. Places like Traverse City, Higgins Lake and the Upper Peninsula are dear to me. Most people don't know about this incredible part of the country!

Christie said...

My favorite place hands-down is NYC. Pick me! Pick me!

linds said...

Oh how lovely!

My favorite place is on Mt Hood in Oregon at Timberline Lodge. Three generations of my family have been tied to it since it was built during the Great Depression. Gorgeous during the winter months, equally enchanting during the spring and summer months when the snow makes way for small purple flowers and hikers

Misti said...

I've seen many beautiful places in the US but not all of them. It's a tough choice, but hands down my favorite drive in America was through the Beartooth Mountains in Montana/Wyoming. Absolutely awesome!

Karen said...

Lovely!

My favorite spot in America... I'm not very well traveled, so I guess I would just say that anywhere that I am with my husband and kids is my favorite spot.

Jason said...

This work is so beautiful You are truly skilled.

My favorite place in the United States is in the forests around Vancouver Washington. My home town. There is nothing like camping in the middle of the woods that are so lush and green with a very light morning rain falling down.

It just smells so fresh and clean like it was made just for you at that time. I could just walk for hours and enjoy the scenery. The best part though is no snakes! :p

Rae said...

Such gorgeous images!! I definitely have my fingers crossed to be one of the two lucky winners!!

My favorite spot in America....hmmm, that's tough! I think I will have to say New England. It has such history that the western part of the country lacks. Perfect for Independence Day!!

lindsey said...

my favorite spot in america the nj shore, preferably on a deck overlooking the bay at sunset

Cass said...

My favorite place in the States is any upscale cupcake bakery!! :)

Anonymous said...

This is a great giveaway. I love his work!

My favorite location in the U.S. would have to be the Rockies. They are fabulous!

mindy said...

I have 2 favorite places in America: the North Shore in Minnesota along Lake Superior and Sanibel, Florida. They may seem like extreme opposites but they are so similar in the fact that everyone & everything is so relaxed and makes you forget about all your worries. Two beautiful places I love to visit!

Jeanne said...

One of my favorite places are the San Juan Islands in Washington State. I spent my childhood summers there and I have some wonderfuly childhood memories of the ocean and beaches there.

Cyndi and Tommy Krebs said...

One of my favorite places in the usa would have to be the utah mountains. Tommy and I miss them and can't wait to find an excuse to move back to Utah or at least the west. Jeffrey you have some mad skills, YO!!

Diana Hulme said...

i love the utah mountains. but really, anywhere where my sweetheart is.

Eliza said...

I have been to 40 of the great 50 states and have seen so many wonderful places it is hard to pick. I do remember once as a kid driving through Iowa after a big thunderstorm and I saw the most vivid and vibrant rainbow I have ever seen in my entire life set against the sweeping plains, it was stunningly beautiful.

The other moment that's forever etched in my mind is seeing a moon rainbow up in the Uintah mountains, all I can say is wow.

elizachallisAThotmailDOTcom

Karie said...

That's so hard to pick! Two of my favorite places are Lake Powell and the Oregon Coast, specifically Cannon Beach.

Hanna said...

My favorite place is my family's house in northern California. I also really like this museum where I live.

Meg said...

No question, my favorite place is Boston. Not only because it is my home, but it's where our country was born! I love the history - you can feel it as you walk through the city.

Crystal Johnson said...

Living in the mountains of North Carolina couldn't be any more beautiful!My next favorite would have to be Alamo Square in San Fran; this is where I said "yes" and am now living happily ever after...

brooke said...

I love Washington D.C. (especially in the spring with the Cherry blossoms and the fall with the leaves.) You can just feel the history there. I love the monuments and beautiful buildings. This guy has amazing photography--I would love to win a print.

Dansie Family said...

lucky for me, my favorite place is zion national park and it is right in my backyard.

tawnya said...

My favorite place is Portland, Oregon. I will love it always.

Ashlee said...

Jeffrey...I love your work. I think I would be a much better photographer if you had been my professor. Seriously, you are amazing! I love what you see and how you capture it. I am excited for all you are doing.

My favorite spot in America...well what's a place worth if you aren't with the people you love. So anywhere the people I love are...that's my favorite spot. (Unless there are a ton of spiders, snakes or sharks around, then I'd pick a new spot.) I do have to say though, being on a beautiful, clean, quiet beach is one of my favorites.

Alisha Stamper said...

as a fellow large format photographer (www.alishastamper.com), i completely appreciate his vision and plugs for film.

favorite place: home in dc sitting in einstein's lap. i can think clearly there always. and the ghandi statue in dupont circle. art dedicated to great thinkers.

Lisa said...

I live in southern Utah and I've gotta be honest. It's the best place in America. With three national parks all within two hours of my house, I find it hard to beat. Love it.

mj said...

My favorite place in America would have to be HOME. We traveled to China for the Olympics last year, and, although it was an amazing experience to root for the USA amidst so many other nations, it was a good feeling to step foot on our soil again. God Bless America.

I would LOVE Jeffrey's prints. And a bonus: We know Jeffrey and his wife and adorable kids! Good friends of ours. So glad you are doing this for him.

Heather said...

My favorite place in America the Beautiful would have to be home, right here in Colorado. You can't beat living in the state where the song was written.

Lin said...

To be honest I am not American, I am Australian. And it's only been recently that I've developed a fascination/obsession for the US. At university I am studying History, and I'm doing this subject Europe and the World which ends with the American Revolution. It's amazing for me to read all this - we're only very young here in Australia, so all this history is just mindblowing! So enough babbling, I've never been to the US, but when I do, I would love to see Washington State for the beautiful landscape, trees, snow; Oregon and Alaska for the same, New York for a show/ground zero, Cape Cod (to see all those beautiful houses on the beach) and Boston. They all seem like amazing places to me.

Kelly said...

my favorite place is sitting along the ohio river in my hometown of beaver, PA. it's the best!

i hope you and your little family have a super holiday weekend!

xo
kelly

Cat said...

I am from Canada also (montreal). I haven't seen many US spots but the one I was most impressed with was Catalina Island off the cost of California. Getting there by helicopter gave me the chanceto see Bisons! I couldn't believe it!

Classy Drifter said...

Ooo my favorite place would have to be somewhere along the highway in Colorado on my way to Denver. I had to stop and pull over because the mountain view was so breathtaking.

Sarah said...

Pick Me! Pick Me! Me! Me! Jeffrey's got real talent and I want a copy of his photos.

barrentree said...

Seattle is my favorite, favorite place in the US!! I love it! :-)

Anonymous said...

Jeffrey's an awesome photographer. I've shown his photos to friends and they're always impressed! Thanks for making your work available to us!

Diana said...

My favorite spot in America is where I grew up...Pennsylvania Dutch country. Rolling hills, cornfields, and horse-drawn buggies. Sigh...just beautiful.

Anonymous said...

I think my favorite spot is the house I grew up in. Although it's no longer being lived in I think it'll be a favorite spot always.

kate said...

My favorite spots are the back roads of Maine.

harwoodhomer said...

As far as the land itself goes, I would have to say southern Utah desert. When you add in people, I would have to say Hebgen Lake, MT.

tarable said...

I'm pretty partial to the Grand Canyon, but he has so many beautiful shots that I could easily be swayed.

Genevieve said...

This is rough because I'm completely biased...I love New York in the Winter, it's absolutely beautiful to walk around the streets when it's snowing. But I'd have to say that my favorite place is here in Portland, OR anytime between April and December.

Excellent choice of photographer, love his work!

Daisy said...

My absolute favorite has to be the Tetons because they're so close to my heart - spent time there during the best years of my life.

Teri said...

We love your pictures, Jeffrey!! Oregon is my favorite place!

Anonymous said...

JJ's photos are so awesome!

JJ, when I'm rich and famous, I'm gonna call you up and you'll do photos for me and I'll blow them up and put them all over my house!

Frannie said...

Oh wow! What beautiful art, I can definitely see the passion through his photos.

Hmm favorite place? I'd say San Francisco! Wish I had more time to explore the place though...

kristi said...

The mountains of East Tennessee would be my favorite place....

Beautiful pics!

caitlin said...

it may sound cheesy.. but it's seriously anywhere my family is. happy independence day!

leesh said...

my favorite place in america is my mother's backyard under the pergola with a glass of vino in hand. gosh, i wish i was there this wkend!

Sam said...

My favorite place is my home state: colorado. Not that I'm biased or anything, but I think it's the most beautiful place on Earth.

Carrie said...

my favorite spot would probably be my uncle and aunt's cabin in colorado! it is absolutely beautiful!! i love going there in the summertime.

Amanda said...

What a great question! I would have to pick Seattle, WA or anywhere in South Carolina. My family and I drive to a vacation destination every year, so it's always enjoyable seeing the beauty of America. What is exciting this year is that we are planning on going to California.

Hillary said...

my favorite spot in america would have to be Boston. It is such a cool mixture of old and new, remembering the past and celebrating today.

Andria said...

My favorite place in Ameria would be Manhattan Beach area in California because of the memories I have with my husband on our vacation.

tffnyhll said...

I have had the wonderful opportunity to live in ten different states. I would say that each one has something beautiful and amazing about them. But two of my favorite places are, City Creek in Salt Lake City going on a morning run, you never know what you are going to see. From a moose to the most amazing falling stars. Second is Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach, Oregon, your driving through giant trees and ferns and then you get to the beach. It is like another world.

Jeffery, I love your pictures. I think my favorite is of the GW.

Kathleen W. said...

My favorite place to go is any beach, but also Rickett's Glen state park in PA, which has dozens of waterfalls and is absolutely gorgeous.

I love the photo of the Ferris Wheel on the Navy Pier in Chicago

Kiasa said...

WOW! I'm not sure if I have ONE favorite place in the USA. I love NYC (where I live), I LOVE Vermont, I love Dillon Beach (in northern CA). But probably one of my all time faves is blueberry picking on the top of the hills in South Glastonbury, CT. It feeds my body and my soul; so delicious and so very, very beautiful.

SmilynStef said...

My favorite spot in America is wherever I am with my husband today ... we enjoy exploring new corners of America every chance we get ... some we've enjoyed so far include the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Lake Superior, Monteray Bay, and all of the places in between. Thanks for the chance to win.

Kathy said...

My favorite spot is NYC or WDC, I am a city girl at heart and feel best amidst the hustle and bustle.

Janine said...

My favorite place is a place outside of Provo...Bridal Veil Falls. I just love that you can see the cars and the busy world and yet you are set apart from it.

Timmy said...

My favorite place in America is the ballpark. Home to America's greatest past-time, baseball. There are ballparks all over America, and everyone chooses a different one to call his/her own. They are all made unique by the memories made there.

Shana said...

I don't know if it's my favorite spot in America, but the first place that popped into my head was this: I love being on the Staten Island Ferry en route to lower Manhattan, about halfway across the Hudson River, looking at the looming NYC skyline and passing by the Statue of Liberty, with the wind whipping through my hair on a sunny day. shanaleigh70 at yahoo dot com

Dawn said...

New England in autumn. I'm homesick for it, even though I've never lived there. It's my big dream to settle down there one day.

Unknown said...

i really love denver colorado. the rockies are breath taking. we used to go there every summer as a family! :)

Pandesaldreamer said...

These photos are amazing!!!!

Susan said...

America truly is THE BEAUTIFUL, and I love so much of it, it's hard to choose a favorite. Since I'm forced to, I'd have to say a certain grove of trees in upstate New York. absolutely gorgeous. My favorite time there is early morning when the sunlight filters down through the canopy of leaves overhead making them glow in a rainbow of yellows and greens. love it.

JoeyfromSC said...

Hi, I am glad I found your blog:)

His photos are amazing!! WOW!

My fave spot in America is New York City!!

I finally got to live out my dream and fly there(1st time flying too lol) Summer 2007 and I LOVED it and never wanted to leave lol

I had the pleasure of going back again May 2008..It's the city that never sleeps and I hope to live there one day if for only 6 months haha

Thanks for the chance to win an amazing piece by an amazing photographer:)

ellen said...

The photos are wonderful. I don't have one favorite place but my favorite states are: California, Massachusetts, and Maine.

Marti said...

UTAH, of course! We've got such a beautiful, diverse climate-from red rock to snow peaked mountains!

Jenny said...

the coast of Lake Michigan. gorgeous!

Ashley said...

Beautiful images! My favorite place in America is Seattle, WA, where I live because it feels like home to me and it's so beautiful here.

Pacific Queen said...

My two favorite spots are Portland, OR because both of my children were born there and the
Pacific Coast. HWY 101 from Oregon all the way down through California if full of beautiful spots.

Hannah said...

Just one? I don't know if I can limit it. The Big Sur in Cali is breathtaking. The Pali Coast in Hawaii is almost unreal. Zions National Park is so unique and peaceful. The Salt Lake Temple is historical and one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. I really can't pick one place in America.

Lizzie said...

My favorite spot in America are the mountains around Salt Lake City. I love running in them, hiking up them, camping on them, etc.

Elizabeth said...

It's a close tie between Lake Martin in Alabama and sitting in the sand by the Gulf of Mexico in Seaside, Florida. They are both peaceful, beautiful, involve water (always a plus with me, and evoke loads of memories.

That Tall Girl said...

My favorite spot in America is the New Hampshire coastline. It's small (only 13 miles total!) but it's beautiful in every season--the warm summer days, crisp fall walks, snowy rocky winter peaks, or sweatshirt & shorts spring jogs.

Anonymous said...

my favorite place is my front yard looking out over the lake and the bluffs of wisconsin. preferrably with my boyfriend and our black lab next to me. nothing better on a summer night!

Jessica said...

My favorite place is NYC. Specifically Manhattan and even more specifically where 59th St. ends at Sutton Place.

Lena said...

I really believe you have to bloom where you're planted so I work hard to make my favorite place where I am.

Emily said...

Hmm, my favorite place in America is either the Texas state capitol (Austin), Sequoia National Forest, or the Ozarks. I love all the beautiful trees!

Kelly said...

I am not sure how to narrow it down to one favorite spot. But in this moment, I will claim the Great Smokey Mountains. I am far away on the coast now, burning up in the midst of drought, and missing the trees and rocks and hills and and the cool and the damp green. Oh, I am missing the green.

loft2dwell said...

It's too hard to pick just one - I love the mountains of Utah, but I also love the North Shore of Oahu.

NSMOM said...

My favorite place in America has to be Jackson Hole in the winter - I've only been once and that beautiful pristine blanket of white across the mountains and valley will always be a site I will cherish and remember.

Thanks,
Maureen (jnomaxx at hotmail dot com)

Jamie said...

My favorite place is a small camp ground just minutes from where I grew up - Maple Grove. It is a beautiful spot and so full of wonderful memories from my childhood.

pinklady said...

I have always been enchanted by photos/documentaries of the rugged Utah landscape and the colours and softness of the light at dawn and dusk. Even though I've never been, it feels like home.

Camille said...

so many beautiful places. but i would have to say the beautiful rocky mountains - because i miss them.

KJ said...

New York City. Austin. Pike Place Market & Waterfront. Jenny Lake. Guardsman's Pass (Brady proposed there). Carmel. Mesa Verde. Landscape Arch. My front porch.

Jackie Jones said...

What beautiful photos. Especially love New York City photos, they always seem so magical to me.
My favorite place as a child was northern Wisconsin where my grandpa owned a tavern. we spent many weekends and summer vacations in the woods and boating on the beautiful lakes.

Dad said...

I'm torn between Lake Powell and the San Juan Islands...both majestically beautiful and full of great family memories! I think it's the company that helps bring out the beauty of a spot.

Jenn said...

My favorite place in America is my hometown, Yosemite National Park it is breathtaking and as they say, "there is no place like home"

Martha H. said...

My favorite spot in America? That's a hard one. There's so much that is great and fantastic about our country.

I would have to say Seattle on a sunny day. I love how green everything is.

C like Cat said...

My favorite spot in America would have to be my home state of Texas -- it has so many beautiful diverse landscapes and all of they tug at my heart.

Alex said...

i don't know if i could pick one favorite place, but i enjoyed seeing the white mountains this weekend. a nice change from the valley of the sun!

Leaning Shanty Farm said...

Amazing Photos! And I love to hear the creative process and history of photographers since I am a budding (albeit green) photographer myself.

My favorite place in America is probably my home state of Kentucky...esp. central Kentucky. Even though I've been in California for almost 7 years now, I still dream of heading home to the Bluegrass State.

And, you know, it makes me sad when people here (and in other states) disregard the beauty of Kentucky and many other southern and mid-western states due to misguided perceptions.

Cathy said...

He is such an amazing photographer! I had no idea, and he used to be in my ward. My favorite place in America would have to be New York City. I love the busyness of the city and all of the fun cultural things to do there. It is a melting pot of diversity that I don't get the chance to experience here in Utah. When we move back east at the end of the month, I am definitely taking a trip to New York!

Carrie K said...

I havent been LOTS of places yet but i would have to say my favorite place is Portland OR. clean, great weather, fun stuff to do and gorgeous!!

this photography is stunning...i especially love the first black and white photo...

Laura said...

My favorite place in America is my little town in upstate New York, but I adore visiting the ocean on vacation. The beach at Fort Macon in NC is lovely and unspoiled and I also love walking the beach in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Krista said...

home. that is ... a little island off the coast of south carolina. where seafood is fresh, summers are smarmy, lemonade flows freely, and the drawls are long.

Superwife said...

Gorgeous photos! Hmm, my favorite spot might be the talls woods just north of San Francisco. Something about those enormous trees is humbling.

ryne and danielle cardon said...

what a fun giveaway! my absolute favorite spot is where i grew up...thankfully i am only a few short miles away and my folks still live in their cozy home...

C.L. Davis said...

The Southern California coast line, stretching from Orange County down to San Diego. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. Click on my link to see the most recent pictures of several various beaches this summer!

anna jo said...

ah, man! how I would love to win. but I never win your giveaways.

but his photography is so great! and he's seems like such a cool person! two people will be very lucky to win his work, that's for sure!

rachel said...

One of my favorite places in the USA is Branson, Missouri. I have awesome memories of days spent at Silver Dollar City with my family throughout my childhood.

Unknown said...

My fav place to be is the Jersey shore...but there are so many wonderful places to see in this country...God Bless America !!

Debbie Lawrence said...

One of my favorite places in America is Yosemite National Park. Doesn't get much more beautiful than that!

Rebecca (Dog-Eared) said...

oh, that's a tough one. the appalachians in the late fall, i'd say :)

hebgengirl said...

My favorite spot in the WHOLE United States? No contest! Hebgen Lake, Montana. A pristine mountain lake (reservoir) located just a few miles west of West Yellowstone, Montana in Gallatin National Forest. My haven from the world- a retreat for mind, body and soul! (Pick ME, pick ME!)

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