Senior Session Location Ideas
The best senior session location isn’t always the prettiest - it’s the one that means something to you.
A favorite park. The neighborhood they grew up in. A beach they’ve spent summers at. Their school, a favorite record store, coffee shop, skatepark, or just a part of Seattle that feels like them. Pretty light and interesting backgrounds are easy enough to find. But when the location has some connection to who you are, the photos become more than just senior portraits. They become a record of who you were and what your life looked like at this particular moment. That being said, here are a few locations I use frequently and know photograph really well:
Discovery Park is a frequent haunt and best photographed at sunset. At least 85% of my sessions happen here, so I know it exceptionally well. It’s especially magical in late summer when the sweet peas are blooming and the grass has turned dry and brown - which may not sound beautiful, but trust me, it is. That golden grass works overtime reflecting light in all the right places. Please note that sessions at the lighthouse beach can be tricky. Parking is extremely limited and continues to be an ongoing issue, so I generally recommend the upper areas of the park instead. But I trust this park in any season: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter
Parson's Garden's is one of my favorite options for sessions because it gives us a surprising amount of variety without requiring a ton of walking. It’s small, green, tucked away, and has plenty of shade - which makes it especially great on hot summer days. Even better, it’s just a few blocks from Kerry Park, so we can easily move from a quiet, natural garden setting to one of the most iconic views of Downtown Seattle, the Space Needle, and, on a clear day, Mount Rainier.
The Overlook Walkway in Downtown Seattle is one of my favorite options for seniors who want something that feels a little more urban and unmistakably Seattle. We can get city architecture, huge water and mountain views, interesting concrete and modern lines, and a large Henry mural - all within a relatively small area. The Overlook itself connects Pike Place Market to the waterfront and gives us views in basically every direction. And because I’ve photographed downtown Seattle for years, I also know a few less-obvious spots nearby, including one of my favorites with a slightly gritty “abandoned building” vibe. There is also now a public bathroom with a security guard that is really helpful for outfit changes.
South Lake Union is a great option for high school senior sessions if you want something urban without committing to full-on downtown Seattle. There’s a really good mix of modern architecture, glass, concrete, industrial textures, greenery, and Lake Union waterfront. The neighborhood itself is a blend of newer architecture and Seattle’s older industrial and maritime character, so we can create a lot of different looks without traveling very far. And then there’s the lake - boats, docks, reflections, skyline views and the occasional seaplane. It feels modern and very Seattle, but a little less obvious than some of the more iconic locations.
Ella Bailey in Magnolia is fantastic for sessions - especially in the morning, when the light is soft and beautiful and the park tends to feel a little quieter. It’s a simple location, but the view does a lot of the work. There’s open grass, plenty of sky, and panoramic views of Downtown Seattle, Elliott Bay, the Cascades and, on a clear day, Mount Rainier.
The Beach At Expedia Group offers a ton of variety - beach, water, tall grasses, driftwood, concrete steps, and big views across Elliott Bay toward the Olympic Mountains. There’s also a fantastic wall that I love using for silhouettes, which gives us something completely different from the softer beach and natural photos. It feels a little wild and coastal without leaving the city, and it’s especially beautiful in the evening when the light comes across the water. It’s quiet, feels secluded and parking is generally easy.
Golden Gardens is beautiful for high school senior sessions. It has beach, tall grasses, trees, driftwood, water, mountain views, and gorgeous evening light, so there’s plenty of variety without going far. However, I highly advise against Golden Gardens during the summer. It is absolute chaos. Parking can be incredibly difficult, and finding a quiet stretch of beach without dozens of people in the background is nearly impossible. All of that eats into session time and limits where and how we can photograph. It’s a fantastic location during quieter times of year. In the summer, there are much better options.
Ballard Locks has water views, boats, bridges and more industrial elements, along with lush gardens, huge trees and beautiful roses when they’re in bloom. It’s a nice mix of classic Seattle and natural greenery, so we can get several completely different looks without spending the whole session traveling between locations.
Edmonds Waterfront has a relaxed, coastal feel and is especially beautiful in the evening when the light gets low over the water. There’s open water, driftwood, beach grasses, docks, boats, ferry traffic, and views across Puget Sound toward the Olympic Mountains.
Lincoln Park gives us both forest and waterfront in one location. There are huge trees, winding trails, tall grasses, driftwood, rocky beach, and wide-open views across Puget Sound. It feels much more natural and woodsy than a lot of Seattle locations, with plenty of variety for different looks. It’s especially beautiful in the evening when we can finish down by the water as the sun gets lower.
Washington Park Arboretum is beautiful for high school senior sessions, with huge trees, winding paths, seasonal flowers, lush greenery, and plenty of quiet natural backgrounds. That said, it’s huge and fairly disjointed. The best spots aren’t necessarily close to one another, so trying to cover too much can mean spending a good chunk of your session walking. It works best when we choose one area and really use what’s there rather than trying to photograph the entire Arboretum.
Jennings Memorial Park offers open fields, big trees, a pond, a beautiful willow tree, and a large flower garden. It’s especially pretty in the spring and fall, when the gardens and surrounding landscape have the most color and texture.
Richmond Beach Saltwater Park is lovely for high school senior sessions because it has a quieter, more natural feel than some of Seattle’s busier beaches. There’s driftwood, beach grass, rocky shoreline, open water, and beautiful views across Puget Sound toward the Olympic Mountains. It’s especially pretty in the evening, with lots of open sky and gorgeous light over the water. The mix of beach, greenery, and more rugged natural areas gives us plenty of variety without feeling overly manicured.
Wild Hearts Farm in Tacoma is a beautiful option for high school senior sessions if you want something a little more styled and elevated. It has a curated rustic/urban farm feel, with a flower field, swing, vintage truck, open spaces, and lots of interesting little corners to photograph. I usually reserve the Glasshouse, which gives us an additional indoor space and even more variety. The farm does require an additional rental fee and needs to be booked in advance, so it takes a little more planning than most locations - but it’s a great option if you want something distinctive and intentionally designed.
Studio Sessions are wonderful and I can recommend my favorites or can host in my own Magnolia Studios.
Custom locations are one of my favorite ways to make a high school senior session feel truly personal. Instead of choosing a location simply because it’s pretty, we can choose a place that says something about who you are - your interests, style, personality, or the life you’re living right now. A record store, bookstore, skatepark, neighborhood, music venue, sports field, favorite coffee shop - almost anything can work. The location doesn’t have to be traditionally beautiful. It just needs to feel like you. The more personal the location, the less the photos feel like generic senior portraits and the more they feel like a record of this particular version of you. I’d also encourage seniors to think beyond “Where would photos be pretty?” and ask “Where would it make sense to find me?” That opens up much more interesting possibilities.
More ideas: Your house, Bettie Page House / Dick’s Drive-In, Bacon and Eggs Skate Park, Rattlesnake Lake, Scattered Seeds in Monroe, Oxbow Park, Bellevue Botanical Garden, Selfie Museum, Volunteer Park, Olympic Sculpture Park, the zoo, a petting farm, vintage or thrift store, Seattle Center / MoPOP, Seattle Public Library, Georgetown for murals, alleys and industrial buildings, Fremont for murals, weird public art, the Troll and industrial canal areas, a ferry ride or ferry terminal, pumpkin patch or Christmas tree farm, greenhouse or nursery, roller rink, bowling alley, horse barn or stable, football field, track, baseball diamond, tennis court, basketball court, arcade, pool hall, movie theater, laundromat, diner, rehearsal space or recording studio, dance studio, art studio, auto garage or workshop, family cabin, childhood playground, your neighborhood streets, or your workplace.