Photograph Downtown Portland From Pittock Mansion
Portland, Oregon
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.
Download the Outbound mobile app
Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.
Get the appFeatures
Photograph Downtown Portland From Pittock Mansion Reviews
Great place to photograph Portland. Some of my best photos here are at sunset.
5.0
This is a great place to watch the sunset. You get great views of the Portland skyline. Would definitely want to picnic hear next time!
5.0
Bring a picnic blanket! I’ve come here multiple times with my girlfriend at sunset and we love it. If you’re good at photographing the stars this is a great place to do it alongside the city landscape.
3.0
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!
4.0
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.
5.0
This is a great suggestion for photography! Be sure to bring your tripod to get crisp shots at sunset.
5.0
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Nearby
The Witch's Castle
Portland Japanese Garden
Hoyt Arboretum
International Rose Test Garden
Pittock Mansion via Wildwood Trail
Lower Macleay Park to Pittock Mansion
Community
© 2025 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy