Capturing memories: Pair fulfill dream by starting company

By Mary Owen

The owners of Rust Bucket Photography want to become a household name in the Santiam Canyon.

“When people think of needing photography, they’ll think of us,” said Kathy Sherman, Gates resident and co-owner of the Gates-based business with Sara Harris of Mill City.

To boost their offerings, the duo expanded the business last month to offer creative arts as well as photography. The addition will make use of Sherman’s expertise in design. She studied visual communications at Chemeketa Community College and has worked professionally in design and layout for more than 30 years. Her photos have won Best of Show at the 2012 Marion County Fair and other accolades.

Harris graduated with an art degree in graphic design from Western Oregon University. Both women have been accepted into the Oregon Salon of Photography for the State of Oregon.“By offering creative arts and graphic design, we can provide a well-rounded product, especially for our business clients who are in need of not only photography, but brochures, business cards, postcard mailers, or website and Facebook design,” Sherman said. “We also can create personalized wedding invitations, engagement announcements and save the date cards for our wedding clientele.”“We have done design work for Fresh to You Produce, Word’s Out PR and Trexler Farm and hope to work with many more businesses in the future,” Sherman said.Harris said their dream is to someday soon open a photography and design studio in the Stayton/Canyon area.

Describing herself as a fun-loving and ambitious person, Harris said she loves nothing more than making people happy through art. When she took her first photography class her senior year in college, she knew  she wanted to be a photographer. She sees beauty in everything and everyone.

“My sole purpose is to reveal that beauty and let it shine through my photographs,” she said.

Sherman said her interest in photography started with the magic of placing a leaf on photographic paper as a child.

“I would run home after school to grab my camera, a Kodak Instamatic and take off around the neighborhood capturing life’s moments,” she said. “I find people are amazing and I enjoy capturing their unique personalities. There is something so satisfying about capturing a simple moment in time and transforming it into a keepsake.”

The growing company has a website that includes portfolios of their portrait photography as well as commercial work.

“The most important highlight of our business venture is that we are living out our dreams,” Harris said. “We are two local women who have had a passion for photography most of our lives and took a leap of faith and started Rust Bucket Photography.”