Central Oregon Adventure Session in Bend

couple hugging and swinging in smith rock state park oregon

A LITTLE ABOUT BEND, OREGON

While it is a relatively small town located on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon, Bend is still packed full with activities, beauty, and site seeing throughout its stunning desert and mountain terrain. On the west side of Bend, numerous beautiful lakes and peaks of the Cascade Mountains while further south are lava rocks and the high desert region available to explore. Not only does Bend hold many breathtaking views and gorgeous spots to visit, it also offers a wide range of attractions and activities such as…

Skiing or snowboarding on Mt.Bachelor (just a 20 min drive from downtown)
Floating the Deschutes River on tubes, kayaks, or paddle boards
Rock climbing and hiking in Smith Rock State Park (just a 30 min drive from downtown)
Dining at one of the many local restaurants (there are so many incredible options to choose from)
Visiting a local coffee shop, food cart, or shopping around town

As you can tell, the city of Bend focuses on creating an adventurous lifestyle for people through their endless amount of mainstream and outdoor activity options while also desiring to maintain a sustainable and small town feel.

couple wrapping arms around each other at smith rock state park bend oregon

SMITH ROCK STATE PARK, TERREBONNE, OREGON

Smith Rock is a State Park located in Central Oregon’s High Desert just 30 minutes outside of Bend in a city called Terrebonne. The second you enter the park and look over the trailhead, the stunning view of a deep cut and winding river flowing through the walls of the grand rock features takes your breath away. The river is a calming glassy reflection of the beautiful red rock and typically bright blue skies. As you walk down the path toward the river, the smell of warm sagebrush fills the air, creating a peaceful desert aroma in the area. Often, you can even get a view of ravens circling overhead while only a few steps further and tiny climbers come into view as they scale the towering rock walls with over 1000 different routes options for them to choose from. Along the bottom of the deep canyon lush greenery and desert shrubs stand in beautiful contrast to the unique and rugged warm colored rocks. Exploring Smith Rock State Park is definitely a unique and unforgettable experience as you take in the scenic canyon views that only a winding river through desert peaks of rock can offer.

couple cuddling in front of smith rock state park in bend oregon with pine trees

COUPLES ADVENTURE SESSION

Riley and Jacob moved to Bend just a couple years ago. They quickly fell in love with the town and ability to live and do life so close to accessible activities like skiing, hiking, and a ton of good breweries and food. Since Central Oregon has so many beautiful places to explore, my husband and I decided to make a trip out of it and took our camper van to Smith Rock for the weekend to climb since it is renowned for its sport climbing. The two days before this shoot, Nathan and I scampered and climbed all up and down the walls of the canyon of Smith Rock State Park, and went on a scenic hike that circumnavigated the rock formations you see in these pictures.

Finding and scouting great locations for a photoshoot is important to me. I love having the time to scope out all the different angles i could get, the different compositions i can make in each grand landscape, and be knowledgable enough about the area to guide my clients through the shoot with ease. Spending two days climbing and hiking in Smith Rock allowed me to do just that. By the time I met Riley and Jacob for their adventure photo session in Smith Rock, I knew exactly where I wanted to take them.

I can't say enough about how friendly and fun these two were. For having just met them in the parking lot, I felt like a friend by the end of this shoot. It was a beautiful evening laughing together, gazing in awe at the canyon walls that can't help but make you feel satisfyingly small, and capture moments that will last forever.

artistic photo of couple twirling in smith rock state park oregon

oregon map background with couple hugging by river in smith rock state park

couple walking up wood stairs holding hands in smith rock state park oregon

couple embracing in front of green desert grass in smith rock state park

couple standing on path in front of smith rock and the river in bend oregon

couple holding hands dancing in smith rock state park

your central bend oregon/ bend photographer in oregon — Your Central Oregon / Bend Photographer

I have always had an adventurous spirit- one that wants to wake up at the crack of dawn to catch the sunrise with a cup of coffee or embark on a spontaneous roadtrip to find some scenic views along the way. There’s something about nature and the call to adventure that go hand in hand to create moments that are sealed in time and space forever. Central Oregon is a place with endless opportunities to find the perfect spot for adventurous shoots whether that means in the high desert, by the lush river in a canyon, or on top of a mountain peak with a scenic view. One of the things I love most about adventure sessions is that I get to combine my passion for exploring the great outdoors with my skills in photography to capture couples adventurous stories that are as wild as their love for each other. Central Oregon is a stunning place for photo sessions that offers a wide variety of adventures for you and your loved one to cherish.
Your Central Oregon Adventure Photographer,

Meet Kass

Contact Me to get your next couples adventure session booked!

couple walking through trails at smith rock state park

couple embracing in the sunshine at smith rock state park

couple climbing over rocks holding hands at smith rock state park oregon

CENTRAL OREGON PHOTOSHOOT LOCATIONS

Here are a few other amazing locations to explore for your Central Oregon adventure session.

Sparks Lake is a large, shallow, spectacular lake with stunning views of Mount Bachelor, South Sister, and Broken Top. There are easily accessible access points with incredible scenery as well as docks and hikes to explore around the lake as well.
Broken Top Mountain is a breathtaking rugged peak among the many snow capped mountains in Central Oregon. There are hikes that lead to lakes nestled around the beautiful peaks with unbelievable views of both the mountain and its’ reflection in the water, creating a peaceful and romantic spot for an adventurous couples shoot.
Sahalie Falls is a large mossy and misty wonderland located in the Willamette National Forest. This spot offers both a waterfall loop trail to hike around with different views of the falls or a chance to find your own viewpoint via hiking trails making it a more remote and special place for your next session.