3 Tricky Photo Locations in Boston

“Where should we shoot?”It’s a question that pops up in my inbox from recently-booked clients pretty often. I’ve seen a lot of blog posts about favorite locations for sessions from other photographers, but thissss Boston family photographer is here to tell you about the 3 tricky photo locations that she actively tries to avoid, ha.

The first spot may surprise you because it’s wildly popular. It’s the good ol’ Boston Public Garden. Yep, I avoid it like the plague most of the time! Now, I should mention that I actually *like* the garden and think it’s quite picturesque. However, shooting there in the evenings on weekends from May-October is brutal. There are people everywhere. Photographers everywhere. If you want to go somewhere with privacy, this is not the place. That said, I’m totally down for early morning sessions at the BPG and actually love them. The photos below were taken there around 7 am.

family of 3 walks down Boston's Commonwealth Ave during the springtime

The second location is also an iconic greater Boston area spot, and similarly really tough during busy season. Thoreau is probably rolling over in his grave reading this, but Walden Pond is not a place I like to go for photos. During the summer, people are there until sunset and it’s absurdly crowded. I also have yet to catch any dreamy, golden hour light down by the water. It seems that all the trees tend to block out the good stuff. I’d be interested in trying a session there in the fall when it’s less crowded, but that still won’t change the tricky light issue.

Lastly, the one spot in Boston where I no longer shoot any time of day, any time of year, is Castle Island. I’ve done three sessions there, and I was pretty happy with how the images turned out each time, but the sessions were HARD. For starters, there’s no shade, so you really have to as close to sunset as possible. Secondly, while I think the fort at Castle Island is COOL, it also sort of looks like a prison wall. Am I right? I dunno, I just don’t think it’s the prettiest backdrop in Boston. But there’s a beach! That’ll work, right?! Ehhhh. The last time I was there it was laden with shirtless old men, empty beer bottles, and cigarette butts. Andddd, just like the Boston Public Garden and Walden, there are people EVERYWHERE!

Don’t get me wrong-all of these places are worth visiting and I’ve seen so many beautiful shots taken there by other Boston family photographers, but it’s always worth weighing the pros and cons of all your options. You might just end up loving a lesser-known location. 🙂

WELCOME

Oh hey! I’m Melissa, a Boston family & newborn photographer, but I like to refer to myself as a toddler-whispering, child-taming, photographic ninja.Â