The Best Seattle Photo Locations
Picking Photo Locations
Choosing the perfect photo location can seem to be challenging — but I believe its so much more than just picking an epic spot to take photos in. The location you choose is a part of the story we are going to tell together, and can enhance not just the visual outcome of your photos, but the emotional side as well.
Below, you’ll find some of the best photo locations in Seattle, most of which cover a variety of settings and areas that showcase what it means to be around the beauty of the PNW. Hopefully, you can find a photo spot that calls your name; but also provides a space for you to be yourself, celebrate the season of life you are in, and ultimately create real memories while you are there.
Table of Contents
Whidbey Island
Let’s start out with a place that most everyone in, and around, the PNW has probably heard of: Whidbey Island.
Roughly only 1.5 hours for a drive to the area, Whidbey Island is a scenic place that features sweeping views of the San Juan Islands and Strait of Juan de Fuca. In addition to the beach and ocean landscape, Whidbey Island offers miles of trails to explore with your partner and lush forests to tuck away in. The diversity of landscapes that this island provides is why its one of my favorite locations near Seattle.
Be sure to bring some warm clothes, though, as this area is cooler than others-that ocean breeze is in full effect. If you go on a sunny day, you won’t be disappointed by the sunsets here. As in most all Washington State Parks you’ll need a Discover Pass to access any of the foot-related activities around the more scenic parts of the island. If you’re in Washington though, you most likely already have one.
Check out more of this Whidbey Island engagement session here.
Downtown Seattle
There are so many options for an urban session in downtown Seattle, but one of my personal favorites is Northlight Studio. It has a clean, minimalist look with huge panels of natural light running through the space. Studio sessions are a bit more intimate in nature, due to a smaller space, and Northlight Studio provides a space that has a vintage, PNW feel to it. I love using studios for couples session because it gives us complete creative freedom to create the kind of atmosphere you want during your session. No bi-standers walking around, no rain, just you two an maybe a little music to dance around to :)
Aside from studios in the city, there are many places to explore downtown, and I’d love to be your tour guide for the day. From rooftops with city views to coffee shops at Pike Place Market, the possibilities are endless, and can easily turn a day of “taking photos” into a “day of making new memories together.
The Central Cascades
This area is a popular spot around the Cascades, and it’s easy to see why. Clear, green-blue water, luscious trees for miles, and a rocky beach create a space perfect for any session. Plus, getting to the lake is simple, as you just drive right in; the lake is a short walk away. This is just one of many beautiful locations in the Central Cascades. There are endless amounts of hikes, waterfalls, and alpine lakes that I’ve spent the last 3 years getting to know well, and I’d love to share them with you!
Ferry Rides (Bainbridge, Edmonds-Kingston)
This one might seem a little odd from the outset, but I promise you the Seattle ferries can be amazing to create a day that feels nostalgic, reflective, and celebratory at the same time.
The ocean breeze in your hair, the cool blue water beneath you, the landscapes or skylines in the background, it’s all there. Plus, you get the weirdly-Washington ferry ride part. Not many places utilize ferries, so playing into that PNW culture is something unique, especially for Seattle engagement photos, too.
Each route runs every 45 minutes and will cost about $33 if you don’t carpool over (it’s cheaper if you park and then walk onto the ferry, provided this is an option). So, while this is a fantastic way to incorporate a lot of different PNW elements (Mt. Rainier, forests, the Pacific Ocean, etc.), just make sure you have a plan with your photographer which ferry you’d like to take and nail down all the timing for a perfectly PNW day exploring the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Peninsula.
Discovery Park
I’m a strong believer that you don’t always need to drive to the nearest National Park to get stunning views, especially in Seattle.
Discovery Park is one such location that I really enjoy due to its simplicity and vast open landscape. Its accessibility, along with the water and warm sunshine provide an environment that feels as casual and reflective as a mid-afternoon walk, while beautiful enough to stop you in your tracks.
There are wetlands, a lighthouse, beaches, and forests to explore, truly serving up an engaging experience unlike anywhere else in the Seattle (proper) area. It is the biggest park in Seattle after all.
If you need some more inspiration for Discovery Park, check out the rest of these warm, glowing engagement photos.
Central Washington
If you haven’t ventured past Snoqualmie Pass perhaps you’ve never even really noticed the vast difference between Western and Eastern Washington. While the mountains and endless greens of Western Washington are what most think of as being the PNW, a large part of WA, OR, and ID are expansive deserts.
This particular location has a soft spot in my heart, from when I first visited it back in college on a rock climbing trip. I’ve since returned more times than I can remember for climbing endeavors and recently got to share it with some sweet clients for the first time. I absolutely love the deep hues of basalt rock and the golden sage during sunset. There is nothing quite like reflecting on new seasons of life to come while looking over such vast horizons.
The one downside of getting to this location is the drive. It will take you about 2 hours to make it there. Once there, the basin offers endless possibilities for locations. From my years of rock climbing here I’ve found endless beautiful, unique spots to serve as a backdrop for your photos.
Point Defiance Park
The first thing you probably think of when hearing “Point Defiance” is the Point Defiance Zoo. But, Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, WA also provides an old-growth forest and lush rainforest draped endlessly with ferns very similar to views you’d find in Olympic National Park.
Overall, if you see yourself one with the earthy, green, and brown tones of the dense forest around you, Point Defiance State Park should be on your list of top Seattle photo locations. It also makes for the perfect Seattle elopement spot, if that’s more your jam.
Olympic National Park
This area of Washington embodies what the Evergreen state is all about: deep, intense forests, the clear-blue Lake Crescent, the Port Angeles ferry station, and ocean views for miles on end. It really doesn’t get much better than this. The possibilities are endless inside Olympic National Park from crystal clear lakes to deep blue mountain ranges.
The Lake Crescent for example spans 17-miles, and is crystal clear due to the lack of algae. Lake Crescent also features a couple of hiking trails with character, such as the old logging trail surrounding the area. If you’re feeling adventurous, then ending your photo session with a splash in the “Devil’s Punchbowl” is the perfect way to do so.
The only downside here is the drive, but for a photo location that’s less than two hours outside of Seattle, it makes for another amazing Seattle area elopement location.
More Olympic Park Inspiration Here
Mt. Rainier National Park
It would be hard to have a list of the best Seattle photo locations without including Mt. Rainier National Park.
The staggering Mt. Rainier is the centerpiece, along with the hundreds of miles of hiking trails. My favorite part about Mt. Rainier National Park is the versatility it brings to engagement or adventure sessions. There’s so many different ways to use the areas within the park, and everyone, including myself, has their favorite little spots and trails.
Locations that create real memories.
Seattle, and its surrounding areas, offer some of the most breathtaking forests, ocean views, and even desert settings around.
There’s so many different ways you can incorporate these unique places into your own photos, and I encourage you to do so.
My greatest hope when choosing a setting for your Seattle elopement, engagement photos, or other session, is that you see each location as a space to reflect and celebrate the love that you and your person share. While it’s almost impossible to find a location in Washington that isn’t beautiful - your photos aren’t just about you being in an epic place and showing it off. It’s about creating real memories in a place that is or will be memorable enough to look back on with admiration for how far you’ve come.
My hope for my clients —
I love getting to help find the perfect location and landscape for each of the couples I work with. Being an avid rock climber, hiker, and skier I I work and play in these spaces. These mountains, lakes, valleys and deserts are where I’ve been lucky enough to create my most dear memories in, and my greatest joy is get to share these places with my clients. I’ve spent most of my adult life exploring the PNW and love getting to share all the hidden gems I’ve found over the years with my clients.
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