Discovery Park for Seattle Senior Sessions
Nestled in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, high up on a beautiful bluff, overlooking the Sound, is an incredible park that meets the needs of almost every high school senior I come into contact with. From fields, to pockets of flowering trees, to the pebbly beach and lighthouse, to the old yellow barracks, and even a hidden tree swing, there is something for everyone at this park.
Discovery park is the largest public park in Seattle.
When planning your senior photos, there are two decisions that you need to make that will set the stage for your images: what to wear and what location to choose. Well, as a Seattle Senior Photographer, I’ve got you covered. Boasting an impressive 534 acres, Discovery Park is the largest Seattle-area public park and it has a little bit of everything for everyone. The park is kept up beautifully by the city of Seattle and an impressive maintenance crew. This location is a short trek for most of my seniors and is a favorite location around the area. But just because it’s a fan favorite doesn’t mean that your photos will look like everyone else’s photos. This park is HUGE, and many of the spots I have found are low-traffic and unique.
In addition to its many beautiful features, Discovery also has tons of parking, including accessible lots with plenty of handicapped parking, as well as street parking around all of its main access points. The minute you walk into the park, you realize how different it is from other local-area parks. The walkways are well maintained and paved. The trails are free of debris and dangers and wide walkways make it easy to pass other park patrons. The dirt path trails that meander through the park are kept walkable and free from thorn bushes. And there are paved sidewalks all the way down to the water (but I recommend we drive to the beach because that’s a TREK!).
It’s a park for all seasons.
Discovery park is truly a park for all seasons. It doesn’t matter what time of year you schedule for your family photos because each season comes with its own delights. Let me show you what I mean.
Spring and Summer:
In the spring, the park is covered in cherry, apple, and pear blossoms. Each flowering tree adds a spring vibe to the session. Flowers are a lot of fun to play with and add texture and a romantic feel to any session. In addition to flowering fruit trees, other blossoms can be found throughout the park grounds. Mustard plants, foxgloves, dogwood trees, and more. In the early summer, the park’s upper grounds are covered in gorgeous sweet peas flowers, tall sea grass, broad leaf maples, and large paper birch trees. Summer also brings with it longer days, gorgeous sunsets with the Olympics as a silhouette, bright green grassy fields, and pebbly shores. The water of the sound and the tall grass add to that coveted Pacific Northwest vibe.
Fall and Winter:
In the fall, leaves change from lively Kelly green to hues of gold, orange, and red. The longer days make way for earlier sunsets. The colors in the park are spectacular, and the early sunset time allows you to get your photos done in the late afternoon. The winter’s bare trees and tall sea grass lead to some spectacular shots, and the wind in the winter and dramatic skies lead to some pretty intense shots and dramatic backdrops. This park really does have something for everyone at any time during the year.
There are so many scene changes at this park
Most people know Discovery Park for it’s large grassy fields and gorgeous, sandy bluffs overlooking the Sound, but that is not even half of what this park has to offer. Throughout it’s 500+ acres, Discovery boasts 134 different plant species many of which are varying pockets of large deciduous and conifer trees. Within the park, you can find beaches, fields, and forests.
Pockets of Evergreen trees can be found around every entrance, as well as above the bluffs. Inside the park, rows of maple and birch trees line the paths making it a great city location that feels like it’s deep in the woods. Next to these pockets of leafy trees are fields of flowers and bright yellow military barracks that give the park sort of an urban vibe, because you’re in an old neighborhood in Seattle.
The sandy bluff overlooking Puget Sound is one of my favorite locations to photograph. The trees diffuse the sun when it’s still just a little too high in the sky and lend themselves to great sunbursts and sun flares. Directly below the bluff is the Puget Sound beach and lighthouse. This location has a great nautical feel to it and almost feels like a different park altogether.
And no matter where we go, your photos will be beautifully consistent and feel like this park was made just for you!
If you want a park that checks all the boxes…
And if you’re looking for senior photos that have a touch of the Pacific Northwest — field, forest, and beach — then Discovery Park is for you.
Have any questions? Reach out to me. I’d love to chat with you. Leave me a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Or send me an email.
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XOXO, Katie!
