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.

 

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6/1/2026 — 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. The same issue included this call for local photographers: "The Star News is building a community photo archive to share images and showcase our neighborhoods. If you have an archive of images you’d like to contribute — and potentially see in print — email editorial@starnewspdx.com."

 

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

 

Portland Metro Archive: Portland metro images are licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (noncommercial use with attribution; no derivatives). I add new work monthly or quarterly and backdate uploads to match each photo’s original capture date rather than its publication date. At the end of each month or quarter, I post one or more preview collages as samples of what’s coming. The collages are removed once the full-resolution images are published. After publication, I may continue refining some images over time by improving titles and expanding descriptions.

 

Travel Journal: Non-metro images are presented as separate travel collections and remain all rights reserved. I have a river cruise and trekking trip planned in France for fall 2026.

 

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.

 

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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

 

Searching the WalksInPortland Photo Archive (PDF)

 

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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 (2016–2026)

 

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. Because of this, I intentionally choose not to use drone photography. While aerial views can be visually striking, my focus is entirely at street level; it allows me to "touch the grass" 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 1,000 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 am generally less social online these days, so I limit engagement. See the Flickr Groups and Social Media sections below for more information. 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 (noncommercial use with attribution; no derivatives). 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. Portland metro public photos are available under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license described above; you are welcome to download and share them accordingly. 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: 6/25/2026