My name is Lucas.

Some call me Rufus, like the mole rat from Kim Possible. I am an early-career photojournalist based in Manhattan, KS. I currently work as the Staff Photographer for a newspaper called The Mercury.

I love photos, because I love stories, because I love people.

Here in the Flint Hills I’m telling stories about environmental challenges,  agricultural research and the people of the Great Plains. My goal is to photograph stories that matter – ones of hope, innovation, and discovery. I believe pictures have the power to change hearts and minds, and are among the most effective tools to make the world a more just and healthy place. As a journalist, it is my duty to earn my community's trust and amplify stories from within it.

Having been born in Las Vegas, coming of age in Colorado, and moving to Seattle for college, I’m familiar with and passionate about the issues plaguing the West, like climate change, wealth inequality, and the growing gap between political world views creeping into personal relationships.

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Additional background: I graduated from the University of Washington with a marketing degree in 2018. After that, I spent a lot of time outdoors, guiding mountaineering trips in British Columbia for the next two summers (‘18, ‘19),  receiving a PADI open water certification, and hiking the John Muir Trail. I’ve filmed more than 40 live events over the last 5 years, mainly weddings, and enjoy editing complete video timelines. After working for Arc’teryx as a local marketing lead into 2020, I took off to the Midwest, where I now spend my free time in the largest remaining intact tallgrass prairie in the world.

Please, reach out, and say hello!

Available for assignments.

Email: lucasbolandphoto@gmail.com

Phone: (702) 581-3395

IG: @lucas_boland, @manhattan_mercury