I love Philly! Growing up in the City of Brother Love, I have found that Philadelphia has so many things to offer in terms of night life, great food, attractions and scenery. I have been fortunate enough to photograph brides and grooms with their bridal parties and have found that there are an endless amount of just amazing locations to have a portrait session. Below are my top 10 favorite locations in Center City. Please feel free to pass this along to any brides or grooms who are looking for location ideas. Most of these locations work great for family and engagement shoots too. Granted there are tons more, but these were chosen based on my experiences, ease of navigating, and popularity.
10. Swann Memorial Fountain on Logan Square
Number ten on my list is this iconic monument. It offers a quick pit stop to get a variety of shots. Be sure to walk around the fountain as you’ll find a number of unique backgrounds.
9. Kelly Drive along Fairmount Park
It’s always nice when photographing at Fairmount Park. This park stretches on for miles and offers many possibilities. First of all, the rocky areas are great for adventurous people. Climb on them for a great shot during your engagement session! Second, the underpasses from the bridge arch make beautiful photos of the stone textures and provide really cool silhouettes. Also, make sure you stop in the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial Sculpture Garden.
8. Northern Liberties
Northern Liberties has some of the best spots for textures, colors and graffiti. It’s not for everyone, but if you are looking for something different, drive through this continuously developing neighborhood.
7. Race Street Pier in Pennslanding
With a grand view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in the background, you can get some beautiful shots at this waterfront location. There are nice long benches for large bridal party to sit on as you use the Delaware River and Camden in the background. It’s also a great place to get amazing shots at night. Unfortunately, sometimes there is a guard posted during the daytime who will ask you for a permit. Click here for more information on obtaining a legal permit.
6. Franklin Square
Franklin Square is a nice open park in the city with a mini golf, a merry-go-around and a fountain. It’s a place where you can quickly move through to get different types of pictures and, if you happened to get hungry, there’s food nearby.
5. City Hall on the Broad South Philly Side
The quintessential photo of all of Philadelphia locations. If you are getting married in the city, this is a Must-Have shot. It also looks really cool at nighttime. Be prepared for lots of honking from well wishers. Keep in mind that it’s a very busy area.
4. Love Park
An iconic symbol for the City of Brotherly Love. This is a small park, generally packed most of the time with tourists and people taking pictures. On weekends, there might be a line of people waiting to take pictures, but of course the line is drastically shorter when you have a white puffy dress on!
3. Rittenhouse Square Park
This is a pleasant park to go to anytime for a stroll or just to sit and people watch. Make good use of the benches, water fountain and open environment. In all my shoots there, I’ve only been approached once by a park ranger.
2. Philadelphia Museum of Art
A very close 2nd… when in a time crunch, head straight to the Philadelphia Art Museum. Signature photos include having the museum in the background and another with the city in the background. Walk up the steps to the columns to get more varieties. If you have time, be sure to stop by Waterworks, which is located directly behind the Art Museum. In addition to a smaller crowd, there’s nice sculptures, fields of flowers, gazebos, more columns, cool metal stairs, and plenty of flowers and green grass. Typically, security will not bother you unless you take photographs near the restaurant.
1. Reading Terminal Market
Feeling for something adventurous and very much Philly? Head to the Reading Terminal Market. This is a fast pace, walk through with lots of people wishing you congrats as you move along from section to section of great local foods and fresh bakeries. If you need a snack, there’s no shortage of delicious treats. You might even get freebies! There’s a surprisingly great variety of textures and colors. More pros are that you can shoot in here no matter what the weather is like outside and a permit is not required.
So there you have it. This list is just my opinion based on my experiences. Feel free to leave a comment. Stay tune for upcoming articles on great secret and not so secret places to photograph further out from the city. Happy picture taking!