Nashville’s Best Portrait Locations

I took this portrait of my daughter in her grandmother’s garden.

We had such a great time at our do-it-yourself photo shoot that I brainstormed a few more portrait-quality spots in the Nashville area.

Nashville has many gorgeous locations for photographing wedding or children’s portraits — many at no cost to you!

Digital cameras have made do-it-yourself photo shoots both easy and inexpensive.

You can take 500 photos and only develop the very best shots.

These are some of Nashville’s very best backdrops…

For A Sense of Local History…

I like backdrops with natural stone or old concrete benches. Many of Middle Tennessee’s historic homes charge admission for tours, but not to their grounds! Perhaps you can discreetly use the exteriors and outbuildings of:

• Belle Meade Mansion (privately owned)
• Two Rivers Mansion (city owned)
• Sunnyside Mansion (in Sevier Park)
• Belmont Mansion (with its frilly gazebo, on campus)
• Cool Springs House (in Brentwood’s Crockett Park)
• Cheekwood (mansion and garden spots, $10 admission).

For A Natural Outdoor Setting…

I never walk through the Ellington Agricultural Center on a weekend without seeing at least one professional photographer snapping away.

This free estate houses Tennessee’s agriculture and wildlife departments.

You get the benefit of several different settings, all without leaving the Ellington grounds. Popular photo spots include:

• in the Iris Garden gazebo
• in the demonstration gardens around the museum
• against the white-washed horse fences
• near the woodsy log cabins

UPDATE FROM THE ELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL CENTER:  

Due to problems with artifacts being broken and historic sites being disturbed we no longer allow commercial photography.

For A Park Setting…

We’re lucky to have so many beautiful parks in Nashville. A few of my favorite backdrops in parks are:

• Percy Warner Park (the stone steps)
• Warner Park Nature Center (the porch and stone courtyard)
• Centennial Park’s lake (and/or the spring tulip display)
• Fannie May Dees Park (the colorful tile dragon)
• TN Bicentennial Mall (the amphitheatre and native plant gardens)

For A Local Landmark…

• Nashville’s Downtown Library (and its formal fountained courtyard)
• Parthenon in Centennial Park (the steps)
• TN State Capitol building (on a weekend)
• Schermerhorn Symphony Center (downtown)
• Shelby Street pedestrian bridge (it has 4 scenic overlooks with downtown backdrop)

If you’ve found a great portrait location in the Nashville area, let us know in the comments!

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