Top 5 Outdoor Maternity Portrait Locations
When it comes to outdoor locations in Mesa, I have a few favorite spots that I love to shoot in. I know I can depend on the light and setting to be gorgeous, so these are my top 5 outdoor maternity portrait locations.
Let’s start with water. My top two requests for outdoor sessions are to be next to water, or to be in the desert. Here are my top two favorite water locations:
Phon D. Sutton
This is a gorgeous spot on the Salt River that never fails to bring some amazing shots at sunset. There are a couple areas to shoot by the water, and then these really cool big rocks to use, as well! You can get beautiful mountains behind you in this location, too. The Salt River locations do require having a Tonto Pass, which you can pick up at any local gas station for $8.
Water Users Recreation Site
The second water location is also by the Salt River, and is called Water Users Recreation Site. It’s just one of the last spots to get in to go tubing down the river, and has amazing mountain views!!
Usery Pass
To go with the second biggest request, the desert, one of my favorite spots is Usery Pass Park. It’s a BIG park, but I have a spot I always go to that gets some fabulous mountain views and then we finish at a second spot to get the gorgeous Arizona sunset and cactus in the shot. Perfection! Usery Pass also requires an entrance fee of $7, and you just pay when you enter the park.
Gilbert Riparian Preserve
Another favorite spot combines water and desert. It’s the Gilbert Riparian Preserve, and it’s pretty much a photographer’s dream location! Sunset is magical at this park.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum
This location is quite a bit out of town, but there is nothing like it when it comes to landscape. One of the great things about this location is that the temperature is several degrees cooler inside the park because of all the shade trees and greenery. That is a huge plus, especially for a maternity session!
The trees filter out the light so you can shoot almost any time of day and get beautiful lighting. I would suggest avoiding the middle of the day from maybe 12-3, but otherwise it’s gorgeous.
There are entry fees of $25 per adult and a photography permit of $50, so you need to be aware of that before you go.
Choosing a location is something I love helping my clients with. I hope this list of my top 5 outdoor maternity portrait locations helps you when you need to choose a spot for your portrait session!
Need help with what to wear? I can help with that, too! I have a growing client wardrobe that I am happy to let my clients choose from. Saves you money and time shopping!
