This past summer, I got the chance to work with Emerald for the second time. She wanted build her modeling portfolio and try out a type of shoot she's never done before. Last time we worked together, we walked around Southwest Portland for the day, so a swimsuit beach endeavor was a big switch.
We decided to carpool down to our destination of Hug Point State Park. Since it was a cloudy summer afternoon at a fairly tucked away spot, parking wasn't too much of a struggle, but on hot, sunny days, prepare to be circling the parking lot for a while if you want to set up here.
Arriving around 6pm in mid June gave us time to comfortably shoot three different looks, before the sky grew too dark to continue. Although I originally wished for a golden-hour portion of our shoot, the overcast skies diffused the sunlight really nicely, which minimized shadows and gave us even lighting. Once sunset rolled around, the sky created an overall moody look, which I was really satisfied with in the end.
One of the nice attributes of Hug Point (aka, why I suggested this location in the first place) is the versatility it holds. Other than your typical ocean view, the park also provides hidden cave areas, rocky backdrops and formations, a small waterfall that cascades from an upper stream, and a surprising amount of greenery if you climb up a few rocks.
Regardless of it being late June, the weather was pretty chilly, and by the end of our shoot, Emerald had already endured a couple hours of the cold. Our last few shots involved her lying down in the wet sand and I'd be lying if I said we weren't running back to my car when we wrapped up. Shoutout to Emerald for really being a trooper during this shoot. If you want to see her current work, you can check her out at @emerald.kan on Instagram.