Between its rich history, its mix of old and new architecture and it’s waterfront location, Boston is such an amazing city. I have lived in the Boston area for my whole life and I’m 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.
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 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’s also great because it’s 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’re looking to showcase the city’s beauty in a fun and unique way.
The Public Garden
The Public Garden was established in 1837 and is America’s first botanical garden. The park is always perfectly landscaped with beautiful flowers to photograph. It’s 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’t be complete without seeing the Public Garden.
Fan Pier in the Seaport
Fan Pier in the Seaport offers some of the best views of Boston’s skyline. This waterfront park is part of Boston’s Harborwalk, a 43-mile linear park system that runs along Boston Harbor. In addition to it’s 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 — both during the day and at night. This is a great spot to do some long exposure photography. It’s also a great place to watch the sunset, since the sun sets behind the city from this vantage point.
The Esplanade
The Esplanade is a stretch of public green space that runs along the Charles River. There’s a paved path that’s very popular for walking, running, and biking. It’s approximately three miles long, but the most popular section is near the iconic Hatch Shell, which is an outdoor concert hall.
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.
The Esplanade also features great views of Boston’s 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.
Downtown Boston
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’s 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.
Boston Public Library
The Boston Public Library is located in Copley Square in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. It’s the third largest public library in the U.S. While it’s obviously used for its vast resources, the building itself feels more like a museum. It’s 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’ll see beautiful things everywhere you look. If you enter via Dartmouth Street, you’ll see the grand marble staircase.
Once you head upstairs, you’ll 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’t 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 in the center, make you feel like you’re in Europe.
Final Thoughts
When I’m roaming the city taking pictures, I always use my Nikon D750 and one of two lenses that I love to use for street photography — Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E Lens or Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4G Lens
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’re bound to fall in love with Boston too.
If you’re interested in photo spots in other U.S. cities, check out these articles:
