by Wendy Cluse

We love pizza. Lisa especially loves pizza. Luckily in Portland Oregon, pizza comes in all shapes and sizes, with seemingly infinite topping combinations. Wood-fired, deep dish, gluten-free. We have it all and it is impossible to have a favorite. There is a pizza to match your every mood and the moody weather. Not to mention the myriad of beer pairings. It’s good to be alive and hungry in Portland.

Captain Ankeny’s Pizza and Pub, Old Town

Last week was Pizza Week, where a selection of local pizza shops offer special $2 slices. It’s a great way to try out new places, and just may be Lisa’s favorite week of the year. If you missed it, don’t fret. Set a reminder to keep a look out for it next spring. And then get ready to eat all of the pizza.

Pizza can also be deceptively hard to photograph. It’s just a circle, so how do you make it look exciting? How do you get the depth of the crust and the detail of the toppings? How do you not make it look like a shiny orange-red blob? Lisa’s tips: good natural lighting and proper white balancing will help bring out a pizza’s true to life colors. And don’t worry about getting the whole pizza in frame.

Your homework is to try a new pizza place, maybe one down the road you’ve never tried, or one you’ve heard about across town but crossing the river is just. so. hard. (Really??!!!)

Share a pie with your friends (or not), grab a beer, and enjoy the pizza in Portland. The weather is finally turning around and you may just get to eat outside. Bonus.