Moody Winter Portraits at Cathedral Park and St. Johns Bridge in Portland, Oregon

Alina Veksler | September 1, 2026
Moody Winter Portraits at Cathedral Park and St. Johns Bridge in Portland, Oregon — photograph 8 of 10
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Portland is a city of many bridges, yet St. Johns Bridge stands apart from all the others. In photographs and videos it looks graceful, and it is rather hard to show how grand it truly is. Standing beneath it in Cathedral Park, and especially walking across it, is a completely different experience: the scale of it, the height, the sweep of those Gothic arches in their pale green steel. There is something powerful about being that close to it, and something unsettling too. The pedestrian walkway is narrow, so you cross with cars a foot away on one side and open air above the Willamette River a foot away on the other.

I photographed this session in February, in typical Pacific Northwest winter weather: cold, windy, and moody. The evergreen forest in the background called for color and life, so I brought sunflowers. Their cheerful yellow against the cool metallic arches of the bridge was the contrast I was after.

What I remember most, though, is the warming coffee before the shoot with a fellow photographer, and how quickly we landed on the same view of collaboration versus competition. We see each other as creative partners rather than competitors—people to exchange knowledge with, share experiences with, and build shoots with. Growth comes from that exchange, and it was inspiring to meet someone who shares that view. It felt like the beginning of a long creative collaboration.

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Photographer and author: Alina Veksler @veksalinaphotography
In my frame: Yana Golub

Location: Cathedral Park and St. Johns Bridge, Portland, Oregon, USA

Gear used: Sony a7iii | Manual vintage lens Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 | K&F Concept Black Diffusion 1/4

Alina Veksler—a creative portrait photographer based near Portland, Oregon, offering professional photography and creative direction for individuals and businesses seeking unique, tailor-made sessions defined by quality and artistry.

Want your unique story told like this? Let’s make it happen—inquire at veksalinaphotography.com

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