Favorite Photo Shoot Locations in The Portland Metropolitan Area

We are so blessed here in the Pacific Northwest with beautiful natural vistas, parks, and urban centers which make for a great place to live, and also provide unique and compelling locations for your photo session.

I’d like to share some of my favorite locations to photograph families here in Portland, Beaverton, & Lake Oswego (In no particular order).

The Pearl District, Downtown Portland

The Pearl District in NW Portland provides so many unique backdrops for your family photos (and is also a great location for a maternity photo session as well). We can get city streets, lights, grab a coffee while we explore, and find all different colored and textured backdrops. If this is an area of town you enjoy spending time in, I’d highly recommend planning your session there. Urban shoots are a personal favorite, so I’m always interested in exploring the streets of the Pearl together. To see more images from a session in the Pearl, check out this blog post.

George Rogers Park, Lake Oswego

George Rogers Park is a beautiful location located in Lake Oswego. There is an old stone architectural feature, open grass, a lovely bridge, trails, cement stairs, flowers (in spring), a creak with water access, and beach front with big rocks along the Willamette River. The parking area is very close to the various unique features making it an easy location to access and provides for lots of variety in a small area. To see more images from George Rogers Park, click on the images above for additional blog posts.

Willamette River East Bank Esplanade, Portland

The Eastbank Esplanade and Willamette river front is a unique urban location with great river access and views of the city skyline. If you are visiting Portland, new to the area, and want to celebrate the uniqueness and beauty of the city of roses, this is a great location choice. There is a little bit of walking between locations, and multiple unique little areas to explore. To see more images from this session on the riverfront, check out this featured blog post.

St. Johns Bridge / Cathedral Park / Willamette River Front, Portland

The St. John’s bridge, Cathedral Park, and Willamette river front area has SO much to offer. There are architectural details and aspects of the bridge, many urban/industrial backdrops, a large green grassy park with bridge views, tall PNW trees, and a fun rocky and sandy river access to explore. This location to me combines all of the various aspects and personalities of Portland into one fun location. The areas under the bridge do get quite busy on weekends, so depending on what you want from the session we would need to plan accordingly. But I’ve yet to have a session here that wasn’t a showstopper.

To see different family sessions at this versatile location, check out a few different blog posts: Fall, Colorful, Pup

Gabriel Park, SW Portland

Gabriel Park in SW Portland is a huge park with lots of different features. There’s a great section with tall towering trees, open fields, wildflowers and rhododendrons (blooming in spring) and tons of fall color. There are trails to follow, a small stream, and lots to explore. This is a great location in all seasons for a family photo session, and particularly convenient if you live in SW Portland. To see more images from a session at Gabriel Park, check out this blog post where I also review my shot list for a family session.

Laurelhurst Park, SE Portland

Laurelhurst Park on the East side of Portland has lots of beautiful locations for a family to explore, and amazing fall color as pictured in this image. There are large evergreen and maple trees, a pond with lots of ducks, and some cool older stone stairs. This is a popular neighborhood park for relaxing to have a picnic, hanging out as a family, and getting some exercise. To see more photos from Laurelhurst Park, check out this location feature blog post.

Hoyt Arboretum / Forest Park

Hoyt Arboretum is located in the city center of Portland in Washington Park. This is a huge area with so many beautiful hiking trails and areas to explore. There is an area close to parking with stairs, trails, and los of trees in which to explore that is great for lifestyle family photos. If this is a favorite family location, or a place you have yet to explore, it’s highly recommended for Portland Family Photos. To see a blog post with more images from this location, check here, and be sure to scroll to the end to see when we visited the Arboretum. And, here is a link to a full session of a family of 5 that was held at Hoyt Arboretum in mid summer.

Urban Wall, Multiple Locations

Urban Street art is such a fun feature of many US cities, and Portland is no exception. I have a few different locations pinned on my phone with different feels, color, and light depending on the season. If you’re interested in a session with urban graffiti and murals, let’s chat about your ideas and I can send you a location inspiration board from which we can plan your session.

Pittock Mansion, NW Portland

Pittock Mansion is located up on the hill and gets amazing light. The area has a unique architectural presence from the building, beautiful manicured grounds, and a few hiking trails and large trees as well. It is a lovely location to visit and explore with your family.

Cooper Mountain Nature Park, Beaverton

Cooper Mountain Nature Park is a lovely area with tall grassy fields and beautiful fall color. It’s also elevated with valley views in the distance. Some easy walking / hiking is required to get to a bridge and to access the areas with walking paths pre-designated as to protect the delicate terrain. If you’re interested in warm fall tones this is a beautiful location.

Would you like to schedule a family photography session in The Portland area?

Please contact me so that we can schedule your session date, chat about locations, and go over any questions you have. Once we chat over email I’ll share additional information including how to prepare for your session, what to wear, and send over my client intake questionnaire, agreement, and session deposit details.

I look forward to hearing from you and planning your next family photo session.