Nancy Jo Mullen saw some of Brian Prechtel's photographs in one of the mailings the commercial photographer sends around to acquaint people with his work.

Wow, the former director of the Rogue Gallery thought, noticing that many of the luscious images were of Southern Oregon and Northern California. Here's a ready-made exhibit.

Mullen told Rogue Gallery director Judy Barnes about Prechtel's photos, and Barnes jumped at the chance.

An exhibit of Prechtel's art photos opens Friday at the gallery.

The show documents the mythical State of Jefferson, largely rural Southern Oregon and Northern California.

Here are workers at a vineyard near Cave Junction, taking a break on a tractor by a pond. Here is a split image of White City rancher Art Coolidge, a sepia man against a black-and-white background. Here is the snowy cone of Mount McLoughlin seen over a field of wildflowers from the Denman Wildlife Area.

"Most of the photos of people started out as assignments for commercial jobs," Prechtel says.

But combine the people with their places and hint at something more -- a record of a region and its people at this time.

Sometimes the lines between commercial photography, art and journalism blur. One photo of a railroad man has a documentary, editorial feel, while the next, of a construction guy, looks like a still from a TV commercial. Similar, but utterly different.

"I don't do as much editorial work as I'd like," Prechtel says with a smile.

Landscapes in the exhibit run from the Marble Mountains of Northern California to the Table Rocks north of Medford, from Tulelake near Klamath Falls to bracken fern at the coast. The earliest photos here were shot three years back, the most recent a couple of weeks ago.

Prechtel, 33, grew up in Creswell, near Eugene. His father is oil painter Don Prechtel, who specializes in historical and military themes. Prechtel says he grew up with an eye for details.

He went to Southern Oregon State College, then to the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, Calif., where he graduated in 1990.

He and his wife, Carrie, and their two daughters live in Talent. The couple's business, Brian Prechtel Photography, moved in November into the Landmine Productions site at 327 S. Fir St., Medford.

The large studio includes a 45-foot cyclorama, a seamless background used in photo shoots, as well as makeup rooms and prop shops.

"It's a wonderful space," he says.

These photos carry price tags of $485 to $525. Most of the color was shot in 35-millimeter, the black and white in a 6-by-7-inch format. The color prints are digital, scanned from the original film.

The results vary widely in feel. With the tractor guys in the vineyard, the clouds take on a moody feel. It was shot without filters.

"It just happened to be an overcast day," Prechtel says.

Sometimes he gets a little experimental, as in shots of Jefferson Public Radio's Duane Whitcomb playing violin in front of a deserted cabin.

Prechtel travels the West shooting for such clients as Bridgeview Vineyards and Winery and Asante Health System. He figures he's lucky being able to pursue art photography while taking care of his commercial clients.