The date you’ve been waiting for is here – Mini Sessions are open for booking! Here are all the details, and some helpful tips for making it a successful, fun adventure.
WHAT ARE MINI SESSIONS?
Mini Sessions are quick, playful 15 minute family photo sessions held at gorgeous locations near Portland, Oregon and are only available in the Fall of each year.
They are 15 minutes long, cost $275, and include 15 image downloads of your choice. This year, there will be a Columbia River Gorge Fall location and a Portland Christmas Tree Farm location with several dates to choose from.
LOCATION & DATE DETAILS
Christmas Tree Farm Mini Sessions are held at Pollard Ranch, which is up on Skyline Blvd. in NW Portland (about 20 minutes from downtown, and also only 20 minutes from Hillsboro). Pollard Ranch is a working tree farm, open for U-Cut starting in late November. It’s situated up in the hills with gorgeous views in every direction, and lots of fall color in early November! The ground is uneven and often muddy, so wearing solid shoes is a good idea. Dogs are welcome (just please make sure to clean up after them).The entrance is a little hidden – it just kind of looks like an opening in the hedges – but I’ll have a sign and some balloons out to help you spot it. There’s plenty of parking right at the entrance, and we’ll never be more than 2 minutes away from your car.
2026 DATES:
- Saturday October 17th
- Saturday November 7th
- Sunday November 22nd
Book Your Portland Christmas Tree Farm Mini Session
WHAT DOES THE FARM LOOK LIKE IN OCTOBER VS NOVEMBER? MORNING VS AFTERNOON?
Late October is more yellow, early November is vibrant orange, and by mid November the deciduous trees are starting to turn pretty brown and bare – but the evergreens are still doing their thing!Early mornings are often foggy, with it burning off by around 9:30 on sunny days. Afternoons tend to be a little more muted.Obviously we can’t control for sunny vs overcast days, but you can see some examples of each below:
Columbia River Gorge Fall Mini Sessions are held at a State Recreation Area right off I-84, just before Multnomah Falls. It has a disc golf course and two cute little lakes framed by Gorge cliffs. The mini sessions will be focused at one of the lakes. It is a fee area, which requires a State Parks pass; there is a payment kiosk at the park.
2026 DATE:
- Sunday, November 1st
Book Your Columbia River Gorge Fall Mini Session
CHOOSING OUTFITS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
There aren’t too many rules about clothing in my book – I want everyone to feel comfortable and like themselves. For your family that might mean dressing up to the nines, or it might mean letting all the kids pick their own outfits or keeping things super casual. Want to just wear your puffy jackets and beanies and winter boots, or your matching Christmas jammies? Fine by me.
I’m here to capture your family, not some Pinterest-approved version of your family. Here is my full session prep guide, which I usually only send after booking. Feel free to check it out now and let me know if you have any other questions!
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR MINI SESSION
These sessions are short, and I try to keep them light-hearted and fun for little ones. This means I’m not into forcing kiddos to stand still and smile at the camera; those rigid fake smiles just don’t do it for me. Instead, we play! Come prepared to be silly, spin your child around, toss them up in the air, and have tickle fights.
KIND WORDS FROM PAST CLIENTS
“The best of the best! I’ve been admiring Laurel’s work for quite some time now, and I’m so glad we finally had the chance to work together. Laurel is a kind and responsive person — truly some of the best customer service we’ve had from a photographer and artist. To boot, she is amazing at her craft! Our photos turned out beautifully and arrived in a timely manner. She is easy-going and made us all feel at ease, which is key for any family photography session. If you’re looking for someone to capture the essence of your family, to snap the MOMENT and love, look no further.” – N.B.
“In a quick 15 minute session, Laurel was able to get full family photos and individual pics of each of my kids. She was calm and a true professional. So good with active kids and a stressed out mom 🙂 She does beautiful work and I’d definitely recommend her to anyone who has 15 minutes to spare and wants a beautiful family keepsake. Thank you Laurel!” – L.B.
“Such an easy and fun experience! The photos turned out beautiful. Would highly recommend!!” – S.W.
“Laurel was absolutely fantastic to work with. She was very professional, and had helpful instructions for what to expect, what to wear, etc. She was wonderful with our crazy kids, and captured our family so perfectly. Her turnaround was very quick, and every picture is a treasure that we will enjoy for years to come. Thank you Laurel!” – J.P.
“The photos you sent are STUNNING. I’m speechless and I cried looking at them. Thank you so much.” – J.G.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO WHILE YOU’RE OUT AT THE TREE FARM?
Make an adventure out of your photo day! If you book a session on November 22nd or December 12th, the Pollard Ranch tree farm will be open for business – so you can go straight from family photos to cutting your own tree!
Afterwards, head to Rock Creek Tavern for some lunch at this beautiful McMenamins that feels like a hobbit tavern, with outdoor firepits (5 minutes away). Or go grab burgers at Skyline Restaurant, one of Portland’s oldest family-friendly diners, known for its burgers (20 minutes away).
Then head to one of the many parks and playgrounds in all directions – here are a few to choose from:
Somerset West Playground – nature-themed climing structures, 10-15 minutes away
Bethany Creek Park – a new-ish playground with modern structures – 10-15 minutes away
Hidden Creek Park West – aka the monkey park – 20 minutes away
Pirate Park – as the name suggests, it’s a pirate themed playground – 15 minutes away
Forest Park – tons of trails, with plenty of short, easy hikes for little ones – 10 minutes away
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO WHILE YOU’RE OUT IN THE GORGE?
Hang out at the park after your session! Play some disc golf, or just wander around and let the little ones stretch their legs and explore. There are a couple bridges over a creek, and at the other lake there’s a small dock to check out.
Stop by Multnomah Falls on your way home; a permit is not required in the fall.
If you book an earlier session, stop for a treat or snack at Sugarpine Drive-In at exit 18; they do close at 5pm though. Another option is to take exit 18 and then keep going up the Historic Columbia River Highway into downtown Troutdale and get ice cream, hot cocoa, or house-made popcorn at the new Troutdale iCandy!
Book Your Portland Christmas Tree Farm Mini Session
Book Your Columbia River Gorge Fall Mini Session
Have any other questions? Just shoot me an email at laurel@mountainlaurelphoto.com and I’ll get back to you right away. Can’t wait to see you out there!
