Your Guide to Seattle Short Sessions: Every Location (and How to Pick Yours)
A little tour of every spot I offer short family sessions in Seattle: the beach, the woods, the gardens, the wide-open fields, and yes, the cozy studio. Read on to find the one that feels like your family.
Short sessions are one of my favorite things I do with my photography business because they're quick, easy and let me see so many families every year. You all take some purposeful time to celebrate what makes your people so special and I get some time to do one of my favorite things: photograph love and joy! Yes, it's quick, but fifteen minutes is exactly long enough for your kids to be their real selves (silly, snuggly, a little wild) before anyone has the chance to get tired or over it. We play, we snuggle, we pose a tiny bit, I chase your kids around, and we walk away with photos that actually feel like your people.
Every short session includes your time with me plus 5 images in a private digital gallery a few weeks later, with the option to grab more. Pets are welcome everywhere except the studio. And the whole thing is short and fun enough to survive a blowout diaper. I've done it, the family came back every year since, so I promise nothing will scare me off.
Here's the fun part: our beautiful city is filled with so many lovely spots and I'm going to some of my very favorites this year!
Matthews Beach: for Snuggles by a Tree and Rocks in the Water
Matthews Beach is Seattle's biggest freshwater beach on Lake Washington, tucked up in the northeast corner of the city, and it's pure beauty. Think big beautiful trees, some ducks and maybe an eagle flying over, and all next to our beautiful Lake Washington. And if we're lucky, maybe even cozy morning fog.
This is the one I steer you toward if you want to keep things really easy. It's relaxed, it's playful, and nobody has to be precious about staying clean if we throw rocks in the lake at the end of your session. Also, there's a playground on site but out of sight which can make for a perfect positive reinforcement after photos! Plus parking is always easy here! Sign Up for Matthews Beach!
Washington Park Arboretum: for the storybook, PNW garden-lovin' families
The Arboretum is 230-some acres of tree-lined paths and lush, layered green over near Montlake, and it photographs like a storybook. In fall the leaves turn and the whole place glows; in spring it's blossoms everywhere. The light filters down through the canopy all soft and dappled, and the backdrops feel timeless, the kind of images that won't look "dated" in ten years.
Pick this one if you love a garden feel, a bit of romance, and photos with that lush, painterly quality. One honest heads-up: parking here is tight, especially later in the morning, so if you snag a 9:00 slot, plan to come early and give yourself a breath before we start. Sign Up for the Arboretum!
Discovery Park: for the big PNW views
Discovery Park is the largest park in Seattle, out on the Magnolia bluffs, and it's where you go when you want that sweeping Pacific Northwest drama, big meadows, forest edges, and views out to Puget Sound and the mountains on a clear day. It feels expansive and a little cinematic, which I love. Now for short sessions, sometimes we stick to the forest and the fields just to make sure I don't lose a family, but if you want a longer session this location is also an absolute dream!
This is a beautiful choice for families with kids who can walk a bit and don't mind a short stroll to the good light, and for anyone who wants their family framed by that wide, wild Seattle landscape. If your heart wants meadow-and-forest over garden-and-lake, come here. Sign Up for Discovery Park!
Hamlin, the Forest: for the woodsy dreamers
Hamlin is my little love letter to the woods. Tall evergreens, that deep green forest light, quiet trails, and that perfect calm that makes you think you left the city. On my last birthday, I celebrated by going to the woods with my baby and my tripod, it was exactly what I wanted!
Choose the Hamlin if you want something cozy and more intimate, photos that feel like a secret little world your family stepped into. It's magical for kids who love to explore, and it gives your gallery a texture that's totally different from the beach or the fields, earthy, cozy, and a little enchanted. Parking is typically really easy here ;). Sign Up for the Forest!
Magnuson: for apple picking, room-to-roam crew
Magnuson Park sits on Lake Washington at Sand Point, on the grounds of a former naval air station, and it's got the most room of any of my spots, wide-open fields, lake access, and those iconic art installations scattered around that make for backdrops you won't get anywhere else. Have you seen those orca fins?! There are beautiful birch trees, lovely tall grass, and an apple tree I like to go near, and if we're lucky the fall colors really shine here.
This is your spot if you've got a fun crew and you want photos that feel open and playful, with a little bit of that cool, offbeat Seattle character built right in. Sign up for Magnuson!
The Studio: for weatherproof, Mud Free but Playful Family
And then there's the Studio, my controlled, cozy, rain-free favorite, and secretly one of the best. I'm all about kids being kids, and there's something about the studio where they're a little bit "trapped" (my favorite kind of trapped) and end up being the most free, silly, authentic versions of themselves. It's warm, it's simple, and it's especially lovely for newborns, babies, and those gray Seattle months when the outdoors won't cooperate.
Pick the studio when you want something clean and timeless, when the weather's being very Seattle about things, or when you just want the whole experience to be easy, cozy, and stress-free. It's just north of Seattle and the owners are local women who really think through every detail so it's a lovely location. But a heads up, there are stairs and no elevator. Also, no pets are allowed. *Images WILL be given very quickly so you can print anything you need for the holidays! Sign up for the Studio!
So… how do you pick?
Here's the short version:
Kids who need to move and love water → Matthews Beach or Magnuson
You want lush, garden, storybook → the Arboretum
You want big meadows and PNW vibes → Discovery Park
You want cozy, woodsy, intimate → Hamlin, the Forest
You want weatherproof, cozy, and easy → the Studio
And if you're torn? Email me. I genuinely love helping families find the spot that fits them, it's half the fun. Or you know, just pick the one time where you're not taking kids to soccer and dance ;) I get this!
A few good-to-knows
Every short session is a quick, joyful 15 minutes and includes 5 images in a private gallery, ready within a month, with the option to purchase more. (Studio images will have a super fast turn around so you can order anything you want for the holidays within a week of photo day.)
What to wear: aim for happy people who are comfortable and warm, in what feels like you. I'd just gently steer you away from neon and big logos.
Rain? Three cheers for Seattle. If the forecast calls for a real chance of rain, I'll email you the day before with reschedule details, usually same place, same time, one week later.
Worried your kids will be anxious, shy, uncomfortable? I made a special book just for you to read to them about their Photo Day and I’ll send it to you before your session!
Outdoor spots are seasonal and go fast. My mail list always hears first, so if a location above is sold out, that's the place to be for next time.
Every one of these places is on the traditional land of the Duwamish people, the first people of Seattle, and I'm grateful every time I get to make photos here.
Mostly, though, I'm grateful for the chance to spend fifteen maybe ridiculous, maybe super snuggly, wonderful minutes with your family because you only happen once, and your kids are proof that life is genuinely magical.
Ready to pick your spot?
Anela photographs newborns, kids, and the grown-ups who love them all over Seattle.
