About Hyak Photography

Who Am I?

Hello! I’m John MacDonald. I’m a portrait and event photographer based in the Tri-Cities, WA. I specialize in studio and lifestyle portraiture as well as having the ability to set up an studio in-home if travel is difficult for you.

Where am I located?

Hyak Photography is located on Gage Blvd in Kennewick, right next to Tony Roma’s, by Costco. The studio shares the same entrance as Sheep’s Clothing (my wife’s yarn shop). Studio tours are available by appointment and are available most of the time as the yarn folks are usually happy to show things off even if I’m on location elsewhere.

Am I insured?

Yes. I carry both liability and equipment insurance that is tailored both for when I am in the studio and at your location. In addition to peace of mind many event venues require vendors to carry liability insurance. Proof of insurance is available on request for venues and can be customized if necessary.

What equipment do I use? 

While I somewhat subscribe to the idea that a good photographer can make a good image with any equipment I also do believe that it is also important to get the right image and sometimes that takes specialized gear.

I shoot with Canon cameras (Yes, multiple. Always make sure your photographer has backup gear, especially if it is a one-time event like a wedding that can’t be reshot). I use both fast prime lenses (for extremely low-light) and zoom lenses (for versatility). My lighting and studio gear is varied. I use equipment, some of which I have created myself, from companies such as Manfrotto by Bogen, Canon, Photoflex, Paul C. Buff, and Westcott. I generally shoot my in studio images on paper and location studio style images on washable fabric backdrops as they weigh less than the huge rolls of seamless paper. 6 out of 10 babies seem to agree that while ripping paper is entertaining, chewing on fabric is more fun.