Fantastic beasts and where to design them

Local photographer uses AI to create whimsical woodland creatures

Behold, the forest spirits of the North Fork Nehalem River. | Photo by Rob Brooks

The snap of a branch. A splash in a stream. Rustling feathers and the sound of scales sliding over a mossy path.

Shrouded in fog, the forests of Northwest Oregon truly are a magical realm. But to find the enchanted beings that live there, you’ll need a bit of imagination — and the help of artificial intelligence.

Rob Brooks is a creative director with Lake Oswego-based ad agency Fort West, but in high school he dreamed of becoming a character designer for films and video games. That passion, paired with a surplus of free time, led him to start experimenting with Midjourney over the holidays.

“It had my brain spinning. I paid for the membership and next thing you know, I was going to bed at three in the morning. I went deep on it,” Brooks explained.

By supplying the AI program with various text prompts, the bot would draw on its database to create original, rather whimsical images. Brooks tinkered to get a consistent look for the characters and ended up with a captivating menagerie of cryptids: wooden, owl-faced forest folk, the Creature from the Black Lagoon’s brother (and his son), a friendly, oversized banana slug.

A family poses with a large blue ape creature in a verdant forest — Brooks shoots for as long as his twin toddlers will sit still.

“I started thinking — I didn’t get to do a Christmas card this year because I was too busy,” he said. “So, I thought about doing a New Year photo to make up for that.”

During a visit to his cabin outside of Cannon Beach, Brooks began photographing his family with his Sony camera, setting up scenes that he could blend with the AI-generated images. “I don’t have industry technical knowledge, but what I do have is a pretty good eye for composition, lighting, and I have retouching skills as well.”

It took quite a bit of elbow grease in Lightroom and Photoshop, but the final products turned out incredibly realistic. Many of his social media followers asked where the wild things were, thinking they might be costumed actors or art installations you could visit.

As for the future of this tech in his industry, Brooks has a lot of questions.

HEAR HIS PERSPECTIVE

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Thursday, Jan. 26

Tiny Tumblers Gymnastics | Thursday, Jan. 26-Thursday, March 23 | 10:15-11 a.m. | Sellwood Community House, 1436 SE Spokane St., Portland | Free | The road to Olympic gold starts here.
Women During Settler Colonialism and the American Revolution | Thursday, Jan. 26 | 5-6 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Learn about the critical roles women played in shaping the US throughout its early history.
Alesong Brewing & Blending Presents: Flight Of The Rhinos! | Thursday, Jan. 26 | 5-8 p.m. | Belmont Station, 4500 SE Stark St., Portland | Price of purchase | Have you herd about barrel-aged stouts? Stampede on up to the bar to sample a delicious line-up of local brews.
Portland State University Men’s Basketball vs Montana State | Thursday, Jan. 26 | 7-9 p.m. | Viking Pavilion, 930 SW Hall St., Portland | $7.50-$90 | Who would win — a Bobcat or a Viking? That’s a hoops showdown you’ve got to see.

Friday, Jan. 27

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Who Do I Think I Am? | Friday, Jan. 27 | 7 p.m. | Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland | $45.75-$69.50 | The actor/comedian spent 13 years on MADtv; now she’s in town to keep the laughs going.
Winterhawks vs. Swift Current Broncos | Friday, Jan. 27 | 7 p.m. | Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 300 Winning Way, Portland | $26-$42 | Think the visitors can keep up with a fast and feathered flurry of goals?

Saturday, Jan. 28

Irish Rambling House Celebrates Imbolg | Saturday, Jan. 28 | 4-10 p.m. | Waverly United Church of Christ, 3300 SE Woodward St., Portland | Free | Celebrate all things Irish with a night of dancing, singing, music — oh and don’t forget the potluck dinner.
Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony and Violinist Vadim Gluzman | Saturday, Jan. 28-Monday, Jan. 30 | Times vary | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland | $25-$129 | Tchaikovsky and a bit of Nordic flare — what’s not to like?

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT

Weather

44º | Cloudy | 9% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:38 a.m.
Set: 5:08 p.m.

Award

Congratulations are made to order. The James Beard Awards semifinalists feature five Portland nominations, including best new restaurant (Kann), outstanding wine and other beverages program (OK Omens), while Peter Cho (Han Oak), Vince Nguyen (Berlu), and Thomas Pisha-Duffly (Gado Gado) are all up for best chef: Northwest and Pacific. (Eater Portland)
Twenty-five Portland authors, selected by judges from outside the state, are finalists for the 2023 Oregon Book Awards. Highlights include Emme Lund’s “The Boy with Bird in His Chest,” a powerful coming-of-age tale, and the time-traveling adventure “Thrust” by Lidia Yuknavitch. The award ceremony is Monday, April 3 at The Armory. 📖 (Portland Monthly)

Coming Soon

New Jersey tavern-style pizza is coming to Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. Aiming to be ready in time for the Super Bowl, restaurateur Aaron Barnes will debut Hopscotch, a sports bar specializing in thin-crust slices, wings, and burgers, with 21 beers and premixed cocktails. Wednesday, Feb. 1 is the tentative opening. 🍕 (Eater Portland)

Sports

The Portland Timbers, and for now the Thorns, have their new CEO. Heather Davis, who has occupied the role since October, will keep the position on a permanent basis and oversee all of the team’s business and operations ventures. She will become the club’s highest-ranking female executive in its history. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Film

Ben Affleck, with a perm, will portray Nike cofounder Phil Knight alongside cinematic sidekick Matt Damon (as former marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro) in Amazon Studios’ “Air.” The movie, coming to theaters Wednesday, April 5, tells the story of the shoe giant’s mission to sign Michael Jordan to an endorsement deal. 👟 (Portland Business Journal)

Travel

Minding the gap just got easier. British Airways has announced it will add daily nonstop flights between Portland and London’s Heathrow Airport from June through October. Previous service was only offered five flights per week. The route’s Boeing 777-200ER aircraft will be larger, with lay-down beds, and expanded storage and dining options. ✈️ (Portland Monthly)

Try This

Where’s the poop, Portland? More than 2,000 people recently entered a contest put on by the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services to tour the city’s sewage treatment facility. Ten applicants will be selected (talk about a golden ticket) to learn how waste is recycled into clean water, energy, and fertilizer. 💩 (KOIN)

Biz

Portland-based vacation rental management company Vacasa has let go of 240 local employees. The decision is part of a strategic move that leadership says will reduce costs and push the business toward profitability. Overall, Vacasa cut 17% of its workforce, or approx. 1,300 people. (KOIN)

Cause

Want to make a difference in your community in 2023? 🙋
Get involved by signing up to become a Meals on Wheels meal delivery driver. Don’t have time to deliver meals? The Friendly Chats program allows community members to volunteer from home. *

Finance

Erase credit card interest until nearly 2025? Sounds good to us. This balance transfer card can do just that, providing you up to 21 months for the important stuff: travel, education, good food, time with family, or paying off debt. Apply today in minutes. *

Shop

Have you heard? Amazon now offers subscription boxes. Best of all — there’s a huge selection. Love trying out top rated beauty products? Subscribe to the Allure Beauty Box. Music aficionado? Join the Vinyl of the Month Club. Pet parent? Your cat will love the KitNipBox. 📦 *

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Fun is on the menu 🏆

Bars and restaurants with prizes in Portland

Becoming a Cosmic Tripster takes time, but you’ll be well rewarded. | Photo by McMenamins

Pavlov may have done it first, but some Portland restaurants and bars do it even better. We’re talking about rewards — tangible prizes with a side of glory — designed to encourage customers to come back again and again.

For $35, you can purchase a McMenamins passport and embark on a journey to visit all 62 locations, from Roseburg to Mill Creek. Earning stamps requires completing certain tasks, like seeing a movie or taking a tour, and grants perks like a free burger or gift card. The ultimate goal is to finish the booklet and achieve the title of Cosmic Tripster, which comes with an invitation to an exclusive party, happy hour prices for a year, hotel stays, and concert tickets.

Click below for more suggestions. Know of any incentives that we missed? Send them our way.

STEIN CLUBS + A BOURBON DERBY

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Ben.

Editor’s pick: Two words: soufflé pancakes. This weekend, I’m getting together with a few friends to try out La Rose Patisserie, a Beaverton pastry shop that specializes in sweets like ube cookies, Basque cheesecake, and the aforementioned fluffy breakfast pillows.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Read up on the plans for what will be Multnomah County Library’s second-largest branch.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Rachel Sklenar | Advertise with us.

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