As local photographer, it’s my pleasure to present the guide to The Best Photo Locations in New Orleans! There are all the familiar highlights, and a few new ones as well. Finding a great location for family photography is key to those successful photo sessions that are fun, easy and the results are breathtaking. Partly because of the backdrop that is New Orleans. This is a perfect opportunity to celebrate our unique Louisiana landscapes with family photos.
What spots around and near New Orleans make the list? Well, I have a formula. A location must be easy to get to, not too crowded, easy to park, safe for kids to run around, and distinctively New Orleans. We have no shortage of gorgeous local backdrops for a New Orleans photo shoot, but it has to be extra special to make this photographer’s guide to locations in New Orleans.
It’s also good to think about your location when you choose your attire. Urban versus park settings can stand out more with the right wardrobe. And you don’t want to clash with Commander’s Palace blue in the Garden District or the pastel shutters of the French Quarter.
Take some time to mull over the many locations we have at our fingertips, including some of my favorite hidden New Orleans locations for family photos. Every day I feel grateful to be a family photographer. And a New Orleans photographer to boot. This is a fabulous place for unforgettable images of family!
Table of Contents
Distinct Neighborhoods
French Quarter
The Vieux Carré is filled with culture and vibrant colors that are emblems of the architecture and historic core of New Orleans. Early morning sessions are best in the quieter residential side of the quarter and make for a great location for family photos.
Bayou St. John
This ancient, natural body of water is the only bayou that flows through a fully developed New Orleans neighborhood. It defines the Faubourg St. John neighborhood and provides an oasis of serenity in the middle of the city. The green space and the striking houses provide a magical backdrop for a New Orleans family photographer to showcase your family. This is an often overlooked spot and is one of my favorite hidden New Orleans locations for family photos.
Lower Garden District
This neighborhood is often overlooked for a New Orleans photo shoot. The unique architecture spreads across beautiful tree-lined streets that capture the spirit of New Orleans. Cornstalk fences, weathered walls and those Commander’s Palace awnings are just a few favorites. We can also jump into the cemeteries for something really unique. It’s a must on my photographer’s guide to New Orleans locations every year.
Bywater
Let’s just start with the Marigny Opera House: What a backdrop! Each street in this neighborhood is a mix of traditional New Orleans and urban cool. Walking a block or two can reveal a unique setting that appeals to the inner artist in all of us. This is one of those hidden New Orleans locations for family photos often overlooked as a great location with kids.
Algiers Point
Breathtaking views of the New Orleans cityscape, St. Louis Cathedral and the Mississippi River are one thing, but this quaint New Orleans neighborhood filled with brightly colored houses offers a wonderful location to play and run around with your kids for family photos. It’s just a quick trip over the bridge and we might even be able to take a ferry ride.
Breathtaking Parks
Audubon Park’s front garden
Curved benches, beautiful fountain, large oaks and a stunning garden of wild flowers surrounding the entrance are just a few reasons this little area of Audubon Park is one of my favorites. It gets beautiful light in both the early morning and late afternoon. Plus, you are right next to the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line, so we might get a streetcar going by.
New Orleans City Park
This 1,300-acre urban park is one of the oldest parks in the country. The beauty here speaks for itself. It’s got ancient, haunting oaks, as well as vast green spaces and bucolic bodies of water to serve as photographic backdrops.
New Orleans Botanical Garden
It’s such a lovely place to wander with your family, let your kids run in the long green lawns and explore the little secret gardens. They have limited hours and permit fee of $75 is required plus entrance tickets which are $12 for adults and $6 for ages 3-13.
Crescent Park
This is a 20-acre urban park stretches along the Mississippi River in the Bywater neighborhood. It has breathtaking views of the city and plenty of safe spaces for kids to run around! The foliage-lined bike path is complimented by the clean, urban and modern landscape architecture.
Wild City Park
Tall grass, winding paths and big open fields perfect for those sunset pictures. This once well-groomed golf course is now scarcely mowed and offers a sense of the great outdoors nestled in the big city. The only catch: Bring bug spray.
Audubon Zoo Historic Entrance
The former entrance to Audubon Zoo is now a historic relic with columns of oaks and a charming fountain. It’s a wonderful corner of Audubon Park to get inspired New Orleans family photos.
West End Park
No less than four swings hang from oaks in this rarely used park nestled near the New Orleans lakefront. Perfect for your wild child. And an easy location for chasing after little ones. The boats make for a great photo background, too. This is the place to let your kids chase Dad.
The Tree of Life at Audubon Park
One of the largest oaks in New Orleans, this tree is perfect for climbing. From this field opposite the giraffes in Audubon Zoo, you can sometimes spot pointy ears over the fence. During the fall, the mystical tree’s leaves turn and drop, adding to its beauty.
Old Spanish Fort
This historic location was formerly a fort (ruins still visible) and later an amusement park with restaurants, dance halls and rides. Today it’s a quiet, forgotten part of the city with large oaks, a porch swing, and the levee where Bayou St. John meets Lake Pontchartrain, making it a great spot for a family photo shoot.
The Couturie Forest
Nestled in New Orleans City Park, a long rust bridge leads into winding paths with picturesque vistas. This is perfect for an adventurous family to capture family photos.
Historic Homes – Permit Required
Race + Religious
This is one of the most interesting venues in the city and every corner makes for a stunning backdrop for family photos. Dress up and have fun, this is a wonderful place to wear something fancy. This is a venue that is open only on weekdays and has a photo permit fee.
The Hermann Grima House
Nestled in the French Quarter, this restored 19th century home has a gorgeous courtyard for family photos. Lined with satsuma trees, the courtyard is surrounded by large brick buildings, blue-gray shutters and lush foliage. Not too mention that stunning yellow staircase. You definitely want to visit this spot with a New Orleans lifestyle photographer.
Pitot House
Green shutters, wrap-around porch, butterfly garden and that fabulous wood fence. An original French Colonial house on the banks of Bayou St. John. It was home to one of the early New Orleans mayors. Permit required and limited hours.
Longue Vue House and Gardens
This is a beautiful historic estate located at the edge of Old Metairie. This house sits on eight acres of beautifully landscaped gardens dotted with fountains and brimming with Louisiana plant life. Permit required. Get a look HERE.
Beauregard-Keyes House and Garden
The manicured side garden of The Beauregard-Keyes House is truly a secret gem. It’s a great place to be part of the French Quarter without having to pose for pictures in the middle of a street with other people walking around. Permit required.
Off the Beaten Path
Audubon Zoo
If you grew up in New Orleans chances are you have special memories of the zoo. From the elephant fountain, Monkey Hill and the whimsical carousel, the zoo offers many different spots for a family photographer to capture kids just being kids.
Streetcar
What an amazing city to grow up in, and nothing speaks to that experience more than a ride on a New Orleans streetcar. Mornings are best for a short ride for a few blocks on St. Charles Avenue or Canal Street. See more: HERE
Marigny Opera House
This former Catholic church has been renovated as a performing arts center nestled in the Bywater. It can be rented by the hour for family photos and offers a unique backdrop. This is best with older kids as the winding staircase can be a little tricky.
Bonnabel Boat Launch
Long wood fishing docks, endless views of Lake Pontchartrain, rocks to climb and a large hill to run down. The Metairie lakefront access is easy to get to, easy to park and fun to explore—especially at sunset.
Fontainebleau State Park
Travel to the North Shore to this beautiful state park where you have cypress trees and a beach within a few feet of each other. Late afternoon and sunsets are gorgeous for family photography.
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
White sandy beaches with soft-colored sunsets are a quick 45-minute drive from New Orleans and offer a different approach to the New Orleans locations. Beach sessions require a little more planning, but can be so rewarding as a family trip, ending with splashing in the waves and searching for shells with your little ones.
Bucktown Harbor
This newly built area in a once-undeveloped section of the Jefferson Parish lakefront now offers a 1,000-foot boardwalk with marsh and lake vista points. It’s the perfect location for a beautiful sunset walk with your family.
Coastal Ridge Farm
About an hour outside of New Orleans in Picayune, Miss., is a lovely sunflower farm that makes a stunning photo backdrop when it’s in full bloom. If you bring your own bucket, you can fill up on as many blooms as you can take home for your small entrance fee. The only downside are the bees and limited dates.
The Most Unique
In your own home. No place is more unique to you than your home. Photographing children in the house where they’re growing up is priceless. It’s a comfortable and intimate space for the entire family. Some of the greatest memories happen naturally within your home.
The Best Photo Locations in New Orleans
Where you decide to take pictures can be just as important as what you wear or the time of day. I hope this guide to some of the best spots in New Orleans for family photos, or your senior session, helped inspire you to think big! There is a wealth of backdrops in New Orleans that add to your final images. Once we pick a location, however, all you have to do is show up and have fun.
And if you are looking for a mini session in one of these incredible locations, I hand select a few of my favorites each spring and fall to offer families an easy way to explore some of the most beautiful locations in New Orleans. Check out here what’s coming up this season for New Orleans Family Photo Mini Session!
