Lincoln Park is one of Seattle's best locations for family photos and senior portraits, especially in the fall. As a Seattle photographer who shoots here often, I've put together what to know before booking your Lincoln Park photo session in West Seattle.

Best Time of Year for Photos at Lincoln Park


Fall: Fall is spectacular here, especially at sunset. I usually guide clients to one of two loops, depending on everyone's ages and walking abilities:

South parking lot loop: This start gives you images up in the trees and grass with fall leaves around, plus a quick walk down to the water. The playground is often visible, so I don't recommend this loop for easily distracted young children unless you're open to fun, real-life, documentary-style playground images.

North parking lot loop: This one includes a climbing tree and a long, meandering walk toward the water near Colman Pool. The changing leaves along the walkway are gorgeous this time of year.


Winter: Fog, soft light, and the occasional clear, beautiful sunset make winter magical. You'll often feel like you have the park to yourself.


Spring: There are plenty of fun patches of daisies, though not many other spring flowers in the park.


Summer: Weekend evenings are busy, and sunset is very late (around 8pm), but the golden light is well worth the wait.


Family of four playing outdoors under a golden autumn tree as two children run while parents hold a large cloth between them.
Family of four sitting on a blue blanket on a pebble beach at dusk with driftwood, bare trees and a moon in the sky.
Toddler girl with curly strawberry-blonde hair in a white smocked sundress with a bow back, standing in a meadow of tiny white daisies.
Family of four sits together on a mossy fallen log in a sunny forest, with two young girls in floral dresses between their smiling parents.

Best Time of Day for Lincoln Park Photo Sessions


Lincoln Park works well for midday sessions if you need it, but it shines best early or later in the day. Plenty of trees provide open shade, and two great playgrounds are perfect for documentary-style images full of connection and play.


I save the waterfront for documentary-style images, unless it's late in the day or overcast. For portraits by the water, aim for the last half hour before sunset, or book on an overcast day.

Family of four sits together on large coastal rocks overlooking calm water during a warm golden sunset.
Smiling couple sits on a mossy log in a lush green forest holding their baby in a red outfit during an outdoor family portrait session.
Family of four sits together on large coastal rocks overlooking calm ocean water at sunset, enjoying a peaceful evening by the shore.

Family Photo Sessions at Lincoln Park


Lincoln Park offers plenty of natural entertainment for kids: rocks, shells, pinecones, grasses, leaves, and seaweed. Open spaces are perfect for running, snuggling on a blanket, and exploring together. The park is versatile in nearly any light at most times of day, and you'll find stairs, open fields, fallen trees, driftwood, and a rocky beach, so your gallery has plenty of variety.

Silhouetted family of four holding hands on a pebble beach at sunset, with calm water and distant mountains in the background.
A smiling family of four sits together on mossy outdoor stone steps surrounded by green ivy, posing for a casual portrait.
Multigenerational family of nine smiling together outdoors in a wooded park, with a bald grandfather in a teal sweater at the center.
Two parents hold a sheer blanket overhead while two young girls in dresses run beneath it on a grassy lawn surrounded by tall trees.

Senior Portrait Sessions at Lincoln Park


I love senior sessions at Lincoln Park because of the surprising variety, and we can usually cover much more ground than in a family session. The few buildings scattered throughout the park offer columns, rustic walls, pops of color, and textured rock walls, in addition to the forest and beach scenes the park is known for.

Upside-down reflection of a silhouetted person standing on a shore, mirrored in a puddle with fallen leaves at golden sunset.
Young man with curly hair sits on a wooden fence in a redwood forest, playing an acoustic guitar and gazing off to the side.
Smiling young man with curly auburn hair wearing a brown and cream plaid flannel jacket, standing against a light wood panel wall.
Smiling young woman with long red hair crouches on a pebble path in a white cable-knit sweater and jeans beside tall golden grass.

Maternity Photo Sessions at Lincoln Park


Lincoln Park's mix of forest, open meadow, and Puget Sound shoreline makes a beautiful backdrop for maternity portraits. Soft light filtering through the trees flatters in every season, and sunset on the beach is a favorite for glowing, golden images. Flat, easy paths near the parking lots work well for a comfortable session, and we can plan a shorter, more relaxed route based on your energy and mobility or if you're still up for adventure a long meandering walk down the hill will put you in an even more picturesque spot for water images.

Silhouetted couple holding hands at sunset on a waterfront beach, with a ferry crossing the calm water behind them.
Smiling bearded man in glasses and pregnant woman laugh together outdoors as a toddler sits on his shoulders in a sunny park.
Smiling expectant couple embracing outdoors on a rocky beach, the woman in a fitted beige dress cradling her baby bump.

Book Your Lincoln Park Photo Session


Ready to plan your session? Sound Roots Photography serves West Seattle and the greater Seattle area. Contact me to check availability and choose the best season, time, and loop for your family.

Smiling woman with long red hair in a plaid jacket gazes across calm water at sunset, with a ferry and forested shoreline in the distance.