Photo shoots can happen anywhere. Even an apartment could make an ideal location for a shoot if the need calls for it. But not everyone wants to have a shoot in their apartment, and with a beautiful city like this, why would you want to?

This city is filled with beautiful location to shoot at. Some of them are, what I’d like to call, “photographer friendly”. Some of them are… less friendly. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve and sometimes how big your group is.

So for anyone new to location shooting like this, I’ve compiled a list of, honestly, some of the most obvious places you can shoot, and some places that aren’t so obvious. The list isn’t in any particular order, its just a list of some of my favorites. I’m also going to include a list of pros and cons to help you figure out if this is the right location for you.

McGovern Centennial Gardens

1500 Hermann Drive, Houston TX 77004

Operating hours: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Parking: Ok… except on the weekends.

Photographer friendly: Meh

PROS: This is a massive and beautiful garden (gardens) located in Hermann Park. There are a ton of diverse areas to shoot and some that provide lots of shady area just in case you need to shoot at terrible times of the day. Parking in the back is plentiful usually.

CONS: In my experience, it’s not the most photographer friendly place, which I completely understand. I’ve been shoo’d away once because they frown upon props and things of that nature being brought into the gardens. Update: As long as you keep it simple (meaning you, your camera and your subject, you should be fine). If you plan on bringing a large party there, you probably have to make some sort of a reservation or just storm the gates (which I don’t recommend but sometimes you gotta just go for it and see what happens). My advice is to keep it simple and travel light (no lights or stands). No props or balloons and definitely no confetti bombs or things of that nature. There’s a guy that travels via golf cart throughout the grounds and is constantly monitoring the place so just something to be aware of.

Discovery Green

1500 McKinney. Houston TX 77002

Operating Hours: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Parking: Meh (bring money)

Photographer friendly: Good

PROS: A gorgeous park that sits in the front of the George R. Brown Convention Center. Its filled with art pieces, a man-made lake, a kids play area, as well as a number of restaurants and other attractions. Its especially nice around sunset.

CONS: Its a very popular spot, which isn’t a necessarily bad, but its hard to find parking there because of it. Now there are a lot of places to park. especially on the side streets but at peak hours, they can be hard to find. You can always pay for the parking but depending on how long and where you stay, it could get pricey.

Hermann Park

6001 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030

Operating hours: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Parking: Terrible

Photographer Friendly: Good

PROS: Theres a lot of “stuff” around this area so for the purposes of being as clear as possible, this covers the Sam Houston Statue, Pioneer Memorial and Mecom Fountain. It’s all gorgeous. Gorgeous scenery and an open area for large groups.

CONS: There are a few downsides to this area. At least around the statue and fountain, there aren’t a lot of shady areas (there are plenty across the street). So during days of clear sky and at non-optimal photographing time (11 a.m. - 3 p.m.), watch out for harsh shadows.

Also this area is also a popular spot with any number of Quince shoots and wedding shoots going on at any time so prepare to photoshop lots of dudes out of your shots.

More important than that, however is the problem of finding a good place to park. Even if you aren’t on a photographic assignment, on the weekends Hermann Park and the surrounding area is really bad for parking. You could find parking at the Museum of Natural Science as long as you’re cool with paying $30 for it (IF it isn’t full). This is also why I don’t visit the zoo that often.

Houston Warehouse Studios

1506 Lorraine St., Houston, TX 77009

Operating Hours: 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Parking: Good

Photographer friendly: Great

PROS: This place is one of those “not obvious” places I was talking about. Its an odd little place just outside downtown in the midst of old warehouses and an even older neighborhood, but this place has EVERYTHING. Its stocked with its own furniture for shoots as well as a number of stands for lighting and cords for electronics. It would go without saying that this building has walls (duh, i know), but each wall (except the window wall) is different and geared toward a different type of shoot. One is white, one is black and the last one is half barn doors and half brick wall. Basically, if its not possible for you to have a studio in your own home, this is the next best thing, plus its pretty affordable to rent.

CONS: The neighborhood is a lil sketch, and you might feel a little deceived from outside appearances but its a great place I’d recommend to any photographer at any level.

The Japanese Garden

6000 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030

Operating Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Parking: Still terrible

Photographer Friendly: Good?

The Japanese Garden. Photos taken mid-January

PROS: This Garden can be found just right of the Reflection Pool in Hermann Park (the entrance is tucked under a bunch of trees but its there). OK, truth time. This is a really REALLY awesome garden, but I’m not 100% sure that we should have been there. Right outside the building, there is a sign that says, in LARGE FONT, that pro photographers are not allowed with out reservations….. we went in there anyway.

I don’t know if I’d call myself a “pro” photographer (maybe advanced hobbiest is more fitting) but I totally expected to be tossed out of there at any second. Maybe its because it was a Friday or mid-January and the foliage wasn’t at its best, but there was no security like at Centennial Gardens so we did our thing and promptly left. Still… take heed photographers. Travel light.

CONS: Have I mentioned how atrocious the parking is in Hermann Park? It ain’t great.

Oyster Creek Park

4033 Hwy 6, Sugar Land, TX 77478

Operating Hours: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Parking: Good

Photographer friendly: Great

PROS: I guess this is kinda cheating because its not technically in Houston, but this is the premier location to do any type of shoot you want. Couples, senior, wedding parties, families, you name it, and from what I can tell, photographers are welcome. This area isn’t as nice or varied as anything in Hermann Park, but its still a very beautiful park and its very easy to get in and out of, parking wise.

CONS: All that being said, I’ve shoot and visited this place quite a bit so I do have a few grievances, and you’re about to hear them.

It’s a popular place. During the peek season, you can easily run into at least three or four shoots going on at the same time, so there is always fighting over space.
Because of that crowdedness, there will DEFINITELY be a need to Photoshop people out of a few pictures and that always takes time.
There is also a horrendous field of power lines that sit to one side of the park. If you can create enough space to blur the background, it shouldn’t be a problem. If you can’t, they can ruin a nice picture or be a pain to digitally remove.

Winter warning: Oyster Creek takes a pretty big hit during the months of January through March. And if we are unlucky enough to have a big freeze (like the one in 2021) the park just won’t look as pretty as most places. There are a few ever green trees located there, but if you want to have a nice looking greenish place for a shoot, I’d suggest finding some place else or at least waiting a few months until the color returns.

Sugar Land

Sugar Land, TX

Operational Hours: Depends

Parking: Pretty good I guess…

Photographer friendly: Probably…

PROS: If the last section was cheating, well, this one is REALLY cheating. But hear me out, Sugar Land is the land of (not only sugar) man-made lakes and a million parks. Pick any of them and you’re almost guaranteed to get a nice shot. Even the downtown area could be a great place for a shoot.

CONS: No real cons here because its all kinda up in the air and depends on what place you pick. Good luck!

The Theater District

Houston, TX

Operating Hours: doesn’t apply

Parking: Meh

Photographer Friendly: Good

PROS: The Theater District is kinda like Hermann Park in that it encompasses an entire area. But unlike the park, the district is more of a concrete jungle filled with art and architecture. There are also a number of fountains and waterways and at least one amphitheater.

CONS: Having to pay for parking is never fun but there should be at least one decently priced parking garage around here.

This style of photography might not be for everyone.

Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park

2800 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, TX 77056

Operating Hours: 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Parking: Not great

Photographer Friendly: Ok -Meh

PROS: A giant waterfall nestled in the heart of the Galleria area. Its a cool urban area and there is an ABUNDANCE of light because its being reflected off of a glass tower in the facility.

CONS: Its the Galleria area so its a bit of a pain to get to. Plus the only good parking is a block away in the Macy’s parking garage (which I guess is ok to park in since I haven’t gotten into trouble yet). It might not be the best place for a wedding party seeing as its a giant fountain and it kicks up a considerable amount of mist (which might be great on Summer days for kids but not so much for adults).

It’s also a very popular touristy spot for Houston meaning its very crowded and security doesn’t allow large wedding parties… from what I’ve heard.

Buffalo Bayou

Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street, between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive

Operating Hours: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. (?)

Parking: Meh… not great.

Photographer friendly: Its fine.

This is a popular place and a tourist attraction for Houston. It features the Sabine Bridge and a number of Instagram worthy spots for photography, mainly because Downtown Houston is featured as the backdrop. But it has some downsides. Parking, like much of Houston isn’t that great and the little free parking that does exist, gets taken pretty fast.

The park itself is also pretty large so please bring your walking shoes if you want to shoot here.

Honorable Mentions

The last two places that I’ll mention are different in that, unlike the other places, I haven’t had shoots there. Not for any particular reason, an opportunity just hasn't presented itself as of yet. Anyway, they still seem like awesome places to shoot

Terry Hershey Park

15200 Memorial Dr., Houston, TX 77079

Operating Hours: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Parking: Good

Photographer friendly: Good

Not as varied as some of the parks on this list, but its still very nice and its easy to get in and out of. And on the plus side, they have no problem with photographers. It is however a pretty popular places for joggers and bikers so there will probably be a need to do some editing in Photoshop.

Green Street, the Color Wall and Rainbow Stairs (?)

1201 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77002

Operating Hours: 24 hours a day

Parking: OK

Photographer friendly: OK

Heres the thing about the Color Wall and the Rainbow Stairs, I’m not sure if they exist anymore. It wouldn’t be the first time this tourist attraction has moved to a location, but the place is still kinda cool (if you like weird stuff like sheep and fake grass… which of course we all do). Definitely great for a downtown urban shoot, if you’re into that.

UPDATE: THIS particular Color Wall (as well as the stairs) is no longer around. In fact, it’s been replaced at least three times since I took this picture. So I’m thinking this building gets painted and repainted every so often to keep the area fresh and different. The stairs, however, are just normal gray stairs now and probably won’t be painted anymore.

TWO MORE THINGS: (1)This area is alright if you’re looking for a downtown/ urban flare for your pictures. There are a lot of murals and signage to take pictures with. There’s a parking garage with easy access to the area and the charge is only $3 on the weekends (which is cheaper than most places). Downtown is also practically abandoned on the weekends as well except for the (and this is part 2) small homeless population. Its not a dealbreaker, and homeless people can be found anywhere in Houston (especially Herman Park) but its just something to be aware of.