Best Engagement Photography 
Locations in Portland Oregon

We love capturing love stories across the Pacific Northwest. Here is our ultimate insider guide to the best engagement photography locations in portland oregon and beyond. While we’ve photographed weddings and engagements all over the world, our charming and lush-green Portland remains one of our favorite cities to do engagement photography for boundless reasons. Portland is rich with “lifestyle” (so much so that we actually call our engagement sessions “lifestyle photography”) and it provides the perfect playground for great adventures. Every corner of this city is loveable & peculiar, with amazing food and drink options, a sophisticated culture and art scene, an eclectic nightlife, and a wide range of outdoor activities immediately accessible.

When couples hire us to take their engagement photos, we take quality time to get to know who they are and what is most meaningful to them. Every couple is different, so we always take them on a customized adventure in settings that embrace their lifestyle and allow them to feel authentic. With Portland’s diversity, we always have endless options to explore and know the best engagement photography locations in Portland, Oregon.

Below, we’ve included a few of our favorite engagement photography locations in Portland, Oregon, and the surrounding areas.

Portland Waterfront Cherry Blossoms

Location: 98 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97203

The Portland Cherry Blossoms come and go in a flash. But when they are there, they are loud and proud. So beautiful. Late March and early April are when these blossoms are best. Planning a surprise proposal? This is a killer spot. We have captured it and can help you plan. Reach out and we will coach you thru it, support you, and capture it! See a full example here. 

Cathedral Park

Location: 8600 NW Bridge Ave, Portland, OR 97203

This couple just returned from getting “engaged” in Paris, but they didn’t have a photographer. Not to worry, Portland’s historic landmark, St. John Bridge in Cathedral Park, gave us some epic architecture. It’s the only steel suspension bridge in Portland with 400-ft towers and a main span of 1207 feet. Their picnic in the park routine from Paris to Portland with a colorful Fall sunset and the crescent moon was perfect. Cathedral Park is definitely one of the best engagement photography locations in Portland Oregon.

Ron Tom’s

Location: 600 E Burnside St., Portland, Oregon

Among literally hundreds of fun, funky dive bars in Portland, Ron Tom’s was where this couple first met each other while yes, “waiting in line for the bathroom.” The way the window light fell on this couple with the leading lines of the window drapes perfectly framed these two while snuggling. Ron Tom’s has impeccably decorated vintage interiors and a spacious back patio, featuring an outdoor fireplace and pingpong table. This bar is also one of countless microbreweries. Fun fact: Portland has more microbreweries per capita than any other city in the world.

Portland Tom McCall waterfront

Location: 98 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204

Portland is a serious lounge zone. There are at least 279 parks and natural areas in Portland. Portland’s Waterfront Park is a great place to relax and connect and has an easy 2.6-mile loop to explore. The fountains can be fun to photograph, too. Portland is one of the only cities that allows public bathing in the fountains. The Portland waterfront park can have up to 137 jets going at once. There is a big boat dock, historical site, paths – paved, plaza, riverfront views, statue or public art, trails – biking, and other visitor attractions. For the couple in the sailboat, we climbed the mast and photographed down on them as they enjoyed the last rays of sunset.

Forest Park

Location: 4099 NW Thurman St, Portland, OR 97210

Another favorite location of ours is exploring the trails in Forest Park. Portland’s Forest Park is one of the largest urban forests in the United States (5,200 acres). We like taking couples along the creek, and there is also a hidden, old castle-like ruins inside the park. There are more than 80 miles of trails, fire lanes, and forest roads. Forest Park is a true Northwest forest located within Portland’s city limits. If you are looking for nature inside the city Forest Park is definitely one of the best engagement photography locations in Portland Oregon.

Portland International Airport

Location: 7000 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97218

These two wanted something different. They love architecture and the association of traveling goes to the heart of their relationship. So why not take photos at Portland International Airport? It has been voted America’s Best Airport for the past seven years and you can get a taste of Portland right in the airport. PDX’s promise is you will never pay a premium. “Street pricing” means things cost the same as in town. We went right at sunset and captured some fun silhouettes with the architecture then found a spot just under the landing strip where we captured some fun dancing underneath planes flying by.

Key’s Lounge

Location: 533 NE Killingsworth, Portland OR 97211

After exploring the Portland International Airport we took this same couple over to Keys Lounge, which is only 10 minutes from the airport. Here, they enjoyed some drinks and good conversation with a comfortable lounge atmosphere. This funky casual cocktail bar lives inside a restored locksmith building from 1962. It’s known for its “laid-back, retro” feel with its mid century rumpus room with wood paneling, Persian rugs, and booths filled with deep red leather. You can’t miss the massive wall filled with vinyl records. We made good use of our MagMod lighting tools to illuminate these two with color and mood. Keys Lounge and many other epic restaurants are some of the best engagement photography locations in Portland Oregon. We will show you.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Location: 1026 SW Stark Street, Portland, Oregon 97205

One of our favorite approaches to engagement sessions is to simply get in the car and organically stop somewhere, photograph for a while, then jump back in and repeat. But, traffic and lighting can get tricky. So, starting in a great place such as Stumptown Coffee Roasters is a great place to begin because you have Powell’s Books just around the corner and Clyde Common next door. Portland is a coffee culture and this photo reflects the vibe of a fun and intimate adventure in Portland.

The Nine’s Hotel

Location: 525 SW Morrison St, Portland, OR 97204

The Nine’s Hotel is Portland’s Luxury hotel, situated in downtown with incredible rooftop views, artwork everywhere, and two restaurants. This hotel has all the modern vibes you would ever want. It’s a great place to end an engagement session for epic eats. Also, checkout the gorgeous event space they have for weddings.

SE Industrial District

Location: SE 2nd Street, Portland Oregon
Location: Noble Rot – 1111 East Burnside Street, Fourth Floor, Portland, OR 97214

Portland is known for lots of funky industrial backstreets and train tracks. Traffic is getting trickier every day in Portland, so often the best rule is to go somewhere where there is interesting architecture that you can walk through without congestion. We find the backstreets along SE 2nd near Produce Row offers an array of backdrops to explore, not to mention great stop-offs such as Wayfinder Beer, Olympia Provisions and some killer bridge views. It goes without saying, “Port” “land” is a city of bridges and offer great views and more, definitely some of the best engagement photography locations in Portland Oregon.

Portland Food Carts

Location: 1027 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

Okay, so Portland has more than 600 food carts with 400 operating at any given time. Crazy! It’s known “that you could literally eat at a Portland food cart every night for two years before you’d be forced to eat at the same place twice.” It’s impossible to name our all-time favorite food cart, but one that definitely stands out is The Grilled Cheese Grill. We followed this couple down Northeast Alberta street with their bikes and captured them through the funky school bus eatery window enjoying these warm, crunchy, gooey cheesy sandwiches. The colorful inside of this refurbished bus brings you right back in time with little kid school pictures from 20 years past. A true Portland experience! Ride some bikes, too. Portland comes in as the second most bike-friendly place to be in the country, behind Minneapolis.

Alberta Arts District

Location: The district centers on NE Alberta Street, and stretches approximately 1.5 miles, from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to NE 33rd Avenue.

Speaking of the Alberta Arts District, just roam and get lost down Alberta street for hours. You’ll find dozens of hip and funky boutique shops and tons of colorful murals, boutique shops, and yes…more pubs.

Mary’s Strip Club

Location: 129 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97206

Okay, so this is definitely one of Portland’s peculiar characteristics. Portland has more strip clubs per capita than any other city. Some serve steak and some are vegan! This couple we photographed specifically wanted us to capture them in Mary’s Club because the grandfather of the “groom to be” started Mary’s way back in the day, so we just had to do it!

Day After Sessions

Location: Old Brick Buildings near Castaway – 1900 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Location: Tilikum Crossing Bridge – Bridge of the People, Tilikum Crossing, Portland, OR 97201

Many of our couples love the backdrop of Portland so much that we often get asked to photograph “day after sessions” with their wedding outfits. This is a great concept because it can take the pressure off taking portraits on the wedding day. Instead, couples can enjoy the organic flow of their wedding with all the candids and take a separate day to explore Portland with wedding outfits on. It’s a great date and a wonderful way to capture great photos. One of our favorite spots is exploring the old brick buildings Near Castaway in NW Portland. Another is the Tilikum Crossing Bridge which is the largest car-free bridge in the US, stretching 1720 feet long. Tilikum is one of the best engagement photography locations in Portland Oregon.

Surprise Proposals

Location: 98 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204
Location: Ava Jeans: 3377 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202

There is nothing like photographing a real proposal. Butterflies are everywhere from the person proposing, the photographer(s), and of course, the person being proposed to! We’ve been asked many times to capture the “real moment” which goes to the heart of our photography. We offer proposal consultations to help brainstorm ideas and plans for capturing proposals. “How to capture it without the photographer being seen” while keeping the moment authentic for the person proposing is key. Nothing like the real thing! These first two photos were on Portland’s Waterfront Park on a bench under an umbrella. We hid behind trees with our long lenses to get in tight on the moment. The 3rd photo was at Ava Jean’s restaurant with us hiding behind the bar and corners sneaking in on the moment. Also, the nearby streets and Portland’s Saturday Market area are filled with lovely market lights. It almost feels European.  So many best engagement photography locations in Portland Oregon to be had.

Just Outside Portland

The city of Portland is truly a melting pot for endless exploration. The surrounding areas just outside of Portland are excellent, too. Portland is only an hour and a half from the Pacific Ocean (approximately 80 miles), the Columbia Gorge is just 30 miles east of downtown Portland, and Mt Hood is only 62 miles away.

Take a full day and explore engagement photos in nature just outside Portland.​

Horsetail Falls and Columbia Gorge River Walk

Location: Horsetail Falls, Oregon

The Columbia Gorge offers endless vast gorgeous walks and dozens of waterfalls. The greenery, pure air, and majesty of the waterfalls is sublime. Plan ahead and catch gorgeous sunsets and long shadows while walking along the Columbia Gorge river walk. The Columbia Gorge is a place we always recommend to our couples, definitely one of the best engagement photography locations in Portland Oregon, easily accessible.

Lavender Valley Farms

Location: 5965 Boneboro Road
Mount Hood Parkdale, OR 97041
(833) 4LV-LOVE (833-458-5683)

Don’t miss out on planning for taking gorgeous engagement photos during “magic hour” at Oregon’s premiere lavender farm. Plan ahead! Go in July for the best lavender bloom and colors. Enjoying your engagement photos in this location will transport you into a beautiful dream world. With Mt Hood as your backdrop, the lush purple glow of the lavender fields, and the place all to yourselves you will have an extremely unique experience and collection of photos. Also, head over to Hood River for a few night shots and grab some great food and beverages with your photographers. Visit a full Lavender Farms engagement shoot here. This spot is super high on our list as the best engagement photography locations in Portland Oregon, close by.​

Mt Hood Ski Bowl

Location: 87000 US-26, Government Camp, OR 97028

The Mt Hood area is full of gorgeous scenery, including hidden lakes and spectacular views of Mt. Hood. Get familiar with this area and you’ll find endless treasures.​

Gorgeous Lakes outside Portland

Timothy Lake

Timothy Lake Location: NF-58, Government Camp, OR 97028

Checkout Timothy Lake, which lies just 75 miles east of Portland. This is a camper’s paradise. Here, you can see Mt. Hood’s highest peak. Rent a canoe with a picnic lunch and the depth of nature will inspire you beyond words.

Lost Lake

Lost Lake Location: 9000 Lost Lake Road, Hood River, OR 97031

Lost Lake is one of our all-time favorite spots for engagement photos. This lake doesn’t allow motorcraft, which means the water is pristine and reflects the sky and mountain vista. Old-growth forests and abundant wildflowers are everywhere. What’s great is it’s easy to get around the trails for hiking, swimming, boating, and camping. Rent a boat and get lost. You can easily walk along the shorelines to capture epic scenic photos of engaged couples.

Alvord Desert

Location: Harney County in southeastern Oregon

Alvord Desert & Southeast Oregon

Location: Alvord Desert, Harney County, Oregon (approx. 7 hours southeast of Portland)

If you are a couple craving an unforgettable, wide-open adventure, taking a road trip out to the Alvord Desert is unmatched. As a vast, cracked-white playa tucked beneath the massive Steens Mountain, its minimalist landscape places your raw connection entirely center stage.

We had an absolute blast photographing here!

For the absolute best time to photograph in the Alvord Desert, aim for sunrise or the “blue hour” just after sunset, when the dry lakebed reflects soft pastel pinks and deep purples, and the desert heat cools down.

When planning where to go and what to do, make sure to drive directly onto the playa via the access points near fields of wild sage brush, spend the night stargazing under some of the darkest skies in the country, and take a relaxing soak at the nearby Alvord Hot Springs. It is a journey to get to from the city, but it easily ranks among the most epic, cinematic engagement photography locations in Oregon.

Be sure to visit Crane Hot Springs along the drive from Portland as well.

recent engagement adventures