I'm a huge lover of downtown Portland engagement photos, and this session was no exception. Margaret and Clarke entrusted me with documenting such a special phase in their lives, and that's not an honor I take lightly! We had the absolute best time running around Portland together for their engagement session. So without further ado, here's their story.

Margaret & Clarke's Downtown Portland engagement photos

For context, Margaret and I have a little history together! If you know anything about me, I love taking a break from the home office and heading to a local coffee shop to work. That's where I met Margaret, one of the sweetest humans I've ever had the pleasure of knowing! She's a fellow creative (check out her website here!) and is multitalented with many mediums, including graphic design, ring making, and even modeling. So when she reached out to me after getting engaged, I was over the moon to shoot her engagement photos.

When we got to planning their downtown Portland engagement photos, Margaret sent me a collection of my past work that she really vibed with. If you ever want to make a photographer's heart soar, use their work to inspire your session! The shoot she referenced was one of a couple who I took photos of on a slow Sunday morning, sipping their coffee with heavy "moody city" elements surrounding it. I never shoot the same session twice, but I knew exactly what drew her to these photos and how I wanted to embody the same emotions for their session. I suggested a few locations around downtown Portland that I had previously location-scouted but hadn't gotten the opportunity to shoot at yet. And then, the magic began!

Personal touches to their Portland engagement session

We utilized multiple locations for their Portland engagement session, which gave them tons of variety for their photos. We actually realized that the place where they initially met was just a short distance from one of the locations! As someone big on signs, the universe agreed that that was an excellent place to take photos. One of my favorite scenes was on top of a parking garage, where Clarke drove his long-time-owned Miata and used it as a prop for the session. The photos ended up looking so unique to them, not to mention they looked cool as heck!

Being a model, Margaret had a special request for their engagement session. She mentioned how she was explicitly drawn to my work because of the soft, natural element of it. She didn't want to feel like she was at work, being heavily posed and guided with little room for authenticity. She truly just wanted her and Clarke's love to shine through more than anything else. This detail made me so excited to deliver photos of her with her love in a way that might not have been captured before. I wanted her to have fun and enjoy herself the entire time, and I believe we accomplished that goal! Her text after seeing the sneak photos read this:

“SIDKDNFOWNDOEJDISONENDKWK SARAH

THESE PHOTOS !!!!!!!

You captured it all so beautifully: the sunlight, the autumn color, our awkwardness, our good side. It feels very true to us. I can't believe this is just a sneak peek."

Her wish was my command, and her wish was exactly what she got. There's no better feeling for me than delivering photos for couples that are true to them and that they feel ecstatic about.

Ready to take your Portland engagement photos?

Whether you want to take them downtown, in your home, or out in nature, I would love to bring your vision to life. To inquire about an engagement session, you can fill out my contact form, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can check out my blog about preparing for your Oregon engagement session!