Top 10 Seattle Locations to Shoot FOR FREE (Plus PRO TIPS from a Local Photographer)

Top 10 Seattle Locations to Shoot FOR FREE (Plus PRO TIPS from a Local Photographer)

1. The Washington Park Arboretum

We’re starting the list off strong, the Washington Park Arboretum never disappoints! With sprawling lawns, gorgeous giant trees, and unique plants, you’ve got yourself a variety of colorful backgrounds for any season. Pro Tip: parking is extremely limited. Park along the side streets outside of the park and walk in, you’ll thank me later! 

2. The University of Washington Campus

The University of Washington Campus dates back to the 1890’s and it’s filled with enormous intricate buildings and gorgeous lawns. Any season of the year is absolutely gorgeous, but especially spring with the cherry blossoms and fall with the autumn leaves! Pro tip: make good use of those beautiful old buildings! Have your clients lean up against a pillar, sit on the benches and position your frame to capture all of those yummy architectural details.

3. Seahurst Park

A lot of my locations I’ve got stored in my back pocket like a special secret, but this one was suggested by my client simply because they loved going there. When interviewing my clients about locations, I always ask them “Is there somewhere nearby that is meaningful to you?” and oftentimes I will get great suggestions that I never would have seen otherwise! Seahurst Park has it all: easily walkable (important for kids or maternity), lush wooded areas filled with moss and ferns, and a beautiful beach. Pro tip: the beach has plenty of large driftwood that is great to use for sitting poses!

4. Inside of a Local Business

Want to flex your extrovert skills? Ask a local business if you can shoot inside! I’ve had great luck with casually approaching local businesses and getting to photograph in unique spots, the key is to approach them with clear expectations: 1. What the shoot is for, 2. How many people are involved in the shoot, and 3. How long you will be photographing for. If it’s just you, your client, one camera and 20 minutes, they will more likely say “yes”. If you have a more involved photoshoot, it’s best to contact the business ahead of time and get clearance with the owner, they may even let you shoot before or after hours! Top tip: be respectful, buy something or tip the servers, and always tag them on Instagram!

5. Kerry Park

Want a Seattle Cityscape with the Space Needle in it? Go to Kerry Park. It’s literally perfect. If you go on a weekday, parking will be way easier and the park won't be as crowded with tourists. Pro tip: play around with your depth of field, and bring a circular polarizer in order to make the skyline and Space Needle really POP.

6. Carkeek Park

Up in North Seattle, there’s plenty of gorgeous areas to photograph, but my top favorite is Carkeek Park. Located in the Broadview neighborhood, this peaceful and unique park offers you plenty of woods to play around in, although the trails can get a bit steeper (something to keep in mind for certain clients). The beach is also very pretty, a typical Washington rocky beach. Pro tip: one of my favorite features of this park is the railway running in between the beach and the rest of the park. Where else can you get woods, beach AND a cool industrial look? There’s something for every client here, and its the perfect place to go and play.

7. Discovery Park

Discovery park is a local favorite for good reason. It's easy to walk around, but HUGE, so it's easier to meander around while remaining relatively private. My favorite are the big fields full of grass and foliage, it’s perfect for a romantic couples session in my opinion. Pro top: golden hour is magical here, give your clients some time and space to just be themselves and soak in the peaceful nature around them. Use a long lens and instruct them to just chat together, pretending like you’re not even there. You’ll be happy with the cute results!

8. Volunteer Park

Located right in Capitol Hill, this is one of my favorite locations for a quick and easy headshot because of its centrality, and the buses go up there pretty often (great for a client who uses public transportation). Pro tip: don’t miss the water tower observatory! Not only are there incredible views of the city, but the interior is gorgeous with exposed brick and giant windows letting in the perfect amount of light for a natural portrait. Plus, it’s great to have a public indoor option if it happens to be raining!

9. Pioneer Square

Looking for industrial old-world charm? Pioneer Square is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Seattle, rich with beautiful details like wrought iron lamp posts and cobblestone streets. There’s so many photo opportunities here, once you try this location you will definitely be back for more! There’s ivy covered buildings, cafe terraces, and the largest concentration of art galleries in all of Seattle. Pro tip: Day or night (but especially night), Occidental Square is breathtaking! The string lights are perfect for romantic portraits or a cinematic headshot. Also, the short walk to shoot inside King Street Station is TOTALLY WORTH IT (and a great indoor option).

10. Greenwood

If you are looking for something in between a neighborhood and a city, Greenwood is perfect for you. This cute little pocket of the city is north of Seattle, and they’ve cultivated their own unique flair, with old movie theaters, shops, parks and pretty streets. I love shooting headshots here, it gives them a down-to-earth appeal that some professions aim for, but you could also take a family or couple here for a fun “date” (walking down the street with ice cream?? How cute would that be?!). Pro tip: play with dragging your shutter or using shallow depth of field to get people blurred out walking in the background to give more of a “city” vibe, and it’ll also draw the viewer's attention to your subject.

The Healing Benefits of Having Yourself Photographed

The Healing Benefits of Having Yourself Photographed

The beginning of Affirmation Sessions

Several years ago, I started noticing clients approaching me before, during or after personal life changes, wanting to document their growth or use photography as a mental health boost. The concepts were so unique and creative, but all had one thing in common: they were choosing to book a photo session to celebrate themselves. Boom, Affirmation Sessions were created.

The Research Behind Having Yourself Photographed…

Research shows the benefits of viewing photos of yourself, and some therapists actually use “Therapeutic Photography” methods to supplement their regular therapy sessions. Judy Weiser has spent 25 years putting her “Photo Therapy” into her practice, I recommend reading through her techniques on her website if you are interested! Portraiture can be a powerful way to document and celebrate the amazing journey that you are on, whether that be with your body, your heart, your family or your career.

An Inspiring Example of Healing Yourself Through Photography

Today I want to highlight one client in particular, Pauline. This was such a powerful shoot for me to be a part of, and it really solidified WHY I choose to do Affirmation sessions. Sometimes a boudoir, branding, or creative portrait shoot just doesn’t reach far enough. Sometimes my clients need a healing opportunity led by a neutral third party. Disclosure: I am not a trained therapist (yet), just an empathetic soul who is passionate about people. I want all my clients to reach as far as they can in every direction and feel for the parts of themselves that they love, and start building upon those things.

Photoshoot for Mental Health

Pauline came to the table with inspiration from foreign music videos, from old 60’s animations about shapes (see here and here), from modern 2d geometric painters… it was all so avante garde and inspiring, I was so thrilled! Creativity is an incredible healer, connector, and it's just FUN. Pauline had plenty of ideas and inspiration, but was also totally open to mine. She had direction and excitement for her concept, but also loved input into how to translate things into a photo shoot. She was specific but not overbearing. Even with the makeup artist we hired (shoutout to Linko Macklem!), I had Pauline draw an idea of what shapes she wanted on her face, but she was very persistent in telling the makeup artist to do what inspired her and to have fun with it. 

The Reason Why

A few days before the shoot Pauline and I had a craft day. Armed with all the materials we could find, we built the props together while snacking on pizza and listening to music. For a typical client I would have done this on my own, but knowing how artistic she was, I gave her the option of helping build the scene and she accepted enthusiastically! I really got to know her better also, after our craft date I felt so much closer to her personally and really got to know who she was and why she was doing the shoot. She was excited that she had a recent win at work, and she had always wanted to do a creative shoot for herself. She was splurging on herself. She graciously shared so many wonderful reasons that I will keep close to my heart. She knew she would love the photos for years to come and they would help her appreciate herself more. So many great reasons to dote on oneself!!

Celebrating Your Body, Overcoming Trauma, and the Creative Soul

During the shoot the conversation topics flowed: overcoming trauma, celebrating her body, letting her creative soul lead, giving into her truest self, sharing her innermost creativity with the world, letting her visuals speak for her... She said "I want to be like a statue in a geometric rose garden", I was taken aback by her openness and was so grateful to be a conduit for her. I never force topics or conversations from clients and I ask them beforehand (in my questionnaires) if there are any topics we should avoid. My goal is to make an Affirmation shoot a safe space where any emotion is welcome, and by documenting the different feelings we acknowledge them, give them space and feel the power to move through them to the other side of healing.

The Legacy of having yourself photographed

Having the photos for years to come, I hope she can look back and remember how much of a wonderfully creative inspiring badass she is, and that she deserves to let her creative voice speak!

5 Ways to Elevate your Branding Photography for your Business

Welcome! I’m glad you are here and ready to upgrade your visual marketing. I know as a business owner, I am always SO busy, so I will be brief and get right to the point. Here’s my 5 suggestions to start upgrading your branding photography:

Step One: Research and make some decisions.

If you are in the exploration phase of your business, or maybe you are rebranding, research can help you see what you like and what you don’t like. Start a folder on your phone or computer and screenshot anything you are drawn to (you can organize next). The mood of the photos, the lighting, the colors… this will help you narrow down your ideal brand, and make it YOU. The next step is to make some tough decisions on which directions to go: pick a few colors and fonts and stick to them! Pick out your favorite 5-10 photos of inspiration and put them on your wall or your computer background! Start aiming for these visuals with all your might.

Step Two: What do you have, what do you need?

The next step I recommend is to see what media you already have that will fit into your new brand. Do you have cool behind-the-scenes videos of a product you think your clients will love? Do you have beautiful photos of your shop? Start organizing these in a way that works for you (and in a way that you will actually USE). Next, pinpoint what visuals you NEED. Do you need a headshot or yourself or your employees? Do you need simple studio photos of your products or services? How about photos of you interacting with a client? Keep a list of photo and video goals so you can start checking them off your list and be more prepared.

Step Three: Execute!

Whether you are hiring a photographer or you ARE the photographer, now is the time to look for opportunities. Look at your business with visual marketing in mind, and be playful about it. If you have a festive event coming up, consider taking photos then. If you have a product that clients are always asking “how do you make that??” consider filming a behind-the-scenes video. Play around and see what sticks. And you can always work with your photographer to find more opportunities. As always, keep your branding colors and mood in mind.

Step Four: Share!

Photos and videos of your business are only worthwhile if you SHARE them! So come up with a plan to update your website, Facebook, Instagram, or whatever platform your clients hang out on. Take the most striking images and use them across all your platforms, this will really tie together your branding. Mix your new content in with any previous stuff that made the branding cut. Have fun sharing your passion projects with your clients and be proud of yourself that you took the steps to refresh your visual marketing!

Step Five: Repeat.

I’m putting this step in here to remind you of a little secret: it's YOUR business, and you have the power to change it at your will. Branding consistency is very important, but I also believe in doing what works best for you and learning from your past. Be confident that you have more clients and customers out there waiting for you, and keep on evaluating your branding visuals. If you see an opportunity for a great content creation moment: capture and share it! Marketing should be fresh and exciting, so keep on searching for those visuals that excite you.

I hope this was a helpful list to get you started! If you are in the greater Seattle area, I would love to be your photographer. I also offer visual marketing consultation! We meet about once a month and I help you reach your marketing goals by assisting you in branding exploration, content creation, social media calendars, website optimization and MUCH more. Best of luck to you!

-Courtney

Booking a Boudoir Shoot? Here's What You Need to Ask Yourself...

I am going to let you in on something: everything changed for me when I started sending out boudoir questionnaires before all of my boudoir sessions, and here’s why:

It gave my clients time to reflect, recognize their growth, and open up to me. I got an inside look at their worldview.

Ideally, after I book a client, I will email them this questionnaire before we meet for a zoom consultation session so I can get to know them a bit better, and make the most out of their zoom consult time. I also want to get these questions fleshed out to be able to save time for new ideas and questions.

If you are a potential boudoir client reading this, welcome!! Allow these questions to take you on a journey inside your future shoot, and always keep your boundaries in mind. Think about where you’re at with your body right now, and if you are not yet ready to get to a place of appreciation, let’s work towards a place of neutrality. You are so much more than your body. Boudoir can heal that rift between what we THINK we should look like, and having grace and joy for what we physically present. What matters is that you are here, thinking about documenting your physical presence, and that takes strength and courage and a whole lot of fun brainstorming, and I am elated that you are thinking about it. I hope the experience is everything you hoped for and more, and that you look at the photos afterwards and go “ok, damn. I see myself now. I am amazing.”

If you are a photographer reading this, I just want to say: your list of questions might look a lot different than this. You may want to take this and add or subtract to it, but overall I just want you to make it your own! Think about your boudoir sessions and how you want to get to know your clients. Keep in mind you want to value your clients time, as well.

Don’t forget you can always reach out to me if you’re in the greater Seattle area (I work everywhere from Bellevue to Port Orchard to Eastern Washington. I don’t mind traveling and I love meeting new people).

So! Without further ado, I give you my Boudoir Questionnaire!

You:

• What are your main goals with this boudoir session? What is the “why”?

• Any words of inspiration we can aim for when shooting?

• What are your favorite features about your body?

• Where would you say you are on the journey to self acceptance?

• Would you like to share something you are proud of that your body has done for you?

• Think about using this session as a way to get to know yourself and your body, even a healing opportunity. Are there any words of affirmations we can say while shooting? 

• Is there anything you want me to know about your journey with your gender or sexual identity? Do you want to explore those dynamics visually?

• Is there anything you want me to know about you and/or your body? Anything you want to highlight or hide in photos? Anything you want me to edit out? blemishes, stretch marks, scars?)

• Is there anything else you want me to know about you?

Questions about your style and aesthetic:

• Do you prefer a more even toned, softer aesthetic? Or a high-contrast, deep shadows, crispier aesthetic?

• Do you have any visuals you want to share that really encompass your style/vibe/look? Movies, music videos, abstract art, sculpture, a muse, etc?

• Are you drawn to any particular textures, materials, or elements? Ex: bubbles, paint, smoke, dirt, netting, saran wrap, honey, powder, water, light patterns, fire, leather, mirrors, wax, etc.

• Which past decade do you most relate to?

• If you could own any piece of art to display in your home, what would it be?

The shoot:

• What type of look/feel do you want to encompass? Boudoir is wonderfully broad, so we can go in a lot of different directions: moody/fun, pinup/realistic, day/night, indoor/outdoor etc. We can start narrowing down your boudoir style by putting together a mood board! (feel free to pin photos that aren’t even boudoir! If you like the vibe, put it in there. These visuals are so that I can get a better feel for your style and preferences.)

• Location: Do you want to shoot in your home or would you rather book an Airbnb or Photography Studio? If shooting at home, let's chat about locations within your home, backgrounds, bedding, curtains, etc... 

• Do you want to hire a hair and makeup artist?

• What is the date/time we are thinking of starting? Let’s make sure to factor in hair and makeup, setup time, and if we are going for a natural light look.

• What is your overall budget?

• Do you want to sign an optional model release? The photos and behind-the-scenes videos will be used in my marketing materials so that more people can see how a boudoir shoot with me works!
  
  

-Courtney

5 tricks to a successful Business Headshot Photography Session

Are you FINALLY getting around to updating your business headshot, and want to make the most out of your session? Let me tell you a few easy tricks to get you started!

If you think you're the only one with an outdated business headshot, think again. On average, most of my business headshot clients are rocking a photo from 10 to 15 years ago, sometimes longer! I get it. Life is busy, and especially if you're a business owner, you have a million other things to worry about. But let's think about this: if your headshot looks like an outdated version of your current self, what does that say about you? That you're stuck in the past? That you're not confident of who you are today? That you don't value transparency? Maybe. There's a lot of assumptions a potential client (or hiring manager) could make once they see the difference between your old head shot and who you are in real life, but the important thing is this: when you choose to value your current self and celebrate where you are, people notice and get excited to connect with you!

As always, if you are in the Greater Seattle area, hit me up to chat about what a business headshot would look like for you!

1. How to choose an outfit for your business headshot photography session:

   A lot goes into picking out an outfit that will define you, and it can feel like a lot of pressure to land on something, but I like to break it down into categories - Colors, informal/formal, season, and flair.

   • Let’s start with colors! Ask yourself, “what are my signature colors? What colors am I most likely to gravitate towards on a daily basis? What colors do people tell me I look good in? What colors make me happy?” Oftentimes, these colors can be referred to as your “Branding Colors”. Entrepreneurs and business owners usually pick out a few signature colors to use in their marketing, but sometimes these are helpful for dressing up yourself as well! Even if you’re applying to an office job, or another type of career that you may not be visible to the general public, it’s fun to know what your personal color style palate is. My only requirement for my clients is that they steer clear of wild patterns and logos, and try to pick complementary colors to the background we’re using (for example: if you’re shooting in front of trees, maybe bring color options other than green? If you’re shooting in front of a black background, try colors that will pop!).

   • Next, let’s break down the informal to formal spectrum: this usually can be solved by thinking of that old saying “Dress for the job that you want, not the one that you have”. But use your best judgement! Think about where you want to be in five years - what job does future you have?. Think about people in your line of work who you admire - how do they dress? It’s important to be comfortable at your photo shoot, but its also important to look like you have a firm grasp on who you are and where you’re heading. Plus, pick something you are going to be proud of in five years! Nothing too trendy, steer towards classic. Unless you want to update your headshot every year (which would be super fun for me, the photographer! But it’s up to you.) Also be mindful and avoid pet hair, wrinkles, and deodorant marks on your clothing. If you are wearing a bra or undershirt under your main item of clothing, make sure it lays smooth and isn’t poking out. It’s the small details that really dress up an outfit!

   • Seasons! We love seasons here in the PNW. If you are a professional who works outside, maybe you want to show that off! Think about what season you want to book your photoshoot in, and dress accordingly. If you’re a chef who forages for plants and mushrooms and that’s what makes you unique, maybe you want your branding shoot to showcase that! If you’re a yoga instructor, maybe summer is your jam!

   • Flair can be what you want it to be: a piece of jewelry you love, wearing your hear in a way that makes you confident, a beautiful tie or silk scarf... As I mentioned above, make sure you aren’t leaning too heavily into trends, because you might find your styles change quickly and next year you’ll look at your headshot session as passé. But when you have some fun and bring along a few unique items, your headshot session will really start to look like YOU.

2. Stay hydrated, feed yourself, and B R E A T H E.

I KNOW you might be nervous, but one of the most important parts of your session is to make sure you feel good physically and mentally! Your body will thank you by looking its best, your skin will be clearer, and your smiles will be more genuine. The days leading up to your session, treat yourself well. Take the extra steps to make sure you are getting enough to eat and drink, extra points for getting active and sleeping well. I know that this life is wild and hectic, but you are paying for this session to document you at your best, and I want to encourage you to prioritize your inner self too. Showing up to a session out of breath from errands, faint from forgetting to eat lunch, and tired eyes is just… not fun. Especially for you! I am a professional photographer with tons of Photoshop experience, I will make you look great no matter what, but I also want you to have a great photoshoot experience. Value yourself, my dears!

3. Know thyself.

I always start a brainstorming session asking my clients some rather… personal questions. Do you want your teeth whitened in Photoshop? How do you feel about facial hair? Are there any piercings or scars you would like edited out? These tiny little details give me an idea of how you like to see yourself in your head. The fact of the matter is that cameras are incredibly detailed, and will pick up the tiniest things. But by starting out our session asking about your preferences, I can have a list to refer to while editing! Plus, it can take the pressure off of you to be obsessively whitening your teeth the night before!

4. Are you booking a basic head-and-shoulders headshot? Don’t stress about the background too much.

One of my favorite things about the classic headshot is that you don’t need an elaborate location. In fact! Some of my most successful portraits have been done in a parking lot! If the outdoor vibe is your jam, I have great news: we can pretty much find any tree and be GOOD. The only stipulation to an outdoor portrait is that you be standing in shade, or that we shoot on an overcast day (this keeps harsh shadows away from your face, and keeps you from squinting). I recently did a headshot session for a business in Issaquah, they needed staff headshots but were stressed about location. Getting the employees in and out of the workplace on the same day while not interrupting their workflow was a challenge. So I went scouting the day before the session and found a lovely corner of the parking lot which was shaded with trees, and voila! The employees could walk a short distance, get their headshots done quickly, and head back to work. The business owner didn’t have to worry about schedules at all!

If you wanted a backdrop headshot session, the world is your oyster! You can pretty much choose any color you want (keep those branding colors in mind), and even switch it up to black and white if you’re feeling classic.

5. Think outside the box!!!

Want to be different? Just do you!! If you are in a field or profession that allows you to show off a little more personality, think how fun it would be to shoot on-location at a cool piece of architecture? Or maybe use some weird props in front of a wild colored background? Or maybe do the photoshoot in your artists’ studio, workplace, or showing off your craft? Adding in more elements can be really cool for the viewer, and add more depth and personality to your session. If you’re opting for a full branding session, I would highly encourage this step! During the brainstorming session, let the ideas fly and see what you can come up with.