Best Photography Spots in Rochester

When I first started blogging, I had the most difficult time finding great places to shoot in Rochester. Ever since I was a kid, I thought this place was just, well…ugly. Over the years, I’ve discovered that Rochester has it’s own kind of beauty and if you get a chance to explore, then you’ll be amazed at how many great photography locations we actually have! I decided to put together a list of all the places that I’ve either taken my blog photos at (which is about 90% of places on this list!) or I’m planning to take. Here’s my list:

For Murals…

If you’re looking for something a little more artsy, then you’re in luck cause Rochester has tons of beautiful murals that make a great background in your photos. My personal favorites are the ones at the Public Market such as the deer one and the stock lives one. In total, I think there’s 5-6 murals at the Public Market alone! There’s also one of the side of the Natural Oasis building which no one seems to know about but you can see more pics of here. There’s also Village Gate, Artisan Works (on Blossom Road), the Rochester mural over on Scio Street, and the ones on the side of the Parkleigh building.

For Elegance…

For fancier outfits, I usually like to shoot at someplace elegant such as the gardens at the George Eastman Museum which I recently did a shoot at in my birthday post that you can see here. There’s also City Hall which is a popular photography location for weddings (especially the staircase) and during Christmas they have a big tree in there which works for holiday shoots. I also love the Memorial Art Gallery, the entrance to the Eastman School of Music (especially when it’s sunset and the lights come on), Cobbs Hill Reservoir, and the Sunken Gardens at Warner Castle.

For Cold Weather…

While many of these locations can work in cold weather, sometimes you just want to see some greenery and there’s where the Lamberton Conservatory in Highland Park comes in. It works beautifully if you want to escape from the cold and need something “tropical” in your photos. I also love the Winter Garden which provides natural lighting which is hard to find indoors during the winter. P.S. in front of the entrance to the Winter Garden there’s actually signs on the ground that say Rochester on it as you can see in the above picture.

For Warm Weather…

Some pretty obvious ones would be Ontario Beach, Irondequoit Bay, the Pittsford Canal, and the Genesee Gateway Park (which has a gorgeous view of the bridge!) if you’re looking for spots near the water. If you’re willing to take a mini road trip, then check out the Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua which I’m dying to shoot at once the weather is nice. Lastly, if you’re looking for flowers then the popular sunflower field on Calkins Road is beautiful (make sure to go during late July/August!), Highland Park (during the lilac festival, of course) and a gem that people such as myself always forget about: the Maplewood Rose Garden.

Any places that I missed? Comment down below and let me know!

-Ruya

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