Cedar & Shore Studio LLC

09/05/2026

ISO 2500. Yes, 2500.

Photographers are often told to keep their ISO between 100 and 500. That advice can make people so afraid of noise that they sacrifice the shutter speed or aperture the photograph actually requires.

This hummingbird was photographed at ISO 2500, 1/1600 second, and f/10. The settings are visible in the Camera Raw screenshot because I want you to see the proof.

Your camera is not controlled by one “perfect” setting. ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and available light must work together. A little manageable noise is better than motion blur or a missed photograph.

If you are still guessing which settings to use, book a private photography lesson with Cedar & Shore Studio. We will work with your camera and your photography goals so you can make these decisions with confidence.

Book your lesson:

https://cedarshorestudio.com/shop/learn-photography/private-photography-lesson/

Personalized private photography lessons in Sequim or online, tailored to your camera, experience, and creative goals. One-hour sessions are now available.

09/04/2026

Watch: Clallam County commissioner candidates take questions in Sequim

Two hours of audience questions for Mike French and Jake Seegers at a packed Sequim Prairie Grange, on video with a chapter guide. The Sequim Prairie Grange reached capacity on Aug. 27 for a Candidate Conversation between Clallam County District 3 commissioner candidates Mike French and Jake Seegers. The full recording runs a little over two hours and is posted below....

candidate conversation between Clallam County commissioner candidates Mike French and Jake Seegers at the Sequim Prairie Grange

09/02/2026

My latest reporting and photography for the Sequim Gazette is now published.

The Sequim Prairie Grange filled to capacity as Clallam County commissioner candidates Mike French and Jake Seegers answered questions from voters for two hours. Their responses revealed clear differences on harm reduction, county spending, timber policy and the proposed transfer of the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge.

Political reporting carries a responsibility to the community. I worked carefully to represent both candidates accurately and fairly while keeping the focus on their answers and the issues voters asked them to address.

Read the full article:

[https://www.sequimgazette.com/2026/09/01/voters-fill-sequim-prairie-grange-for-french-seegers-candidate-forum/](https://www.sequimgazette.com/2026/09/01/voters-fill-sequim-prairie-grange-for-french-seegers-candidate-forum/)

The Sequim Prairie Grange was filled to capacity Thursday with voters who turned out for a candidates forum featuring District 3 Clallam County commissioner incumbent Mike French and challenger Jake Seegers.

The Candidate Conversation was sponsored by The Calico Cat Club and moderated by member Mark Curtis. He announced at the start of the forum that no additional attendees would be admitted due to the building having reached capacity.

Story: https://www.sequimgazette.com/2026/09/01/voters-fill-sequim-prairie-grange-for-french-seegers-candidate-forum/

For two hours, French, a Democrat, and Seegers, an Independent, answered questions from the audience. Their exchanges covered harm reduction, public spending, and the county’s role in housing and homelessness.

Both candidates kept their opening statements brief to leave more time for questions from the floor.

Curtis outlined two rules that would be strictly enforced: Every question would go to both candidates, and anyone disrespectful toward either candidate would be asked to leave. Club members were called first before questions opened to the wider audience.

French said he is seeking reelection so younger residents can find housing and economic opportunities in Clallam County. Seegers said he is running to restore public safety, economic growth, fiscal responsibility, affordability, and trust in local government.

09/02/2026

Adventure on the Olympic Peninsula often begins at the water’s edge, but sea kayaking requires more than a willingness to paddle into the waves. It takes instruction, practice and respect for conditions that can change quickly.

For my latest feature in the Sequim Gazette, I followed instructor Chris Bracamonte and local paddlers as they practiced coastal skills and built confidence on the water. Through my reporting and photography, I wanted to capture both sides of the experience: the beauty and freedom that draw people to kayaking, and the knowledge that helps bring them home safely.

Read “Where Adventure Meets the Waves: Kayaking on the Olympic Peninsula”:

https://www.sequimgazette.com/2026/08/26/where-adventure-meets-the-waves-kayaking-on-the-olympic-peninsula/

May the trail lead to adventure.

08/25/2026

I need to apologize for lying to all of you.

For quite some time, I have been telling people that I had a 3.97 GPA. After receiving my updated transcript, I discovered that this was false information.

My actual cumulative GPA is 3.98.

I regret understating the truth by an entire one-hundredth of a point, and I hope everyone can forgive me during this difficult time.
Joking aside, I officially graduated from Peninsula College with an Associate in Applied Science-Transfer in Media Communications: Web & Interactive Design. I was also awarded the President’s Medal for Scholarly Excellence.
Those words on my transcript represent two years of hard work, long days, late nights, a complete career change, and a commitment to building a new future. I am proud of the degree, grateful to everyone who supported me, and deeply honored to receive this recognition.
My journey at Peninsula College is not over. I look forward to continuing my education in the Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management program, studying marketing and entrepreneurship. I intend to bring the same full-force effort to this next chapter.
If you would like to support my college journey, please consider shopping my online store or hiring Cedar & Shore Studio for drone services, photography, video production, or other creative work. Every purchase and project helps me continue building this business while pursuing my education.
Apparently, my first assignment is correcting every place where I accidentally sold myself short.

08/25/2026

Private Photography Lesson

Personalized one-hour photography instruction tailored to your camera, experience, and creative goals. Purchase one lesson or select multiple sessions for progressive learning. Dates and locations are arranged personally to ensure every lesson is thoughtfully planned....

Personalized private photography lessons in Sequim or online, tailored to your camera, experience, and creative goals. One-hour sessions are now available.

08/25/2026

A slow, cinematic drone flight follows the shoreline of Ediz Hook toward the former McKinley Paper Mill in Port Angeles, Washington. Lyrics from “The Hours We Give” appear over the water, reflecting on how quickly the years pass while we are working.

08/23/2026

At McKinley Paper Mill, people called me Superman. I took it as a compliment.

Years later, after the mill closed and I returned to college, an English composition assignment made me look at that nickname differently.

That essay became The Weight of the Cape, and the idea inside it became The Hours We Give.

This is where the song began.

At McKinley Paper Mill, they called me Superman. Later, that nickname became an essay about work, identity, ambition, and The Hours We Give.

08/22/2026

How many hours of our lives do we give away working for the life we're supposed to be building?

I've been working on something different.

The Hours We Give is a song about work, responsibility, ambition, sacrifice, and the realization that the time we keep promising ourselves we'll enjoy someday is the same time we're spending right now.

The people I've shared it with so far have connected with it in ways I wasn't expecting, so I think it's time to let it go out into the world and see where it goes.

For this first release, I paired the full song with drone footage I captured around the Olympic Peninsula. This isn't the final music video. Right now, I want the song itself to have a chance to find the people who understand it.

If it reminds you of your own life, I would genuinely like to hear why.

The full song is linked in the comments.

Listen to 'The Hours We Give,' reflecting on our dedication to work and how it impacts our lives and time.

08/13/2026

Sheriff’s Office, Sequim Police Department, and prosecuting attorney led presentation at The Lodge