Luther Burbank Park: Bellevue Family Photo Location Inspiration

One of the key factors in a successful family photo session is the location where you choose to hold your session. I strongly suggest leaning on your photographer to help you choose a location they are familiar with and have worked at often to ensure good lighting, a variety of beautiful backgrounds, and that it works well for your family’s needs.

As a Kirkland family photographer, I have a variety of favorite locations on the Seattle Eastside, one of them being Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island. Read on to discover a few of the reasons this location is popular with the families I work with.

Luther Burbank Park is a beautiful location year-round.

Looking for a location that will work for any season? Luther Burbank has some magnificent evergreen trees so you don’t have to worry about a winter look in early spring or late fall. Mixed in with those are a few deciduous trees, allowing you to capitalize on lovely spring blooms and/or glorious fall color dependent upon the season.

You can find vast water views at Luther Burbank Park.

Most Seattlites love the water, whether it signifies a moment of tranquility or a place to refresh and dip your feet in. If you have a relationship with the water, you’ll love Luther Burbank Park.

For your family photo session there are several areas from which we can make use of water views at Luther Burbank Park. The narrow, rocky beach along the water’s edge is great for viewing the sunset, skipping rocks, dipping your toes and in general making your photo session feel like an easy-to-get-to “adventure” for your family.

There are also docks at Luther Burbank Park which provide more expansive water views. As long as children are old enough to follow instructions, we can make use of the docks for a very Pacific Northwest look for your family photos.

A beautiful tree-lined path provides framing and brings the attention to your family.

Another area I love to utilize at Luther Burbank Park is a tree-lined path. Framing your family with trees on this narrow walkway is a dramatic and fun way to bring all the focus to your family, allowing your connection take center stage.

There is also a small fence along the path which provides a rustic feel and gives kids something to lean against for individual portraits.

A large park, it is usually easy to avoid crowds at Luther Burbank.

We’ll want to move around for a variety of backdrops to make the most of your family photo session. Although Luther Burbank is a popular park in the summer, it’s usually easy to find quiet pockets for photos. If one area is feeling crowded, we can explore to find another less busy space. From a field, to the tree-lined path, to the rocky beach or docks, there are a variety of looks and places to explore for beautiful and memorable family photos.

End your session at the playground as a reward for the kids.

While I typically try to avoid family photo locations which include playgrounds because they are a huge distraction for younger children, Luther Burbank’s play equipment is fairly easy to avoid during most of your photo session. If you have children who will be eager to explore a playground, let me know before your session, and we will begin the session going a different direction.

After looping the park and arriving at the end of your session, we can pass by the playground and give your kids a few minutes playtime as a reward for a successful family photo session. A win for all!

Looking for a great Kirkland location? Check out another favorite of mine.