Woodsy Aventure Engagement Session | Mt. Hood, Oregon | Trillium LakeThis pairing of Mt. Hood Wilderness locations is one of my favorite engagement session combinations for any time of year! Mt. Hood has always been one of my favorite playgrounds. I've spent countless hours exploring, hiking, camping, and photographing couples in what is probably top two of Oregon's most iconic geography, perhaps only behind Crater Lake. On this particular day, we met mid-afternoon to start our jaunt to a cozy waterfall before heading to Trillium Lake just down the highway. We both came bearing gifts for the other; Corrinne and Mike brought me homemade pumpkin bread! It was so damn good, it didn't last the weekend at my house.
It's sometimes hard for me to describe how happy these kinds of days make me. I can't believe how lucky I am to have found my calling at such a young age so to think that this is work is quite baffling. But Corrinne did a wonderful job when she so kindly wrote a Google Review of their experience. "Jen is absolutely amazing, and we feel so fortunate to have her as our wedding photographer! Jen took our engagement photos at two stunning locations she recommended, and she made the day truly joyous and magical. Not only is Jen an extremely talented photographer technically and artistically, but she is also a wonderful person. Her fun, laid back personality and guidance put us at ease during the shoot. She made these two nervous, camera-shy people have fun having our photos taken, and it clearly shows in the beautiful gallery of photos she has given us. After looking through the gallery, we realized we had favorited almost every photo! The images are all beautiful, making it impossible to choose a favorite. We couldn't be happier with our whole experience with Jen so far. If you are reading this review in search of a photographer, look no further, because Jen is truly phenomenal all around; you won't find anyone better." - Corrinne + Mike Forever grateful for this life, Jen
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Columbia River Gorge Engagement | Government Cove Oregon Engagement Photographer | Adventure SessionThree Easy Steps to Making Your Engagement Session Personal and Intentional A lot of couples in the PNW are wracked with nerves thinking about having their photos taken. An engagement session is where I put all those nerves to bed and show you just how much fun documenting your life can really be. The best approach is an intentional one. Now, that doesn't mean we have to have some long itinerary, but rather a small list of goals set for how you want to feel and what you want your album to make you feel like every time you look at it.
Step 1: Think about any of the places you've been together that hold sentimental value; a first, second or third date spot, a favorite hiking trail or campground, a piece of property owned by family, perhaps the annual county fair you always attend for date night in the summertime. There is no bad idea! This conversation not only is a killer brainstorming sesh, but it allows me to get to know you both even better. I'll get a deeper glimpse into your love story and what's more, I'll be able to share stories of my own with you, too. The more we can connect on all the good food, drinks, places we like and the experiences that have molded us, the more your gallery will reflect a true, beautiful picture of your life together. Once we figure out a location to incorporate, whether it be the actual location or one with a similar aesthetic, we can begin planning the rest of your day; pit stops, clothing and color theory, and most likely a killer lunch spot stop. Step 2: Wear clothing you feel comfortable in and that makes you feel good. It may sound so simple, but it is often overlooked. I hear it a lot; "I gotta go shopping now.." and I always interject with a "well you don't have to!" If you truly want some new pieces to add to your wardrobe, by all means please do that. But I always encourage you to think about your absolute favorite piece of clothing; perhaps it is a well-worn jean jacket or the orange cotton dress you live in during the summer. All you need to do is start with one piece and you can build a beautifully coordinated set of outfits for both partners that will look amazing for your engagement session. I recommend also bringing layering options and a hat if you are usually a hat person. My final advice on choosing your outfits is to not wear anything you wouldn't normally wear. Step 3: Choose an activity! Picnic in the park, hiking to your favorite waterfall to pop a bottle of champagne, getting lunch and beers at your favorite brewery, roasting marshmallows on the fire you just built on the beach at sunset, the options are endless! And as I said before, there is no such thing as a bad idea. I will take everything you tell me into consideration and come back to you both with a couple outlines of a your day. Most engagement sessions with me are a half day commitment and FUN and JOY are the entirety of our time together. So if you are nervous about taking your engagement portraits, don't fret. If we stick to these three easy steps to planning your Oregon engagement session, I guarantee a great time will be had. Check out what Corrinne and Mike had to say about their experience with White Oak Photography after their Mt. Hood Engagement Session : "Jen is absolutely amazing, and we feel so fortunate to have her as our wedding photographer! Jen took our engagement photos at two stunning locations she recommended, and she made the day truly joyous and magical. Not only is Jen an extremely talented photographer technically and artistically, but she is also a wonderful person. Her fun, laid back personality and guidance put us at ease during the shoot. She made these two nervous, camera-shy people have fun having our photos taken, and it clearly shows in the beautiful gallery of photos she has given us. After looking through the gallery, we realized we had favorited almost every photo! The images are all beautiful, making it impossible to choose a favorite. We couldn't be happier with our whole experience with Jen so far. If you are reading this review in search of a photographer, look no further, because Jen is truly phenomenal all around; you won't find anyone better." - Corrinne + Mike Kendra + Sam also had super kind words for me after their Columbia River Gorge surprise proposal and engagement session at Government Cove Peninsula outside Cascade Locks, Oregon below. "Jen was such a pleasure to work with! She was flexible with planning pre-shoot, provided great input on where to meet for the best views and was prompt with all communication. Jen made us feel so comfortable and at ease during our session, we had so much fun! And in the end, the wait was totally worth it as our photos turned out better than we could have imagined! She provided so much variety and it's impossible to pick a favourite. I would highly recommend Jen if you want to have fun and have wonderful memories to cherish forever!" -Kendra + Sam Flathead River, Montana Engagement Session | Whitefish Montana PhotographerCamping riverside is quite romantic if you ask me. Especially this day along the North Fork Flathead River of Montana on a cool August evening; the mosquitos buzzing, fish jumping to eat them, and the smell of campfire and burgers on the grill.
The drive from Oregon to Whitefish, Montana and it's surrounding areas is one of my favorites. I have my list of usual stops in Spokane and Coeur d'Alene but once I'm there, I have my favorite pub and favorite jewelry shop I swing into before heading into the woods of Glacier National Park through Polebridge, where I will inevitably stop to buy one of their famous huckleberry bearclaws no matter how full I am from roadtrip snacks. If you're considering an adventure session to celebrate your engagement or anniversary, don't sleep on the Whitefish Montana and Glacier National Park. Let's get to planning yours!! Check out this session for all your romantic riverside camping adventure session inspiration. CONTACT ME --> www.whiteoakphotography.com/contact I've always been one of those people who felt adequate at explaining my emotions and thoughts eloquently. But this particular couple had me perplexed in the best way possible. After some purposeful reminiscing, I nailed down how I want to exemplify the friendship I've had with Chandler since we were 15 and the partner she has chosen to do life who I met much more recently when randomly bumping into them at the county fair three years ago.
As a teenager, I'd invite my friends to the property I grew up camping on. It was a safe place for a nearby escape into the woods, along the water and somehow our parents trusted us all to head out there together. The summer of 2013 after one of our best friends, Andrew, passed away was a trip no one wanted to miss. Without having to speak about it, everyone understood this would be a camping trip for healing. Every single person made arrangements to be able to attend. There were probably thirteen of us in total, Chandler included! Laughter was a soothing band aid and Miley Cyrus's "We Can't Stop" was on repeat. We played the music loud, danced on cars, and spoon fed each other jello shots until the fire burned out. The next day everyone loaded up into rafts on the Santiam River; I shared a raft with Chandler, Nicole, and Cody if my memory serves me correctly and Chan was definitely the responsible one in that boat. She has been a constant smile in my life from near and far since that time of life. I'm so grateful to know her. After a period of time without us catching up, I ran into Chandler and Savannah at the Clackamas County Fair outside the rodeo arena. It was a super brief hello, but I was thrilled to see Chandler so happy! Fast forward and they hired me for their engagement and wedding photos!! They communicated how important it was to have their photos taken at the property Savannah's family owns in Fossil, Oregon because of the time they've spent there together. We met up on the morning of knowing full well it would be a fun and long day of adventure. I connected with Savannah immediately. The amount of times we looked at each other with laughter exploding from our faces was countless. And I finally realized why we clicked so well! My crazy matches her crazy in all the best ways. We three spent almost 10 hours together this day and I wouldn't trade it for anything. It consisted of champagne bottle pops, looking for snakes, brewery stops and dancing to NSYNC! I'm so lucky to be a professional third wheel and I cannot wait for their backyard wedding this summer in Aurora, Oregon. Cheers to Chandler and Savannah! BOOK YOUR OWN ENGAGEMENT SESSION HERE There are some days I want to have catalogued into my brain forever and this is one of those days. How lucky am I to document so many special days for wild, in love people? And this Oregon waterfall hiking engagement session is even closer to my heart because Tyler Jean is my soul sister. We came into each other's lives in our single, early twenties and our friendship bloomed so beautifully. We connect effortlessly on music, the outdoors, a love of dissecting movies, and of course being absolutely in love with life and adventure. We usually spend much of our time laughing and I wouldn't want it any other way because for as much time that we spend laughing together, we spend just as much time talking about the nitty gritty, raw, absolute shit parts of life so we can help each other through it. And now she has found her person! Tyler Jean, Christopher, and I hiked this laid back and beautiful trail for their adventurous engagement session along the Columbia River Gorge to one of my favorite waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest. This rocky, winding trail is a canvas of the deepest blues and greens; the kind of blues and greens that make you feel calm and wild all at the same time. Which is exactly what I believe these two have found in each other...that fantastic feeling of peace and adventure all in one. We all had such a great day together! We popped a couple bottles of champagne and ran around the Columbia River Gorge in the rain and wind before finding some lunch and cold beers. These two are getting married October 2022 in a beautiful downtown Salem church ceremony followed by an absolute raging dance party to be sure. I am so stoked! This could be you! Let me guide you and your partner on your own adventurous engagement session or elopement in Oregon or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest! I am currently booking 2023 weddings and elopements. Contact me here! Follow me on Facebook or Instagram for more adventurous engagement session or Oregon elopement inspiration!! |
AuthorJen values connection and believes that true connection is what absolutely leads to emotive, powerful imagery. Archives
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