Snow Days! Location, Location, Location!
Are you team “snow” or team “no snow”? I’m so excited team snow won (at my location) in a landslide over the weekend! I have the luxury of being excited about snow for several reasons
- It is obviously the better choice over 42 and rain which is our other option for this time of year
- I have a Jeep which is fun in the snow.
- The snow is pretty
- It’s rare! It’s not like we will be buried for months on end.
Local NW peeps know how unusual it is for us to get a multi day snow even. Most of the time if we wake up to snow we have to hurry up and get outside before it melts. It was amazing to watch it snow all day and then wake up to even more snow!!! Yes, I’m like a 5 year old.
I realize this is my perspective from where I live. We were without power for only 3 hours and had very little damage. I know other parts of our area ended up with ice, lots of damage and long cold days at home. I am not a fan of that! Yesterday I drove through some of the heavily damaged areas. I could not believe all of the broken trees and down power lines I saw! It goes for miles and there are hundreds if not thousands of damaged trees which makes me very sad!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you –
Valentines Day literally got buried in snow this year. We were so excited to wake up to even more snow that we forgot all about it. Which is fine I’m not a big fan of that holiday anyway. So our Valentine’s Day consisted of playing in the snow, measuring the snow, watching the snow fall, going for walks in the snow and eating chocolate. Pretty much the best VD ever if you ask me!
Best Overall Locations (IMO) in Clark County
On this weeks blog I wanted to share some of my favorite locations to shoot at here in our area. Some of my favorites are only minutes from home while other’s take a bit of time to get to.
Let me begin by saying I am ALWAYS open to learning about a new spot! I am continually scouting new locations. As of this moment these are my favorite locations to shoot. To narrow the category down they are all within 30-45 minutes of Battle Ground.
- Sternwheeler Park – La Center WA – I love this sweet park. It has everything needed for a natural backdrops. Fields, groves of trees, beautiful foot bridges, massive trees, a gazebo as well as a river. It is beautiful all year round and offers lots of variety.
2. WSU Campus – Another natural choice for nature lovers. Wide open fields, forests, bridges, tall grasses, seasonal wild flowers, and you can add an urban vibe up on the campus with stairways and brick pillars, as well as beautiful walkways and views.
3. Downtown Vancouver – whether it is the uptown area with the brick walls, older homes and gorgeous trees or downtown along the new waterfront there is so much variety downtown! I love all of the various textures and backdrops there are to work with.
Just Across the River Locations
4. The Pearl District – I know not everyone is a fan of PDX, but I absolutely love shooting down in this area! These shoots are only scheduled on Sunday mornings when the streets are quiet, traffic is easy and parking is free until 1. I know this area very well and the variety is endless. Hidden alleys, courtyards, gorgeous facades, train bridges, blooming gardens are all to be found within blocks of each other. I never get tired of shooting down there!
5. McMenamins Edgefield – Troutdale – I love this location for its variety and accessibility. They don’t charge photographers to work there and the grounds are filled with gorgeous flowers, trees, wood, brick, stone buildings as well as a lovely garden and vineyard. There are even some cactus. Scheduling a photo session here can always turn into an event followed with a great meal in one of their beautiful outdoor eating areas. I highly recommend the tater tots! Here’s a link to their restaurant https://www.mcmenamins.com/edgefield?utm_source=Google%20Maps&utm_medium=Website%20Button&utm_campaign=Edgefield
6. Mt. Tabor – This is just ONE example of parks in PDX that have breathtaking old growth trees, views of the city and in this case an old water reservoir.
While I love scouting new locations and photographing in beautiful locations the main focus of each session are the people. It’s just simply fun and adds some interest to have unique locations in your background. Whether they be, brick walls, sweeping views or powerful waterways. Choosing a location that suits your personality is fun to work with as well. If you enjoy hiking, skiing, gardening, beaches, 4-wheeling, shopping, art, cars, etc. I love having the opportunity to incorporate that into the background.
It’s always fun to extend your portrait session into a fun outing.
Next Weeks Blog –
Next week I will be sharing some of my favorite locations for Spring Sessions.
What I’m Photographing
I’ve booked another wedding and some business shots. I’m looking forward to this year and all it has to offer.
Here’s is a link to a past blog asking what is your style https://shellyfryphotography.com/my-everyday/northwest-photographer-what-is-your-style-shelly-fry-photography
Book Reviews
Do you miss the book reviews? They have moved to my monthly newsletter you can sign up here http://madmimi.com/signups/f92831e48f4c4758a38ad3779e2d9f9b/join
Take care friends!
Shelly
