Bend, Oregon · Est. 2016
Aperture & Oak Photography crafts unscripted wedding, elopement, and family sessions among the pines, buttes, and river light around Bend. Every gallery favors real laughter over posed smiles, and honest terrain over studio backdrops.
The Studio
Aperture & Oak Photography was built for couples and families who would rather hike to a viewpoint than stand in front of a painted backdrop. Founder Mara Whitfield spent six seasons shooting trail races and backcountry weddings before opening a full-time studio in downtown Bend, and that same movement-first instinct still shapes every session.
We work almost entirely outdoors — Smith Rock at first light, the Deschutes River Trail at golden hour, a stand of ponderosa pine an hour past Sisters — chasing weather and season instead of forcing a location to cooperate. The result is a gallery that feels like your actual life in the high desert, not a rented version of it.
— Mara Whitfield, Lead Photographer & Founder
Session Types
Four core session types, each timed to the light and terrain that suit it best. Every package includes a planning call and a private online gallery delivered within three weeks.
For couples exchanging vows on a rim-rock overlook or a friend’s ranch outside Tumalo, we build the timeline around light, not tradition. Coverage includes a locations consult, a printed vow book, and a same-week sneak-peek gallery.
Starting at $2,400Two hours on a trail you actually love — Pilot Butte at sunrise, a canoe on the Deschutes, first tracks near Mt. Bachelor. Built for couples who feel more like themselves moving than posing, with a wardrobe consult included.
Starting at $650Relaxed, story-driven sessions for growing families, multi-generational reunions, and new-baby introductions to the high desert. We shoot candidly for sixty to ninety minutes, no forced smiles required.
Starting at $475A focused thirty- to forty-five-minute session for seniors, solo portraits, or a couple who wants a handful of honest, well-lit frames without a full-day commitment.
Starting at $325Why Couples Book Us
Mara had us laughing within five minutes and somehow made a windy overlook at Smith Rock feel effortless. Our gallery arrived twelve days later and we cried looking through it twice.
We hired Aperture & Oak for our daughter’s senior portraits and ended up booking a family session the same year. Every image looks like us on our best, most unposed day.
Our elopement came together in six weeks and Mara never made us feel rushed. She scouted the Tumalo location herself and handed us a full gallery before our flight home.
Peak elopement and wedding season around Bend books out four to six months ahead, and portrait weekends fill even faster around fall color and first snow. Reach out and we’ll hold your date while we build a timeline around the light.
Start Your InquiryGet In Touch
Tell us your date, your dream location, and how many people are involved, and we’ll reply within one business day with availability and next steps.
Studio hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 9am–5pm. Evening and weekend consults are available for elopement clients.