Great locations for Austin family and engagement photos

Since moving to Dripping Springs, I have found so many amazing locations for Austin family and engagement photos! I have to come to love and appreciate how different a lot of these locations can look throughout the seasons! We get those magical few months every spring where the wildflowers and bluebonnets are blooming, which seems to be a favorite time for families to get out and get those family photos with the bluebonnets! Shortly after, the grass gets so tall and vibrant green, creating another gorgeous landscape for photos. Even in the winter, when the grass is brown and the trees are bare, there is a magical look to the landscape as the sun is setting, producing an all over pastel and misty look the images that I absolutely can’t resist.

Here are a few of my favorite locations in and around Austin for photos so far!

 

Brushy Creek Lake Park

Seriously, this park is stunning. It looks gorgeous all year round, and there is so much space to explore. You will see and abundance of photographers out with families and engaged couples here in the fall and even more in the spring when the bluebonnets are blooming. Brushy Creek Lake Park is located right in the heart of Cedar Park, and is a perfect location choice if you want to get out of the city of Austin into an area a bit more rural.

 

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

One of my lovely engaged couples brought this gem to my attention when I first moved to the area. I can’t say enough great things about the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. In the spring, it is bursting with colorful plants, trees and wildflowers, and in other months it is just as beautiful with new flowers blooming through the changing seasons. This location is huge, and offers a great variety of backdrops, from ivy-covered stone walls to big, grassy fields. Couples often get married here as well! Whether it is an elopement or a full-day event, you can’t go wrong choosing LBJ Wildflower Center.

 

Commons Ford Ranch Park

Commons Ford Ranch Park is just outside of Austin and is one of the lesser-known locations, but it is absolutely gorgeous. It is a little off the beaten path, and you have to park your car on the side of the road and walk a little through the trees to reach this park. It is worth it! If you have little ones, it a great location for family photos because your kids can run around as much as they want in the grassy fields and winding pathways through the trees. Families have loved getting their photos taken here, as this place allows for candid and beautiful moments with their kids that I can capture with my camera. Engaged couples also love this spot! I have photographed so many engaged couples at Commons Ford Ranch Park since moving here, and every session looks completely different since the area is so big and there is such a variety of locations to choose from.

 

South Congress Ave in downtown Austin

If you are more of a city person, consider a photo session on South Congress Ave! You can’t get more “Austin” than that! There are so many funky little areas of South Congress Ave that make perfect backdrops for family or engagement photos. The TOMS store offers a few murals outside their building, one being the famous heart wall. There is also a hammock out front that kids love to sit in and get their photo taken! In fact, I did an entire two hour photo session just at the TOMS store last year! By the South Congress Hotel, there is a neat black and white tile wall that makes for some really interesting urban-type photos and down a little further is a bright blue wall that makes another really fun backdrop. There is even an entire area of walls covered in ivy that can add a little nature to your images.

 

Zilker Park and Lou Neff Point

Zilker Park is obviously one of the most popular areas in downtown Austin for people to hang out during the day. The neat thing about this park are the trail that winds alongside Lake Austin. Lou Neff Point is just off the trail and is absolutely stunning, and offers gorgeous views of Lake Austin and the city skyline. It is a great place to walk leisurely and take photos in various locations along the trails.

 

Butler Park and Auditorium Shores

Butler Park is always so gorgeous at sunset, when everything gets less hot and bright and the buildings are towering above in the background. This is a great place to combine with South Congress Ave for an evening city photo session. Auditorium Shores has lots of trees and dirt paths that run along the water. Even in the winter, this place is gorgeous. The leaves begin to change color and it is a great place to consider for family photos with a wintery feel.

 

Bull Creek Park

I’ve only been to Bull Creek Park once, for a maternity photo session, but this location is so neat! There is a grassy area above, which is almost always green and lush. Down by the water, you can walk along the rocks and let your kids splash in the puddles for some fun (and messy) photos. The parking lots fill up quickly, so it’s a good idea to go in the early morning or in the evening hours!

 

Pennybacker Bridge

The Pennybacker Bridge, or better known at the 360 Bridge, is such a popular landmark in Austin. There is a huge grassy field below the bridge and is a great location to get family photos if you want to let you kids run around and explore!