Documentary Portland
Wedding Photographer
Follow the feeling

portland wedding photographer
evidence of the
that you actually
felt


What it felt like matters more.
I’m a Portland wedding photographer using a hybrid of film and digital to document your day with intention. My approach is rooted in real connection — no stiff poses, no awkward staging. Just honest, emotion-driven storytelling that reflects the energy and emotion you actually felt. Every single photo should feel like you. Whether you’re eloping in the woods or celebrating with your favorite people in a candlelit room, I’ll be there, following the feeling.
When you picture your wedding Day,


Not the Pinterest version. Not the “shoulds.” Not the curated highlight reel.
That’s not it.
You deserve a day that feels like you—unfiltered, unrushed, and rooted in what matters. The kind of day where you can take a deep breath and know you didn’t perform a thing. Maybe it’s slow coffee with your people. A wild hike. A loud, messy dinner. Or a quiet exchange of vows where no one’s watching but the trees.
Whatever it looks like,
it should fit.
Not because it trends well, but because it reflects something real. And your photos? They should hold every bit of that feeling.
what do you feel?

I ADORE film and analogue cameras. I have a collection. An obsession. A problem maybe. I still have my old 80s Konika film camera I used for my high school photography classes. I pack it with me on every trip I take and every wedding I document.
Your wedding photos should feel like a memory—not a performance.

I shoot both film and digital – I believe your memories deserve both honesty and artistry. Here’s why I do both →
Hi there, I’m Elissa.
I’m a Portland-based documentary wedding photographer who’s here to preserve the way it all actually felt. The way your hands shook. The breath you took before walking into the room. The way your person looked at you that way.
Those moments don’t need staging. They need space.
One of my favorite late poets, David Berman, penned, “Souvenirs only reminded you of buying them.” This must have so many meanings, but the one I take from it is that the photographic evidence of an organic experience is vastly more important than the posed photo that took you out of the moment.
I feel that any photo spotlighting human interaction, emotion, a truly lived experience is much more interesting than a stiff, posed one. Posed photos have a place, they are important and purposeful, however I’m much more drawn to the moments that occur, for instance, when a family is interacting while they get arranged before and after the few seconds they look at the camera and say ‘cheese’ rather than the ‘cheese’ moment itself. The in between moments are where the real stuff lives, those are the smiles that will offer a glimmer into a personality, that will show you who they are. This is why candid photos will always have my heart. I do love a photo that has been purposefully set up as well, so when the time calls for it, I guide and direct to create something beautiful and artistic with you. Though one key will always be the leading force and inspiration: it should look and feel like you. You should see yourself and feel what you felt.
I photograph your day the way it actually happened—messy, magical, tender, unscripted. So when you look back, you don’t just see what it looked like. You remember how it felt.
Words from the people who trusted me to tell it true

“So many endless wonderful things to say about Elle.
Not only is she so easy to work with, she’s also so much fun!! She took our engagement and wedding photos and both have turned out absolutely amazing. She is great at taking candids without you even realizing she’s there- even when she’s right in front of you!”
Bri + Chris
“I lover her aesthetic and ability to capture candids so perfectly!”
She was so fun to get to know and so reassuring on our wedding day that we didn’t have to be overly posed or know how to act in front of a camera. We love our pictures so much! They are exactly how I remember everything.”
Lizzy + Trey

Frequently Asked

