Portland’s Best Locations for Engagement Photos

It’s easy to find a beautiful location to take engagement photos in Portland. Located just a little under a 2 hour drive to the Oregon Coast or to the mountains, Portland is packed with scenic spaces, picking just one is where it gets difficult! Below is a list of some areas that I think are the best locations for engagement photos in and around Portland.

Photoshoot Locations in Portland

Powell Butte Nature Park

16160 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97236
Drive time from Downtown Portland: 32 minutes.

A natural refuge in the middle of urban sprawl that is SE Portland. I love Powell Butte because it combines my love of open meadows and forests all in one park. With a small amount of hiking it’s easy to put together a photo shoot that combines both of these microclimates in one session. Here are some engagement photos from a session at Powell Butte.

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Washington Park

4033 SW Canyon Rd
Portland, OR 97221
Drive time from Downtown Portland: 5 minutes.

Washington Park is a favorite among tourists coming to Portland as it’s kind of a one stop shop for the city’s main attractions. The Oregon Zoo, Japanese Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, and the Rose Garden are all located within the park. The last two are great locations to consider for your Portland engagement photos.

Hoyt Arboretum has 189 of acres and 2300 tree species from all over the world making it easy to feel like your deep in the forest when you’re actually in the heart of the city.

By late Spring the International Test Rose Garden is exploding with colorful blooms and is a photographer’s wonderland.

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Mt Tabor

SE 60th Avenue and Salmon Street
Portland, OR 97215
Drive time from Downtown Portland: 16 minutes.

This old volcano is one of my favorite spots in Portland to go for a neighborhood walk. The park is located in the middle of SE Portland and easy to get to. After your photo session you can grab a bite to eat at ¿Por Qué No? taqueria or a drink at Sapphire Hotel. This sessions is from a foggy fall morning but Mt Tabor is great any time of the year.

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Cathedral Park

N Edison Street and Pittsburg Avenue
Portland, OR 97203
Drive time from Downtown Portland: 15 minutes.

Cathedral Park is located right under the historic span of the St. John’s Bridge. It gets its name from the gothic cathedral style bridge towers which make for not only a visually striking engagement photo but a great wedding venue too! The park is right on the banks of the Willamette River and a short walk to the St Johns neighborhood in North Portland.

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Downtown Portland

701 SW 6th Ave
Portland, OR 97205
Drive time from Downtown Portland: 0 minutes.

Hit some food carts, walk on the waterfront, take a ride on some electric scooters, or go for a lift on the OHSU tram. There are so many fun things to do downtown and you can easily plan a fun engagement session with a lot of variety that highlights the city you love.

Engagement Session Locations near Portland

Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach, OR 97110
Drive time from Downtown Portland: 1 hour and 25 minutes.

One of my favorite places to be is near the ocean and the Oregon Coast is a beauty. Cannon Beach makes it easy for engagement photos whether you want to be in the shadow of Haystack Rock or overlooking the beach from Ecola State Park. The beach gets busy on the weekends, especially in Summer, but weekdays or off season are great times to shoot. Here are some photos from a recent engagement session at Cannon Beach.

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Trillium Lake

Government Camp, OR 97028
Drive time from Downtown Portland: 1 hour and 23 minutes.

Trillium Lake offers one of the easiest and prettiest views of Mt Hood in the area. The lake is easy to get to from Portland and on a clear day visitors are treated to an amazing mountain reflection in the water. Walk the small trail that loops around the lake or rent a kayak for some super cute and adventurous photos.

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Silver Falls State Park

20024 Silver Falls Hwy SE
Sublimity, OR 97385
Drive time from Downtown Portland: 1 hour and 6 minutes.

Silver Falls State Park is considered the jewel of the Oregon State Park system and for good reason. This lush dreamscape is home to 10 waterfalls (you can do a hike that hits all of them!) and some great hiking trails.

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Portland Engagement Photographer

Hello! I’m Chris and I’m a wedding and engagement photographer located in Portland, Oregon. I’ve been documenting weddings for over a decade and I love what I do.

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Cannon Beach Engagement Session

Long before I photographed my first engagement session at Cannon Beach, this beautiful place held a special spot in my heart. I’ve loved visiting Cannon Beach for as long as I can remember. As a kid growing up in Idaho we didn’t have regular access to beautiful beaches and coastlines but I vividly remember my parents loading up me and my three siblings in the car and driving out to the Oregon Coast.  Sometimes we ended up camping and more often than not we complained about being cold and hungry but that didn’t stop us from begging my parents to take us back the next summer.

Having experienced the Oregon Coast and Cannon Beach as a kid made choosing a site for Forrest and Dianne’s engagement session particularly easy. It is hard to beat the grandeur of Haystack Rock coupled with rolling waves and the bright blue background of sunny skies. It happened to be a beautiful crisp day in February when we were able to shoot but to be honest this slice of beach looks good in any weather. 

Dianne and Forrest were ready and willing to scramble up rocks, wade through beachgrass and even attempt some gymnastic level lifts during this session and their willingness to play and have fun really shows in the final results.  It also didn’t hurt that they brought along their cute furry companion Betty, who became the star of the show in several of the images. They also had some really fun wardrobe changes, including a long flowy gown worn by Dianne. This type of dress is great for a beach photoshoot as it really adds a little drama and movement which makes for some fun images.

One of my favorite things is booking shoots with couples that haven’t been lucky enough to visit before. Cannon Beach is a place that doesn’t get old whether you are taking photos for an engagement session, having an elopement or small wedding, or just enjoying your own little slice of the Oregon Coast. 

Cathedral Park Engagement Photos

I have done my fair share of engagements shoots in dense redwood forests and on sprawling hilly landscapes.  While I love those kinds of shoots, it was a refreshing change to shoot some engagement photos at Cathedral Park in North Portland, with the striking architectural features of the St. Johns Bridge and close proximity to the bustle of downtown Portland.  

Even though the day was cold, we were able to keep ourselves warm by exploring all the nooks and crannies that this city park has to offer. Moving from location to location not only kept us from getting hypothermia, it allowed for an almost constant change of scenery that gave this gallery great variety.  We got some great shots under the bridge, had some fun at the boat dock, and essentially made the grounds one big portrait studio. It doesn’t hurt that I had the benefit of shooting a fun couple that was willing to traipse across the park with me. As with most photo shoots, the shots I got kept getting better as the session progressed and by the end of the shoot they were a couple of pros in front of the camera.  

Doing an engagement session that isn’t too far off the beaten path also allowed me to spend a fun, low stress hour with these two before I shoot their big day at the Exchange Ballroom in Southeast Portland.  It’s always a benefit to get to spend one on one time with couples before their wedding day, even when it is a two sweater underneath two jackets kind of day outside. However, from the look of warmth on their faces, it would be hard to tell from the photos alone that it was a blustery day outside.  The weather may be a little rough for a good chunk of time in Portland but it doesn’t mean that there is break in capturing beautiful photos of beautiful couples.  

Update: Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Katie and David’s plans changed. While they didn’t get married at the Exchange Ballroom, they had a beautiful and socially distant ceremony at Katie’s mom’s house in Portland. Their story was picked up by the New York Times!

Mt Tabor Engagement Session

I love photography, coffee, and hiking and I struck gold as all three were featured in Eita and Julia’s recent engagement session on Mt. Tabor. These two were warm, playful, and easy to work with and also came with the benefit of a cute backstory, the theme of which we tied into our shoot. It is always gratifying to be able to highlight meaningful aspects of my client’s lives in their photo sessions.

For Eita and Julia it was their love of coffee that brought them together and helped to cement their relationship. In an ultimate meet-cute style, these two met at a coffee shop in Taiwan and proceeded to do a coffee shop tour together through Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. They currently live together in LA and are experts in exploring their local coffee scene. They contacted me prior to their trip to Portland with the intention of documenting their first trip to this beautiful City of Bridges. It wouldn’t be representative of the couple- or Portland for that matter- without a chance to hold part of their session at the original Stumptown location on Division. It helped that Julia sent over a vision board with the look and style of images that she liked as I was able to help plan a shoot that encapsulated the vibe that this couple would cherish.

In true Portland fashion, we experienced both the warmth of the caffeinated indoors and also had the chance to visit our friendly neighborhood volcanic cinder cone- Mt. Tabor. Mt. Tabor is a personal favorite of mine and I loved showing Eita and Julia around. We couldn’t have gotten more lucky in terms of light. The fog was dense throughout the city but when we arrived at the top of the mountain the morning sun broke through and treated us to quite the show. Playing with sun rays helped elevate the already cute couples photos to the next level.

I look forward to combining my caffeine and photography passions together as often as I can in the future!. Thank you Eita and Julia for a great engagement session.

Powell Butte Engagement Session

Recently I was lucky to shoot an engagement session at Powell Butte with Grace and Thomas. We met on a warm Summer evening at a large nature park with dense woods and open meadows. I had been excited to shoot at this location for awhile and when Grace mentioned they wanted somewhere scenic but not too far away from downtown Portland, I knew just where to go. 

I know that my clients aren't professional models and I regularly hear concerns about feeling awkward in front of a camera. For me, it's not only important to take great photos of my clients that are flattering but also create an experience and an environment that sets my clients at ease during their shoot; engagement sessions are great for this. These sessions are such a good opportunity for me to get to the know the couple aside from the hustle and bustle of their wedding day. They also allow my clients to get to know me and see how I work. During an engagement session, I work with my clients to find poses that are natural and comfortable all while exploring beautiful scenery and having a fun time together. 

My session with Grace and Thomas started with a meander through a grove of shady old trees, which provided a backdrop for vibrant photos with soft light. As our shoot progressed, I was able to get some great shots of the two looking out over the scenic vistas of Southeast Portland. Grace and Thomas, were easy to work with and fell into natural poses that highlighted their comfort and ease with one another in front of the camera. Best of all they were down to hike, explore, and find all of the nice light. Photographing Grace and Thomas on the hillsides and overlooking the vistas of Portland was a perfect way to capture the beautiful simplicity of two people who really care about each other.

I wish these two all the happiness as they start their life in the Pacific Northwest together!