THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TAMPA BAY, SARASOTA, PASCO & POLK PHOTO LOCATIONS

Finding a Space for Your Family to Just Let Go

Capturing honest stories across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties.

Selecting a location is about so much more than finding a pretty backdrop—it’s about finding a quiet, unhurried space where your family feels entirely free to be themselves. I specialize in hidden preserves, quiet riverways, and secluded coastlines across the Greater Tampa Bay area that offer a deep sense of privacy, letting your session unfold naturally as a fun, memorable afternoon together.

The Nature & Park Collection: Iconic Florida

For families who feel most at home under deep oak canopies, moss-draped forests, and open fields across Central and Suncoast Florida.

PINELLAS COUNTY | ST. PETE, SAFETY HARBOR & DOWNTOWN WATERFRONT

Philippe Park

Location: 2525 Philippe Pkwy, Safety Harbor, FL 34695 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: Famous for its massive, sweeping live oak canopy dripping in Spanish moss right along Old Tampa Bay. It combines historic stone staircases, gentle sloping hills, and quiet water views under deep, cool shade.

• The Connection: The dense oak canopy shelters us from harsh sunlight, making it effortless to capture soft, glowing light throughout your session. Kids love running up the grassy mounds and exploring the shoreline, giving us plenty of room for natural, unscripted play without feeling confined.

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

Location: 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Petersburg, FL 33705 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: A quiet, sprawling wilderness preserve right in St. Petersburg. Wide boardwalks weave through pine flatwoods, hardwood hammocks, and lakefront marshlands. It feels completely secluded, peaceful, and wild.

• The Connection: An ideal backdrop for families who want a quiet, grounded session away from beach crowds. The long wooden boardwalks give little ones a clear, safe path to explore while we wander through warm, filtered forest light and open marsh views.

North Straub Park

Location: 400 Bayshore Dr NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: A classic downtown St. Pete waterfront gem framed by towering banyan trees, historic brick pathways, and open views of Tampa Bay. It offers a refined, coastal-park feel with deep shade and breezy waterside walking paths.

• The Connection: Perfect for families who love the charm of St. Pete without committing to a full beach or forest trail. The massive banyan roots give kids a natural playground to explore, while the shaded walkways and open bayfront create a relaxed, organic flow for candid family portraits and st pete maternity photography.

POLK COUNTY | LAKELAND & LAKE WALES

Bok Tower Gardens

Location: 1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales, FL 33853 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: Tucked into the quiet citrus hills of Lake Wales, this spot feels completely different from the rest of Florida. Think massive live oaks, winding stone paths, shaded garden nooks, and the quiet sound of the tower bells echoing through the trees. It’s calm, grounded, and historic without feeling stuffy.

• The Connection: It’s a bit of a drive, which turns the session into a real destination experience. Because the grounds are so spread out, your family gets total freedom to walk the trails and explore without fighting crowds or feeling rushed. The late-afternoon light filtering through the tree canopy makes it easily one of the most unscripted, cinematic places to photograph in the state.

Note: Travel fee and location entry fees apply.

Bonnet Springs Park

Location: 400 Bonnet Springs Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33815 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: A huge, open stretch of land right in Lakeland that gives you a little bit of everything—sweeping grassy hills, huge oak trees, wooden boardwalks, and quiet creek beds. It’s fresh, grounded, and has a great mix of wild Florida nature alongside clean, modern architecture.

• The Connection: Because the park is so spread out, we can easily change up the scenery as we walk without ever feeling boxed in. Your kids have room to run up the hills, cross the bridges, and explore, which keeps the energy light and lets us capture natural, unscripted moments without forcing a single pose.

Note: Travel fee applies to this location.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY | TAMPA, THONOTOSASSA & PLANT CITY

Hillsborough River State Park

Location: 15402 US-301, Thonotosassa, FL 33592 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: Real, untamed Florida. Think dense palm hammocks, towering cypress trees, wooden suspension bridges, and actual river rapids—which you almost never see around here. It feels wild, green, and completely secluded from the city.

• The Connection: Perfect if you love being outdoors and want something that feels grounded and adventurous. The natural trails and river overlook give us space to hike around, let the kids explore the banks, and capture quiet, honest moments surrounded by deep green woods and golden light filtering through the canopy.

Note: Travel fee applies to this location.

Lettuce Lake Park

Location: 6920 E Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL 33637 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: Pure, quiet Florida cypress swamp. A long wooden boardwalk winds deep through a massive, shaded canopy right along the Hillsborough River. It’s calm, cool, and surprisingly quiet for being so close to Tampa, with tall trees draped in Spanish moss and beautiful water views at every turn.

• The Connection: The dense tree cover gives us incredible, soft light to work with, even on brighter days. It’s a great, easy spot for kids because the boardwalk gives them a clear path to walk and explore safely while we wander through the shade and capture relaxed, natural moments together.

Note: Travel fee applies to this location.

Edward Medard Conservation Park

Location: 6140 Turkey Creek Rd, Plant City, FL 33567 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: Completely unique and otherworldly. The standout feature here is the exposed, towering tree roots along the reservoir hill, creating giant natural sculptures to climb around.

• The Connection: If you want something artistic with deep contrast and texture, this is it. Kids naturally love climbing through the roots, which gives us immediate, unscripted moments as they explore. The shadows, deep earth tones, and striking root shapes make this one of my favorite spots in the Bay area to edit into signature black & white art.

Note: Travel fee applies to this location.

PASCO COUNTY | DADE CITY & HUDSON

Withlacoochee River Park

Location: 12449 Withlacoochee Blvd, Dade City, FL 33525 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: A true wilderness escape tucked away in Dade City. Think tall river bluffs, quiet boardwalks over the marsh, open grassy fields, and floating docks right on the water. It feels vast, peaceful, and completely untouched by the rest of the world.

• The Connection: Incredibly quiet and spacious. If your family wants to step away from town, slow way down, and just explore, this gives us endless room to roam naturally without running into crowds. The wide-open fields and tall riverbank trees give us soft, uninterrupted golden hour light that feels completely magical on camera.

Note: Travel fee applies to this location.

Aripeka Sandhills Preserve

Location: 18000 Aripeka Rd, Hudson, FL 34667 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: Raw, undisturbed old Florida coastal pine flatwoods on the border of Pasco and Hernando. Stretching up toward the Gulf Coast, this preserve trades manicured lawns for towering longleaf pines, coastal hardwood hammocks, and quiet sandy trails. It’s wind-swept, quiet, and wild.

• The Connection: Deeply relaxing and removed from standard beach crowds. The open pine canopy lets golden hour light filter through in long, striking rays, giving your family a quiet, natural landscape to just walk, breathe, and connect.

• Note: Travel fee applies to this location.

SARASOTA COUNTY | SARASOTA & OSPREY

The Celery Fields

Location: 6150 Palmer Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34240 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: Rolling elevation, tall swaying grasses, and open skies that feel completely distinct from the rest of Sarasota.

• The Connection: Pastoral and cinematic. A favorite for sarasota maternity photographer and golden hour maternity portraits, the high hills catch sunset light perfectly, creating a glowing backdrop that feels like a living painting. It offers a gentle, open space to walk together and capture unscripted family connection.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens – Downtown Sarasota Campus

Location: 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: A bayfront tropical sanctuary tucked right on Sarasota Bay. Think towering banyan trees, massive monstera leaves, lush orchid displays, and shaded brick walkways winding down to open water views. It offers a refined, coastal-botanical feel with deep shade and rich green texture.

• The Connection: Ideal for a romantic, organic lifestyle session or golden hour maternity portraits. The dense canopy shelters us from harsh sun, creating soft, creamy light at every angle. It gives your family a tranquil, enclosed garden to explore while capturing quiet, intimate moments by the bay.

  Note: Venue admission/photo policy fees may apply.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens – Historic Spanish Point Campus

Location: 401 N Tamiami Trail, Osprey, FL 34229 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: A sweeping, 30-acre coastal preserve tucked along Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey. Ancient shell middens, historic pioneer cottages, sunlit fern gardens, and quiet wooden boardwalks over the salt marsh give this location a peaceful, old-Florida romance.

• The Connection: Expansive, quiet, and deeply atmospheric. Because this campus is spread out over vast bayfront acreage, it offers an unhurried escape where your family can wander through ancient oaks and native hammocks without bumping into crowds. It’s a dream backdrop for textured, artistic imagery and natural, unscripted connection.

  Note: Travel fee and Venue admission/photo policy fees may apply.

The Coastal Collection: Secluded Beaches & Waterfront & Hidden Gems

For families who find peace along salty edges, windswept dunes, and calm Gulf and coastal waters across Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties.

Emerson Point Preserve (Manatee)

Location: 5801 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: A true coastal sanctuary right where Terra Ceia Bay meets the Tampa Bay waters. You’re surrounded by ancient live oaks, massive gumbo limbos, and winding mangrove tunnels, all leading out to quiet, sandy shorelines and elevated boardwalk views over the water. It’s wild, lush, and feels deeply rooted in Florida’s natural history.

• The Connection: Incredibly diverse and private. Because the trails weave through everything from dense green canopy to open coastal views, we can capture a whole range of moods in a single, unhurried walk. It gives your family room to explore, wander the shore, and just be present while we preserve honest, connection-led moments in stunning natural light.

Bean Point Beach (Anna Maria Island- Manatee)

Location: 793 N Shore Dr, Anna Maria, FL 34216 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: Tucked away on the northernmost tip of Anna Maria Island, Bean Point is pure, quiet coastal magic. No high-rises, no boardwalk commercialism—just wide-open horizons, soft flour-white sand, sea oats blowing over gentle dunes, and sweeping views of where the Gulf meets Tampa Bay.

• The Connection: Serene, airy, and deeply peaceful. This is the place for a quiet, barefoot session centered entirely on stepping away from the noise and slowing down together by the water. The open sky catches the shifting coastal light beautifully, giving us room to let your family roam, play in the surf, and connect naturally as the sun dips below the Gulf.

Treasure Island Beach (Pinellas)

Location: 8000 W Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island, FL 33706 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: Wide stretches of soft sand, tall sea oats blowing over quiet dunes, and a long wooden boardwalk section tucked away from the heavy resort crowds. It’s classic, relaxed, and open.

• The Connection: Perfect for a barefoot session. The wide shoreline leaves plenty of room for kids to run, splash in the gentle surf, while we capture open, horizon-filled sunset light over the Gulf.

Fort De Soto Park (Pinellas)

Location: 3500 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde, FL 33715 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: A massive stretch of untouched, raw coastline right in Pinellas County. It trades commercialized beaches for wide-open sand dunes, tall, blowing sea oats, and beautiful, weathered driftwood scattered along the shoreline. It feels wild, expansive, and deeply peaceful.

• The Connection: Adventurous and completely grounded in nature. This is my personal favorite beach for candid family portraits and extended family sessions because there is endless room for kids to run, play, and explore without feeling crowded. The open horizon delivers the absolute best golden hour light and sunset views in the county, giving us a stunning, cinematic backdrop for unscripted, honest moments together.

South Lido Key Beach Park (Sarasota)

Location: 2201 Ben Franklin Dr, Sarasota, FL 34236 | Visit Website

• The Vibe: Positioned at the southern tip of Lido Key, this preserve seamlessly blends shaded coastal pine trails and dense Australian pine groves with quiet, open Gulf beaches and winding mangrove passes. It feels versatile, raw, and sheltered from the heavy crowds of main public beaches.

• The Connection: A standout location for sarasota maternity photographer sessions and sunset family portraits. The tall pine trees right along the sand create a soft, filtered canopy where we can capture deep shade and rich contrast, before moving out onto the water's edge to catch the warm, glowing horizon. It offers kids and families plenty of room to roam between nature trails and salty waves in one continuous, unhurried walk.

• Note: Travel fee applies to this location.

Preparing for Your Tampa, St. Pete, Sarasota, Pasco & Polk Session

The Beauty of Golden Hour

To capture the soft, organic light and rich tones featured throughout my work, outdoor family, maternity, and lifestyle sessions are scheduled exclusively around the sun’s natural arc.

• Sunrise Sessions: Ideal for early-rising families and east-facing water. The light is cool, quiet, and peaceful.

• Sunset Sessions: Scheduled 60 to 90 minutes before dusk, when the light turns warm and golden over the landscape.

ACCESSIBILITY & COMFORT FOR ALL FAMILIES

Planning a session with toddlers, strollers, or specific mobility needs should never feel overwhelming. Every venue in this guide has been personally scouted across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, and Sarasota counties to ensure clear access alongside striking scenery. Most feature flat, well-maintained paths just a short walk from parking.

As a neurodiversity-affirming photographer with a beautifully neurodivergent home, my priority is creating a safe, low-pressure environment where everyone can show up exactly as they are. If your family has specific sensory preferences or physical accessibility needs, we can select the exact trailhead that offers maximum beauty with minimum effort.

Sentimental & Private Locations

While these preserves are favorites, the most meaningful sessions often happen in spaces personal to you. Whether that means your own private family property, a home session, or a hidden neighborhood trail I am always ready to document your story where you feel most at home.

Travel & Session Planning

Based in Palmetto, Florida, I regularly document stories across the entire region, locations within 30 miles of my home base are included in standard collections; standard travel rates apply for locations beyond to cover time and travel logistics.