The best free or inexpensive locations to have your engagement photography session
A look at the Maryland top 10 engagement photo locations from Dave McIntosh Photographics, Baltimore wedding photography and videography.
You can also visit https://foxbaltimore.com/morning/wedding-week-photographer for the video
Maryland has some amazing locations for your engagement photography session. What makes a good background for photos? Many think of flower gardens which are pretty, but they tend to be busy backdrops for photography. To me, a great engagement location is meaningful to you, shows something about your personality, and also works as a nice backdrop. A nice backdrop is one that has interest to the eye but is not too busy or cluttered.
I always love it when couples suggest a location where they first met, or they got engaged or already enjoy. This brings fond memories and helps you feel comfortable. If you don’t have a special location, then consider somewhere that reflects your personality. If you both love nature and walks in the park, Maryland has some fantastic state parks and local parks to hold sessions. If you are more of a city person than a nature lover, then consider a session in a town or city. The Baltimore Harbor and Annapolis are popular destinations with good backdrops. Here are some examples of wonderful Maryland locations and some example photos.
1. Baltimore Harbor
I live at the Baltimore Harbor and enjoy seeing ships and people enjoying the beautiful sights each day. Baltimore engagement sessions often start at Federal Hill Park or Patterson Park and end up near the water at sunset. This provides a nice variety of photos with greenery, trees and some city skyline and water in the background. Here are Kate & Wes and Meghan & Rob and Lauren & Ralph’s photos showing several backgrounds.
2. Patapsco State Park
Patapsco State Park Avalon Area is nestled under I-95, not far from BWI Airport. There is an entrance fee of $3 – $5 per car. This is my favorite all purpose photography park in Maryland for nature lovers. The park is several hundred acres, hugging the Patapsco River and tributary streams that weave through the park. A stone bridge, a suspension bridge, waterfall, lake, stream, and of course plenty of trees make wonderful backgrounds for you to have fun and enjoy nature. Here are examples from sessions with Joanie & Nick’s and Caitlin & Ben’s Esessions. Notice the variety during these sessions in the early spring and summer.
3. Annapolis
The city of Annapolis is a popular location for couples who are urban or suburban lovers more than nature lovers. Most of my Annapolis sessions include city street scenes, photos around the Maryland state house, and we usually end at the city dock at the water near sunset. A bonus for Annapolis is if you have a favorite bar or you like ice cream, we”ll stop and treat ourselves along the way. Annapolis can be quite busy with lots of traffic during spring and summer weekends, so plan your session during a weekday if possible. These photos of sessions of Anne-Marie & Rohan and Sophia & Toyin show a variety of locations in Annapolis.
4. Terrapin Beach Park
Across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Stevensville, Maryland is Terrapin Beach Park. I also love this park due to its variety and tranquility. Parking is limited, so there are not a lot of people during the week. Terrapin Beach Park has trees, walking trails, ornamental grassy areas and a small beach. As you walk through the park, take photos in the different backgrounds and enjoy the view. Once you arrive at the water the sun sets across the Chesapeake Bay, you can get some amazing sunset photos. We don’t normally have this on the east coast. These photos Casey & Dave and Ashley & Jessica show the variety of area you will find as you walk the mile-long trail to the water.
5. Elk Neck State Park
North East Maryland has many great locations for photos. Elk Neck State Park is located between Chesapeake Bay and the Elk River in Cecil County, Maryland. The state park is home to the historic Turkey Point Lighthouse. Bring your hiking shoes to get to the lighthouse. You will need to walk about a mile. Along the way, you will have wonderful natural backgrounds. The trail leads to the lighthouse and cliffs. Drive to beach playground area to get a water scene. The beach area is small rocks not sand, but it looks great in photos. Those photos of Emily & Jared show many of the areas in Elk Neck State Park used during their engagement session.
6. University of Maryland College Park
I have to admit when Erin and Monty said they wanted to use the place they first met – The University of Maryland; I wasn’t certain how it would look. I don’t usually think of a college campus as a backdrop. The University of Maryland College Park has several backgrounds to choose from and we were able to use the stadium, which added a pop of color. The photos in the stadium in the stands and on the field were some of my favorites. Charlie was in a few photos, complete with his Maryland collar.
7. Ocean City Maryland
If you are a beach lover, Ocean City Maryland is the place for you. Kate and Russ love Berlin, Maryland, a historic town near Ocean City. We started with photos at the Atlantic Hotel and walked along main street Berlin. Then we traveled to Ocean City to get photos of the beach. I scouted using google maps and found a relatively quiet area with sand dunes. The dunes made a great backdrop, but it was clearly marked not to enter into the dunes, so we carefully worked on the nearby sand. Of course, the ocean makes for some great photos. You will need to find a time and place when there are not a lot of people to avoid the tourist look. I photographed with a telephoto lens to avoid getting other people. As the sun was starting to set, we made our way to Northside Park for sunset on the pier. Northside Park is the most popular place in Ocean City for sunset views, so during tourist season be prepared to get creative to avoid crowd shots.
8. Cunningham Falls State Park
Western Maryland has gorgeous mountains and parks. I wish I had more experience with many of them. Cunningham Falls State Park near Thurmont is where Andrew proposed to Kate. They suggested it as the backdrop for their engagement session. It was a new adventure for me. I love exploring with my camera. These photos were taken in late November, so the park had mostly a grays and browns background.
9. Washington DC
I know Washington is not in Maryland, but it may as well be. Follow many of the main roads in Bethesda or Chevy Chase and you end up in our nation’s capital. Often the couples I photograph in Washington, DC are military. There are many wonderful backdrops in Washington DC but all the people make getting good photos a challenge. Go for an early morning or sunset session to avoid the crowds. In several of the photos below of Brian & Haritha, Liz & Jason and Lisa & Julien, I removed people from the background in Adobe Photoshop. Lisa & Julien dressed in their wedding attire for their photos the day before their wedding.
10. Kinder Farm Park
Kinder Farm Park is a park located in rural Millersvile, Maryland. The park is 288 acres operated by Anne Arundel County. It contains a working farm. If you want relaxed country vibe, this may be a good location for you. There is a few dollar entrance fee to enter the park.
