Session Location Guide
Welcome! Let’s make Memories together.
One of the most important considerations for your session is location. You want to choose a location that is best for your senior or family session that speaks to your personality and unique aesthetic. I have put together a list of my favorite locations, but I am also open to your favorite spot. If you do choose a spot not listed, I will need some time to check it out to make sure that it works well for our session. Preparation is key, so consider what matters most to you on your session day and leave the rest to me.
Seattle-Area Locations:
Discovery Park
Discovery Park is Seattle’s biggest park and my favorite park to shoot at. It’s got paved walkways that make getting to different areas of the park a breeze. There are golden fields overlooking the Puget Sound, flowering trees, sandy dunes, old military barracks, wooded areas with both pine and leafy trees, and even beach access. If you choose this park, getting to both the beach and the grassy fields in one session can be difficult, so I will have you choose one or the other. Read more.
Volunteer Park
Nestled in one of the most opulent neighborhoods on Capital Hill, Volunteer Park is a gorgeous park perfect for your next family or high school senior photo session. The surrounding neighborhood is quiet and serene with blocks of beautiful houses, some as old as Seattle itself. The park boasts lush vegetation, incredible gardens, a conservatory, and a museum, but what makes Volunteer Park a true gem is it’s views of the entire city. This is one of my favorite parks to photograph families and seniors not only in the city of Seattle, but in the entire state itself. Read More.
Pioneer Square
I don’t know about you, but my artist heart loves a good brick wall, and downtown is full of them. From the Grand Central Arcade, to the art galleries, to the perfectly lit alleyways, downtown Seattle is a gorgeous urban setting for the high school senior or family looking for surroundings that have a little architectural flare. And there are so many different varieties of brick from red to white and even gray or black. In addition to the brick facades, you will find cobblestone roads, painted paneling, incredible archways, and even stairways that lead to the famous Seattle Underground. Read more.
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market has always been one of my favorite places in the world, but it’s also one of my favorite places to photograph people. If you’re looking for a more urban vibe, the Market is a fantastic choice. Want to know how I make it appear like you’re the only people at the market? I have a secret, and it’s not that I am a wizard at removing people using Photoshop. It’s one of the only places that I recommend going to early in the morning. That’s because the Market doesn’t open until 10 AM, so the only people there between 8:00 and 9:45 am are you, me, and the people that work there. It’s amazing. Then, we can grab Piroshky Piroshky after our session.
Olympic Sculpture Park
Olympic Sculpture Park is a wild, incredible location in the heart of downtown. Between the amazing, grand scale sculptures of all varieties to it’s proximity to the Seattle Waterfront, this location is epic and so fun to shoot at. If you’re looking for urban whimsy and easy access to other iconic Seattle scenery, Olympic Sculpture Park is the place for you.
Seattle Waterfront
The Great Wheel, the Seattle Aquarium, and my personal favorite, Ye Old Curiosity Shop, line the streets of the Seattle Waterfront. It offers incredible backdrops for your senior, family, or branding sessions. With 20 piers along the Puget Sound, and so many attractions and murals, this urban feeling setting adds iconic flare to any session. And it’s such a fun place to be, so get ready for a smiley senior or family session in this amazing city.
Golden Gardens
Tucked away on the Puget Sound, in the Ballard neighborhood, is a gorgeous beach park known as Golden Gardens. Forested one half, with beachy dunes on the other, this is one of the few Seattle parks that has a SoCal vibe. The sea grass and soft sand of this park make for great beach-vibe photos. On the other end, gorgeous brick buildings and a great forested pocket make for some awesome scene changes. This is a great Seattle location for both senior portraits and family photos.
Kubota Garden
This gorgeous, manicured park is based off the design styles of a typical Japanese city park. Well manicured lawns, flowering gardens, and lush vegetation make this sprawling park a great location for any photo session. With two koi ponds and incredible red bridges, this picturesque park has some of the most incredible spring and fall backdrops you will find in the Puget Sound region. This park is great for any session, whether it be high school senior portraits, fall family photos, or a headshot pop-up for your business.
Eastside Locations:
Juanita Bay Park
If you live east of Seattle and you haven’t had the opportunity to visit Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland yet, you are missing out! This is one of my favorite parks on the Eastside for multiple reasons: it is beautiful, it has a lot of scene changes in one place, and it’s easily walkable for young children and adults. This park doesn’t require many special accommodations because it’s handicap friendly and very accessible. So if you are looking for a romantic, beautiful park for your next family session, Juanita Bay is an amazing choice! Read more.
McAuliffe Park
This Kirkland park is such a cute venue. It has windmills, old tractors that are perfect for climbing on, great flowering trees, and in the fall, this park is filled with so much color that it looks like a painting. I love this park for families with children of all ages, but it’s especially wonderful for families with small children because it’s a fun, beautiful park. If you are looking for a great park that is easily walkable on the Eastside, this one checks all the boxes.
Confluence Park, Issaquah
This tiny park in the heart of Issaquah is so beautiful. The landscape architects of this park put so much into this little recreation spot, and the scene changes in such a small space make for an incredible portfolio of unique images. From the gorgeous weeping willow tree, to the small patch of forested birches, to the bridge over Issaquah Creek, to the iconic red barn, this park with it’s mountain views is a great choice for families and high school seniors alike.
Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah
Another great Issaquah location is Lake Sammamish State Park. This massive Eastside park has two entrances, the park entrance that is meant for all sorts of recreation, and the Boat Launch entrance, which is surprisingly better for photographs. The boat launch at Lake Sammamish has incredibly beautiful walking paths and a great, unobstructed view of the lake. There are tall grass fields, flowering trees, and patches of forest that make this an amazing choice on the east side of the lake.
Pine Lake Park, Sammamish
This is my hometown. I always get a bit nostalgic when I do a session at Pine Lake because I spent many a teenage summer at this tucked away little gem. But when I was growing up, it was still in Issaquah. This lake is the perfect location for a sunset, golden hour session with your family. It’s bright, beautiful, and dog friendly, which makes it a great place for family sessions with pets. If you want a location that boasts a beachy, forest vibe and is easy to walk with small children and pets, this is a great location for you.
North Shore Locations:
Mukilteo Beach, Mukilteo
The skies and sunset at this north end beach are absolutely incredible. Mukilteo beach has some of the best “cotton candy” sunsets I have ever seen. If you’re looking for a true beach vibe and your willing to make the trek to Mukilteo with me, this is the spot for you. This view and the beachy feel of this park are breathtaking, and the photos from every session I have ever shot here are incredibly beautiful and unique. Let’s explore the sunsets at this beach for your senior or family session.
Bothell Landing, Bothell
Bothell Landing is a really cool park in the heart of Bothell WA. I love a park with a fantastic walking bridge, and this park has one of the most beautiful river bridges I have ever seen. There are well manicured walkways, a gorgeous river view, and incredible forest paths. This park is at its peak during the fall months when all the leaves change and the foliage takes on those red and orange hues.
Cottage Lake, Woodinville
Cottage Lake Park is another one of those amazing Eastside gems. Located northeast of Seattle, Cottage Lake is a great, walkable park on Cottage Lake in Woodinville. Walking bridges, forests, wildflowers, and a beautiful lake adorn this fantastic spot. Another reason why I love this park is the fantastic playground it has on site. The park is a great option on the north end for families that don’t want to trek into the city.
South Sound Locations:
Dash Point State Park, Federal Way
Dash Point is an amazing location in the South Sound. Located in Federal Way WA. This beach front oasis has stunning views of the Puget Sound. It’s a beach, it’s a forest, its gorgeous, and it’s easily accessible. I love this amazing park and I love that it provides a glorious location for my clients that live south of Seattle. If you live on the south side, this spot is a great choice for you and your family or senior.
Paradise, Mount Rainier
There is something almost spiritual about Mount Rainier. When I get there, I feel like I am filled with the most intense energy. It’s almost healing. That is why I get so incredibly excited whenever anyone asks to shoot at Mount Rainier. There are some caveats to this excursion, though. If you want Mt. Rainier as your photo destination, there is a travel fee. It takes three hours to get there which adds time and expense to this location. There is also a new park reservation requirement, so it takes planning to be able to photograph families and seniors at Mt. Rainier, but the photos you will get will be worth it!
North Bend and
Snoqualmie Pass Locations
Rattlesnake Lake, North Bend, WA
This hidden gem in the foothills of North Bend is one of the most beautiful, untapped spots on the Eastside. There is so much here from mountain views to a placid, glacier-fed lake, to an incredible pebble beach great for skipping stones and romping in the water (when it’s warmer). This is a newer spot in my repertoire, but I absolutely love it. If you want a great spot that shows all the Pacific Northwest has to offer, this is an incredible spot for you.
Gold Creek Pond, Snoqualmie Pass - Hyak
East of the Cascade Mountains, just beyond Snoqualmie Pass, in the tiny Hamlet of Hyak, there is a gorgeous, placid pond with a full view of the Cascade Mountain range. This incredible spot is fantastic at sunset, but it’s also gorgeous at sunrise. It makes for the perfect Pacific Northwest backdrop for your family or senior portrait session. It’s one of the most beautiful locations in the PNW. But in order to have the best shot at not having to wait in a queue of photographers for that gorgeous money shot, week nights and early mornings are the best time for this sought after spot.