Spring Wildflowers in the Columbia River Gorge | Landscape Photography Guide

Photographing balsamroot and lupine wildflowers in the Columbia River Gorge can be a challenge. These wildflower hikes near Portland, Oregon are subject to high winds, and unpredictable weather. The previous year’s spring flower photography didn’t go well for me, so I was determined to get better shots for my portfolio this year. Thankfully, this year exceeded my expectations.

As the cold, rainy winter ends, something magical happens in the Columbia River Gorge during spring. East of Portland and Mt. Hood, the hills of the gorge become warmer and are bathed in sunlight. It’s the perfect climate for wildflowers to flourish. The hills are covered in a sea of balsamroot and lupine wildflowers between late April and early May. It’s a paradise for hikers, photographers, and nature lovers. In 2024 I set off to photograph some amazing landscape photographs of these wildflowers in the Columbia River Gorge.

This year, the spring flowers arrived earlier than usual. The climate had been warm and sunny, which triggered the blooms to take off. I first headed out to the Columbia Hills in Washington to photograph Mt. Hood with the flower-filled hills in the foreground. 3 am was the wake-up call and I hit the road from Portland. The trip turned out to be worth the early morning drive. The sun broke the horizon and kissed the peak of Mt. Hood with golden light. The sky was colorful and peaceful. Usually, these areas are notoriously windy. However, with proper planning, and some luck, it was completely calm. I had my first shot in the bag.

The next day started much the same. I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the conditions of the sky from the day before. While I’m happy with the image I got, I had envisioned more drama in the sky with clouds. After seeing more conducive conditions in the forecast, I was back out there the next morning. This time, lower clouds hid the mountain from view, so I went with plan B to capture an image of a beautiful oak tree surrounded by flowers. There wasn’t much color in the sky before the sunrise, unfortunately. But as the sun broke over the horizon, the scene came to life. Vibrant light spilled through the tree and over the flowers. The clouds gained the right amount of contrast in the sky, and it was time to click the shutter. The second shot that I had envisioned was captured.

On the final day of my wildflower excursions, I decided to head over to Mosier, Oregon. This area is known for its amazing fields of flowers. However, I heard from some photographer friends that it wasn’t looking too good. It had been too hot and dry and the flowers were fading fast. After checking the weather, I decided to take a chance and headed to Rowena Crest. As I drove through the gorge, I could start to see the slightest bit of pink color illuminating the clouds on the horizon. My foot got a little heavier on the pedal as I neared the parking lot. In the dark, I hiked as fast as I could to the viewpoint on the plateau. The sky was better than I could have hoped for. However, it was a challenge to find the right cluster of flowers that wasn’t wilting yet. I finally got into place and rallied off my shots just as the color in the sky erupted. My heart was racing, as I knew I got a stunning photograph.

Before the sun broke over the horizon, I quickly changed my composition to include more lupine and a nice leading line with the flowers. The sky was burning with yellow and orange colors but I was worried it was too cloudy for a sun star. But a minute later the scene opened up and the sunburst radiated into the gorge. I fired off my next set of images. Exposure bracketing and focus blending were necessary since I was inches away from these small flowers. I nailed the shot!

I’m so thankful for the conditions on this last morning. This last image exceeded the vision I had for the wildflower photographs I wanted. The perfect sunrise, vibrant flowers, dynamic lighting, zero wind, and complete silence. I just sat there for a while, in awe, watching the scene and admiring the beauty of the Columbia River Gorge.