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For the waterfall photography enthusiast, few places in the Pacific Northwest compare with the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge. In a relatively-short stretch of road just east of Portland, you will find dozens of the most photogenic waterfalls in the U.S. Especially in spring, when new growth is budding and overcast skies allow water-blurring long exposure times, it really is a "must-see" for nature photographers who get a chance to venture to the Northwest.
The problem is that most of these waterfalls require at least some degree of hiking. Eagle Creek Trail is possibly the gem of the area, with Metlako and Punch Bowl Falls (the latter, a true photography icon, is probably less-desirable now that a large tree has fallen in a position to obscure much of the falls*), but it requires a multi-mile hike that includes several portions along the edges of cliffs. Similarly, Tanner Creek Trail is a delight for nature photographers, leading past the close-enough-to-touch Munra Falls to Wahclella Falls (one of the most photogenic in the Northwest), but it still involves a one-mile, mostly (if slightly) uphill trek. What about for those true "couch potatoes" among us? More to the point, what about those who are paying only a brief visit to the area, and want the most bang-for-their-buck in a short period of time?
Well, you're in luck. Because it's quite possible to follow the itinerary below, and get photo opportunities at four of the nicest waterfalls in the gorge in a couple of hours or so. In each case, gettting to the falls involves walking rather than hiking, travelling short distances over (with one slight exception) level, paved pathways.
Head east out of Portand on I-84, and look for the first exit for the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway (if I seem a little vague on this, it's because roadwork had closed one of the exits the last time I visited, so I can't give detailed directions except to assure you there will be signs directing you there). Follow the Highway up and over Crown Point, giving you a spectacular vista of the entire gorge. Shortly after Crown Point, the Highway descends back to river-level, bringing you to your first stop, Latourell Falls.
From the parking lot itself, you can get a nice view of the top of the falls peeking through the trees. You will also undoubtedly find a horde of other photographers, using everything from Nikon D3s to camera-phones, all taking pictures of the exact same image. (Trust me, its among the most familiar of all waterfall photographs.) For a better view, I recommend that you take the short, paved trail to the base of the falls. There, you will be able to get much more distinctive compositions, plus 
a clear view of Latourell's most notable feature -- the large patch of yellow lichen on the rock to the upper right of the falls themselves. One thing you'll need to be careful about, especially during the prime shooting season of early spring, is spray -- you'll get a lot of it, and need to back up far enough to not wind up with water droplets covering your lens and ruining your image. Also, when you're this close, you may be well advised to choose compositions that cut off the top of the falls as (unless you're extremely lucky with the weather and the time of day you visit) there's little or no way to avoid getting a patch of bright and very distracting sky at the top of your frame.
Moving on from Latourell, continue east on the Scenic Highway for about three or four miles, and you come to Wahkeena Falls.
Once again, right from the parking lot, you can get very nice views of the falls, high up on the hillside, with Wahkeena Creek tumbling attractively down under a roadway bridge. (You can get some very nice closeups of the creek from the bridge itself.) You can also strap on a telephoto, and get a head-on view of the falls themselves, although there won't be much of an opportunity for anything other than a straightforward "snapshot" composition from that vantage point. Beyond that, you need to indulge in the one optional amount of physical exertion on this itinerary, and climb the switchback trail at the right of the bridge to take you up to the falls 
themselves. I won't kid you -- this is a strenuous climb for most non-hikers, but it's over quickly, and leads you close enough to Wahkeena Falls to feel the spray on your face. Because of this spray, and the bridge curving very closely past the falls, you aren't going to be able to take head-on photos of the falls from the bridge itself (plus, you'd need about a 5mm lens to get it all in). Instead, better views are available on either side of the falls just outside the spray zone. You'll be able to find moss-covered rocks or flowering bushes as foreground to frame your side-view of the falls.
Driving east from Wahkeena, you only have to go a half-mile before you come to the most famous attraction in the gorge, Multnomah Falls.
Multnomah Falls is often listed as the fourth-tallest waterfall in the United States. While that is incorrect (it isn't even the fourth-tallest in the Northwest), it is the tallest waterfall directly on the side of the road within easy driving distance of a major metropolitan area and is, hence, a very popular tourist attraction. With Multnomah Falls, you don't just have a trail leading to the base, you've got a whole plaza, complete with restaurant and souvenir shop. Fortunately, the state has done a nice job in constructing the amenities, and there's no feeling of a tacky "tourist trap" about the area.
The size and two-teir nature of Multnomah Falls means that you've got a number of options for compostions...you can take in the whole falls, as above, or you can step back and frame the upper part among the trees, as at the right, much like the view of Latourell from the parking lot. You can zero in on the lower part of the falls, or you can climb up to the bridge (I haven't tried it yet) and take in the upper half of the falls and the plunge pool between them.
One thing you will scarcely be able to avoid, though, are the tourists. On your average non-winter weekend day, there will be a lot of them, and some will be guaranteed to be standing on the aforementioned bridge just at the point when you want to take your photograph. (One of the unintended benefits of photography at Multnomah Falls is that you will find yourself becoming quite skilled with Photoshop's clone stamp tool!) The only way I've found to have a good chance at getting a tourist-free shot of the bridge is by coming right around sunset on a summer day -- it will be late enough that most tourists wil have returned to Portland for evening activities, yet still light enough for good photography. (The first photo of Multnomah, above, was taken at just such a time.)
Two-and-a-half miles further east along the Highway, you come to the final stop on this tour, Horsetail Falls.
After the grandeur of Multnomah, Horsetail Falls may seem a bit of a letdown, as it is quite a bit smaller. However, what it lacks in height, it more than makes up for in photogenic quality. Located quite literally right by the side of the road, with an ample parking lot on the other side of the Highway, Horsetail drops over a moss-covered rockface 176 feet into a plunge pool offering vantage points over more than a hundred-and-eighty degree radius, meaning that you have a near-infinite number of compostional options here, most of which block out any view of the nearby road and give a feel of "the forest primeval" to this very easy-to-reach attraction.
If you wish to continue onwards, there are yet more waterfalls in the "roadside" (or short-walk-away) category. After the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway ends, it reconnects to I-84, taking you to Starvation Creek Falls, Cabin Creek Falls, Hole-in-the-Wall Falls, and Wah Gwin Gwin Falls (the latter on the grounds of the Columbia Gorge Hotel). I haven't had time to visit any of them yet, however.
So, that should give even the laziest photographer the opportunity to get images of four very impressive waterfalls, and still be back in Portland or even Seattle by nightfall. However, if you have the time, and are somewhat more than totally sedentary, I would advise you to try some of the trails (assuming the weather is appropriately overcast), and at least take the time to hike the Tanner Creek Trail, near the Bonneville Dam exit on I-84. Although the trail is not quite as easy as advertised, it isn't a difficult hike, with lots of great photo opportunities along the creek, and the view of Wahclella Falls (right) at its end is more than worth it. Happy photographing!
* BULLETIN 1-28-09: Reports I'm getting from down in Oregon indicate that this year's floods have dislodged the tree, and the view of Punch Bowl Falls is clear once again. If so, this immediately jumps to the front of the "must-visit" sites in the Gorge, even if it's not quite in the "lazy photographer" category.