Shauna and Michael were long distance while dating, but planned a weekend to be together, just to shoot their engagement session. They picked the Columbia River Gorge for their photos, and I couldn’t have been more excited! After all, the gorge is one of my absolute favorite spots to shoot in Oregon! We planned to meet, for the first time, in the parking lot of Latourelle falls. When I looked across the parking lot, and saw a stunning girl in a flowy red dress walking my way, I knew instantly that this session was going to be one for the books! We spent the next couple hours wandering the historic Columbia River highway, dancing in the street, and watching the sun set at Crown Point. In a word, is was simply magical. These two definitely get the “best dressed award!” I mean LOOK at them!! Just gorgeous.
Hood River Maternity Session - Daniel & Natalie
Pets are a special part of the family. They steal our hearts, make us laugh, provide endless entertainment and love. After a while, you can’t even imagine life without them. So, it’s always so much fun when clients ask to bring along their furry friends to include in their photo shoot. Daniel & Natalie were just about to give birth to their first baby, but wanted to capture their little family of 3 before their baby girl arrived. We decided to photograph their maternity session in Hood River (at a place affectionately called “the Spit”), where Daniel & Natalie often take their dog, Monty, to run and play. Before the session, Natalie warned me that Monty was quite an energetic, handful. We captured lots of portraits of Daniel & Natalie along the water’s edge of the Columbia River Gorge as the sun romantically set behind them. All this, while Monty ran his hardest, back and forth and through the water, greeting passersby with jumps and licks before excitedly running off in the opposite direction. He had a blast, and we had a blast just watching him. In the end though, Monty was a good boy. He posed beautifully for several portraits, and Daniel and Natalie ended up with some super cute family photos together. 🐾
Columbia River Gorge Engagement - Tracey & Mike
Tracey & Mike are like one of those too-adorable-to-be-real couples. They're sweet and kind, generous, loving to everyone they meet, and all-around beautiful people --- inside and out. Meeting them is like a comforting reminder that there are still wonderful people in this world, and it makes you thankful to have them as friends. I first met Tracey when we were volunteering for a homeless outreach event in downtown Portland. Her bright and genuine smile was so welcoming it made me immediately want to be her friend. When she started dating Mike, we just knew that he was "the one." He is the perfect match to her kindness and generosity. And sure enough, after a while, Mike proposed --- and the rest is history. We took these two out to the Columbia River Gorge for some scenic engagement photos. The water was low and the greenery was lush. Tracy & Mike were daring enough to dip their toes in the water, which made for some gorgeous river-side portraits. They even brought along their sweet little dog, Bennett, to pose for some photos too. These two were meant to be, and we are so happy that they found each other.
Columbia River Gorge Engagement Session
Susan and Josh picked the Columbia River Gorge for their engagement session; one of my absolute favorite spots for photography anytime of the year. But this session was extra special since we got the added bonus of gorgeous fall colors everywhere we looked. Susan and Josh brought along their favorite pup, Penny (she even made it in a photo or two!) and we ventured along the Historic Columbia River Highway to find some unique spots off the beaten path. Of course, we couldn't help ending at Crown Point for some lookout shots with the gorge in the background.
Growing up in Florida, where Fall colors were practically a mythical legend, I had never really experienced a true Autumn until I moved to Portland. I look forward to fall colors every year now, but it still always catches my breath when it arrives in all it's vibrant beauty. I'm so glad we were able to capture some of it for Susan & Josh's engagement session.
