{"id":80623,"date":"2022-02-25T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=80623"},"modified":"2022-02-22T12:15:47","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T17:15:47","slug":"boston-photo-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/boston-photo-spots\/","title":{"rendered":"City Photo Spots: Best Locations in Boston"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Between its rich history, its mix of old and new architecture and it\u2019s waterfront location, Boston is such an amazing city. I have lived in the Boston area for my whole life and I\u2019m proud to call it home. Photographing the city of Boston has become my passion and there are several photo spots that are my absolute favorite.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the best things about living in Boston is experiencing all four seasons.  Each season brings a new beauty to the city.  From trees bursting with color in the fall, to snow covered scenes<\/a> in the winter, witnessing fresh blooms in the spring, and watching sailboats and warm sunsets in the summer, there is always something new to see.  The same location can look vastly different from season to season. It\u2019s also great because it\u2019s very walkable, meaning that you can cover a lot of ground and see so much in a short amount of time. Below are just some of the city spots to check out if you\u2019re looking to showcase the city\u2019s beauty in a fun and unique way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Amy Rodriguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Public Garden <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Public Garden was established in 1837 and is America\u2019s first botanical garden.  The park is always perfectly landscaped with beautiful flowers to photograph<\/a>. It\u2019s a popular park for residents and tourists alike.  The Public Garden is one of the best places to witness all four seasons.  In the summer, the flowers are abundant and the Swan Boats glide around the lagoon.  In the fall, when the leaves turn vibrant shades of red, yellow and orange, you are awestruck in its beauty. Then winter rolls around, snow blankets everything and the lagoon freezes, making it a skating pond.  A trip to Boston wouldn\u2019t be complete without seeing the Public Garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Amy Rodriguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fan Pier in the Seaport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fan Pier in the Seaport offers some of the best views of Boston\u2019s skyline.  This waterfront park is part of Boston\u2019s Harborwalk, a 43-mile linear park system that runs along Boston Harbor.  In addition to it\u2019s location across from Downtown Boston, it also has amazing views of Boston Harbor. When the weather is warm, you can sit for hours watching sailboats and ships go by.  But in any season, the views of the city are spectacular \u2014 both during the day and at night.  This is a great spot to do some long exposure photography<\/a>.  It\u2019s also a great place to watch the sunset, since the sun sets behind the city from this vantage point.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Amy Rodriguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Esplanade <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Esplanade is a stretch of public green space that runs along the Charles River.  There\u2019s a paved path that\u2019s very popular for walking, running, and biking.  It\u2019s approximately three miles long, but the most popular section is near the iconic Hatch Shell, which is an outdoor concert hall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This spot is also where Community Boating is located, making it a great spot to photograph sailboats and row boats as they go by.  Harvard University and MIT also keep their boats nearby, so when the weather is warm, the river is quite busy with sailors and crew teams. If you visit in October, you might even catch the very popular Head of the Charles Regatta, which brings in almost 10,000 rowers from around the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Esplanade also features great views of Boston\u2019s Back Bay neighborhood, the Longfellow Bridge (aka The Salt and Pepper Bridge due to the shape of its towers), and unbelievable sunsets. In fact, hundreds of people come just to catch the sunsets here. And just like the Public Garden, the seasons are on full display here as well.  The fall foliage and the spring blossoms are quite spectacular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Amy Rodriguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Downtown Boston<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Downtown Boston has a lot of great places to photograph, but my personal favorite is Marshall Street and the Union Oyster House.  When you stand in this section of Boston, you feel like you are transported back in time. This small area features historic 18th and 19th century buildings and feels like a time capsule.  The Union Oyster House sits here and is the oldest restaurant in Boston and the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the U.S.  The iconic Union Oyster House sign, along with the architecture here, make for some really great photos. It\u2019s also just a short walk from Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, both of which are also great spots to see if you are in town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Amy Rodriguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Boston Public Library<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Boston Public Library is located in Copley Square in Boston\u2019s Back Bay neighborhood.  It\u2019s the third largest public library in the U.S. While it\u2019s obviously used for its vast resources, the building itself feels more like a museum.  It\u2019s filled with exquisite architectural details, as well as spectacular paintings, murals and sculptures.  In fact, the third floor gallery is filled with John Sargent murals. You could spend hours here exploring and you\u2019ll see beautiful things everywhere you look.  If you enter via Dartmouth Street, you\u2019ll see the grand marble staircase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you head upstairs, you\u2019ll come to the Bates Reading Room.  This is one of the most photographed rooms in Boston.  It features high-arched windows, an ornate barrel vaulted ceiling that is 50-feet high, and a marble terrazzo floor. Just when you think it couldn\u2019t get any better, the library has an Italian style courtyard garden designed to look like an arcade in the Palazzo della Cacciatella in Rome. The architectural details, along with the fountain and statue of Bacchante and Infant Faun <\/em>in the center, make you feel like you\u2019re in Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Amy Rodriguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I\u2019m roaming the city taking pictures, I always use my Nikon <\/a>D750 and one of two lenses that I love to use for street photography \u2014 Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 24-70mm f\/2.8E Lens<\/a> or Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 35mm f\/1.4G Lens<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boston is such an amazing city and I honestly had a tough time narrowing it down to my five favorites.  In addition to being photogenic, the city is so clean and very safe. The residents of Boston have a lot of pride in their city, not just for their championship sports teams, but for the city as a whole. If you visit, you\u2019re bound to fall in love with Boston too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re interested in photo spots in other U.S. cities, check out these articles: <\/p>\n\n\n\n