The best photo locations in Dallas

By Reuben Oliver, photographer in Dallas

I grew up in Bristol, where the light is soft and grey most of the year and a good evening feels like a gift. Dallas is the opposite. The light is big, the sky is huge, and for half the year the sun is something you plan around. That is why the place you choose matters so much here. A good location in Dallas is one that gives you shade, water or open sky at the right moment, and lets you move between them before the light goes.

This is my list. I start with the places I have photographed myself, because I can tell you exactly how they behave at golden hour. Then I add a few well known spots that other couples ask me about. For every place I have noted the light, the season, the heat, the crowds, parking, and what I know about the rules.

One note on rules before we start. Permits and fees change, and I would rather send you to the source than guess. Where I have not confirmed something, I say "check before you go" and tell you who to ask.

Connie and Tanner sitting on the bank of the pond at Lakeside Park in Highland Park, a white columned house across the water — Lakeside Park, the nearest thing to an English estate in Dallas

Places I have shot

Lakeside Park, Highland Park

If I could only shoot in one place in Dallas, it would be here. Stone edged ponds, soft lawns, old trees and grand houses across the water. It is the closest thing Dallas has to an English country estate, and that is exactly why I love it.

Why it works. Water gives you reflections and a calm, open background. The lawns roll down to the edge, so you can sit, walk or run without anything looking staged. When the light drops behind the trees, the whole park doubles itself in the ponds.

Best light. The last hour before sunset. Highland Park sets hours for photography in its parks, so in summer the sunset can fall outside them. From roughly October to early March the timing lines up beautifully.

Heat. In July and August there is decent shade under the trees, but we keep sessions short and bring water.

Crowds and parking. Walkers and dogs in the evening, rarely busy. Free street parking along Lakeside Drive.

Rules. Highland Park is its own town, not the City of Dallas. It asks for no props, chairs or lighting, and no changing in cars, so come dressed. Check the town's current park photography rules on hptx.org before you go.

I have photographed two couples here, Connie and Tanner, and Autumn and Judah. Both evenings ended in a pink sky.

Autumn and Judah holding hands on the stone edged bank of the pond — Autumn and Judah, just as the gold turned soft

Autumn spinning in a long cream skirt beside the water — A long skirt and a bit of wind off the pond

Flippen Park, Highland Park

A few minutes from Lakeside, and the two pair well. Flippen is small: a tiered stone fountain, a reflecting pool, an arched gazebo and wide oaks. It feels like a quiet European garden tucked into a neighbourhood.

Best light. Golden hour through the oaks. The same Highland Park hours apply, so it suits the cooler months.

Good to know. The gazebo is sometimes booked for small weddings. Because it is compact, we move slowly and use every corner. The same town rules apply as at Lakeside.

The tiered fountain at Flippen Park with the arched white gazebo under live oaks behind it — Flippen Park, small and very lovelyPhoto: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Turtle Creek Park, Uptown

A vine covered iron pergola on red brick pillars, big shady trees, stone bridges, and the white portico of Arlington Hall above a lawn running down to the creek. It has the feel of an old walled garden, right in the middle of Uptown.

Why it works. The pergola is a natural frame, and the vines break up hard sun into dappled light. There is enough variety for a whole session in one small park.

Best light. Late afternoon into golden hour, when the light comes through the vines. Because it stays open later than the Highland Park parks, I often finish summer sessions here at sunset.

Season. Azaleas and wisteria in spring, gold ginkgos in autumn.

Crowds. Arlington Hall is a wedding venue, so its terraces are sometimes booked, especially on Saturdays.

Rules. This is a City of Dallas park. Professional photography in city parks goes through the city's Office of Special Events. Check before you go on the Dallas Park and Recreation website, because I have not been able to confirm a current fee.

I photographed Jayden here, a dancer, and the pergola gave her a stage.

Jayden bending back beneath the iron pergola on its red brick pillars — Jayden under the pergola at Turtle Creek Park

Jayden in arabesque against a white column of the portico — The portico at Arlington Hall, late afternoon

Thanks-Giving Square, Downtown Dallas

Downtown is all glass and heat, and then you step down into this. A sunken triangle of lawns and water channels, white pillars with bronze bells, and a gold spiral sculpture, all designed by Philip Johnson. Old oaks and flower beds sit right under the towers.

Why it works. If you want a little city in your photographs without hard concrete everywhere, this is the place. The towers shade the gardens, which makes the light soft and cool.

Best light. Late afternoon, or an overcast day. It is one of the few places in Dallas where a grey sky is a gift.

Heat. The shade from the towers helps in summer more than you would expect.

Parking. Metered streets and paid garages nearby. DART's Akard Station is a block away.

Rules. It is private foundation property, not a city park. Paid sessions are arranged with the Foundation's staff, so check before you go.

Jayden on pointe between the white pillars with the downtown towers behind — Downtown towers, and a dancer between them

Jayden dancing in a small garden between the towers — A quiet green corner a block from the traffic

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, Plano

Two hundred acres of prairie on the edge of Plano: long golden grass, a creek, pockets of woodland and a very big sky. It is the closest thing the north of Dallas has to an English meadow, and it is easy to reach from Flower Mound.

Why it works. At the end of the day the sun comes straight across the grass and lights it from behind. Dresses in cream and ivory glow.

Best light. The last hour before sunset, off the paved loop and out in the long grass.

Season and heat. Wildflowers peak in spring, usually around April. Summer means chiggers, so bring bug spray and wear something that covers your legs. It is very exposed, so in summer we start late and keep it short.

Crowds and parking. The paved trail is busy at weekends, but the grass is quiet. There is a free lot at the main entrance on Parker Road.

Rules. The City of Plano does not publish its portrait policy, so I confirm with the city before we book. Check before you go on the Plano Parks website.

Vanessa walking into the sunset through the prairie grass in a tiered ivory dress — Vanessa at Arbor Hills, walking into the last light

Vanessa sitting in the long golden grass in a lace dress — Off the trail, the grass gets tall

Well known spots worth knowing

These are the places that come up on every Dallas list. I have not photographed a session at all of them yet, so I am going on what I know of them and on the official sources. Treat the notes as a starting point.

White Rock Lake, East Dallas

Nine miles of shoreline. The east side faces west across the water, so the sun sets over the lake. Winfrey Point is a hilltop meadow with the skyline far off, and Sunset Bay is sheltered and still.

Best light. Sunset from the east shore. Sunrise is calmer and much quieter, if you can face the alarm.

Season. Bald cypress turn rust in November, and pelicans spend the winter in Sunset Bay.

Crowds and parking. Busy with runners and cyclists at weekends. There are free lots at Winfrey Point and Sunset Bay.

Rules. A City of Dallas park. Check before you go with the Office of Special Events on the Dallas Park and Recreation website.

White Rock Lake at dusk, the sky glowing over still water between dark trees — White Rock Lake, after the sun has gonePhoto: Luis Tamayo, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Stone walls, balustrades, fountains and the famous Crape Myrtle Allee. It is the most European feeling garden in Dallas, and it changes completely with the seasons.

Best light and timing. The Arboretum is open 9am to 5pm, and its policy allows professional gear only between 3pm and 5pm. That means you rarely get true golden hour, except in the winter months when the sun sets early.

Season. Tulips in spring, crape myrtles in summer, pumpkins in autumn. Autumn weekends are very busy.

Rules. Professional sessions are welcome, but everyone needs a ticket, including the photographer, and commercial work carries an extra fee. No drones. Fees change, so check before you go on dallasarboretum.org.

Pairs with. White Rock Lake, right next door, for sunset once the gates close.

The Crape Myrtle Allee at the Dallas Arboretum, a long tunnel of pink blossom over a stone path — The Crape Myrtle Allee in summerPhoto: Shiva Shenoy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Prairie Creek Park, Richardson

A small wooded creek that tumbles over stacked stone in a run of little waterfalls, with footbridges across it. Green, lush and at its best a day or two after rain.

Best light. Late afternoon under the trees, before the woods go dark.

Crowds. Popular with photographers at weekends, so weekday evenings are calmer. Richardson asks for one photographer per waterfall or bridge at a time and no standing in the water. Free street parking on West Prairie Creek Drive.

Klyde Warren Park and the Arts District

A deck park over the freeway with the Arts District beside it: the Nasher, the Winspear and clean modern buildings. Good if you want something urban and polished.

Best light. The tall buildings block the sun early, so golden hour arrives sooner than you think. Late afternoon is best.

Crowds. Klyde Warren is busy almost all the time, especially at weekends and around food trucks. Rules for commercial photography in the park and at the museums vary, so check before you go with each venue.

Deep Ellum

Murals, brick and neon. It is lively and full of colour, which can be wonderful if that is your story. It is not my usual look, because the walls change and the colours shout. Go early in the day before shops open and the streets fill up. Parking is a mix of meters and paid lots.

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge

The white arch over the Trinity, with the skyline behind. It is the classic Dallas skyline frame. Sunset is the time, but it is exposed, hot in summer and windy. Keep off the traffic lanes and check current access before you go.

How I choose a Dallas location with you

Here is what I actually think about when couples ask where to go.

The light first. I time almost every session to end as the sun goes down. A place that is lovely at noon can be harsh and flat in the photographs.

The season second. From June to September, I look for shade, water and short walks. From October to March, open fields and lakes come back into play.

Then how far you want to travel. I am based near Flower Mound, and travel is included within a 30 minute radius. Arbor Hills, Highland Park and Uptown are all easy from there.

Then the rules. A place you are not allowed to use is not a good location, however pretty it is.

Autumn and Judah at dusk under a pink sky — Ten minutes after sunset, still worth staying for

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time of day for photos in Dallas?

The last hour before sunset. The light is lower and warmer, and the heat starts to ease. In summer that can mean starting after 7pm.

What is the best season for outdoor photos in Dallas?

October to early December, and March to April. The light is softer, the heat is manageable and the trees and flowers are at their best. Summer works, but we choose shady places and keep it short.

Do I need a permit for photos in a Dallas park?

It depends who owns the park. City of Dallas parks route professional photography through the Office of Special Events. Highland Park, Plano and Richardson each have their own rules. Private places like Thanks-Giving Square and the Arboretum have their own policies. I check for every session I book.

Can we visit two locations in one session?

Yes, if they are close. Lakeside Park and Turtle Creek Park are about five minutes apart, and the Arboretum pairs with White Rock Lake.

What should we do if it is very hot?

Come dressed and ready, bring water, and pick a place with shade and short walks. Turtle Creek and Thanks-Giving Square are good summer choices.

What if it rains or the sky is grey?

Grey is often a gift. Soft cloud is kind to skin and to colour. If it actually rains, we move the date, and I keep an eye on the forecast for you in the days before.

Where can we go near Flower Mound?

Arbor Hills in Plano is the easiest big open space. Between Dallas and Fort Worth there are also Grapevine Springs Park and Rockledge Park on Lake Grapevine, both in my full location guide.

Where to next

If one of these places feels like you, I would love to hear why. Have a look at my full location guide for Dallas and Fort Worth, see pricing, and when you are ready, send me a note. I will plan the light.