About Craig
I am a photographer in Spokane, Washington, who occasionally writes books (Year of Plenty) and pastors churches. I am currently mostly taking pictures, doing art shows, and working with commercial photo clients. This site is a gathering place for my eclectic mix of creative pursuits.
I am a graduate of the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington with a degree marketing, but I was born in Pullman to WSU Cougar parents. I have Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.
After being ordained in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. in 1997, I served as a Pastor at Clear Lake Presbyterian in Houston, TX, down the road from Johnson Space Center, and most recently at Millwood Presbyterian in Spokane, WA. In June of 2018, I decided to step away from my role as Pastor at Millwood and explore life as a full-time photographer.
I bought my first digital camera during our family’s year-long experiment with local consumption. You’ll have to read the book about our experience to figure out how our rules allowed for me to buy a Nikon camera made in Thailand, but that is what got me started. The camera opened up a reservoir of creative energy, and love for nature, that led me on a series of awe-inspiring encounters - from the small, delicate world of wildflowers and butterflies, to the grand horizons of night skies, and the mystery of snowy owls. When I had a camera in hand, it seemed there was a pioneering adventure around every corner, if only I would pay attention.
In 2014, while on sabbatical for a writing project, I was stopped in my tracks by Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. During 6 months of chemo, radiation, and surgery, I set a goal of doing an art show, and that summer of 2015 I set up a booth at Spokane Artfest and sold my first prints. That set me on a path of developing a business that now includes fine-art sales, digital licensing, and commercial clients. Go HERE to learn more about my business.