Five Favorite Family Picture Ideas In Portland Oregon

Aug 2

In years past, family pictures got a bad rap…but no longer. Family pictures can be fun for everyone, and not only enjoyed but looked forward to in the future. But, when you do annual family photos, you may struggle with what to do for your family pictures, or be in search of family picture ideas, to keep your photo session and the coveted photos fresh and fun.

mom holds two daughters in front of white urban wall

I want to share with you five of my favorite family picture ideas in the Portland area that you can enjoy for your next family photo session.

Visit a Farmers Market

Do you have a favorite neighborhood farmers market? We are so lucky here in Portland to have access to farmers markets all over the city. If you’d like to look for a market close to your home, PDX Parents has an amazing and thorough list of neighborhood farmers markets by location and day of the week.

For this family session, we met at the Hillsdale Farmers Market close to Rieke Elementary school. There was some really fun tall grass where we took multiple family photos. Then, we explored the farmers market, followed by enjoying croissants and playing on the school’s playground. This type of session has a strong storytelling component documenting a families favorite activity.

two sisters standing in tall grass during family pictures with Rebecca hunnicutt photography

mom holding daughter in tall grass during spring in portland oregon

sisters hugging with hair blowing in the wind in tall grass during spring family photo session

mom and two daughters looking at strawberries at farmers market during family pictures

overhead image of young girl looking at multi colored small potatoes at farmers market

close up image of jar of honey at farmers market which is a family picture idea for photos in portland Oregon

two girls looking at long green vegetable at Hillsdale farmers market

sisters sharing croissants at a playground during family pictures

two girls laughing while on slide of Rieke Elementary Playground

Head to the Oregon Coast

Visiting the Oregon coast is an annual tradition for so many families. Do you have a favorite beach and town to stay in? My girls and I love to explore Cape Kiwanda and Neskowin Beach, both north of Lincoln city. The tide pools at Cape Kiwanda are beautiful particularly first thing during the day. And, sunset at Neskowin beach is a great time to explore the beach, stream, island, and petrified forest.

Heading to the Oregon Coast for a long visit or even a day trip will make for beautiful family photos and is an awesome idea for fun family pictures. Would you like to read more about why to have your photo session at the Oregon Coast, check out this blog article.

girl in black jacket holding net standing among orange rocks at Cape Kiwanda

family of five running on Neskowin beach during family photos by Rebecca Hunnicutt photography

Explore Downtown Portland

Does your family spend much time exploring downtown Portland? There are so many fun neighborhoods that are evolving and growing each month. Downtown you can visit the Pearl District, do some shopping, enjoy yummy food, and shop in Powells books. You can visit the Portland Art Museum, Oregon Historical Society, or shop in the neighborhoods around Slab Town or NW 23rd. The urban streets and various buildings make for perfect backdrops for family photos while having fun in town.

dad wearing black glasses smiling holding daughter on city street of Portlands slab town neighborhood

pregnant mom and dad holding toddlers hand on portland city street during fall family photo session

family sits on cement steps during urban family photo session in northwest portland

Enjoy The Urban Forests

Forest Park is one of the largest urban forests, and is a great place to take a hike with your family, explore with your dog, and have your family photos taken. Hoyt Arboretum is located very close to parking, and has a variety of backdrops close to one area, which is perfect for exploring with young children, babies, and toddlers.

Checkout the Riverfront Parks And Bridges

The fifth family phot idea on my list is visiting the riverfront, including the East-bank Esplanade and the bridges of Portland. A convenient location to park is by OMSI, where you can access the riverfront, various walkways down to the river, and walk to many of the bridges. Visiting the riverfront is a fun location for family photos, and one to definitely consider.

I hope that one of these five family photo ideas will inspire you to get out and have fun in Portland or at the Oregon Coast for your next family photo session.