2026 Judges
An exciting benefit for Portland Squared participants is the opportunity to listen and watch the judging in action. Judges will be candidly reviewing and selecting images with comments on favorable and less than optimal characteristics and quality of the submitted images. The emphasis will be on picking the best images in each category with the added educational value of constructive criticism from which everyone can benefit. For all of us, becoming the best photographer that we can be inevitably is a work in progress, so don't miss this outstanding opportunity to learn from your own images and those of others as seen through the eyes of our outstanding panel of judges. Images will be judged on their overall impact, and on the basic elements of merit, including - Impact, Creativity, Composition & Design, Color Balance, Center of Interest, Lighting, Subject Matter, and Story-Telling.
TREVOR GRAVES
Trevor Graves is the co-founder and president of Nemo Design, a Portland, Oregon based brand agency known for its deep roots in global outdoor and lifestyle brands. Before launching Nemo, Trevor was a pioneering snowboard photographer whose images of icons like Craig Kelly and Shaun White helped shape the look and feel of the sport in the late 80s and 90s. Today, he focuses on brand building, creative mentorship, and business development for Nemo. He splits his time as the hosts the CoPro podcast, where he and his guests unpack how brands get built, run, and sometimes get wrecked drawing on three decades of experience across photography, design, and entrepreneurship.
Kate Woodman
1. A storyteller. Always striving to create powerful narrative imagery that connects you to your humanity while paradoxically helping you escape it. When worlds don’t exist, I make them up in Photoshop.
2. A practical polymath. Full time photographer, director, digital artist, art director & retoucher; part time stylist, set designer, location scout, composite artist and producer. I’m not a control freak, I just like to do it all. Just don’t ask me to do makeup.
3. A former engineer. As comfortable with spreadsheets as I am storyboards. Ten years of field tested creative problem solving skills, which tends to come in handy when your grip truck no-shows and you need to jerry rig a light to a tree with some c-clamps and gaffers tape, with six minutes of sunlight left (true story).
4. An educator. An obsession with color theory and the science behind it, combined with a compulsive need to teach others, has resulted in numerous tutorials, speaking engagements and the occasionally residency as a collegiate professor.
DAVID STROHL
David Strohl is a photographer, educator, and advisor who helps students identify professional career paths, develop confidence in their work, and present themselves in an informed, professional manner. He moved to Portland in 2014 with a clear goal: to build a strong, respected commercial photography program at Mt. Hood Community College.
David has taught at the college level since 2011, after earning his MFA from the Savannah College of Art & Design. His work has been exhibited nationally and featured in industry publications including Communication Arts, PDN, and Popular Photography. His freelance clients include The Travel Channel, Dell, the City of Austin, Food & Wine, Texas Monthly, Barron’s, Architectural Digest, and Garden & Gun.
PDXSQ26 Digital Tech Mark Fitzgerald
Before founding The Digital Darkroom in 2002, Mark spent twenty years working in and consulting for professional photolabs. Now as a Photoshop, Lightroom, and digital workflow expert, I work with all sorts of photographers on a daily basis. This gives me a view of the photography world that few people get to experience.
As a teacher and author, I am committed to helping photographers thrive in our ever-changing Photographic paradigm. I work hard to present information in an organized manner using easy to understand language. Whether you’re a seasoned pro, or a serious hobbyist, I can help you take your photography to the next level.
My love of photography is the thing that brought me to this point in my life. I purchased my first camera when I was 18 and have been involved in photography ever since. I’ve done all sorts of commercial photography, from architecture to album covers, but my current specialty is industrial fine-art photography. You can see samples of my award-winning work at ddroom.com.
PDXSq26 Moderator and founder Leah NasH
Leah Nash is a photographer and filmmaker based in Portland, Oregon. Special rockstar talents include portraiture, lifestyle, travel, and documentary photography with an authentic and atmospheric bent. NashCOPhoto.com
