How to Choose the Right Photo Location in Phoenix

Arizona has so many fun, beautiful, and interesting places for photos that sometimes the hardest part is simply choosing one.

We have desert mountains, green spaces, downtown streets, rustic buildings, wide-open fields, and places that don’t necessarily fit into any category at all. And while the location isn’t everything when it comes to great photos, it can completely change the way your session looks and feels.

Usually one of the first things I ask my clients when we’re choosing a photo location in Phoenix is:

Do you want green or desert?

But that’s really just the beginning.

Think About How You Want Your Photos to Feel

Before you start scrolling through locations, think about the overall look you want from your photos.

Do you picture something soft and natural?

Desert and Arizona?

Urban and a little more edgy?

Green and romantic?

Rustic or vintage?

Your location becomes part of the story your photos tell, so choosing one isn’t necessarily about finding the prettiest place. It’s about finding a place that works for you.

And sometimes that has absolutely nothing to do with what photographs best on Instagram.

Sometimes the Best Photo Location Means Something to You

One of my favorite reasons for choosing a location is because it already has a story.

For one family I photographed, Dad had proposed to Mom at the location they chose for their session.

But it gets better.

They had also gotten married there 15 years earlier.

So when they reached out wanting to bring their kids back to that exact place for family photos, I was THRILLED.

At that point, we weren’t just choosing a pretty backdrop.

We were photographing their family in a place that had been part of their story before their kids were even here.

Those are the kinds of details that make photographs mean more as the years go by.

Let Your Personality Help Choose the Location

Your personality can also point us in the right direction.

Maybe you love a vintage look and an older building or historic area feels completely like you.

Maybe you’re planning senior photos and want to bring your guitar or skateboard. Downtown Phoenix or another urban location might make much more sense than standing in the middle of the desert.

Or maybe you’re an Arizona family through and through and you want saguaros, mountains, golden light, and everything that makes this place look like home.

There isn’t one “best” photography location in Phoenix.

There’s a best location for your session.

Think About What You’re Wearing

Your outfits can help narrow things down too.

If you’re planning something more formal, there may be certain locations that complement that look beautifully.

If everyone is barefoot, casual, and ready to play with the kids, another setting may make more sense.

The location and clothing don’t have to match perfectly, but they should feel like they belong in the same story.

If you’re still deciding what everyone should wear, my what to wear guide can help with that part too.

Look at the Photos You’re Already Drawn To

This is one of the easiest ways to figure out what you like.

Explore my work and pay attention to the images that immediately catch your eye.

Don’t overthink why.

Maybe you keep stopping on desert photos.

Maybe it’s always the green locations.

Maybe you’re drawn to downtown sessions without realizing it.

That tells us something.

Once you’re officially booked with me, I send you access to locations I’ve photographed around Arizona so you can see different options and get a much better idea of what each setting actually looks like in photos.

You can also explore some of my favorite Phoenix photography locations before your session.

You Don’t Have to Choose Your Photo Location Alone

This is a big one.

You don’t need to know where you want to go before you book me.

As a Phoenix photographer, I’ve photographed at locations all over the Valley, and I usually know which places work best at certain times of day, where the light falls, what locations are seasonal, and what might work best for the vision you have.

That’s part of what I’m here for.

And while I have plenty of tried-and-true favorites, I’m always up for somewhere new.

Actually, I thrive a little bit when you give me a new location.

Put me somewhere I’ve never photographed before and you might be surprised by how much my creativity comes through. There’s something about having to look at a place with completely fresh eyes that I absolutely love.

And Yes, I Will Travel

If the location that’s perfect for you isn’t in Phoenix, that doesn’t automatically take it off the table.

I will absolutely travel for sessions.

Locations outside the Phoenix area may require a travel fee because I’m blocking additional time in my schedule for driving, but sometimes the right place is completely worth the trip.

Especially when there’s a story behind it.

I’ve left some of those sessions feeling like I just got to live a little dream myself.

And honestly, getting to photograph people in beautiful places I’ve never been is one of the parts of this job I love most.