Asher Shafer

I grew up in the city of Portland, Oregon, living in most parts of the metro area. Moving around so much has taught me that every neighborhood and suburb has its own personality, along with its own unique oasis. I became fascinated with discovering each of these urban sanctuaries and documenting them with photos.

As a photographer, I have discovered that public transit is a powerful translator when it comes to interacting with neighborhoods and communities. I began to befriend as many bus routes as possible, as each contained its own flavor of life experiences and hidden treasures. The bus revealed so much about the city I live in, as my eyes opened to quirky mom-and-pop shops, hole-in-the-wall restaurants with Food Network-level cuisine, and hidden view points that captured the beauty of my city so well that it really gave me an edge as a photographer.

The bus taught me so many valuable life lessons about our society and who I am. I knew in my heart that I wanted to become more involved in making public transit better. It took a breathtaking thunderstorm over the Steel Bridge to reveal my way to becoming more involved. I wanted to show the world how beautiful public transit really is by showing it in its most majestic moments while incorporating landmarks that help the citizens of the communities relate to them. Public transit functions like human beings do in some ways; it just needs a little love and support to show off its true potential.

By partnering with transit agencies, I can help showcase the beauty and personality of each bus route through stunning photography that captures the essence of the community it serves. My approach combines a focus on the details and quirks of each route with the beauty of a sunset, resulting in images that inspire and captivate viewers.

Through my work, I hope to help transit agencies promote the benefits of public transportation and encourage more people to explore their communities using the bus. Let's work together to showcase the unique personality and character of your bus routes and inspire people to experience the beauty of your community through public transit.

Public transit is one of our most effective yet underutilized tools to fight climate change. Now more than ever, the Earth is begging public transit to step up and become the dominant player in creating the more connected and healthier world that it was always intended to be.

This is the mission of A Shafer Photo.