Columbia River Gorge Engagement | Kristina + Rahul

This engagement session in the Columbia Gorge was giving me the most fall vibes and I’m still obsessed looking back at them now. Just along the Washington shores of the Columbia River we explored a dock, along the waterfront on a rocky shore, and in the tall grass with a faint view of Beacon Rock in the distance.

There are three popular “general” areas that I shoot engagement sessions: the Columbia Gorge, the Oregon Coast, and the Portland metro. The Columbia Gorge is somewhere I frequent a lot especially in the summer but it’s stunning every. single. time. Sometimes we get a moody, foggy, day like this, sometimes it’s rainy, sometimes you get a beautiful golden hour and I think they are all perfect. If you live here you know the weather is incredibly unpredictable so when booking an engagement session in the Gorge or even anywhere in the PNW you have to do so knowing the weather may not be your idea of “perfect.” But the good news is we will roll with it, I’ll bring my clear umbrellas, bring your layers, and we will have a great time regardless!

Let’s chat about bringing your dog to your engagement session because this was such a fun time for me (yes I’m a HUGEEE dog lover). I have two of my own and the couples session my husband and I did with our two dogs was so special to me. This pup of Kristina + Rahul’s was so well behaved and was able to just hang with us and do his own thing for the entire shoot. They interacted with him for some of the shots and for others he’s running around in the background (my favorite). This is the ideal scenario but if your dog is not well behaved off leash, won’t stay close, and would greet other dogs/people unwanted, then it is best to keep them leashed. If your dog does need to stay leashed try to bring a neutral leash with a cute collar (ideally no harness or poop bags hanging off, etc.). Often times we will start with the dog at the beginning of the session and then let them hang out in the car for the remainder (not possible in the summer when it’s warm) or you can bring a friend/dog handler along to take them for a walk while we do our thing! If you know they behave better with toys or treats feel free to bring those along as well. The pups are always welcome!