Walla Walla - Photographs From Around Town and Throughout the Valley Photography by Brent J. Bergherm

In Walla Walla, Photographs from around town and throughout the valley, photographer Brent Bergherm tempts the reader with magnificent photographs of the Walla Walla Valley in Washington State. With bold photographs and a limited amount of text, he succeeds in achieving his stated intention - to inspire readers to discover or rediscover the Walla Walla Valley for themselves.

cover, Walla Wall - Photographs From Around Town and Throughout the Valley

Rather than overwhelm the reader with copious amounts of text, Bergherm allows each image to tell the story that he is trying to capture. A quick note is all that Bergherm uses to define the subject of any particular photograph, and it is all that he needs. Bergherm's ability to entice the viewer with his powerful images cannot be denied.

Using his own unique artistic perspective, Bergherm acquires images which allow him to portray the quiet tranquility of an evening sunset, capture the excitement of the crowd at the Walla Walla Hot Air Balloon Stampede, and revisit the cultural significance of the historic Fort Walla Walla Museum and the downtown area of Walla Walla.

Early on in the book, the reader experiences Bergherm's artistic vision with a beautifully choreographed image of the Falkenberg Clock. The reader first sees the clock as a portion of the cover image of Walla Walla; the clock is of an uncommon design, to be sure. Soon after, Bergherm photographs another image of Falkenberg's Clock, this time from below.

The refreshing perspective presented is certainly not the one that most visitors would see. The ornate underside of the clock, mimicking the design of a Corinthian capital, may go unnoticed by the casual observer, but not so with Bergherm. He ensures that the reader experiences 'his' Walla Walla, providing a very personal touch that transports you right there. The globes of light surrounding the clock grab the reader's attention, as does the surreal quality of the clock face that, when shot from below, glows with a faint seafoam green tint.

The warm evening light of downtown Walla Walla sets the stage for captivating stills of recently restored historic buildings. In one evening photograph, Bergherm uses the warmth of a sunset and the after-effects of a rainy afternoon to entice the reader to visit the Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center. The warm glow of the building set against the deep blue sky, all reflected in puddles on the parking lot pavement, makes for a stunning photograph.

When witnessing a still shot of a living history demonstration by a blacksmith at the Fort Walla Walla Museum, the reader is invited to take a stroll down memory lane. Various special events are held on the weekends at Fort Walla Wall; in this book, Bergherm captures a battle reenactment and the onlooking spectators. These scenes may conjure memories of childhood visits to historic sites and reenactments, or they may instill the desire to learn about them anew. Either way, the reader can't wait to experience this particular place and time in history.

If readers desire a walk along the Oregon Trail, they need look no further for inspiration than in the pages of Walla Walla. Captivating images of the trail running through the Whitman Mission National Historic Site offer readers a chance to whet their appetite for the trail, which runs through the Blue Mountains in Oregon and Washington.

A wagon rests by the wooden fence that runs along the Oregon Trail at the Whitman Mission National Historic Site. The mission was an important part of the Oregon Trail as it marked the end of a long section that went through the Blue Mountains © 2007 Brent J. Bergherm

The colors of the clouds that Bergherm captures in his many sunset images are breathtaking. The resulting yearning to spend an evening reveling in their beauty is overwhelming. Stark silhouettes, carefully chosen to break up what could become a lackluster scene if shot by a lesser artist, demonstrate Bergherm's keen artistic vision.

Using a similar technique, Bergherm is likewise able to brighten a snowy winter scene with a lone red apple dangling from a sparse winter branch.

By showing the diversity of the region, Bergherm brings readers into the Valley, allowing them to experience for themselves beautiful scenery, historic sites, rolling landscapes and rocky terrain. It is this diversity that entices readers, feeding the desire to go and experience for themselves the allure of the Walla Walla Valley.

Walla Walla, Photographs from around town and throughout the valley is 48 pages long. It was published in 2007 by Brent Bergherm Photography and can be purchased at www.BrentBergherm.com or www.PictureWallaWalla.com.