Best Locations for Photoshoots Near Denver, Colorado

Selecting a location is an important step of the photoshoot planning process. Over the years, I have built up a list of great photo locations in and around Denver that I use frequently that all offer different benefits. Here, I will go through some of my favorite spots and why they might be a good fit for your upcoming photoshoot. These are not ranked in any particular order, each one has it’s benefits and drawbacks for you to consider when making a choice.

Sterne Park

Sterne Park is located just down the street from downtown Littleton and is small, but absolutely GORGEOUS! It features a small lake surrounded by dense trees and cute little bridges as well as a gazebo in the Northwest corner. There are not great views of the mountains, but using the lake, trees and bridges will give you a variety of great-looking shots. Right across the street is a rose garden and another gazebo. The roses are in nice, clean rows, giving symmetry and variety. the lake has a walking path going around it’s perimeter. You could walk a lap around the lake in 5-10 minutes easily.

The fact that this park is so small and pretty means that it could be crowded during your photoshoot. The times I have been there, there were 2-3 other photoshoots happening at the same time and a birthday party going on at one end of the park. This did not cause any problems with capturing the photos I wanted, but is something to consider if you are looking for a secluded spot and don’t want to have to worry about random people walking by. There are parking lots at either end of the park, making it easy to find a spot.

Evening is the best time of day for this location, but you could get away with other times of day since the tree cover will provide shade for you to work with. I prefer the sun to be behind my subjects during a photoshoot. In the evening, the sun will be setting in the West and I’ll be primarily shooting to the west, when in sunlight. If you prefer sunlight hitting your subjects face, you’ll want morning rather than evening. This will go for the recommended times of day for all of the locations.

This park is definitely at it’s best during the fall when all of the leaves are vibrant shades of orange and yellow. If you are there on a day that is not windy, you’ll get amazing glassy reflections off of the lake!

Lookout Mountain

Lookout Mountain is the best spot to get mountain views without having to drive a long ways or do any hiking. Located near Golden, it is a short drive off of I-70. The area has a large network of trails so you can wander around looking for spots. The two spots I recommend starting at are the Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave parking lot and the Lookout Mountain Picnic Shelter. The first one is at an overlook where to the east you’ll see the vast plains and Denver in the distance. To the west is an amazing view of the mountains where you can see multiple peaks back since you are up high and not looking directly up at them. A parking lot may feel like a strange place to do a photoshoot, but it has some truly beautiful views and has a trailhead connected to it so you won’t have to spend the whole shoot on the pavement. The second spot is a pull-off just before you get to the Museum that has a couple of nice stone picnic shelters, trails, views etc. The views here are not as grand as the parking lot, but the ground is not pavement and you’ll get a better variety of spots here. These two locations are a 5-10 minute walk away from each other by trail so you could start at one and walk to the other if you’re up for that. Both locations are very accessible, you won’t need to walk more than a couple hundred feet to get to the great photo spots. Like I said, there are a network of trails in the area so you could go as far as you want to.

Something I love about Lookout mountain is that with proper framing, you can make it appear as if you are deep in the mountains while being at an easily accessible location. If someone in the group has trouble walking, but wants a mountain vibe in the photos, this is the perfect spot. For most of the year, there are also beautiful tall grasses everywhere (green or golden depending on the time of year) which adds so much depth and interest into the photos! The trees here are evergreens so you won’t get many fall colors other than the grasses, but it really does capture Colorado’s alpine beauty.

For the Museum spot, later in the evening will give you some stunning sunset shots. Since you are at a high vantage point, you’ll still get light with the sun much lower in the sky than down in Golden or Denver. For the picnic shelter area, the terrain goes steeply up just to the west, meaning the sunlight will go away earlier in the day. I’d say plan on taking pictures no later than 2-3 hours before the projected sunset time in Denver. You can do earlier as well since shade is easy to find and work with here.

This location is rarely crowded, however it is also rarely empty. You’ll never be pressed for space, but will have the occasional hiker walking by or people hanging out at the picnic shelter. The picnic shelter parking lot is small and could be full during your shoot. There is no street parking nearby so take that into account. There is tons of parking at the Museum and you will not struggle to get a spot there. If the picnic shelter lot is full, you can park at the museum and walk down.

City Park

You may be familiar with City Park already. It is located in the Park Hill area of Denver and is the park that contains the Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Zoo. I love this location for the variety of spots it offers. The park is very large so you may want to scout it out to familiarize yourself with the layout. The back side of the museum building has really cool modern architecture you can work with. Just to the South of the museum is an area that will have tall yellow grasses at certain times of the year. On the West side of the building is a large decorative concrete circle overlooking the lake with the Denver skyline in the background. Having someone posing in the center of that circle is an amazing shot. There is a large lake with a fountain in the middle, an giant gazebo overlooking the lake, lots of different trees and paths. With this spot, you can take pictures that make it look like you’re way out in nature or in the middle of the city all in one shoot. There are also amazing fall colors here.

I recommend shooting here later afternoon all the way until sunset. In the summer, the sun will set over the lake and Denver skyline which is incredible if you properly expose for your highlights.

I recommend parking in the museum parking lot or street parking on the street right next to it. Parking can be tough depending on when you’re there, but there are lots of different parking locations around the park so you’ll never not find a spot. This park is popular and will have people walking around. If you’re going for a wide, scenic background, be sure you are comfortable with editing people out of the background or having them in your background. This park also has events and recreational sports leagues from time to time so be sure to check your day to see what things will be like.

Cheesman Park

This park is connected to the West end of the Denver Botanical gardens. Most of the park is a large, wide open grass field, but on the East end of the park is The Pavilion at Cheesman Park. It is a marble structure with columns and stairs surrounded by well-kept flower gardens. The area isn’t very large, but using the marble elements of the pavilion in your photos is amazing. Think of it like a spot similar to Congress park, but significantly less crowded and chaotic.

I like this spot in the evening when there is sunlight poking through between the marble columns. I don’t think this spot would be too great for family photos, but is great for solo portraits or headshots. There is plenty of street parking to the East.

Chautauqua Open Space

This is an absolutely iconic location. It is in Boulder and is right up against the base of the flatirons. You’ll get a beautiful wide open field of tall golden grass with these unbelievable rock formations in the background. This location absolutely screams Colorado and you need to do a photoshoot here! This location can be tricky though. Parking is very competitive.

Chautauqua is a very popular hiking, photoshoot, and site-seeing spot. You may get lucky and get a spot in the parking lot (which is pay to park, at most $5). If not, be prepared to drive around looking for street parking for 10-15 minutes on a busy day. There will also be people around regardless of when you’re there and there will likely be other photoshoots occurring in the area. I’d say the spot is worth it, but just keep those things in mind. I highly recommend you do your photoshoots here in late afternoon to early evening because there is not much shade to be found and you’ll want the flatirons in your background for sure!

Jones Pass

Jones Pass is not as assessable as the other spots listed here, but the spot is unbeatable. It is about an hour drive outside Denver, and you’ll need a car that can handle uneven roads. You don’t need an offroad beast by any means, but maybe leave the Camry at home. Search up Jones Pass Trailhead to find it. It is located next to Henderson Mine. For this location, I recommend just driving up the pass and stopping whenever you come across a spot you like. This is the ultimate mountain spot and you’ll get a great variety of different looks to your photos. Down low is thick forest. Midway up you’ll come across the most amazing meadow with a valley and mountain peaks in the background. You can drive all the way up to the top of the pass if the snow has melted off enough. Towards to top you’ll get amazing overlook views looking back down the valley. If you’re lucky, you’ll be above the clouds up here! Something important to keep in mind is that if you drive up high enough, the road becomes narrow and exposed. You should be comfortable with driving on exposed roads and be prepared to have to back the car down the pass a ways if the top is blocked by snow.

The sun will drop down behind the top of the pass a few hours before “sunset” so get there early afternoon and explore! This location is a great place to really get into the Colorado Wilderness without too long of a drive. It is unlikely that you’ll see anyone else out there which is great for a photoshoot, but be prepared to be alone and tell people where you are going for safety.

Denver Botanical Gardens

The one major downside to using the Botanical Gardens for your photoshoot is you have to pay to get in. Tickets are not expensive and they have no problem with you doing a photoshoot once inside however. There are so many beautiful and different looking spots here. Just walk around and set up photos as you discover new areas. There are of course beautiful plants everywhere, but there are also great architectural elements, water features and corridors that will give you tons of awesome photos.

Check the garden’s schedule to see if there is an event going on during your proposed day before you buy your tickets. the amount of people who will be there can vary greatly depending on the day of the week, time of year and if there is an event going on. You can safely shoot here during any time of day except for when the sun is directly overhead.

In Conclusion

These are some of the spots I have used for my photoshoots in the past that I just love. Hopefully one of these speaks to you for your upcoming photoshoot!

If you have your location picked out, but still need a photographer to capture everything, hit me up!