By Craig Reed
Camas Valley resident encourages people to see outdoor beauty through his photos and words.
From the Oregon Coast inland to the Cascade Mountains and often beyond, photographer Dan Amos is all about hunting for the right shot. He arrives early or stays late, patiently waiting for the right moment. He has the determination and knack for getting the right shots with his digital camera.
For Dan, it’s all about the lighting, the landscape, and the movement of fish or wildlife.
Dan, 45, is a longtime resident of Camas Valley. He has been passionate about photography for 22 years. In 2004, he established a photo business, Pictations, and then in 2019, renamed it Agent of the Wild Media Development. His work includes still photography, video, graphic design, and web development.
“I can’t stop taking photos,” Dan says. “I know I've got a problem. But I enjoy capturing beautiful photos.”
Dan says people need to see the beautiful places they live in instead of getting wrapped up in just living and paying the bills.
“There’s a lot to see just outside your door if you’ll go look for it,” he says. “I’ve been photographing Oregon for almost 20 years. I know where the old beautiful barns are, where the fish are, where the elk are out bugling.”
2 years ago, Dan began producing a free, twice-monthly email newsletter for his growing number of followers. The written content of each newsletter is accompanied by outdoor photos that match that issue’s theme.
“I try to teach people about things they normally wouldn’t see,” he says. “Whether it’s landscape or salmon on the North Umpqua River or a bull elk bugling, I tie humanity in with wildlife.”
Camas Valley School District Superintendent Don Wonsley has known Dan for six years.
“Dan has a passion for his kids, the outdoors, and photography,” Don says. “He has high expectations for himself and for what he does. He’ll go sit somewhere for hours on end just to get the right shot. He takes high-quality, detailed photos in great lighting and at the right time.”
Dan, the father of 2 boys—Vincent, 10, and Archer, 8—is the chair for the school district’s board.
Dan’s latest assignment is compiling submitted photos and then judging them for the 2026 ExpoSure Sportsmen’s and Outdoor Recreation shows in Eugene, Roseburg, Medford, Klamath Falls, and Anderson, California.
Interested photographers may submit photos in 3 categories: landscape, wildlife, and trail cameras.
“I love working with the community when it comes to photography,” Dan says. “I’m excited to get the community involved with photographs and special places in the outdoors. The purpose of this contest is to show you what people are doing with photography.”
Joe Pate, the owner and producer of the outdoors shows, describes Dan’s photography as “incredible.”
“It’s obvious he puts the time, care, and attention into his photos and videos,” Joe says. “When the opportunity arose to have Dan head up our photo contest, there was no doubt. He’s a gifted photo journalist.”
Dan says his first experience with taking photos was when he was a child, shooting with his mother’s Canon AE1. He truly didn’t get the photography bug until his college days at the University of Oklahoma, when another student introduced him to 1 of the early digital cameras.
Prior to that introduction, Dan had shot some film but found that process somewhat limiting because of the cost of film and its development.
“Digital provided more freedom in taking more photos,” he says. “I got a Canon Rebel, 1 of the first Canon digital cameras, and photography took off from there for me. I’ve never looked back.”
Dan has always taken landscape photos, some of which have been featured in art shows in Roseburg. He’s a member of the Nature Photographers Network and has had photos published in Nature Vision and Northwest Sportsman magazines.
After establishing his business, he added portrait photography and photos, and videos at special events. Eventually, he bought a drone camera, got a drone operator’s license, and began making videos of unique outdoor places.
Those films caught the attention of Garrett Zoller, co-owner of real estate business Land Leader. Soon, Dan was traveling with Garrett all across Oregon, taking photos and videoing ranches and other large properties for use in brochures, commercials, and on websites. That work led to Dan earning his license and becoming a real estate agent for Land Leader in April 2024.
Dan recently became a published author. His book, “The Covert Narcissist Survival Field Guide,” is available through Amazon.
“I lived it, then analyzed it, then wrote about it,” Dan says. “It is strictly a guide from 1 who lived it. It’s to help people who have been in abusive relationships.”
Dan says when he wants a break from everyday life, he heads outdoors with his camera to photograph the beauty he loves to share through his photos