Digital Camera Fiend - A Camera Review

Some friends of mine just got back from Portland, Oregon and had this to report: the Pacific Northwest is a trove of photograph opportunities. There’s nature, and urban life. Mountains, and an ocean. Green forests, and brick buildings.

I have never been north of San Francisco, personally, but Seattle and Portland are on my short list of American cities to visit. Everyone knows it rains a lot, and although the rain can be a challenge for a photographer, it also creates some unique shots.

Think rose buds with pregnant droplets of rain, under soft sunlight peeking through gray clouds.

Portland is the sister city to Suzhou, China and as a result it has a phenomenal Chinese Garden built by master craftsmen from China. No camera tripods are allowed in the garden, and professional photographers must get permission before shooting, but for the amateur, it’s ripe for natural flower photos.

My friends spent the better part of a day there and came back with some lovely shots.

They said that Portland is a small big city, where the people are friendly, it’s easy to get around, and your stay is relatively inexpensive (compared to cities like San Francisco, or LA).

If anyone is thinking of going, I would suggest looking for Portland Hotels on Sidestep.com, a travel search engine which searches more than 150 travel websites for the best deals. You can read reviews and view pictures before booking your hotel. Sidestep also has city overviews, giving helpful suggestions for restaurants, nightlife, shopping, day trips and more.