Designer Clothing at the Historic Columbia Gorge Hotel

I had the opportunity to work with Couture Prototype Madriaga this past week. They are a fairly new company out of San Diego, CA, that re-sells and rents high end fashion pieces. They sent me five different pieces of clothing to photograph, which included some Valentino, Christian Dior, Betsy Johnson, Gucci, and other fun articles amongst bags, jewelry and clothing.

One of my jobs, after receiving these amazing pieces of clothing, was to find an equally amazing location to photograph these pieces. After scouting out several locations, I arrived at the magnificent Columbia Gorge Hotel. Built in 1904 by Bobby Rand, and originally named the Wah Gwin Gwin Hotel (a Native American name meaning "rushing water" for the 208' waterfall on the grounds), and later fully restored to it's current luxurious state, the Columbia Gorge Hotel was truly a sight to behold. Located in Hood River, Oregon, it sits nestled atop the Columbia River. It's beautifully landscaped grounds include manicured gardens, native flowers, wooden and stone walkways, bridges and terraces, as well as the stream leading to the 208' waterfall and stunning view of the river. Once I walked the grounds and interior of this historic property, I knew this was the place I had to shoot!

With the help of Kailin C. on lighting, and the fabulous modeling talent of Morgan L., we were able to capture some great images.