Peninsula Park Rose Garden is one of my all time favorite Portland locations for any type of portrait session.  I was excited to take these family and sisters photos at Peninsula Park Rose Garden!  I worked with this family for the first time, not long after I first moved to Portland. It’s always great to document families as they grow and as their children get older. We started the session with the entire family and then I photographed the grandparents together, the parents with their daughters, and then everyone individually.

Sisters Photos At Peninsula Park Rose Garden

These sisters are just adorable, and of course are so much taller than last time I photographed them!  They seem to have such a sweet bond, and I think that was definitely captured in the images!  They whispered secrets to each other and couldn’t stop cracking up.  Their floral outfits are a good choice given the backdrop of roses.  They walked around the rows of flowers, played in the grass, spun around, and even waded in the fountain.  The youngest sister could even jump up and click her heels together.  Very impressive!

Why I Love This Location

There are many reasons I love this park and rose garden for photo sessions.  For one, it’s built a bit below street level, so unlike most parks, I don’t have to worry about keeping cars out of the background.  Secondly, the colors are so vibrant, and the green hedges give it a more manicured appearance than other gardens.  The rose garden usually starts to bloom in June, and lasts most of the Summer.  In addition, those funny looking trees make me so happy, and I don’t think I could ever tire of seeing them in the background of my images.

Finally, the light in this park is really amazing.  The International Test Rose Garden is also a beautiful garden, but unfortunately it tends to lose that golden light around sunset because it’s on a hill opposite of the sun.  There’s plenty of open space at Peninsula Park to get that evening light even longer than most any other parks. I know I said finally, but there’s also a fantastic fountain and nice brick walls if you want some variety away from the garden look.