Two very interesting photo spots within the Washington Park of Portland, OR are
Rose Test Garden & Japanese Garden

Well Portland, OR is famous for many things. Of course for the stunning nature surrounding the city, like Mount Hood for example which is just a one hour drive east of the city. Or the Pacific coast, which is only a one hour drive away to the west.
Nevertheless, there are also some attractive photo spots within the city. I would like to introduce here two of them, located close together in Portland’s Washington Park. 

International Rose Test Garden

Founded in 1917 and meanwhile having more than 10.000 plantings of roses, Portland’s International Rose Test Garden is by far the place to be for rose lovers.
Also photographers shooting close-ups will be able to find their picture here.

But Portland’s International Rose Test Garden is also home of a photo spot, which is not less famous than the roses giving the garden its name:

Which time is best?
The most stunning images from this spot can be taken on a clear winter day and short after sunset.
The peak of Mount Hood will start glowing by the reflections of the very last light. The contribution of the winter to the image is, that sunset will be earlier in the day and the lights within the offices will be on which adds a fascinating twilight atmosphere to the picture. During the summer, you can still get a nice glow of Mount Hood, but the lights in the offices will be mostly off.

What else do I need?
To photograph this scenery in the last light of the day, you should make sure to bring the following things (beside your camera):

• A solid tripod since the exposure time within the last light of the day will be out of the range for a hand held picture.
• A cable release in order to prevent camera shake when pressing the shutter button.
• A moderate(!) gray fading filter can also be useful here. This is because the sky is much brighter than the foreground. Your sensor (or film) will not be able to capture this difference without the aid of such a filter. But be careful not to dampen the glow of Mount Hood by the gray fading filter. Less can be more, I would not use more than a two stop filter here.
   

Portland Japanese Garden

With Portland becoming a sister city of Sapporo, Japan back in 1958 the first talks about building a Japanese Garden started. It took nine years until in 1967 has been opened what is now called the most authentic Japanese Garden outside Japan.

Located also in Portland’s Washington Park and literally spoken just across the road of the International Rose Test Garden, the Portland Japanese Garden spreads into five different garden areas (called “The Five Gardens”). Each of them offers tons of pictures to take and some can spend days in taking pictures in the different garden areas - and this is not an overdo. I have plans for a two week trip to Portland for photographing in the Japanese Garden. :-)

Which time is best?
Beside the fact, that it has to take place within the official opening times, photographing in the Portland Japanese Garden does not require a special time. More important is the type of light you have. On a bright and sunny day you may have to fight with high contrasts in your image. But on an overcast day, you can get much better results and pictures showing the finest details without clipping the lights or loosing details in the shadows.
Take pictures immediately after rain has stopped and you will notice the vibrance of the green within the picture.

What else do I need?
Photographing in the Portland Japanese Garden is from the technically point of view very similar to taking pictures in the wood:

• A solid tripod since the exposure time can get critical for doing hand held shots, especially if you like to blur the motion in the water.
• A cable release in order to prevent camera shake when pressing the shutter button.
• Use a polarizer filter to enhance the intensity of the colors of the leaves and to avoid unwanted reflections in the water ponds.
   

Is there anything else I should know?
Yes, there are two important things:

1. Respect the garden regulations, especially the photography policy.
2. Do not disturb others visiting the park for its tranquility or meditation. You would not run into the image of another photographer, so please respect the scenery others are enjoying even if they do not have a camera in front of them. 

The Spots on a Map

In order to provide you with a better overview, both spots are marked on the map below. Simply drag the mouse over a marker to see its indication.

How to get there?
To get there by car:

• Use Highway 26
• Take Exit 72 (SW Canyon Road)
• Follow the signs to the zoo but bypass the zoo and stay on SW Canyon Road
• Take a right on SW Kingston Drive and follow SW Kingston Drive for about 3,4 miles until you reach the front entrance of the International Rose Test Garden.

To get there by bus, take line 63 which has a stop here too. 

Further Information and What is around?

A popular nearby attraction is the Oregon Zoo.

More information about the International Rose Test Garden and the Portland Japanese Garden can be found on the web sites of both gardens (follow the links above).

I hope this location description is helpful to you. I wish you the best possible light when you are going to take pictures there and simply let me know, if you miss some information.

Michael