I love to find cool places to photograph clients all over the Dallas area. Here you can find sample images from some of my favorite spots. I will be adding more to this list as time goes on. Please remember that the images below are only a sampling of what you could get at a location. Locations also vary per time of day, and time of year. I always aim to create unique images for each client. You’re welcome to suggest a favorite location of your own, as well.
Location: Addison Circle
Where? Addison (Arapaho & Quorum)
Features: Stone walls, colored bricks, modern urban textures, cool architecture, unique natural elements such as tall grass and tulips, dependent on season.
Walking required: Low to Moderate
Pairs well with: Celestial Park, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
Good to know: Events happen regularly, this location is NOT suggested during events. Plant life varies, easy parking (when no events present). Public restrooms available (most of the time).
Location: Arbor Hills Nature Preserve – Available for maternity mini sessions & boutique first birthday sessions
Where? West Plano (Parker Rd)
Features: Stream, bridges, variety of trees (including some evergreens), large bridge, open fields, wildflowers.
Walking required: Moderate to High
Pairs well with: Frisco Central Park, Frisco Historical Area, Addison Circle, Austin Ranch, Grandscape, Hall Park
Good to know: Bug spray heavily recommended for tall grasses. Can get very crowded at popular spots, especially in the fall. Please allow yourself extra time for parking on weekends at peak times. Strollers and comfortable shoes suggested. Public restrooms available.
Location: Arts District
Where? Downtown Dallas
Features: Modern urban, shine, metallic textures, concrete, greenery, reflecting pools, various murals, Klyde Warren park, trees..
Walking required: Moderate to High, depending on area covered
Pairs well with: Deep Ellum, West End, White Rock Lake, Turtle Creek Park, Trinity Groves, Thanksgiving Square
Good to know: Location access varies, depending on events and days. Parking garage available, some street parking available. Can get crowded on weekends, especially the reflecting pool.
Location: Austin Ranch – Available for maternity mini sessions & boutique first birthday sessions
Where? Far West Plano
Features: Large trees, greenery, various benches, fences, fountains and interesting textures
Walking required: Low to Moderate
Pairs well with: The Studio, Hall Park, Grandscape, Arbor Hills
Good to know: Additional variety available, crowds may vary, especially on weekends.
Location: Celestial Park
Where? Addison (Montfort and Beltline)
Features: Steps, Large Rocks, Trees, Tulips (seasonally)
Walking required: Low
Pairs well with: Addison Circle
Good to know: Very small location, rarely busy. No available bathrooms, and parking is limited to a few spots.
Location: Chestnut Square
Where? McKinney
Features: Historical buildings, white fences, trees
Walking required: Low to Moderate
Pairs well with: Downtown McKinney
Good to know: Easy parking access, some events held here on weekends,. Public restrooms available.
Location: Deep Ellum
Where? Downtown Dallas (Elm, Main, Commerce and Canton near Malcolm X)
Features: Lots of colors, murals, textures, skyline, urban, gritty
Walking required: Moderate to high
Pairs well with: White Rock Lake, West End, Arts District
Good to know: Can get crowded and loud, especially on weekends. Uneven concrete and gravel walkways are common. Murals change frequently. Parking can be challenging during busy hours, please allow for ample time to park and meet up.
Location: Downtown McKinney
Where? Virginia and Louisiana streets, West of HWY 5.
Features: Textures, Urban, Bright Colors, Vintage Feel, Small parks with nice greenery, Alleyways.
Walking required: Moderate to high
Pairs well with: Chestnut Square
Good to know: Changes frequently, can get crowded, especially during the fall, may wait in line for popular spots. Multiple parking lots available.
Location: Eisemann Center/Dancing Waters
Where? Richardson
Features: Clean, modern architecture, dancing waters, greenery
Walking required: Low
Pairs well with: Downtown Plano, Spring Creek Park Preserve
Good to know: Regular events and crowds at the Eisemann center, this location is suggested on weekdays or weekend mornings.
Location: Fair Park
Where? South Dallas
Features: Art Deco architecture, unique textures, tiered greenery, Texas history
Walking required: Moderate to high
Pairs well with: White Rock Lake, Deep Ellum, West End, Trinity Groves, Thanksgiving Square
Good to know: Open year round as a free park; if photos are desired during the State Fair, there is a $50 fee added to cover additional costs. Public restrooms available.
Location: Frisco Central Park/Kathy Seei Park – Available for maternity mini sessions & boutique first birthday sessions
Where? Frisco, just North of Stonebriar
Features: Waterfall, very small stream, large rocks, various trees and grasses and stone walls.
Walking required: Low to Moderate (please note, there are a good number of stairs)
Pairs well with: Arbor Hills, Frisco Historical Area, Grandscape, Hall Park, Austin Ranch
Good to know: Easy parking on multiple sides, can get busy especially in the fall, no public restrooms available.
Location: Frisco Historical Area
Where? North Frisco, near Main Street, off the Tollway
Features: Historical buildings, barn, log cabin, stone wall, white gazebo, safe, out of use train
Walking required: Low
Pairs well with: Frisco Central Park, Shops at Legacy
Good to know: Can get very crowded, popular location especially on weekends and in the fall. Weekends may have weddings occurring. Dedicated parking lot.
Location: Grandscape – Available for maternity mini sessions & boutique first birthday sessions
Where? The Colony, off 121
Features: Wood, brick and concrete textures, greenery and colorful plants (seasonal), murals (may change) and more!
Walking required: Low to Moderate
Pairs well with: The Studio, Hall Park, Austin Ranch, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
Good to know: Can be crowded, especially in the evenings and on weekends. Exact spots pictured vary depending on time of day. More variety available!
Location: Greenbelt near Studio – Available for maternity mini sessions & boutique first birthday sessions
Where? Far West Plano
Features: Trees, walking path, pond with fountain
Walking required: Low
Pairs well with: The studio – for times you don’t feel like driving to another location!
Good to know: Sprinklers run on Wednesday. Extremely easy access, no stroller needed.
Location: Haggard Park
Where? Downtown Plano (15th Street)
Features: Large classic gazebo, small pond, small bridge, play equipment
Walking required: Low
Pairs well with: Plano Urban Areas, Spring Creek Park Preserve, Oak Point Nature Preserve.
Good to know: Events common at this park, large signs have been installed in front of train museum, easy parking. Public restrooms available. Please note, it is common to see unhoused people in this area.
Location: Hall Park – Available for maternity mini sessions & boutique first birthday sessions
Where? Frisco near 121 and DNT
Features: Pond, fountains, waterfalls, colorful sculptures and chairs, plants, parking garage
Walking required: Low to Moderate
Pairs well with: The Studio, Grandscape, Austin Ranch, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, Frisco Central Park
Good to know: Outside of an office building, least crowded times will be evenings and weekends. Lots of sculptures not pictured. Beware of geese! Due to location placement and open East side, this is a very sunny location for morning sessions.
Location: Oak Point Nature Preserve (Amphitheater location)
Where? Northeast Plano
Features: Large bridge, trees, wooded area
Walking required: Low to Moderate
Pairs well with: Haggard Park, Watter’s Creek, Shops at Fairview
Good to know: Frequent walking, running and biking traffic. Bug spray suggested for tall grasses. Beautiful colors during the fall.
Location: Parker Rose Gardens
Where? Far East Plano/Parker
Features: Old Barn, stone well, pond, trees (including evergreens), open fields, hay bales
Walking required: Low to High, depending on how much exploring you want to do.
Pairs well with: N/A
Good to know: Bug spray suggested for tall grasses, pond level varies, barn has been fenced in, but still usable as a backdrop.
Location: Plano Urban Areas
Where? Downtown Plano (15th, 14th and nearby streets)
Features: Urban textures, fences, warehouses, bricks, etc
Walking required: Moderate to high
Pairs well with: Haggard Park, Spring Creek Park Preserve, Oak Point Nature Preserve
Good to know: Frequently changes, sometimes has live music on weekends.
Location: Prairie Creek Park
Where? Northwest Richardson near Highway 75
Features: Trees, covered bridge, open metalwork bride, paths, waterfall
Walking required: Moderate
Pairs well with: Haggard Park, Plano Urban Areas, Spring Creek Park Preserve
Good to know: Can get VERY crowded. May have to wait in line for popular spots like the waterfall, especially on the weekends and during the fall season. Street Parking.
Where? Shops at Fairview
Where: Allen, at Stacy Rd
Features: Textured and colored walls, tall grasses, tall trees, parking garages, fountains,
Walking required: Moderate
Pairs well with: Watter’s Creek, Oak Point Nature Preserve
Good to know: Crowds may vary, peak on Saturday.
Where? Shops at Legacy – Available for maternity mini sessions & boutique first birthday sessions
Where: Plano, at Legacy and the Tollway
Features: Small pond with walk way, trees, stairs, stone entrances
Walking required: Low to Moderate
Pairs well with: Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, Frisco Central Park, Frisco Historical Area, Grandscape, Hall Park, Austin Ranch
Good to know: Frequent dog walkers from nearby apartments. Plenty of parking available, but during busier times, you may need to park in a garage and walk to the pond.
Location: Spring Creek Park Preserve
Where? Garland/Richardson Border off George Bush
Features: Heavily treed areas, walking paths, wildflowers, fall leaves (seasonally dependent)
Walking required: Low to moderate
Pairs well with: Haggard Park, Prairie Creek Park, Downtown Plano
Good to know: Bug spray suggested, this area can have a high mosquito count when it’s been rainy.
Location: Thanksgiving Square/Historic Downtown Dallas
Where? Downtown Dallas (Ervay/Elm/Main/near by)
Features: Unique architecture, city scapes, lights at night, historic buildings, reflective surfaces, water features, lighted trees, lots of variety.
Walking required: Moderate to High
Pairs well with: Arts District, Deep Ellum, Fair Park, West End, White Rock Lake, Trinity Groves
Good to know: This is often a very busy area, parking can be challenging, I suggest giving yourself plenty of time to park. Many areas are paid parking only (paid via app). Bathrooms available, but may not be easily accessible at all times.
Location: Trinity Groves/Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge
Where? Downtown Dallas (West of 35, North of 30)
Features: Large bridge and great skyline views. Industrial vibes, murals, and fun little nooks and crannies.
Walking required: Moderate to High
Pairs well with: Arts District, Deep Ellum, Fair Park, West End, White Rock Lake, Thanksgiving Square
Good to know: Multiple parking lots available (several are gravel), various restaurants and stores for potential bathroom use. It can get very busy at times, and vendors are sometimes present on the bridge. The small bridge parking lot is tricky, and I suggest parking in one of the bigger lots and walking to the bridge.
Location: Turtle Creek Park
Where? Oak Lawn Neighborhood in Dallas (Lemmon and Turtle Creek)
Features: Trees, large ornate black gazebo, large white building with columns, large creek with fountain, concrete waterfall, lush grasses and more.
Walking required: Moderate to High (busy street crossing at crosswalk)
Pairs well with: Arts District, Deep Ellum, West End, Thanksgiving Square – can also easily go to other fun areas in Oak Lawn with murals and more.
Good to know: Weekends may have events held at Arlington Hall, no known restroom availability, gazebo is a popular photo spot, street and lot parking available, but may vary with events happening at this location.
Where? Allen, off 75
Features: Stairs, trees, small pond, parking garage roof top, various textures, bridge, murals
Walking required: Low to moderate
Pairs well with: Oak Point Nature Preserve, Shops at Fairview, Downtown Plano, Haggard Park
Good to know: Can get crowded on weekends. Easy parking and bathroom availability.
Location: The West End
Where? Downtown Dallas, off 35E
Features: Unique architecture, city skyline, bridges, interesting grunge textures, arches, tree line.
Walking required: Moderate to high.
Pairs well with: Fair Park, Deep Ellum, White Rock Lake, Turtle Creek Park, Trinity Groves, Thanksgiving Square
Good to know: Ample parking, but depending on the day and time, it may be metered (pay via app). Weekends can get crowded around the JFK areas and restaurants.
Location: White Rock Lake
Where? East Dallas
Features: Large lake, docks, trees, art deco style buildings, tall grasses (seasonally)
Walking required: Moderate (may drive to other parts of lake)
Pairs well with: Deep Ellum, West End, Arts District, Trinity Groves, Thanksgiving Square
Good to know: Bug spray suggested for tall grasses. Some areas have events on the weekend, especially Winfrey point. Water side photos are best done at the very tail end of sunset.
