Note: This text contains embedded links that are not active in Flickr’s mobile apps. Please view in a browser to use them.

 

This page provides an overview of my Flickr archive, licensing, project history, and technical information.

 

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

9/14/2026 — All Done – And a Shift Ahead: I've wound down regular Portland photowalks; new Portland-metro additions will be occasional rather than routine going forward. My focus is shifting to three things: turning years of past walks into virtual walk videos for individuals experiencing dementia, more creative photography (black & white, macro, and similar work — Portland and beyond), and digitizing and tagging my family's approximately 20,000 photos. Travel photography continues too, though possibly as a smaller curated selection rather than full trip batches.

 

7/6/2026 — Summer Break: I am taking a break from Flickr publishing for the summer. New content will resume in the fall.

 

6/1/2026 (Print Edition) — Hollywood Star News Article & Community Photo Archive: This feature story, Moving Images, explored my neighborhood photo walks, Flickr archive, and long-term documentation of Portland-area communities through photography.

 

4/23/2026 — Archive Update Schedule & Public Resource: This account now serves as my public photo archive of the Portland metro area, a separate travel journal, and a growing body of creative photography spanning both.

 

Portland Metro Archive: Portland metro images are licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (noncommercial use with attribution; no derivatives). New Portland-metro additions are now occasional rather than routine, typically single images rather than organized batches. After publication, I may continue refining some images over time by improving titles and expanding descriptions. Creative Portland-metro photography is licensed all rights reserved and is not included in the geographic collections below.

 

Travel Journal: Non-metro images are presented as separate travel collections and remain all rights reserved.

 

3/30/2026 — Back from My Flickr Break: What Changed: After approximately three months away, I completed a major overhaul of this account. Changes include:

— 16,500+ public photos updated: Titles, descriptions, tags, and links were reviewed and cleaned across the public catalog, including systematic geographic keywording.

— CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licensing applied: Portland metro public photos are now licensed for noncommercial sharing with attribution; no derivatives permitted.

— Three geographic collections created: Portland metro content is now organized into curated North/Northeast, Southeast, and Downtown & Adjacent collections.

— Approximately 1,000 photos added: Includes Portland walks from January through March 2026, a family reunion trip to Sayulita, Mexico, and selected archived collage work.

 

1/1/2026 — Extended Break, Flickr Fixes, New Collections: Happy New Year. I am taking an extended Flickr break starting this January. During this time, I will be traveling to Mexico and stepping away from regular publishing to plan a major technical cleanup and reorganization of this archive.

 

11/25/2025 — WalksInPortland Photoblog: After 15 years, thousands of miles, and approximately 40,000 photos, I closed and archived my photoblog website.

 

10/1/2025 & 6/1/2025 — 50 Plus Magazine Article, New Adventures Ahead: I was honored to be featured in this Wandering Spirit story, which marked the end of my 15-year journey showcasing Portland on foot and a transition toward new creative priorities.

 

7/31/2024 — PDXToday Article: In this article, Q&A: Take a walk in a Portland photoblogger’s shoes, I described what inspired me to begin documenting Portland on foot. I also addressed the “Portland is dying” narrative, offering a counterpoint.

 

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

 

Links to Public Collections: Portland metro photo collections are organized into themed albums viewable on desktop browsers. Note that Flickr collections are not accessible via Flickr's mobile apps; on mobile, please visit my photostream or albums directly.

 

New geographic collections — Portland metro public photos (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0):

Portland Metro North Northeast

Portland Metro Southeast

Portland Metro Downtown & Adjacent

 

Full archive collections:

2010–Present: Portland Metro Themes & Districts

2010–Present: Walks, Hikes & Trips by Year

2011–Present: Walks, Hikes & Trips by Date

1980–1992: Climbs, Treks & Hikes (AK, MT, OR, WA)

1960s–Present: Public Family Photos

 

How to search WalksInPortland Archive:

Searching the WalksInPortland Photo Archive (PDF)

 

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

 

My Flickr Timeline: I have been an avid photographer since 1978 and a Flickr Pro member since 2009. I rebooted this public account in 2019 after stepping away from most social media. See the Flickr Groups and Social Media sections below for more information. I also maintain a private account for family photos.

 

More About: I was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and spent my youth and early adulthood living in both rural and urban areas across the state. Alaska remains a special place to me. I lived in Alaska for approximately 27 years and in Louisiana for less than a year, and I have now lived in Oregon for approximately 43 years. Since my photoblog, which included my bio, has been closed, I created an ORCID profile with details about my background, education, and career: orcid.org/0009-0000-6928-5778

 

Photography Gear & Content Management:

 

Dedicated Cameras

Konica TC (1978–1984)

Olympus XA2 (1984–1992)

Canon PowerShot S100 (2000–2010)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 (2008–2013)

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II (2016–Present)

 

iPhones

iPhone 4S through 16 Pro (2012–present)

 

Most of my photos are made while walking with compact cameras or an iPhone rather than specialized professional gear. My interest has always been less about equipment and more about observation: documenting Portland’s neighborhoods, seasons, architecture, street life, and small unexpected moments over time. My focus is primarily at street level — it allows me to “touch the grass,” stay close to my subjects, and observe Portland from a human perspective rather than a distant one.

 

Content Management

I manage my photo collections using Adobe Lightroom Classic, with Jeffrey Friedl's plugin suite handling Flickr publishing and metadata workflows. ChronoSync provides local backup and Backblaze provides offsite backup. Between my public and private collections, I currently manage over 96,000 images.

More information:

— Adobe Lightroom

— Export to Flickr Lightroom Plugin

— ChronoSync

— Backblaze

 

Photography Genres & Themes: As an introvert, photography gives me a way to share how I see and experience the world. Family, travel, outdoor adventures, Portland, quirky “Portlandia” moments, architecture, urban planning, and active and public transportation have been enduring themes in my work. During more than 1,100 walks of five miles or longer across the Portland metro area since 2010, public transit has made it possible for me to explore the region extensively without relying on a car.

 

Flickr Following: I appreciate sincere engagement and follow people with similar interests. I currently keep my following list small. I would rather engage thoughtfully with a few people than skim many. I do not follow accounts that use scripts or bots to generate automated favorites or comments.

 

Flickr Groups: In June 2024, I removed my photos from Flickr groups. I feel many groups are less active and engaging than they once were, often lacking moderation or meaningful discussion. I may rejoin specific groups in the future if they are active and well-moderated.

 

Social Media: In 2019, I chose to limit my social media engagement. That decision grew out of my IT career, graduate studies in the Applied Information Management (AIM) program at the University of Oregon, and concerns about surveillance capitalism and social media addiction.

 

I am also a product of my generation. When I was in my 20s and 30s, we met in real life; “insta” and “selfie” were not yet words, and “influencer” was not a job title. Today, I prefer well-written long-form journalism and respected national and local podcasts. I maintain a curated list of sources and strive for a balance of perspectives.

 

Privacy Matters: I respect personal privacy. I rarely tag individuals or use geotags in public photos. If you see a photo you would like removed, please contact me.

 

DMCA Takedowns, CC Licensing, Generative AI: I use Pixsy to monitor usage and issue DMCA takedowns. Portland metro public photos are licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, with the exception of creative Portland-metro photography, which is all rights reserved (see Portland Metro Archive, above). Organizations interested in commercial publication, republication, or derivative uses should contact me directly to discuss additional permissions. All other photos remain all rights reserved. My licensing choices reflect concerns about commercial use of photography in generative AI training without compensation or consent. I have followed AI developments since my first AI computer science course in the early 1980s.

 

Donations & Downloads: I do not sell my photos. Most Portland metro public photos are available for download and sharing under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license described above (exceptions noted there). If you need a full-resolution or print-ready file for an approved project, please contact me with the image title or URL.

 

Wikipedia & Wikimedia Commons: I frequently reference Wikipedia articles in my photo descriptions and may contribute selected photos to Wikimedia Commons in the future.

 

Contact: You can contact me via Flickr Mail or mark [at] walksinportland [dot] com.

 

Thanks, Mark McClure

Last updated: 9/14/2026