Sam and I met up with Kit and Lily at Powell Butte in Portland on a picturesque, clear afternoon. They brought their sweet dogs Buddy and Dude to include the whole family in their photoshoot.
Powell Butte Nature Park has both forest and meadows in one park, so there’s plenty of variety to enjoy on your trip here. The scenery of the mesa provided ample opportunity for ranch-style photos.
We dipped into the trees for photos among the cedars and pines. The sunlight filtering through the leaves shone beautifully down on Lily and Kit.
Dude and Buddy were so well-behaved that we were also able to pose them alone on the forest trails - we highly recommend the Meadowlane Trail at sunset for this sun-kissed forest look.
After hiking back up the way we came, we returned to the mesa and had perfect views of Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens. There were cyclists, runners, hikers, and even other photography sessions in these popular vistas, so we found some tucked away locations to stop and photograph at. We obeyed all trail instructions, respecting where there were protected areas that shouldn't be walked on. If you're going to explore the park, be sure to keep an eye out for signs indicating the off-trail area is a protected area.
As the sun set on Portland, we captured some last shots of this beautiful family. Both the setting sun and the dusky pink of the sky provided excellent backdrops for these portraits. Sunset sessions are really special here on the West Coast, and we can't wait for summer to come to be able to photograph later into the evening!