Juanita Bay Park: Kirkland Family Photo Location Inspiration
As an established Seattle Eastside photographer for many years, I know location selection can make or break your family photo session. If you are a Kirkland resident or live in the greater Seattle area, I’m going to let you in on my favorite park for lifestyle family photos and give you a few reasons why it’s always a top recommendation.
Juanita Bay Park is an enclosed area.
When working with young children who love to run and play or even with a family dog, it’s nice to have a large space that is “enclosed”. The perimeter of the park is framed with trees and a boardwalk. This means when it’s time to take photographs of just you and your spouse together, you won’t have to worry about the safety of other family members - there is no busy street with cars zooming by or open water for someone to fall into.
The park also offers a sense of privacy, so families can feel comfortable being themselves. It’s easier to be authentic and in the moment during a family photo session - hugging, snuggling, and playing - when you aren’t concerned about lots of passersby.
A lot of variety can be found at Juanita Bay Park.
From trees to a grassy field to boardwalks with beautiful water backdrops, Juanita Bay Park has it all! When you are investing in a family photo session, it’s nice to make the most of it. Juanita Bay Park has tons of space to move around, explore, and capture a variety of backgrounds for your family photos.
This variety gives kids time to warm up, areas to play and climb (without getting distracted by an actual playground), and space to move if they are getting bored or need a change of pace/scenery.
I love offering logs and trees to climb on if children are antsy and areas to walk between which offer opportunities for connection between family members.
Juanita Bay Park is local to Kirkland residents.
As a Kirkland photographer, many of the families who reach out to me for sessions are local to Kirkland or the surrounding areas. Kirkland is a wonderful community and beautiful area, so there is really no need to drive 30 mins to an hour to reach lovely scenery when it’s in our own backyard.
When you are meeting for a family photo session after work, during the week, or are taking time out of your busy weekend, it takes a lot of stress off you and your family if you choose a location that is close to home.
Families can return to this location time and again.
If you have already had your family photos taken at Juanita Bay Park, consider whether your session might be happening at a different time of year than they were previously. If so, you may be the only one who knows you took family photos in this location more than once, because it changes so much throughout the year.
In late spring/early summer, this local Kirkland park has plenty of green grass and flora (I’ve even seen some fauna - bunnies, a deer, and water turtles).
In summer, you can find tall, golden grass and plenty of trees to filter magical sunset light through.
Finally by late fall, the trees turn a beautiful bright yellow, with a few pops of orange and red for that perfect holiday family photo feel.
It’s no wonder while walking through the park during sessions, I’ve had so many families comment on the beauty of Juanita Bay. We are fortunate to have such a gem centrally located to use and enjoy!
