Nature or nurture?

I was raised in a family of storytellers and artists.

My paternal grandfather was a journalist. He was an exacting writer with a passion for reporting the facts to members of his community.

My maternal grandmother was what they used to call a “hoot.” She was known far and wide for the food she prepared and her hilarious stories about growing up in the Pacific Northwest.

My mother was an artist and a teacher. My father is a writer, photographer and historian.

I hear their lessons, and those of many other mentors, in my head as I work to capture images of my community.

“Tell the truth, do it creatively, do it precisely,” but most importantly, “Don’t be boring.”

Here are the results of that journey in pictures and stories. Thanks for looking.


Chris Pietsch is the director of photography for Gannett Newspapers in Oregon, The Register-Guard in Eugene and the Statesman Journal in Salem.

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