Photographing the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm Festival
Just two-and-a-half-hours from Central Oregon, 40 acres of tulips bloom in the Willamette Valley each spring, creating explosive ribbons of color. April is the perfect time to plan a photography excursion to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm Festival, in Woodburn. It’s so stunning, almost every visitor has a phone or camera in their hands.
While it can be hard to take a bad photo of a field of beautiful colorful flowers, there are some important things to keep in mind to come away with some drop-dead-gorgeous-frame-worthy photographs.
First, to manage the crowds these days, you must buy a timed ticket online before arriving at the fields. After buying the ticket, you can exchange it for a different date or time, but you run the risk of the tickets being sold out on the weekends.
Whenever you go, by all means, bring the family. While you are creating beautiful pics, they can enjoy the rest of the festival that includes: food and craft vendors, a children’s play area, the tulip train tour, a tulip market and gift shop, wooden shoe making demonstrations, steam tractor demonstrations, or the Wooden Shoe Vineyards Wine Tasting Room.
Then, if you become fanatically serious about getting spectacular photos as I am, I would recommend returning multiple times. Or better yet, get a season pass, so you can go anytime the weather and blooms are best.
Best Times to Go
The festival runs March 18th to May 1st. Each week different fields come into full bloom. After April 15th, the fields are typically at 100% bloom, though some tulips have passed their perky prime. Fields to the Northwest typically bloom first (best for sunrise), and those to the left of the parking lot bloom later (best for sunset).
Sunrise is stunning over the tulip fields as the sun rises near distant Mt. Hood. Some days, there’s fog on the fields, other days a red glow in the sky. The fields open for photographers at 5:00 am when it’s still dark, so you can set up your tripod before the sun breaks. You’ll have to leave Central Oregon by 2:30 am to arrive by 5:00, or stay over in nearby Woodburn.
If neither of those options appeals to you, I’d recommend my favorite way to visit the fields, which is to arrive after 3:00 pm and stay for sunset. As the sun sinks lower in the sky in the late afternoon, the tulips become backlit and have a golden glow. And if you’re really gung ho, spend the night, and head out to the fields for sunrise for a different magical look.
From the Sky
Another unique way to take in the color is to get a bird’s-eye view. A few hot air balloon vendors offer rides over the tulips at sunrise. Portland Rose Balloons do an untethered flight that starts as the sun begins to kiss the tulip fields, then continues for an hour-long flight around the Mt. Angel area. Passengers then return to Wooden Shoe for a history of hot air balloons while sipping champagne. Tickets to the tulip festival are $10 off for passengers.
For Covid safety, tickets are sold in pairs as you and your partner will have your own section of the basket.
Book tickets online at www.portlandroseballoons.com.
Tulip Festival Shot List
While there are timed tickets to reduce crowds, you may have to be patient for people to move or remove the people when editing.
Shot List:
Tulip fields—include close-up flowers and the field stretching out into the distance.
Tulip fields- patterns of color.
Sunrise next to Mt Hood
Tractors in the fields
Flowers and puffy clouds
Close-ups of a few flowers — look to focus on one and blur the others in the background.
Macros of flowers
People and dog portraits near tractors, benches, wooden shoes
Keep an eye out for birds and other creatures
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