Interview by Good Friend
Nick Rasmussen
Good Friend is built through collaboration — farmers, bakers, partners, and creatives who support bringing this work to life.
Photographer Nick Rasmussen has played an integral role in shaping how the brand is experienced visually. His work captures the texture, rhythm, and quiet intention behind what we do. Here, we sit down with Nick to discuss photography, partnership, and the friendships that make meaningful work possible.
On how it began
When Jerek reached out about creating visuals for the launch of Good Friend, I overlooked his initial message thinking it was just another scam – or too good of an opportunity to be true.
Thanks to Jerek’s persistence, it didn’t take long to realize that he values and appreciates art more than most folks I’ve met.
I was excited about collaborating with Good Friend mostly because I felt valued as an artist for more than just my equipment, plus the project itself felt like something I wanted to be a part of.
On creative philosophy
As an artist, I tend to gravitate toward documenting moments rather than creating them, observing more so than directing and slowing down in that process.
I value authenticity over perfection, searching for emotion in a frame rather than curating it or finding a perfect composition.
On trust
For me, trust comes through good communication.
It comes by investing deeper in the humans I photograph.
I often put myself in front of my own cameras just to remember how awkward it feels to be photographed.
On what he's really capturing
My process shifts depending on what I’m photographing – bakeries, weddings, landscapes, etc.
But at the core, I am always trying to translate feeling and emotion into something tangible.
If a moment moves me, that’s usually a sign it’s worth documenting. The creative side of my brain usually speaks first – I just use cameras to help translate what I’m feeling.
On working with Good Friend
I am excited about this relationship with Good Friend because I feel valued for more than just my cameras. I feel like I’m a part of their team, like it’s a partnership rather than a transaction.
When there’s genuine collaboration — when people care — the work carries that.
On friendship
I value friendship a lot in my own life. I’ve always had this mindset of ‘community over competition’.
On the story he's sharing
I am aspiring to show that Good Friend is community-focused, that it’s built around and rooted in the rhythms of the people here in Bend.
Photography gives me the opportunity to slow down, to process and pay more attention to the impermanence of the natural world. My hope is that it inspires others to do the same.
This chapter
I would describe this chapter of my work as authentic. These days, my art feels unpolished, unprompted, feeling-driven, and mostly unfiltered.
You can learn more about Nick Rasmussen and his work at: www.nickrazphotography.com
