Spotlight on North Bend Photographer Scott Rinckenberger and His Connections to ‘Twin Peaks’

As a long time photographer, I love visiting Snoqualmie Valley as there are many spectacular places and things to see. I’ve shared a few of my images on Twin Peaks Blog in these articles about Winter in Twin Peaks and the Real Twin Peaks. Despite many years of taking pictures, I stand in awe of professional photographers who create jaw-dropping works of art. One such photographer is Scott Rinckenberger who has a gallery in downtown North Bend. He has combined his passions of “exploration, storytelling, and stewardship” to create stunning images of the Pacific Northwest. He also has some unique connections to wonderful and strange happenings in the Real Twin Peaks of Washington state.

WHO IS SCOTT RINCKENBERGER?

Scott Rinckenberger started his career as a professional skier before turning to photography.

“I knew the world didn’t need another action sports photographer,” Rinckenberger shared with students at The Overlake School in March 2026. “I had no idea what I could bring to the table. I was a really good skier and learning photography quickly, but I knew that wasn’t a path there yet.”

Scott would spent a decade working with photographer, director and entrepreneur Chase Jarvis who once served as the chief executive officer of the online education platform CreativeLive. While Scott learned to navigate the ever-changing photography industry from Jarvis, he continued skiing and taking photos.

“Photography was my day job and skiing was my love,” he recalled while speaking with students in March.

Being immersed in the beauty of nature, Scott developed a deep appreciation for “landscapes and the stories they hold.” As time passed, his passion for the outdoors evolved into a calling – “to capture and share these moments through photography.”

“The Snoqualmie Valley is the quintessential Northwest experience – overwhelming natural beauty, omnipresent greens and grays punctuated with moments of crystal blue skies and dazzling white snows,” explained Scott when asked what makes living and working in the Valley special. “It has small communities full of thoughtful people and quirky characters. Wild animals abound in the fields, forests, streams and skies. It invites one to come, experience, and live among a thriving community where wild things and humans live on equal footing.”

From commercial projects to adventure photography to fine art, Scott has quite a diverse body of work. Today, his work is featured in brand campaigns and editorial features and in places connected to Twin Peaks, such as Volition Brewing Co. in North Bend.

Before the brewery opened in 2019, this former location of Glazier’s Dry Goods Co. served as the film location for Nadine Hurley’s Run Silent, Run Drapes in Twin Peaks: The Return. It’s one of my favorite haunts when visiting the Valley as they serve damn fine handcrafted beer paired with excellent service. Owners Lucas and Jamie Haines and their staff are incredibly welcoming and I look forward to stopping during my trips.

On January 30, 2025, they officially unveiled a large photo mural by Scott inside the brewery’s back wall. This black and white image shows “iconic parts” of the local mountains in the Snoqualmie Pass backcountry, including Snow Lake, Chair Peak and Kaleetan. Scott began installing the mural around August 22, 2025.

“Working with Scott was about more than bringing an image to our wall – it became a true exchange of ideas,” explained Lucas and Jamie in a Facebook post on August 22, 2025. “The piece embodies a shared reverence for wild places, and reflects the identity of both our space and the Snoqualmie Valley. We’re honored to have his perspective woven into the heart of Volition.”

“It’s an iconic image that [Scott] hasn’t used anywhere,” Lucas explained to the Snoqualmie Valley Record in January 2025. “He made sure that whatever image we got was unique to our space and not a composition that he sells or is in a different location.”

You can see Scott’s panoramic image found in Volition along with other stunning photos from Snoqualmie Pass on his website.

SCOTT RINCKENBERGER’S STUDIO IN THE FORMER SUNSET GARAGE IN NORTH BEND

In addition to his mural in the location once used for Run Silent, Run Drapes, Scott has another connection to Mark Frost and David Lynch’s groundbreaking show. His studio is located on the second floor of the former Sunset Garage. This is where Scott’s “photography magic happens.”

In 1915, North Bend, Washington was a last stop for gas, food and lodging before motorists traveled to Snoqualmie Pass along then newly completed Sunset Highway. Harry Snyder capitalized on new road by opening a repair and auto parts shop named Sunset Garage in 1922.  Three years later, Snyder was using the garage as a Durant Motors dealership, selling Flint Six and Star automobiles.

Around 1929, Snyder replaced his wooden garage with the concrete building that still stands today. It’s grand opening took place about a week before the stock market crash in October that year. Once Durant Motors folded, the Sunset Garage became a Buick dealership.

According to LivingSnoqualmie.com, Snyder sold the Buick-Pontiac dealership in the 1960s, but others continued selling Buicks at the garage under the names Taylor-Green Buick Pontiac GMC then Eastway Buick Pontiac GMC. The Glazier family purchased the building in 1960s and they still own it today.

The garage sat vacant for decades until D Squared Energy moved in around 2014 and later Compass Outdoor Adventures joined them. The garage received an extensive makeover in late 2018 with the building’s exterior returned to the original 1929 look. Today, Mastrogiannis Distillery & Winery is found on the first floor with Scott’s studio on the second.

The second floor once housed the constructed jail set seen in the Twin Peaks pilot where Bobby Briggs and Mike Nelson bark like dogs at James Hurley.

I asked Scott when he first saw Lynch and Frost’s show.

“I didn’t get to see the show when it was originally broadcast, but have since enjoyed watching both seasons of the show and the Fire Walk With Me film,” replied Scott. “My initial interest was due to the local setting and the cult interest, but I fell in love with the open-ended mysteries and the quirky humor that felt so reflective of the human experience at large.”

I pressed on about his favorite character from the show.

“I’m an Agent Cooper fan,” Scott replied. “He’s just the right mix of kind, earnest, funny and committed to the cause. But unlike Cooper who enjoys black coffee, my coffee order includes a bit of cream. I also enjoy savory treats over sweet every time.”

Scott’s windows overlook the parking lot of the iconic Twede’s Cafe, which served as the Double R Diner in the show and David Lynch’s 1992 feature film. They soon gave Rinckenberger a look at Twin Peaks fans who travel from around the world in search of damn fine coffee and a slice of heavenly cherry from the small town diner. While initially amused, Scott became fascinated by the fandom. His parking lot view sparked an idea that evolved into a seven-year photo project.

SCOTT RINCKENBERGER’S BOOK “TWIN PEEKS”

In February 2025 during the Real Twin Peaks event, Scott released an 8-inch by 8-inch softcover photography book titled “Twin Peeks: Selfies, superfans, style and strangeness at the Double R Diner.”

Spanning 120 pages, it captures the humor, charm, and mystery of Twin Peaks fandom, making it a must-have for fans, photography enthusiasts, and students of the human condition. Featuring quotes from the late Twin Peaks director, David Lynch, this book offers a unique glimpse into the world surrounding Twede’s Cafe known to fans as the iconic Double R Diner.

It was David Lynch’s passing that pushed Scott to share select photos from this unique project.

“I could have kept noodling on this project indefinitely, in fact, I probably will to some extent,” said Scott about the book’s release. “But in order to share this work, which is such a vast departure from my standard fare, I needed a catalyst. The passing of David Lynch on January 16, 2025 was just that. On one hand, his passing served as a deadline of sorts for a project that hovered for years in the ether. If not now, when?”

For seven years, Scott kept a camera leaded with film pointed at Twede’s Cafe parking lot. He stayed alert for any strange or amusing happenings outside the diner. His diligent observations resulted in a collection of work that feels both “spontaneous and revealing,” and showcases what I love most about Lynch and Frost’s show – it’s creative and intelligent fans. Twin Peaks people are some of the best people I know (and they certainly love to party).

Scott released his book at his art gallery located at 106 W North Bend Way in downtown North Bend, Washington. You can also find it available on Scott’s website.

“Thinking about David Lynch, his work and his artistic approach gave me a sort of permission to show work that might feel off-brand, weird, fringe or even confusing,” continued Scott. “What better time to let one’s freak-flag fly than when honoring the legacy of an artist who refused to be defined by convention, who was more than happy to follow the muse wherever he saw fit to lead, and who felt no compulsion to justify or explain his flights of creative fancy.”

Scott is also selling prints online from the 2025 Twin Peeks Pop-Up Exhibition online. Each open edition 8×10 matted print is hand-signed and framed with 8-ply archival mat in 16×20 black metal frame.

ASSORTED FILM PHOTOGRAPHS OF TWIN PEAKS SCENES

Scott also offers moody black and white prints from the Snoqualmie Valley that “evoke the uniquely enigmatic Pacific Northwest vibe that drew the filming of Twin Peaks to the area.” These open edition 8×10 matted prints are hand-singed and ready for an 11×14 frame.

One thing I love about Scott’s photography is his support of the environment. With every purchase from his gallery, one-percent is donated to environmental initiatives through 1% for the Planet.

“The most important thing is for people to realize that they are visiting this place because it is natural and because it is wild,” said Scott. “To realize that human impact can only degrade the experience and so all focus should be on practicing mindfulness and leaving the places they visit better than they found them. Not only, don’t litter; pick up someone else’s litter. Not only, stay on trails; volunteer or contribute to trail maintenance. We all have to take part in preserving and protecting this amazing part of the world.”

His favorite local organizations that support stewardship of the environment and the unique ecosystem in Snoqualmie Valley include Mountains to Sound Greenway, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, Cascade Forest Conservancy and Protect Our Winters.

Scott newest works are from “Bioregion: Snoqualmie,” a collection of portraits from a living system – the mountains, forests, rivers, and communities that together define this corner of the Pacific Northwest. From old-growth corridors in the Middle Fork Valley to Snoqualmie Falls, he explores what it means to “belong to a place: how geology, ecology, Indigenous knowledge, and human ambition are not separate stories but threads in a single, intricate web.”

I asked if he has a favorite spot in Snoqualmie Valley he enjoys photographing.

“That would be like picking a favorite child,” Scott responded with a chuckle. “So many different things to love for so many different reasons. I go to the backcountry of the Snoqualmie mountains in winter for exploration and excitement. To Snoqualmie Falls for awe, and to watch something that is both timeless and ever-changing. To the Middle Fork Valley to experience the vastness of this place and to see trees that dodged the loggers’ axe. And so many more places that call to me time and again.”

His black and white limited edition print of an aerial view of Snoqualmie Falls, Mount Si and Salish Lodge & Spa is gorgeous. I only wish I could capture photos like Scott does of my favorite place in the world. Wow!

I invite you to follow his blog to read behind the scenes stories and insights about his work. You can also signup for newsletter to stay connected about new releases and gallery exhibitions. You can follow Scott and his gallery on Instagram @ScottRinck and @ScottRinck_Gallery.