Where you take family photographs matters less than the light, but the right place makes everything easier: parking, bathrooms, a bench for grandparents, and a backdrop that looks like where you actually live. These are the places we return to across New Jersey and New York City, with the season each one is best in.
New Jersey
Liberty State Park, Jersey City
The Manhattan skyline across the water, wide lawns, and the restored train terminal. Best an hour before sunset in any season; in winter the bare trees and low sun are their own look. Easy parking, and close to home for much of Hudson County.
Branch Brook Park, Newark and Belleville
The largest cherry blossom collection in the country. Peak bloom is usually the second or third week of April and lasts about ten days, so book early and hold a backup date. Mornings on weekdays are quietest.
Duke Farms, Hillsborough
Meadows, an orchid range, long tree-lined paths. Lovely from late spring through October. Check the current photography policy before a session.
Princeton University campus
Stone archways, ivy and the chapel. Autumn is the classic; it suits graduation and senior portraits especially well. Some areas limit photography during events, so we plan around the calendar.
Verona Park, Verona
A small lake, a stone bridge and willows. Good in every season and rarely crowded. A favourite for maternity sessions.
Skylands, New Jersey Botanical Garden, Ringwood
Formal gardens and a manor house. Late May for the lilacs and azaleas, October for colour. A permit may be required for professional sessions; we take care of it.
Your own home and street
Underrated. The porch, the kitchen during chai, the backyard at golden hour. For ceremonies it's the only honest choice, and the photographs mean more in ten years than any park does.
New York City
Central Park
Bethesda Terrace and the Mall are the classics and are busy; the Ramble, the north woods and the Conservatory Garden are calmer. Spring blossom and October colour are the peaks, but a snowy day is magic if you can dress for it.
Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO
The bridge, the carousel and the skyline. Go at sunrise on a weekend to have it almost to yourselves; sunset is beautiful but crowded.
Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights
The Heather Garden and views over the Hudson. Quiet, elegant, and a short drive from Bergen County.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
The Unisphere, long promenades and the rose garden. Handy for families in Queens and Long Island, and full of character.
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
The Long Meadow at golden hour, the boathouse, and the Nethermead for big-family portraits with room to spread out.
A note on timing
The hour before sunset is the easiest light of the day in all of these places, and the hour after sunrise is the quietest. Midday works in open shade and under trees but not on open lawns. For ceremonies the time is set for us, so we scout the room beforehand and bring light when the windows aren't enough.