My Favorite Portland, Maine Photoshoot Locations!
I’ve been meaning to make a post with my favorite Portland, Maine photoshoot locations for a while now, so here it finally is! I live in Portland and while there are tons of beautiful towns nearby, we have SO much goodness right in this city! Whether you’re looking for a spot where you can be surrounded by nature, walk on the beach, explore downtown, climb the rocky coast, find unique walls and art, or walk your dog, it delivers. Here are a few of my favorite locations!
Deering Oaks Park
Deering Oaks is a 55-acre public park right in the heart of Portland. It’s a favorite of mine especially for families, head shots, and seniors! It has lots of lush, green space to walk around, a duck pond, playground, splash pad, and this neat little historic castle. It’s easily walkable, has lots of shade, and tons of street parking surrounding it (as well as limited free parking within the park itself). So great!
Downtown Portland & the Old Port
Downtown Portland and the Old Port is my favorite if you’re looking for yes, some nature, but mostly some interesting architecture, textured walls, staircases, and other urban features. This is a favorite location of mine for basically any type of portrait session except maybe a larger extended family session as those groups can be a bit big for the portrait spots I find. It’s got more classic and historic cobblestone, cute storefronts, brick, graffiti, basically anything you’d expect from a bustling downtown area! You should definitely expect to do lots of walking down here. Parking is also plentiful, with both garages and metered street parking!
East End Beach
East End Beach is really the ONLY beach that’s actually in Portland, so it’s a go-to for all of my clients who want the mini session experience (a quick 30-minute session in Portland) while still having the beach vibe! Most of the beaches in the area are in places like Cape Elizabeth, South Portland, Scarborough, Biddeford, Kennebunk, etc, but you don’t need to leave the city if you’d rather not. 🙂 It’s got two small beaches (one more sandy, one more rocky), a dock, some rocky coast, and a path that’s very popular for walkers, bikers, etc. There is lots of free parking (including right next to the beach if you can snag a spot!) and even a bathroom building! Also a very popular spot for dogs.
Baxter Woods
Right across the street from Evergreen Cemetery is a small patch of forest called Baxter Woods! It’s got plenty of free on-street parking, leashed dogs are welcome, and once you’re among the trees you really would never guess you were sandwiched between two of the busiest streets in Portland. Especially gorgeous in the fall!
Eastern Promenade
Right up the hill from East End Beach is the Eastern Promenade, or the Eastern Prom! Great if you still want a bit of ocean view but more of a focus on nature — a beautiful hillside, trees, benches, and gorgeous light at sunset! It’s a great spot for a photoshoot if you want to finish up your photos and then hit up one of the many food trucks that park along it for dinner after. 🙂
Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery is not only a favorite photoshoot location of mine, but one of my favorite places period. It sounds morbid, I know, but in the back of the cemetery is a beautiful trail system as well as a couple of ponds. It’s a perfect, peaceful spot for nature lovers who want their photos filled with green and nature, and it’s AWESOME in the fall! It’s always easy to park, dogs are welcome, and it’s probably the least crowded place I ever take photos.
Western Promenade
The Western Promenade is another great spot with a beautiful view of the city, lots of nature, and a walking trail — but far less busy than the Eastern Prom. Dogs are welcome, lots of trees and nature, and right next to the neighborhoods of the West End which are filled with historic structures, brick, and wrought iron fences.
