PORTLAND SENIOR PHOTO LOCATIONS
Portland has an overwhelming number of amazing locations for senior portraits! Picking the location can be a challenge so here are some options to help you narrow it down.
HOW TO CHOOSE A LOCATION
The location is one of the most impactful elements in how the images will look and feel. It sets the stage and helps decide what overarching mood is present. One of the easiest places to start is deciding if you want an urban or nature environment. For nature we have moody forests, waterfalls, oceans, cliffs and just about everything you could hope for. Portland is also home to amazing and vibrant neighborhoods stuffed with interesting shops, diners, theaters and record shops. These can all make really amazing backdrops for your personality to stand out.
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE
You can get to so many world-class locations within a 30-45 minute drive from Portland. There’s a reason people travel from all over the world to come here. There’s tall waterfalls and massive forests, epic cliffs and panoramic views. I have my favorite spots listed below but love to be inspired by exploring new places!
Latourell Falls
This is an idyllic engagement location just 30 minutes outside Portland. Not only do you get a waterfall, but beautiful forest, amazing bridges and wide open views of the Gorge. Just ten minutes down the road is Crown Point Vista House, a scenic lookout with panoramic views. During longer sessions I love to combine these two!
Crown Point Vista House
This panoramic viewpoint is right off of the Historic Columbia River Highway. You’re almost 700ft above the gorge, with wide open views and some amazing architecture. Everything here feels cinematic and full of awe. I love combining this location with Latourell Falls, during longer shoots, as they’re just a few minute apart.
Hoyt Arboretum
Being an arboretum, you can find a huge variety in the nature here and it’s just a short drive outside the city. There’s groves of Redwoods and Magnolia’s, flowers, fern covered hills and open meadows. It’s beautiful all year long but especially in the spring and fall months. It’s very large so expect some walking!
Laurelhurst Park
RIght in the city, this park is absolute gem and always makes me feel like it should be the set in a movie. It has some really distinct areas that make this park unique - paths of flowering trees, a pond, skatepark and open fields. It’s at it’s best in the spring when you get all the added colors of the flowers.
Powell Butte
One of my favorite parks for photography in Portland! It’s incredibly diverse and changes so much throughout the year. It’s especially beautiful in the spring and summer when there’s meadows filled with purple flowers, flowering trees and tall blonde grass. It’s very cinematic and very large! Be prepared to walk for about fifteen minutes on a paved trail to get to the best spots.
Mt Tabor
This park is massive and still within Portland. What really sets it a part is how diverse this area is. It’s a combination of large open hills, dense forest, a water reservoir AND an amazing view of the city! It’s hard to beat and one of my all time favorites.
Record Shops
Portland is full of cool record shops, book stores, diners and galleries. I love to get creative with the location and show some of your interests by what you surround yourself with. This was a really fun shoot at Music Millenium and I would love to do more like this if you have a favorite spot in town!
Moulton Falls
Moulton Falls is in Washington on the East Fork Lewis River. It’s an incredibly short walk to this beautiful river and waterfall, surrounded by big trees and ferns. If you want a classic PNW feel without having to hike, this is a great spot!
FOREST PARK
Trees, ferns, hills, ivy and really many many more trees! Forest Park is over 5000 acres that you don’t even have to leave the city for! It’s an incredible area with so many unique spots for your senior portraits. I love getting a little off the trails to get immersed in nature.
George Rodgers Park
This park is in Lake Oswego with great views of the Willamette River. In a short walk you cross a bridge with a beautiful view and can go into the dense green forest or down to the rocky river bank.
Swiftshore Park
This location thrives in the fall! It’s a beautiful spot on the Tualatin river, surrounded by the bursting colors of all the trees. Parking is in a neighborhood with just a short walk down to the river.
