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Photograph Downtown Portland From Pittock Mansion

Portland, Oregon

4.7/5
based on 12 reviews

Description

Added by Jameson Jones

180 Degree City Views and great for a Sunrise/Sunset. Easy Access & Free Parking. Short walk to the viewpoint.

Pittock Mansion offers a one of kind view of downtown Portland. This is a historic site that allows public access throughout the day and night. Parking is available at Pittock until 9pm but if you wish to visit the grounds after hours you can park at the bottom of the driveway, walk around the gate, and walk for about 1000ft to the top. If you do go at night make sure to bring a flashlight, as the walk up is dark.

Photo Settings:

Sunset:
F13, 5 sec shutter, White Balance - Cloudy

Nighttime Cityscape:
F13, 25 sec shutter, White Balance - Tungsten

Both shots were taken in full manual and on a tripod. Choosing an f stop of 13 will allow a large depth of field to keep all of the objects in the image in focus. From there, choose the appropriate shutter speed that allows for the shot to have the best exposure. Lastly, the choice of the White Balance is up to the shooter. For the sunset photo, the cloudy WB was chosen to bring out the colors. For the night shot the Tungsten WB was used to give the building lights a bluish look.

Tip: If you plan on using editing software make sure to use a RAW image format to allow for the most flexibility when editing.

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Features

Chillin
Photography
Bathrooms
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Romantic
Scenic

Photograph Downtown Portland From Pittock Mansion Reviews

I made my way up to Pittock Mansion after wandering along many of the connecting trails below. I was caught off guard by all the people, but it didn't feel too crowded. There were picnic tables and plenty of green space to spread out a blanket. It was a sunny day and I got some great pictures of downtown Portland and Mt. Hood!

It's a great place to visit especially during sunrise, sunsets or at night time if you want to photograph a different perspective of Portland. I enjoyed going their at night. However, you can't park there past 9 pm I believe, but you can park at the trailhead which is farther away or park on streets at the gate and walk up.

This is a great suggestion for photography! Be sure to bring your tripod to get crisp shots at sunset.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Portland Japanese Garden

Hoyt Arboretum

International Rose Test Garden

Lower Macleay Park to Pittock Mansion

Wildwood Trail in Washington Park

Leif Erikson Drive to Saltzman Road