From a 20-year career as a smokejumper for the US Forest Service to capturing the wild landscapes I used to protect.
Hi, I'm Gary Atteberry, and welcome to Static Line Images. This shop is the next chapter in a story that began thousands of feet above these very landscapes.
I've had a passion for photography my entire life, always dabbling with a camera. But for 20 years, my primary job was to look at these wild places from a different perspective: as a smokejumper for the US Forest Service.
It was an incredible career that took me all over the world, but it was also one that left deep, lasting marks. As I share in my memoir, Ankle Deep In Ashes, the years of fighting fire led to a personal battle with PTSD, depression, and addiction.
When I retired, I needed a new mission. I returned to that lifelong passion for photography, but this time it was more than just a hobby. It became a core part of my healing.
The patience of waiting for the perfect sunrise, the focus of composing a shot, and the quiet, solitary hours spent in the wild became my therapy. It gave me a new way to process my experiences and reconnect with the landscapes I've always loved.
I'm a native Oregonian, and while my career took me around the globe, I truly believe our state has some of the most beautiful and diverse natural areas on the planet. I'm now based in Enterprise, giving me intimate access to the rugged, dramatic beauty of Hells Canyon, the endless skies of the Zumwalt Prairie, and the quiet majesty of the Wallowa Mountains.
My hope is that these images—each one a moment of peace and discovery for me—can bring a piece of that wild, profound beauty into your home.
Thank you for being here and for connecting with my story.
Gary