Portland area/Columbia River Gorge

Hi all,

I am going to Portland on business April 19-22 and Was wondering what to see there to shoot. I know I want to go to the Gorge but not sure where as I have never been there. Also, are there good spots in Portland to shoot as well. I will have some time while there either morning or afternoon.
TIA for the suggestions

http://www.waterfallswest.com/page.php?id=columbiarivergorge

More falls than you can shake a stick at....pick a few and have fun.

I have many shots of the falls in the gorge in my gallery, find some you like and find them on the map...and enjoy our wonderful state.

Roman

--

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious; It is the source of all true art and science.
~ Albert Einstein

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jva jnky said:

I know I want to go to the Gorge but not sure where as I have never been there.

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I have been to the Gorge many times, as I windsurf extensively. I mainly go to Hood River but ther are many locations to shoot. As others have mentioned there are a great many waterfalls and hiking trails to explore in the area, so you shouldn't get bored.

Terry
--
Graham Fine Art Photography
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jva jnky said:

Hi all,

I am going to Portland on business April 19-22 and Was wondering what to see there to shoot. I know I want to go to the Gorge but not sure where as I have never been there. Also, are there good spots in Portland to shoot as well. I will have some time while there either morning or afternoon.
TIA for the suggestions

Click to expand...

I'm kind of amused by the responses so far. It's been said that the first thing Portlanders do when asked what to see by new visitors is send them out of town. While it's absolutely true that much of what makes the Portland area so enthralling is the close-by spectacles of natural beauty, such as the Columbia Gorge, Mt. Hood, Hood River, the Oregon Coast, and the beautiful farms and vineyards in Yamhill, Marion, and Washington counties (to name a few nearby), there are wonderful things to see inside of the city limits as well.

First - do you really have just an afternoon or morning to explore? That's not a lot, but Portland is compact. The first thing I would have you do is go to the Rose Test Garden in Forest Park. Overlook the city. Head up to Council Crest and the 360 degree view. Both are a 10 minute drive from downtown. Stroll the small, eminently walkable downtown blocks. Walk along the Park Blocks, between Salmon and Market. Hop on the Portland Streetcar and head down to the Pearl and see an amazing urban redevelopment area that used to be a rail yard. Explore the many public fountains there and, on the South end of the city, the Keller fountain. Walk a couple of blocks east from there to the city's "front yard", Waterfront Park, and look back at the bustling city. Enjoy the ambience; the cyclist culture is all around you; the "creative classes" that are part of the city's buzz are everywhere. Sit in Pioneer Square for a while and just watch the city go about its business.

Finally, take a good raincoat and an umbrella. April is still a wet month (they all are until around June), and your stay may feature one or more of our many "soft" days (grey skies, gentle drizzle, and just-beginning to flower Rhodies). Then plan to come back and spend another day or two in the Gorge and in the surrounding hills.

Well, the OP did say he wanted to go to the Gorge. So it seems somewhat logical to give him suggestions there. Even so, I agree that in a short stay, walking along Waterfront Park or the Eastside Esplanad, or visiting the Japanese Gardens or Pioneer Courthouse Square would be a fine choice.

Plenty of interesting things to do and see which could occupy a photographer for a day or three.
--
-Mike
It's much easier to criticize than to create
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike-pdx/collections/

MikePDX said:

Well, the OP did say he wanted to go to the Gorge. So it seems somewhat logical to give him suggestions there. Even so, I agree that in a short stay, walking along Waterfront Park or the Eastside Esplanad, or visiting the Japanese Gardens or Pioneer Courthouse Square would be a fine choice.

Plenty of interesting things to do and see which could occupy a photographer for a day or three.
--
-Mike
It's much easier to criticize than to create
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike-pdx/collections/

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Thanks for reminding me! Two exquisite attractions to see - not only the Japanese Gardens in Forest Park, but the Chinese Garden in Old Town. Wonderful, photogenic places. I guess I spaced on the "want to see the Gorge" because it's at least 2 hours to just get just up to Crown Point from downtown and back again, and continuing out to Multnomah Falls along the Old Highway from there would take up the rest of the afternoon. The Gorge, like so many of the things we recommend to visitors, is easily 30-45 minutes out of town given the traffic these days.

Lots to see in the Gorge. My gallery has about a hundred more!

some of mine here:
http://mitch.zenfolio.com/p437832291
If you never stop learning, you will never stop seeing the possibilities. ...

A detailed history of photographing the Gorge can be found here.
http://northwestphotography.org/GALLERY.html

If you’re a real history nerd, here is a video about the project.

http://media.oregonstate.edu/index.php/show/back_page_%23154_%5C%26quot%3Bwild_beauty%3A_photographs_of_the_columbia_ri?id=0_fybzoot6

I go there for the trains to photograph. More BNSF traffic and easier access on the north side, the UP is on the south side where the Interstate hiway hinders easy access. Up by The Dalles you can have pretty good luck with the UP, though.
--
Alan, in Montana

Don't miss Latourell Falls, the prettiest in Oregon for my money.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will have the last half of Thursday from noon on and then some again on Saturday. I hope to see a couple of the falls and then see the town. Thanks again.