Top Senior Portrait Locations for Guys in the Seattle Area

4 Amazing Senior Photo Shoot Locations

There a several amazing locations in the Seattle area that senior guys love every time for their senior portrait sessions. When selecting locations for guys (or any senior!), it’s great to think about a few things:

• What feel/overall vibe does the senior want for their location?
• How long will the photo shoot last?
• Is the senior nervous about photos? Think: Do they need some additional help and props at the location to make posing easier?
• What time of year is the session?

From the senior booking questionnaire, I’m usually able to narrow down the list of perfect locations and we can settle on just the right spot. The below locations are just a few ideas. Every year, I find new amazing spots to try. And sometimes my seniors even suggest some really great areas!

Discovery Park – Seattle

Discovery Park is one of the largest locations on my list. For this park, it’s best to have a little more time and be willing to select one or two specific areas of the park to focus on. The upper park has a white chapel, rock wall, trees, trails, open fields, bluff, and water views. There is a ton to choose from! The lower area of the park includes the lighthouse and beach area. Both the upper and lower park areas are fantastic for making posing easy. Leaning on trees, sitting on the rock wall, walking in open fields, sitting at the bluff, and using the rocks and driftwood at the beach are all easy ways to pose naturally and avoid looking stiff. And it’s such a fun place to wander, that we always end up having a great time!

Tanner Landing Park – North Bend

I love this location for my nature loving seniors. And it is, by far, the top location chosen by my senior guys! It has a wonderful outdoorsy feel to it. And it always looks just a little bit different depending on the season. In the middle of the summer, there is a lot more exposed river rock. Spring and fall show different tree colors and higher water levels. There is also some mountain view areas, wood fence, open meadow, and beautiful trees.

Meadowbrook – North Bend

Meadowbrook is just a few minutes from Tanner Landing Park in North Bend. I often combine the two locations. Meadowbrook is a large elk preserve with amazing views of Mount Si in the background. This spot is a large open area with trees and tall grasses. With fewer prop options to help with posing, I like to keep this visit shorter and more to the point. But because it is typically the second stop, most seniors are more relaxed and confident in front of the camera by this time. I always love the beautiful mountain photos from Meadowbrook.

Bellevue Botanical Garden

Most guys don’t immediately think of a botanical garden for senior portraits, but Bellevue Botanical Garden is an amazing option. It offers a ton of different backgrounds, the space can be covered within a session time, and there are plenty of benches and props to make posing super easy. For guys, we usually end up down at the suspension bridge first. I love how many simple poses are available on the bridge. And it’s a nice little warm up walk down to the area to get comfortable at the start of the session. From there, we do a little wandering in the gardens and use whatever spaces look fun and suit the look the senior guy is going for.

Thanks for Reading!

XO, Janelle