A collection of Oregon images by photographer Paul Carew is on display throughout February at Thump Coffee in downtown Bend. Entitled “Places & Faces Anew, Exploring the West,” the exhibit draws its inspiration from the many varied settings of Oregon’s countryside.

“Oregon is truly a visual inspiration,” explains Carew. “It offers a very diverse array of subject matter, from high atop the Cascade Range to high desert river canyons to the deep greens of old growth forests and rocky beaches. Nature, as a divine sculptor is often a recurring theme in my work, from polished river rocks to weather worn trees as my subjects. Lighting, composition and timing, are the keys to creating and conveying a special place, mood or fleeting moment in time.”

Carew says he also enjoys photographing the “human landscape” at competitive events, fairs, festivals or an afternoon at the local farmers market. “Bend is a wonderful town with lots of things going on year-round, and I can always find something to motivate me to pick up my camera and get involved.”

Growing up in an artistic family, Carew’s interest in the arts began early. “I was fascinated with a charcoal drawing done by my great grandfather and surrounded by Grandma Ira’s wonderful pastoral landscape paintings, which hung in nearly every room of our house,” he says.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art, Carew spent the next 25 years working for the University of Massachusetts Photographic Services Department, where he supplied images for university relations and development, along with the arts and sciences on campus.

He also found time to run a photography business, concentrating on architecture, events and urban landscapes. Carew is an accomplished woodworker, cook and a “huge outdoor enthusiast,” which, he says, is why he moved to “beautiful Central Oregon” after an early retirement.