When I first started taking clients, I assumed that people would already have a good idea of where they wanted to have their photos taken. I was super wrong, haha, which meant that I had to come up with a list of locations to provide clients. Not being from the South Shore or even MA, I started finding parks, trails and beaches online that might make good locations for photos, packed up the stroller and lots of snacks and dragged my kids along for scouting trips to every single one. It gave us something fun to do and we found some really amazing spots to explore along the way. Not every spot was good for photos for various reasons, but I managed to find a few places that I've been using since then, and I'm sharing them below!
1. Rexhame Beach in Marshfield. I love this beach for a few reasons. It's a town beach, so anyone can visit and you don't need an expensive sticker in order to park. From Labor Day to Memorial Day parking is actually free, and during the summer months it's only $5 to park after 5pm, which is when I shoot beach sessions. There are even 2 locations to use for photos here. The first is the traditional beach side, where you'd normally spend the day at the beach. The sun sets behind the dunes, so the beach side is best for blue hour photos, which is the time right after the sun has set. It's a busy place in the summer months and there can be a lot of people to photoshop out of your photos, so my most favorite spot to use is the marsh/river side. This side has sandy trails to the tidal river, some dunes with lots of grasses, and the sun sets on this side, so you can get really beautiful golden hour light. There's also a lot of space and the opportunity for a few different backdrops, all of which makes it an ideal location for sunset photos. You really can't shoot here much earlier in the day, as there aren't any trees that can filter the harsh sun, but if you want sunset photos by the water, this is most definitely the spot!
2. Bay Farm in Duxbury. Looking for a gorgeous field of tall grasses and flowers? This is the place. Wide trails are mown through the tall grasses and lead you from a dirt parking lot, through the fields and down to a very small sandy area looking out over a bay. There's also a rocky area overlooking the bay that can make for some really gorgeous photos, both silhouette images and normal images. In the spring and summer months, there are flowers in amongst the grasses and are a beautiful part of the scenery. In the fall and winter, you can actually get into the grasses for some different photo options. The sun does not set over the water, but oh my goodness is the light dreamy in the field at sunset. There are usually people walking their dogs here, but I've never experienced it being super super busy, and it's a big place, so there is plenty of space to photograph. Again, this isn't a spot I would use for photos earlier in the day, but for sunset photos it is utterly gorgeous.
3. War Memorial Park in West Bridgewater. This spot is very popular with photographers and families, so it can be busy, especially on beautiful fall weekends. But, there are lots of vignettes within this smaller park that are fun for photo backdrops. Beautiful hydrangea trees, a river, rock walls, tunnels, bridges, rock stairs and split rain fences can be found all over the property. The added bonus for this location is that it has lots of tree coverage, so you can shoot here almost any time of day, though late afternoon will be best for the prettiest light.
If you book with me, don't worry, you're not limited to these three locations, I have several more options that I can suggest if you want somewhere a little different. I'm also always looking for new places to shoot, so don't be afraid to ask or suggest somewhere new. I love hidden gems and exploring new spots!