GA SMA ON PHOTO FLT IN MARGINAL WX UNAUTH PENETRATION OF ARSA.

Narrative

WHILE OPERATING ON A PART 91 REVENUE PHOTOGRAPHY MISSION IN A REGION I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH; I CONTACTED TROUTDALE; OREGON; TWR WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5 MI S. I TOLD THEM I NEEDED TO OPERATE ABOUT 3 MI N OF THE ARPT AT 1000' AGL FOR A PHOTOGRAPHY MISSION. THEY TOLD ME TO REMAIN E OF THE 'THE WATER TOWER ON PRUNE HILL TO AVOID PORTLAND'S AIRSPACE.' I THOUGHT THEY MEANT ONE OF THE SEVERAL HILLS S OF THE ARPT; BUT LATER FOUND OUT THAT PRUNE HILL IS NW OF THE FIELD. ( I SHOULD HAVE TOLD THEM I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND ASKED FOR DETAILS; BUT I DIDN'T.) WHEN I WAS 1 MI N OF THE ARPT; THERE WAS A LARGE HILL AHEAD THAT WAS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. MY PHOTOGRAPHER/PAX TOLD ME TO GO AROUND THE HILL BECAUSE THE OBJECT OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHY WAS ABOUT ANOTHER 2 MI PAST IT. HE WASN'T SURE BECAUSE HE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME ORIENTING HIMSELF FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE TERRAIN TO THE E WAS HIGHER; SO I WENT AROUND THE HILL TO THE W. WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS CLR OF THE TROUTDALE ATA; I RPTED SO TO THE TWR. AT THAT TIME THEY TOLD ME I HAD DISOBEYED INSTRUCTIONS TO REMAIN E OF PRUNE HILL AND THAT BY NOT DOING SO; I HAD VIOLATED THE PDX ARSA. I THEN TOLD THEM I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND SIGNED OFF. I SHOULD HAVE CANCELLED THE FLT WHEN I SAW HOW POOR THE WX WAS. I FLEW INTO SCATTERED CLOUDS ENRTE FROM HIO TO TTD WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN TERRAIN CLRNC OVER A LARGE HILL E OF HIO AND OVER THE CITY OF PORTLAND. HOWEVER; I WAS NOT CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY BECAUSE VIS WAS REASONABLE AND ACTUAL CEILING WASN'T TOO BAD--PERHAPS 2000' OR SO. I WAS ONLY WORRIED ABOUT VIOLATING REGS REGARDING VFR OPS; MINIMUM SAFE ALTS AND AIRSPACE. I HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCONTINUE THE FLT; BUT DID NOT. I SHOULD HAVE CONFESSED MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA TO ATC. IT IS VERY HARD TO SEE WHEN THE ARSA BEGINS--ESPECIALLY SINCE I COULDN'T SEE PDX. THERE IS A SMALL NOTCH IN THE AIRSPACE AROUND AN ARPT CALLED EVERGREEN; AND I THOUGHT I WAS OPERATING IN THAT NOTCH.