Picture Perfect Long Island; Portrait Photography Locations

Massapequa Preserve Family Photo Session

My favorite photoshoot locations for Family, Maternity, Engagement and Milestone photo sessions - Long Island Portrait Photography Locations

Nassau County Edition

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Here on Long Island we live in an area that is very diverse with photographic locations. From gardens, to sandy beaches, historic landmarks, to shady nature, trails, and preserves.  Choosing a location for your upcoming photo session can be overwhelming.  As a born and bred Long Island resident, I can offer insights and recommendations for the many options you have to choose from and the many factors to think about when choosing a location for your photography session. Because of the vast options, I

will be focusing on Nassau county and vicinity in this article.

There were so many considerations besides the obvious. The obvious being, most people want go where it is visually appealing. This makes perfect sense however, there are other factors that needed to take into consideration besides a pretty location.

• Time of year is a huge factor. While beach sessions are very popular here on Long Island, these sessions are only optimum during certain seasons, during certain weather conditions, and at specific times of the day.   Beach sessions, as well as most of my sessions are best scheduled during the golden hour of the day when the light is softest and most flattering. This is particularly critical at the beach where there is little to no shade. We always want to avoid shooting in bright, harsh, sunlight as it creates highlights and shadows that are unpleasant, cause people to squint and are generally avoided for outdoor sess. Since Long Island beaches get very crowded, we want to avoid peak times when there are a lot of background distractions like beach umbrellas, coolers, chairs, people towels, etc.

Sunset Maternity Session, Point Lookout beach, Long Island

• Another factor when choosing a location is walkability and parking. This is especially important for maternity photoshoots, sessions with very small children and family photo sessions with anyone who has mobility issues. These sessions are best photographed at locations with easy parking, easy paths, and smaller settings.

• Public restrooms are certainly something to think about. For a maternity sessions is this is particularily important.   Also in case the client chooses to do an outfit change, having facilities is critical.

• Another aspect in choosing a photo shoot location is whether or not the location requires a permit. Yikes, this is a big one. Long Island has an abundance of beautiful formal gardens, historic sites, arboretums and parks many of these require photography permits for photo shoots. These permits are often expensive and do not transfer to a different day in the event of bad weather. Some locations are much stricter with their permit policy than others. Permits often take time to apply for so planning ahead is required.

• I believe that our fur babies are part of the family too. Many of my photo sessions include the family dog. Sadly, Nassau County has many restrictions regarding pet policies, but I have several lovely locations that are dog friendly. Some areas have more relaxed pet policies at certain times of the year making this another factor when selecting a location for your photoshoot.

Fur Baby Hempstead Lake State Park, Rockville Centre, Long Island

• There are also some seasonal considerations. When choosing a spring photo session clients often want spring blooms in their photos. For this reason, we choose parks and preserves that have an abundance of flowering fruit trees, azaleas and gardens. Popular fall family sessions on the other hand are scheduled in areas with an abundance of trees so we get the beautiful fall foliage.

• Architectural details are wonderful for outdoor portrait sessions. Stone Bridges, gazebo’s, garden walls, ivy covered fences or the rustic side of a building to give the appearance of being in a rural setting against a barn are all elements clients may want to consider as backdrops in their photos.  Knowing our area locations and their unique features makes this possible.

Now let's take a look at some location ideas. The following is a brief list of some of the locations that I work and are popular requests.

• Little Bay Park, Fort Totten; Bayside. Yes I know this is  not Nassau County lol. But this is such a unique and often overlooked location that I have decided to include it. Little Bay Park is a short ride on the Cross Island Parkway from Western in Nassau County.  The park has a spectacular view of the Throgs Neck bridge at sunset. Adjacent Fort Totten is a historic, and really interesting place for photo sessions.  The grounds are vast. The architecture is eclectic, ranging from a glorious castle to abandoned grungy structures, making for some very unique backgrounds. Both little Bay Park and Fort Totten have very lenient pet policies so your fur baby is always welcome.

• In and around Garden City;

~ The cathedral grounds are one of my favorite photography locations    These grounds are spacious, offer something special for each season and hold unexpected landscape secret treasures that I share with only my clients.  The cathedral itself is grand and gothic making a stunning feature that my First Holy Communion clients love.

First Holy Communion Portrait at the cathedral, Garden City NY

~ Village green: The Garden City village green is an easy and great spot.  It’s small and easy to walk but has a gazebo, flower lined picket fence and great fall seasonal decorations.

~ Seventh Street: This is vibrant and unique area for photo sessions.  The backdrop can serve for a compelling and engaging portrait session, giving more of an urban, street chic style. This works well for environmental Headshots and fun lifestyle family sessions.

• Franklin Square, West Hempstead, Malverne, Rockville Centre:  Some of the most visited locations in my portfolio come from this area.

  
  

  ~ Halls Pond Park that offer many different settings in a small walkable area. This location has a photogenic footbridge over the pond, a gazebo and a unique area that gives the illusion of being in a wooded rustic countryside.

  
  

  ~ Another location nearby is Hempstead Lake State Park. This park has many beautiful trails and features that are lovely during all four seasons. It’s also a great location to bring your family pet and for your little ones to explore during your family photography session.

• Roslyn, Westbury, Lattingtown and Oyster Bay: The locations in this section of Long Island are among the most beautiful in New York.  This is Gold Coast Long Island at its finest. Think formal gardens and historic mansions. 

  
  

  ~ Roslyn’s Cedarmere is a beautiful walkable location with historic structures, path, and reed covered shoreline.

~Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay is a historic estate and public garden. Its stunning landscaped ground, greenhouses and grand Coe Hall mansion is a breathtaking location.

~Similarly elegant is Old Westbury Gardens which offers guilded age grandeur with formal gardens, pond, woodland and historic estate.

Engagement Photoshoot at Old Westbury Garden, Long Island

~Another surprisingly often missed location in Gerry Park in Roslyn.  This location is not only scenic with architectual features but has no admission fee. It's one of my favorite spots to take clients!

• Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, Massapequa:

~ The Wantagh Historic train is a preserved 1800’s train car and station.  Its charm draws many photographers especially during the Christmas season.  The grounds lead back to wooded nature trails.  This location is popular for Christmas mini sessions.  Due to permit requirements and popularity, advance booking is required.

Christmas Mini Session at historic train in Wantagh NY

~ Nearby Massapequa Preserve is a picturesque nature area.  Trails, pond and natural setting is perfect for family sessions allowing children to run and explore.

~ Norman Levy Preserve is a one of a kind place. When I explain to clients how to find it, I’m sure they think I’m nuts. But trust me it’s remarkable. Tucked away beyond the department of sanitation :/ (yeah), the preserve has been built on a landfill. It has many trails, salt marsh landscape and small farm animals. But the pinnacle is the top of the hill, with spectacular views all the way to the New York City skyline, scenic wind turbine and wildflower covered meadows that burst with life and color especially at golden hour. This location does require a bit of an uphill hike or steps to the top.

Norman Levy Preserve Merrick NY, Family Photography Sessio

• Long Island Beaches

We are blessed with miles upon miles and dozens beaches.  From April to October, these are some of my most popular photography session locations.  Our beaches are perfect for all session;

• maternity photoshoots, engagements and proposal sessions

• family photography sessions

• elopements, intimate wedding and destination weddings

~ Jones beach in Wantagh and Long Beach are beloved by long islanders with sandy shoreline and legendary boardwalks.

~ Point Lookout Beach is a quieter haven making is an excellent choice with less visual distractions.

• Bay Shore:  yes I know, this is Suffolk County and I said my focus in the article is Nassau Count. But, it would be an injustice to leave out one of Long Island’s most iconic photography location.  

~ The Fire Island Lighthouse and National Seashore.  This spot is truly a treasure and is quintessential Long Island. Beginning at Robert Moses State Park and following the boardwalk path to the lighthouse we’re met with dunes, fauna and vegetation uniquely Long Island.  The Fire Island Lighthouse offers a breathtaking backdrop for timeless and scenic photographs, with its historic charm, sweeping ocean views, and serene coastal landscape. Capturing special moments here is natural and authentic because this is truly a special place.  The awed expressions of children as the lighthouse comes into view is priceless.  The path allows for many photo ops and family bonding moments.  Since the special location doesn’t allow parking a 20 minute hike each way is required but no one ever complains as it’s so worth it!

These are just an handful of highlights.  From Glen Cove to Lynbrook to Levittown to Freeport to Bellmore to Bethpage to Melville, there are dozens upon dozens of hidden gems.  When it’s time to book your photo session location, it’s important to consider more than just the scenery—your family’s comfort, accessibility, cost of entrance and permit fees, pet policy, seasonal and weather considerations and the overall atmosphere matter just as much. The best location isn’t just beautiful; it’s one where everyone feels relaxed and at ease, allowing for natural, joyful moments to shine.

Fire Island Lighthouse in Bay Shore NY, Family Photo

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