Last week, I had the honor of photographing Export Exchange 2026 at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Seattle in Washington. It was another fantastic opportunity to work with the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC), an organization I’ve had the privilege of working with for many years. And WOW… this year’s conference was a record-breaker!
Export Exchange brought together more than 500 attendees representing 48 countries, making it the largest event in the conference’s history! This biennial gathering connects international buyers with American agricultural producers and suppliers to build relationships and expand global markets for U.S. corn, sorghum, barley, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and other agricultural products. With international trade teams, industry experts, networking opportunities, and discussions about emerging products and sustainability, the event plays an important role in strengthening agricultural partnerships around the world.
The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council deserves special recognition for the important work it does connecting American agriculture with customers around the globe. Through international market development, technical education, and trade relationships, USGBC helps create new opportunities for U.S. farmers and agricultural businesses while helping international customers understand the quality, versatility, and value of American grain and its co-products. With international offices and programs reaching countries worldwide, the Council is helping open doors for American agriculture and support economic growth. It’s been a real pleasure to work with this outstanding organization over the years and to document the people and partnerships that make its mission possible.
Export Exchange is also made possible through the support of partner sponsors Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association, whose work helps advance America’s biofuels industries and expand markets for products made from U.S. agricultural resources. Together, these organizations help showcase the many ways American agriculture contributes to global food, feed, fuel, and renewable energy markets.
Photographing a large, three-day conference like Export Exchange takes a tremendous amount of energy, preparation, and a diverse photographic skill set. My assignment covered just about everything imaginable! I started with scenic drone photography of Seattle, then moved into registration coverage, large group portraits of individual country delegations, executive and staff headshots, and candid moments throughout the event.
The first day’s Welcome Reception was a great opportunity to capture attendees reconnecting and making new introductions, while the final night’s Networking Party at The Fremont Foundry provided plenty of opportunities for more relaxed, spontaneous interactions. In between, I photographed guests visiting partner booths, keynote speakers taking the stage, and panel discussions in the grand ballroom. With so much happening in different places throughout the day, staying organized, anticipating moments, and being ready to move quickly were essential. Some days, I worked as many as 12 hours to keep up with everything!
I love assignments like this because they combine so many different aspects of professional photography. One minute I’m capturing a sweeping aerial view of the city, the next I’m making a formal delegation portrait, photographing a speaker on stage, or catching a genuine smile during a conversation. Each part of the assignment tells a different piece of the story, and together the images create a visual record of the entire conference.
A big thank-you to the USGBC team for continuing to trust me to document these important events. It’s always rewarding to work with people who are passionate about what they do, and Export Exchange 2026 was a wonderful reminder of just how far-reaching those relationships can be. I came home tired, but with a great collection of images and plenty of memories from another outstanding international conference!
* Nikon Z9 (x2), Nikkor Z 24-70 f2.8 II, Nikkor Z 70-180 f2.8, Nikkor Z 70-200 f2.8 II, Viltrox Z 14mm f4, DJI Mini 5 Pro, Godox AD200 strobes *
