When it comes to nature, Washington State has a lot to offer. Especially with regard to mountain scenes, couples have easy access to Mount Rainier or Olympic National Park, including Hurricane Ridge. However, beaches are not as much of a strong suit for the Evergreen State. While we do have West Seattle Beach and Golden Gardens that offer eye-catching views, they are often packed with visitors on any given sunny day. Nonetheless, the Pacific Northwest is not limited to only Washington. Cannon Beach in Oregon is best known for the tranquility of its breathtaking view. Its soft sand that you can walk barefoot on is not something we have much access to in the greater Seattle area.
Hannah and Emerson are routine visitors of Portland. It will always hold a special place in their life, so for them it was a no-brainer to go down to Oregon to document their relationship. Although Cannon Beach was somewhere they had never been, going there was on their to-do list. In the days leading up to that weekend, we talked about how excited we were for the shoot and shared with each other some of the photo inspirations we saw online.
Ironically, as soon as we stepped onto the sand and began taking the first couple shots, the sky started pouring. Having been a photographer for many years, I knew to always expect the unexpected. Especially in Seattle, every human being is well aware that one should never trust the weather report. Yet, on that day at the beach, such extreme weather was something I had never seen before. Emerson's life motto is, "You gotta live your life with the best bang for your buck," so with that in mind, I witnessed the most courageous couple that has ever lived. Despite the rain, they insisted on getting as many shots as possible.
Eventually we did have to stop as their clothes were so weighed down with rain water that they could barely move any further. Not to mention, my "weather-sealed" camera also stopped functioning with all the heavy rain hitting it. Still, I had no regrets taking this trip. Looking through the images in the back of the camera once it started working again, I saw so many precious photos that truly capture Hannah and Emerson's relationship and their authentic emotions. That's something I'm certainly willing to sacrifice my equipment for over and over again.
Location: US-101, Cannon Beach, OR 97110.
Keywords: destination photography (4), Engagement (6), Oregon.