The Best Photoshoot Locations in Sydney

The question I'm asked most often, usually a few weeks out from a session, is where to do it.

I'm based in the Hills District and I photograph right across the city, so the honest answer is that the best photoshoot locations in Sydney depend on who's in front of me and how far they're happy to drive with a tired toddler in the back seat.

Working as a Hills District photographer means I've got a handful of paddocks within 15 minutes of home that I know by season. The rest of my list runs east to the harbour, north to the beaches, and west into the mountains.

Below is how I think about each one, grouped by what it suits rather than by postcode, with the light and the walking for each.

Open paddocks and long grass, for families

Long grass gives children somewhere to disappear into and come running back out of, which is most of what I want from a family session.

The pockets I use sit around Box Hill, Maraylya and the edges of Cattai, with a few roadside paddocks in between.

Light: the last 90 minutes before sunset, when the sun drops low enough to come through the seed heads and light them from behind. The grass is at its highest from October, and it turns gold through February.

Walking: almost none. You park, walk 100 metres into the grass, and that's the session. It suits newborns, prams, grandparents and anyone with a 2 year old who'd rather be carried the whole way.

If you'd like the longer version of how these sessions run with small children, I wrote about outdoor family photoshoots on its own.

Bush tracks, when a session needs movement

Fred Caterson Reserve, Bidjigal Reserve and the fire trails out past Excelsior give me a corridor of trees with light dropping through in patches.

They suit couples, teenagers, families with school-age kids, and anyone who feels self-conscious standing still. Walking gives people something to do with their hands and their feet, and shoulders come down within the first 5 minutes.

Light: mid-morning, roughly 2 hours after sunrise, or the hour before sunset in summer. Dappled light is kind on faces, and the trees hold it for a long window, so a session here is unhurried.

Walking: 10 to 20 minutes on uneven ground, so closed shoes for everyone. I carry the gear and set the pace to the slowest person, usually the 3 year old collecting sticks.

Harbour foreshore and the city skyline, for couples

Blues Point Reserve, the steps at Barangaroo, Bradleys Head and the lanes behind Milsons Point. The city sits in the frame at every one of them.

They suit couples, engagements, anniversaries, and anyone who wants Sydney itself in the photos.

Light: sunrise is the quiet one. The foreshore is nearly empty at 6am, the sandstone goes warm, and you have the place to yourselves. The other window is the last hour of daylight, followed by 20 minutes of blue hour once the skyline switches on behind you.

Walking: 1 to 2 km on flat foreshore paths, with a set of stairs at Blues Point and a short hill up to Bradleys Head. Parking is simplest before 7am or after 6pm.

Headlands and rock pools, for a coastal session

Long Reef, North Curl Curl, Freshwater and Turimetta each hold 3 things in the same spot: open headland, rock shelf and water.

They suit maternity sessions, couples, and families with kids old enough to be steady on wet rock.

Light: sunrise, almost always. The east coast gives its best light in the first 40 minutes of the day, the water is glassy, and the beach belongs to swimmers and dog walkers who pay you no attention.

Walking: a 10 minute climb up the headland at Long Reef, a flight of stairs at Turimetta, flat sand at Freshwater. I check the tide before I confirm a rock pool session, because a low tide opens up the shelf and leaves that still sheet of water on top.

The Blue Mountains, when you want scale and weather

Lincolns Rock, the valley floor at Megalong, and the gardens around Mount Wilson in autumn.

They suit couples, maternity, milestone birthdays and families who like a day trip attached to their photos.

It's 60 to 90 minutes from the Hills, and the mountains keep their own weather. Mist sits low in the valley until mid-morning on a cold day, and it's one of my favourite things to photograph in.

Light: an overcast day works beautifully up there, which opens the window right through the middle of the day. On a clear afternoon I aim for the hour before sunset at a west-facing lookout.

Walking: anywhere from 2 minutes at Lincolns Rock to 30 minutes on a valley track, so I match the spot to the group. There's more in what I wrote about photographing in the Blue Mountains, including what to pack when it's 8 degrees colder than home.

Choosing between these photoshoot locations in Sydney

There are 3 questions that usually settle it.

The first is the drive. A 20 minute trip and an hour on the motorway produce very different moods on arrival, and that mood shows up in the first 10 frames.

The second is the wall. Picture the photo hanging in your hallway and see what's behind you in it: gold grass, water, sandstone, or a valley falling away.

The third is what you'll feel most yourself in. If long dresses and bare feet sound right, I'll steer you towards a paddock or a beach. If you'd rather be in boots on a track with the dog, that changes the shortlist entirely.

Travel around the Hills and the inner north west is included, and the coastal and mountain sessions carry their own travel note in my packages.

Working with the seasons

Summer sunsets land close to 8pm, which is well past bedtime for a lot of families, so from November to February I'll often suggest sunrise instead. Little ones are at their best then anyway.

Winter is generous. A 4.30pm start puts you in the softest light of the day with everyone still fresh, and the Hills paddocks hold a low gold that lasts.

March to May is my favourite stretch of the year. The grass is gold, the light is lovely by 5pm, and the mountains turn over into autumn colour.

Wind is the one thing I watch on the coast. I keep an eye on the forecast for a few days beforehand, and I'm happy to move a headland session to the next morning if a calmer one is coming.

Going back to the same paddock

There's a family I've photographed 3 years running in the same paddock off Annangrove Road. Same fence line, same hour of the evening, different grass every time.

The first year the youngest was carried through the entire session. Last spring she ran the full length of that fence and I chased her with the camera.

If a place like that came to mind while you were reading, that's the one I'd book.