Despite Van Adam Davis serving as model for this heavy metal silhouette, his tastes run to more 70’s and 80’s rock bands like Steely Dan. His first concert photography gig was Coaster, a rapper from Selah, Washington. Since then, Van has photographed countless DJ’s, performers, bands, and public events capturing the humanity and interactions that glue us together. But that’s not how he started this ‘side hustle’ as a photographer…

His parents back in North Carolina, where he was raised, encouraged his interest in the night skies by gifting him a telescope. He took it to Ellensberg for a clear view and saw two women photographing the stars. Before long he replaced his cell phone camera with professional equipment, despite having little money to invest. Van has continued to grow with the technology, using software enhancements and adding a drone to his photographic repertoire. Chances are you’ve seen his photos if you recently explored PNW real estate or his solar storm posts.

 Peaking around Steely Van’s feet is Bunny FooFu, the runt of a neighbor’s litter who needed a home away from her siblings. Van and his daughters took in FooFu. She returned the favor by snuggling on cold nights in an inadequately heated trailer. The steely bunny may be covered with sand, but she doesn’t mind, especially since it’s likely due to Van’s efforts to help protect the beach where Steely Van is located.

 Van helped build the wave-tripper that literally turned the tides on our eroding shore. He thought it was crazy, spending days dropping cobble 50 feet from an eroding cliff seemed pointless – not to mention the work happened back in 2019 in the cold, wind, and rain. Now he lives just up the road from an expansive beach, maintaining the coastline while working for WA State Parks. And Steely Van looks over the emerging dunes that Van Adam Davis helped create.