Ray Bidegain: The States Project: Oregon

Ray Bidegain: The States Project: Oregon by Heidi KirkpatrickJanuary 29, 2016

©Ray Bidegain

I can’t even remember when I first met Ray Bidegain; I think because it seems like I have known him my whole life. Ray is a romantic. He is a master platinum printer, large format photographer, teacher, father, and friend. Ray prints every day. Every single day. For that, I am truly jealous. Ray has a wide range of photographic interest and ability; he makes it look easy. See for yourself.

Ray Bidegain was born in Tucson, Arizona and started studying photography in high school. At age 17 he began working on weekends for a large studio that offered wedding photography to the Hispanic community in Southern Arizona. Ray graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography in 1981 and returned home to Tucson to operate his own studio before moving to Portland, Oregon. After 17 years as a studio portrait photographer, Ray turned to fine art photography, eventually teaching himself the art of platinum printing and, later, wet plate collodion. Fascinated by both the science and the art of photography and printmaking, Ray is an engaging and respected photo instructor throughout the Pacific Northwest. Ray’s photographs are internationally collected, and his work has been exhibited across the United States, and in France, Germany, and Scotland. He is currently represented by Russ Levin in Monterey, California.

After a long commercial career, I discovered the beauty of the platinum print. I was drawn to the older alternative photo processes because of the handmade nature of the work and its inherent beauty. I find peace in my photographs, and mostly photograph things that present themselves voluntarily into my life. I want the viewer to have the same feelings of contentment and calm that I feel when viewing and taking the photographs. I make images of things and places that are important to me, and I strive to bring the viewer with me and evoke the same responses in them.