Outdoor Portrait Locations
A Few of Our Favorite Outdoor Portrait Locations in the Capital Region
One of the many perks of hiring an experienced portrait photographer is knowing that your photographer has an abundance of locations that will be perfect for your next portrait session. These are just a few of my favorite locations for outdoor family portraits around Saratoga Springs and the surrounding areas. With years of experience photographing families outdoors, I’ve compiled this list of spots that receive gorgeous light in the mornings or evenings, while also giving us lots of variety for family portraits. Most of these locations are fairly private, and for at least half of them we are usually the only family there doing a portrait session. I maintain annual permits for a few of these locations, and there are other locations in town that we can seek a daily permit for as well (such as the State Park and Yaddo). Want to know which locations tend to be busier and at what time? Just ask! Most locations also allow ample space for toddlers and young children to run around, and I can guide to towards which spot may be best for your children’s ages & energy levels if you need a little help with that.
While these are not the only places that we photograph, they are tried & true favorites that consistently allow us to create beautiful portraits while giving families a comfortable and family-focused experience. Do you have a different location in mind? I’d love to chat with you and find out more!
The Nelson Ave Field, near the Saratoga Casino
I love this spot in the 1-1.5 hours before the sun goes down! There is so much variety with the sun-drenched field (short grass), a tree-lined pathway, the rail fence, and plenty of trees to diffuse the light for really beautiful bokeh.
Congress Park, Downtown Saratoga Springs
Beautiful in the morning and the evening, this is a beautiful spot for family portraits with lots of variety.
The Surrey-Williamson Inn, Downtown Saratoga Springs
The Surrey-Williamson Inn is part of the Skidmore College campus. The back of the inn looks like a European villa. It’s a private patio and garden, with a huge expanse of field and large oak trees. I love this spot in the mornings and evenings. I maintain an annual permit to photograph here, and I need to run all dates by the college first to check for availability. This is such a beautiful spot, and I truly love it — I even did my own family’s portraits here this spring!
Broadway, Downtown Saratoga Springs
Broadway is beautiful in the morning and evening (though usually a little quieter in the morning, depending on the day & season!). We shoot on the east side of the street in the mornings when the sun is behind the buildings, and on the west side of the street in the evenings. The side streets have little hidden gems for portraits, and there is a lot of variety we can have here. If older toddlers need lots of room to run, I recommend picking a different spot just so that you can relax a little more knowing we are not near any cars or traffic.
The Central Park Rose Garden, Schenectady
Truly a gem of a location, this rose garden has every color rose imaginable. The roses are in bloom from mid-June through September, and it’s a gorgeous spot in the evenings. I maintain an annual permit for this location, and I can promise you that it’s worth the drive. From rose-lined pathways to an ornate fountain to a pergola to trellises overflowing with blooms, this is a picturesque location for your family’s evening portrait session.
The Crescent Street Field, near Downtown Saratoga Springs
This field gets the best light in the early morning. In the summer, the grasses are green, and they fade to brown in the fall. We get great light through the trees along the back of the field, and it’s a cozy little spot for family portraits. The city tends to cut the tall grasses down by mid-October, so I like to do sessions before then.
