Madeline and Brian’s Fall Engagement Session in Downtown Portland

Madeline and Brian’s engagement session felt like stepping into two different films—each one telling a part of their story.

We started downtown at the Clyde Hotel, tucked into one of those vintage photo booths that instantly makes everything feel a little more nostalgic. There’s something about the rhythm of those strips—the countdown, the flashes, the way you can’t overthink it—that set the tone for the entire afternoon. Playful, a little imperfect, and completely them.

From there, we wandered through downtown, stopping along the way anywhere the light caught just right or the last of the fall leaves were still holding on. Outside the Multnomah County Central Library, everything shifted into something quieter and more cinematic. Clean lines, soft movement, the kind of moments that feel like they could’ve been pulled from an old film. There was this effortless, almost “walking through a scene” energy—very When Harry Met Sally in the best way.

Throughout it all, we layered in a mix of film scans and Polaroids—little fragments of the day that feel like they could live in a shoebox years from now. The softness of film, the unpredictability of instant photos, the way each frame holds onto a moment just a little differently.

The first half of their session felt light, modern, and full of motion. Like the beginning of a story.

Then we moved into something a little more personal.

For the second half, we retraced their first date—starting at the Laurelhurst Theater and ending at Holman's Bar & Grill. By then, the sun had set and the city felt completely different. Neon signs flickered on, the air cooled, and everything slowed down.

Some of my favorite film scans from their engagement session:

Inside the bar, it was all low light and film flash—the kind of environment where nothing is perfect, but everything feels real. Grain, blur, shadows, flashes cutting through the dark. The film scans lean into that texture in a way digital never quite can, while the Polaroids feel like little time capsules passed back and forth between them.

This part of the night felt less like posing and more like remembering. Sitting in the same place, ordering the same drinks, falling back into something familiar.

Two completely different moods. One story that holds both.