My Favorite Locations in Whatcom County for Portrait Photography
Self-portrait of Evelyn taken at Fairhaven Parlour 305.
I create portraits in-studio and outdoors in a variety of settings. These are my favorite locations, and I hope that you’ll discover one that is right for you.
Let me start with where I shoot in-studio.
In-Studio
In addition to being able to experience having your portrait taken in a photography studio, being indoors cuts out the stress of watching the weather forecast. Wind, rain or hail won’t get in the way of capturing beautiful photos.
Scheduling photos indoors, especially during the chilly months of the year, means you have more flexibility in what you wear without having to worry about being bundled up.
Plus, choosing the in-studio option does not come with an extra fee.
Yay!
Here are the two spaces where I can book your in-studio session:
Vine Creative Spaces NW
1885 Front Street Lynden, WA
I love using this location because it’s so easy to get in and out logistically, and there is plenty of free parking. It is a great choice especially for clients who live north of Bellingham.
Key Points:
Includes a bed and couch furniture pieces for creative posing
Free parking
Spacious and versatile
Fairhaven Parlour 305
Address: 1200 Harris Ave Suite 305, Bellingham, WA
Inside historical Sycamore Square building
Address: 1200 Harris Ave Suite 305, Bellingham, WA
I would recommend this location particularly for couple portraits because it’s the perfect place to go on a date. Fairhaven is so romantic!
Key Points:
Victorian style couch for posing
Located in historical building with tons of restaurants and shops to explore before or after session
Metered parking (very busy on weekends especially)
Dressing area separate from bathroom so you don’t have to change by a toilet
Outdoor Locations
Hovander Homestead Park
Address: 5299 Nielsen Ave, Ferndale, WA
Key points:
Plenty of parking
Bathrooms available
Gardens
Trails
Riverfront access
Open fields
Historical buildings
Hovander Park is my absolute favorite place to to schedule sessions at.
I visit this park in my free time often, because I really enjoy long walks and seeing the gorgeous gardens. I also spent a lot of my maternity leave pushing a stroller here, so this park is super special to me.
I particularly like to visit Hovander in August to see all the blooming dahlias. Fun fact, WSU master gardeners look after the grounds for their program. So it’s really well cared for.
So what does this mean for you?
As a portrait photographer most of my work is focused on my clients in a tight crop. When I'm shooting outside I love taking advantage of golden hour light and capturing bokeh (blurred spots of light) to frame my clients. Hovander has some very tall trees than line the Nooksack river, which provide beautiful streams of light in the late afternoon and evening making it an ideal place to capture bokeh. I also like this location because I am able to create portraits that are striking and pack bold contrast. The versatility for me to work creativity in my work makes this my favorite spot in Whatcom County.
It's also nice to be able to introduce my clients to the park if they have never been. It's a great place to spend a sunny day or even rainy day if you are prepared with a pair of rain boots and jacket.
Fairhaven Park
107 Chuckanut Dr N. Bellingham, WA
Key points:
Plenty of parking
Bathroom available
Trails
Evergreen trees
BEAUTIFUL Spring blossoming trees
I lived within walking distance of Fairhaven Park while in college and I miss having such close access because it’s a great park. I’d recommend this place for sessions in the Spring or Summer in particular.
The last time I had a session here my client was an excellent tree climber and some of our favorite shots are the ones where she sits perched in an enormous tree.
The sun dips behind an evergreen lined hill making it a good place for golden hour photos as well.
Birch Bay State Park
5105 Helweg Rd Blaine, WA
Key points:
Beach access
Evergreen trees
Two-lane road
Bathrooms
Plenty of parking - fee or parking pass required
My favorite photo session ever was taken at Birch Bay State Park. It was a proposal that went dreamy and ended in engagement photos. There have been many occasions, like the proposal I captured, where it was overcast and even a little drizzly that day but the clouds parted on the horizon at sunset making it a magical time to be a photographer. I love Birch Bay!
When it’s not peak hours, I also like to utilize the two-lane road for a few poses. I keep a watchful eye on any traffic both ways. It actually takes me back to playing in the street with childhood friends and yelling, CAR! and jumping out of the road dramatically when there was no danger of actually getting hit.
I digress, let me talk about my next favorite location:
Locus Beach
Trailhead is off Marine Dr, Bellingham, WA
Key points:
Not ADA accessible
No bathrooms
Limited parking
Extremely different view depending on low or high tide
Reviewing my key points validates why I do not shoot at Locus Beach often. But I don’t count Locus out because the payoff is huge!
Because of the shallow shoreline, this place is known nationally for skim-boarding and as a great spot for playing the occasional mud rugby game by local teams.
For you and me, Locus Beach is a beautiful landscape to create portraits with a sense of fun and adventure. Ideal for clients who don’t mind a little sand and mud and are okay with traversing the trail and stairs to get there.
Woodstock Farm
1200 Chuckanut Dr N, Bellingham, WA
Key points:
Limited parking
Limited ADA parking (only one spot!)
No bathrooms
View of the puget sound and nearby peninsula and islands
Historical buildings
I've been really hesitant to talk about Woodstock Farm, or maybe the right word would be anxious. Because parking is SUPER LIMITED at this location and I always worried about if me or a client couldn't find a spot. The Chukanut highway, with twisty turns and no side walks on either side, isn't exactly walker friendly.
It wasn't until I learned about the North Chukanut Parking Lot with a connecting trail .5 miles from the Farm that I decided to add this back to my list for those who are up for a bit of adventure.
It could seem trivial to weigh parking so heavily. But I'm me.
I hate having to pivot to a plan b on the fly when a start time is involved. It seriously stresses me out!
And I don't want my clients to feel stressed on their photo day either.
The reason why I love Woodstock Farm as a location for photos is because the grounds are beautiful and the high-up view of the water and evergreen tree lined coast is a perfect Pacific Northwest setting.
With starting at the North Chukanut Parking Lot, I’d also have the opportunity to pose clients along the fern and evergreen lined trail to get there.
Double Your Session
Can’t pick just one? Double your session for just $100 extra and we can take advantage of two locations. It could be one outside and one in-studio or two outside at different locations. I personally think going for one inside and in-studio is my favorite so that clients can experience it both ways.
To clarify, my sessions are not timed. For scheduling sake I say carving out 90 minutes in your day per location is PLENTY. Though it isn’t unheard of for me to be wrapped up after shooting for 30 minutes.
In the past, I charged for duration but quickly found that does not work for me or my clients. I go through a prepared shot list with each of my clients. Once we capture it all, mission complete! I never want to force clients into extra poses just for the sake of killing time, and I don’t want to rush anyone through poses if a slow pace is what feels right.
So when I say “Double Your Session” I am not talking about minutes, but in doubling your session locations.
What’s Your Favorite?
Let me know which location grabbed your attention, comment at bottom. 👇
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