Portland Art Museum Engagement Session

Alivia and Jonathan knew they wanted an urban landscape for their engagement photos. They enjoy spending time in downtown coffee shops, restaurants, and art installations, and Alivia had the idea of doing some of their photos at one of downtown’s iconic landmarks: the Portland Art Museum.

Before going to the Portland Art Museum, we met at a downtown parking garage for some photos in the drizzly, cloudy weather. Typical Portland! I actually love taking photos in the dreary days because the gentle mist adds an ethereal quality to the photos. Alivia and Jonathan had the perfect reason to bundle up and share an umbrella, and the cozy atmosphere was perfect. It quickly turned into a quiet morning that we’ll remember forever.. views of downtown buildings, the sounds of traffic bustling below, and heavy cloudy across the horizon. It was truly the perfect morning.

We knew that the Portland Art Museum was going through a huge renovation and revamp, but there were still some exhibits open for us to explore. The museum itself is a work of architectural beauty, combining both historic and contemporary elements of design.

I love that Alivia and Jonathan’s engagement session was a mix of urban energy and cozy warmth. I captured them on a mix of digital and film, including Ilford HP5 from a camera built in 1952. Sometimes just holding these old cameras is its own creative exercise. Here are some moments from that drizzly spring morning.