Locations You’ll Love for Seattle Business Portraits Utilizing Natural Lighting Outdoors and Scenery

Take the guesswork out of it and use this list as a guide to the best locations around the Seattle and Bellevue areas for taking business portraits and other types of portraits. There are so many fun places to take pictures, but when photographing professionals or using natural light you really want to use unique locations that provide the best chance of obtaining that great look you’re going for. So, without further a-due, here goes!

1 – Kerry Park, Downtown Seattle / Overlooking the Seattle skyline from Queen Anne hill

One of the more popular local tourist attractions and home to many-a-wedding-engagement portraits, this location puts you level with the top of the Space Needle from the NW side of the city. Early in the morning and later in the evening produce the best lighting unless you’re assisted by some friendly clouds that will serve as a nice natural diffuser. Usually we’ll use a very simple setup here, however what I would recommend for optimal results is to bring styling products with you as many times it’s quite windy atop this area regardless of time of year.

2 – Pike Place, Downtown Seattle / Corner of Pike and 1st St in downtown Seattle

Who doesn’t like the Pike Place sign!? lol…it’s pretty much a signature to the city. Depending on the type of Seattle business headshots style we’re looking to capture, some commercial/lifestyle headshots look great with a local item as a background. Utilizing the rustic bricks/cobblestone walkway, passerby and signage really make this one of the most favorite locations! Best parking is a couple blocks away to avoid a steep tourist-rate parking or if you’re lucky enough to find a meter, but even those are $3.50/hr.

3 – Greenlake, Seattle / Northside of Greenlake off the 65th St exit & Ravenna

Home to runners, walkers and a great view! Many times I’ve worked with my clients to capture fun portraits using a variety of backgrounds depending on their wishes. The lighting is always great in this area regardless of time of year and there are many local coffee shops for easy meeting up.

4 – Bellevue Park, Downtown Bellevue / Just off the 4th St exit one block south of Bellevue Square

Home to a half-mile jogging trail, a children’s play area, three parking areas, a giant tree at it’s epicenter, and a beautiful man-made large pond with waterfall, Bellevue Park ranks Number-One on my list. I’ve probably photographed over a hundred professionals and high school seniors at this location in my years as a Seattle Business Portrait photographer. There are several benches located around the park and some nice steps with a view of the entire park on the north end as well that are always popular.

5 – Fremont, Seattle  / Just north of Downtown on the NW end of Lake Union

Variety, artsy and eclectic come to mind in Fremont. The Fremont Bridge, Burke-Gilman trail or downtown Fremont make for rustic and energetic backgrounds with a story.

6 – SODO (or South Downtown), Seattle / Easy access from I-90 and any exit south of the I-90 interchange

What an evolution this hyper industrial area has undergone since the late 1990’s! SODO is home to the most rustic backgrounds you’ll find outside the Pioneer Square area except with a little more breathing room. Capturing personality-focused Seattle business portraits is paramount in this area or for any other type of photography such as modeling or commercial portraiture. Best thing to do is spend 30-45min driving around the area to scope out your favorite backgrounds then complete your session with a good frame of mind for the uniqueness of the area.

7 – Alki Beach, West Seattle / Located off the West Seattle Bridge then onto the north end

Let’s get beachy! For our 5-6 months of warmer weather this is one of the city’s hotspots for cruising, playing beach volleyball and enjoying a stroll along the boardwalk with good eats and local flavor. Capturing the beach-like feel with driftlogs, huge water-laden rocks and the best dynamite view of the Seattle skyline, this is THE SPOT in warmer weather! More so for family portraits, however this spot is very popular with some of my business portrait clientele. Just make sure you ‘rap’ with Fish n’Chips!

8 – Pioneer Square, Downtown Seattle / Located off the James or Yesler St exits

Here you’ll find a wide variety of settings including many colors and styles of brick, some industrial with a mixture of trees for a unique setting only found in this area of town. From traditional awnings by local businesses to the heart of this area’s brick walkways or perhaps rustic signage on buildings from the early to mid 1900’s, this area is one of favorite locations and was home to a former photography studio co-op I used to belong to. Graffiti optional!

9 – Madison Park, Seattle / Located south of the Arboretum park and 15-20 blocks East of Seattle University bordering Lake Washington

‘Home away from home’ is how I like to think about this area. It’s just one of those hidden little treasures in the city that most don’t know about unless they’re local…and even then…it’s surprising how many locals have never been down. Madison Park is like stepping into a tiny town with one stoplight, there’s a quaintness and coziness about this area that’s rare in King County. There’s a small beach area as well so bring your towel for after your session! Great spot for variety and that small town feel for your Seattle business portraits.

10 – University of Washington Campus, Seattle / Located north of Downtown off the 45th St exit or off the 520 Highway

Go Huskies! (tough to say because I’m a Washington State University grad) but this area is just so full of energy and excitement half the time it’s difficult to ignore. For grandiose, stature, and plushness this campus has it all! You’ll be mesmerized by the apple trees, their ‘Red Square’ central campus and circular waterfall. Don’t forget about all their sports cathedrals and signage. If you’re looking for a wide variety of settings in just a short walk, consider utilizing all the UW offers!

Article by Julian Michael of JM Photography, based in Seattle/Bellevue area since 2007