About Manifest Photography LLC

Every moment of every day, your surroundings are affecting you. The air you breathe, the light you read by, even the shape of the room you are in right now – all of these impact your mental and physical well-being.

Most of us living the urban life find fewer and fewer opportunities to enjoy the benefits available in the simple act of looking at a scene of natural beauty. A breeze sweeping over a field of barley might lead you to breathe a little more deeply; the color and beauty of a sunset may allow you to release the tension you didn't realize you were holding behind your eyes.

In a world of pavement and fluorescent lights, a beautiful image can often act as a window into that moment of well-being.

Manifest Photography is about creating space for beauty in our every day lives. It is the realization of Owner & Photographer Peter Blanchard's vision that city life and natural beauty should not be mutually exclusive.

Manifest Photography LLC is committed to being the kind of business that has a positive impact on the world in which we live. It is our belief that bringing natural beauty to those who live in the city – and particularly to places of healing and well-being – is one good way to do this.

Sustainable environmental practices like using reclaimed materials, recycling, and green printing have earned us listings in the ReDirect Guide and on Greenposting.org.

In addition to good practices within our business operations, Manifest Photography frequently seeks out opportunities to give back by supporting social service and humanitarian organizations. A few examples of organizations that we have supported include:

• Listen To Kids
• Project Access NOW
• Mercy Corps
• REACH Community Development
• Northwest Housing Alternatives
• Hands On Greater Portland
• Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center
• My Voice Music

I have been an artist my whole life, though it took me many years to realize why. Whether drawing with charcoal & pencils late into the night, as I did so many times in college, or walking in the wilderness with my camera in hand, what I have come to recognize is that art is my meditation. There is little else that is so effective at quieting my thoughts and bringing my entire consciousness into the present moment.

Photography is an interest that I inherited from my father, which took many years of experimentation and exploration to develop into the passion that it is for me today. I love it because it is an art form that teaches me to be exactly where I am. The lens - a window to the present moment - reminds me to look. I find joy in creating a beautiful or intriguing image, but I am a photographer because the act itself feeds me. It is my answer the chaos of life.

The art that I create in this process often comes to embody a specific moment in the journey of my life. These are moments that at once isolate and also unite – for nobody else will ever experience my struggles, my broken heart, my encounters with suicide, my confusion, my transformation, my hope, my joy, my rebirth; but these are universal experiences that each of us will find in our own ways as we learn what it is to live.

For most of my life, I chose to keep my artistic endeavors separate from my professional ambitions. In 2008 I began formulating a way to combine the two, and in 2009 Manifest Photography was born. Instead of following the traditional path of presenting my art in galleries, I created a new model that is meant to bring my artwork directly to the viewer while they are at work, at home, and as they go about the business of their daily lives. Rather than being an event that needs to be sought out, Rotational Art Leasing brings a constant flow of new art into public spaces, workplaces, doctor's offices, and homes. It removes the boundary that often exists between fine art and daily living, with an ever-flowing stream of art available to my clients and those who visit their businesses and homes. It also pushes me to continue creating, as my growing list of clients look forward to new art in their spaces up to twice each year.

One of my primary goals in creating Manifest Photography has been to bring the healing power of natural beauty into the world of city living. There is a lot to love about living in the city, but I find that in doing so we often miss out on the mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits offered by the experience of observing natural beauty. I believe that this can be especially important in places of healing and recovery, such as clinics and hospitals, where a beautiful image might make the difference between a scary or stressful environment and a calming space in which to heal. Manifest Photography is about creating space for beauty in our every day lives, and realizing my vision that city life and natural beauty should not be mutually exclusive.

- Peter Blanchard