Top Ten Photoshoot Locations -- Longmont, CO Edition

For about a decade I had a modest little fashion blog. Through taking my own outfit photos every day I became more and more familiar with my camera and its functions. I became an expert at setting up my tripod, getting a dozen or so shots of the lewk, and packing up to head to work.

I am a firm believer that you don't have to have the perfect location for great photos. Often times, I have taken my photos on random railroad tracks, graffiti-ed walls, patches of pretty trees in a random neighborhood and using a church's brick wall or steps.

But for fail-proof photo locations in Longmont, Colorado, here are my Top Ten:

10. Isaac Walton Pond and Park

    There are a lot of snazzy little spots to take photos at this gem. Back during the 2013 floods in Boulder County, Colorado, this park was devastated. Time has been generous to its bounce back. There is a beautiful pond and, if you have the time, several trails you can use to find other hidden spots.

9. McIntosh Lake

   This lake is beautiful, as are the houses that surround it. A jog around the lake has a distance of over three miles. The problem with shooting here sometimes is the lighting since most of the lake is not covered from the harsh Colorado sun. However, when you can get good shots here, they are good.

8. Golden Ponds

   Golden Ponds offers several gorgeous backdrops for photos. The picturesque Rocky Mountains in the background to the west, several different ponds with the pristine water and tucked toward the belly of the nature area you can find a breath-taking waterfall. The downfall of this location is that you have to walk quite a way to get to the best spots to shoot.

7. Roosevelt Park

   This park has a stunning rose garden. In the spring and summer, you can find colorful arrays of every flower imaginable. There are also lovely arches and benches as well that work well for photo posing. The park can be quite packed sometimes, however, and is the spot for two major RTD locations, making it harder to avoid getting strangers in the background or feeling like you are shooting in front of an audience.

6. Sandstone Skate Park

   The skate park offers a punk-rock vibe to your photos and offers a plethora of cool sculptures and fixtures to climb around and get good photos on. There is a water silo as well near the park which offers another fun option for photo ops. The park sits alongside soccer and baseball fields as well, which can be unique for photos as well. The biggest trick to this park (besides the kickflips in the background) is finding the place unoccupied.

5. Loomiller Park

   This park sits right across the street from Longmont High School. It has an adorable little lake that usually has several geese floating atop of it. The mountains are in the background and there are also quite a few sculptures and Frolf baskets you can use as props as well. Just keep out for high schoolers and goose poop!

4. Boulder County Fairgrounds

   There are quite a few options at or near the Fairgrounds. To the north is Roger's Grove Nature Area, which is great for photos with its small garden, nature trails and mini Ampitheater. To the east you can find Left Hand Brewery which has a lot of cool spots for photos out front of it with its whacky limo out front. At the fairgrounds themselves, you can get creative with the fencing, the vastness of the gravel parking lot or even utilize the covered area that houses the Farmer's Market in the summer months.

3. Coot Lake

   Fine. The address is technically Boulder, but I consider this far northeast "Boulder" lake close enough to make it on the list. This was easily one of my favorite spots to stop for a quick photo sesh. The lake itself is gorgeous no matter the season. There is a sweet little deck that you can walk out to with ease for a prop or backdrop. The lake has a trail circling it as well for the more adventurous for photos with a jaw-dropping backdrop of the Foothills.

2. Callahan House

   The only reason this is not the #1 spot is because it is open to the public and the availability for shoots without other patrons or a wedding taking place is not 100%. However, the photos never disappoint. If my clients are in Longmont, statistically they will want their photoshoots taking place at the Callahan House and you can immediately see why. With its gorgeous water fountain, vivacious and luscious flower collection and antique-looking statues, it is hard to get a bad shot at the Callahan House. Of course, I could be biased because my wedding was at the Callahan House, but I digress.

1. Downtown Longmont

   We are so blessed in Longmont to have such cute small businesses, meaningful art, vintage brick buildings and twinkling lights in the holiday season. Alleyways, sidewalks and downtown churches offer never-ending options for photoshoot locations.