Figuring out a location for your engagement or family session is one of the most difficult decisions you will have to make! Do you want beach photos, downtown photos, indoor photos? There are so many options!
This post is meant for you to see a few of my favorite spots, why I like them and a few of my favorite shots in those spots so you can get a good idea of what it looks like to hopefully help make your decision easier for you and your partner or family!
The Beach • Edgewater, MD
This is my favorite spot out of any other you will see on this page because it has many different backdrops to offer like a pretty wooded trail, seagrasses, a rocky beach, a boardwalk and a down tree in the water.
This location requires a 10-15 minute walk down a wooded trail to the beach. If you are bringing kids, a jogger stroller works best but if it has rained, I would opt out of a stroller as it can kick up some water or mud on to you as you are walking. Please be sure to wear trail appropriate shoes (most flat shoes or chunky heels work perfectly fine - avoid pointy heels). If it has rained, consider wearing shoes that don't matter if they get muddy or wet. Some spots on the trail can be muddy or even have some standing water we can skip around ;)
The best time of day for this location is either before 9am or after 3pm. If you can only do mid day sessions, I can make it work but the sun is very strong here and shade is limited so it is best to do early or later. The sun rises over the water here so sunrise sessions can be a fun thing to do here.
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Annapolis, MD
Annapolis is iconic in many ways. It has beautiful shops, homes and, of course, the waterfront. I have a specific path I like to take but am open to taking pictures in any location that is meaningful to you so just let me know at booking!
I do not do Annapolis sessions on Friday or Saturday's after 3pm in the summer/fall. It is just too busy and there isn't very good parking. If you have chosen a Friday or Saturday evening in the summer or fall I will request that you select a different date.
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Quiet Waters Park • Annapolis, MD
This park is perfect for families or even couples. For my 30 minute sessions you will only have time for one location at this park but if you have an hour session you can choose two different spots. I personally love the Lighthizer Gazebo which is super pretty in the spring with the garden next to it or the South River Overlook (pictured above on the rocks). The sun sets on the water here so we have the opportunity to get some pretty epic sunsets as well!
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Kinder Farm Park • Severna Park
This is a beautiful park that is great during the spring and fall. I personally like to hang around the barn and the farm animal area but am happy to wander to any other spot you want on this park land! This is a great location for some family minis.
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In Home Sessions
In home sessions are a much more personal session for you and your family or even as a couples session. Your home does NOT have to be a show home in order to do this, just a nice change of pace and works really well for kids who might be uncomfortable outside of the home or its a great option in the winter months,
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United States Naval Academy
The Naval Academy is stunning. It is best in the Spring, Summer and Fall as the gardens are perfect year round and the trees in the fall are super pretty. We have incredible buildings we can use, beautiful tree lined paths and there are some waterfront areas. This is a session you might want to consider upgrading to an hour as it is very spread out but we can discuss that if you have any questions. I can definitely do a 30 minute session here, we would just stick to one, maybe 2 areas.
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Historic London Town & Gardens
This venue is beautiful pretty much any direction you look! It has impeccable gardens, trails, an adorable gazebo, historic buildings and waterfront views. If you want to hit all the spots I would upgrade this session to be 1 hour as it can simply take that long going from spot to spot but if you are ok with a shorter session, we can discuss what parts are important to you and work with it!
This venue has odd hours especially in the winter months and I have to get venue approval to shoot here. Please be flexible with your date/time as it may have to move depending on what the venue has going on.
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Other locations to consider:
Rawlings Conservatory:
A beautiful greenhouse in Baltimore, MD. This location is perfect for the winter months or for someone who wants something a bit different than the typical scenic location. This location has a venue rental fee of $100. Please reach out to me to book a session here as I have to reach out to the venue for availability and I need to create a custom project for you since it is a bit more.
Bromo Seltzer Tower:
This location is incredible for someone who wants something a bit different and edgy. It is located in the top of a clock tower and is INCREDIBLE. Check out my instagram for photos from this location... will be the pics with the clock in it ;). This location has a $150-$250 venue rental fee depending on day of the week. Please reach out to me to book a session here as I have to reach out to the venue for availability and I need to create a custom project for you since it is a bit more.
Terrapin Beach Park:
This is a beautiful beach over in Stevensville, MD. Please reach out to me to book this session as there is an additional fee for this location due to travel. Summer months I do not do Friday-Sunday as it is too busy and no one wants to deal with bay bridge traffic.
Reclaimed of Annapolis:
This is a very cool shop in Annapolis, MD that we can go inside of and take some photos. They have antique furniture and neon signs inside for a very cool vibe. We can add this to any Annapolis session as well since it is right there. If this is something you are interested in, I need to reach out to the store to see if we can on whatever date you are hoping for. Please be flexible if this is something you would like as they either may not be open or have an event of their own going on for whatever date you are hoping for.