Top Five Photo Spots in Worcester for Families and Seniors
Check out the five best spots in and around Worcester, MA for family sessions and senior portraits.
Life as a Worcester family and senior photographer
Being a family and senior photographer in Worcester - or anywhere in New England, really - is interesting. From mid-April until the weekend after Thanksgiving it is always something “season." Flowers and trees bloom in April, beaches warm up for sessions in Hampton or the Cape in June, lavender season is in July and it all peaks in the mad dash for foliage-filled senior and family sessions in October. There is a brief surge when everyone is home for Thanksgiving and then crickets.
During the warm months of the year, the New England photographer enjoys what it feels like to be wanted and in demand. For many of us, it is the closest we have ever come to being cool. Then, after Christmas (earlier for those of us who don’t get into the Christmas tree farm minis or know a large man with a white beard) people wonder if we ever existed at all. “Tom… Tom? Tom who?” Photographers like me then go into hibernation, leave the country, make resolutions to be better bloggers, and look into Ubering when March rolls around and our inboxes are still empty. Then, on the first real day of spring in April, the cycle starts again.
I can’t imagine being a photographer in a place with nice weather all year round. The lack seasonal stress would… stress me out.
So, in months when photographers are at the top of the seasonal boutique business food chain here in Worcester, we get to know photo locations very well. We all have our favorites and the hot spots are crowded for good reason. Just look at Moore State Park in Paxton - all it took was one spectacular weekend at the end of peak season to amass such a crowd of family and senior photographers that not only are the park rangers now enforcing longstanding-but-always-ignored permit requirements, but professional photography is flat out banned during the weekends.
Top Five Family and Senior Photography Spots in Worcester
Moore State Park, Paxton
This is my favorite place for family and senior photography in the Worcester area. It has several different photography spots that are great for families or seniors and they are varied enough that we always come away with a range of looks. I really, really like this place because it is basically a walk in the park with enough great scenery to not have to rely on pose after pose which means that photos come out more authentic with a lot of space for candids.
The only negatives to a photo session at Moore State Park is that there is a decent amount of walking and it can get crowded. Professional photo sessions can only happen during weekdays and make sure your photographer has a permit or your session might be happening in the parking lot.
Old Stone Church, West Boylston
The Old Stone Church in West Boylston is where most of my clients who have a preference want to shoot. This make sense because when the conditions are right it is a beautiful spot with a heavy nostalgia factor for anybody who grew up in this part of Worcester County. Bob and his hot dogs might be gone but one can still have a salubrious day (and buy hot dogs from the new guy - who is extremely friendly).
The main draw to the Old Stone Church is, well, the Old Stone Church. There is nothing inside but a photo with it in the background is quintessential New England. I haven’t checked the town laws but I assume a senior portrait at the Old Stone Church that doesn’t include the senior sitting in the empty windows is probably illegal. There are some great opportunities for water-focused photos with Wachusett Reservoir in the background and it is all tied in by great foliage in the fall.
The downside to to this place is just that it can get quite crowded during foliage season. There are no permits needed here so a session in October guarantees your photographer is going to be editing people out of the background for a while. It is also more important to be aware of where the sun is going to be here than in other places. The church is on a peninsula that gets slammed by midday sun so opt for morning or golden hour photos here.
Elm Park, Worcester
Elm Park is Worcester’s Central Park. If you are from Worcester then you probably already know that it was designed by the same firm that designed New York’s Central Park. Most people in and around Worcester have memories of feeding and chasing geese around the park and climbing on one of the two famously steep bridges. It is also a great spot for senior and family portrait sessions in Worcester. There is a variety of scenery - trees, fields, reeds, and the bridges that let us get different photos without a ton of walking. During senior and family sessions at Elm Park I tend to walk around the pond and stop at the spots that call to us.
The downside to this park is that it is always active. The playground is always full of kids and people are playing, running, picnicking and generally doing park stuff all over. For families and seniors this is fine, but if you happen to be a bride in a full wedding gown you will probably attract some well-intentioned attention.
Dean Park, Shrewsbury
Dean Park is my home park. I grew up in Shrewsbury and while little parks are spread out here and there, Dean Park is where all the big stuff happens. I know every square inch of this park and while I am not going to be bringing families into the tunnels under the road that every Shrewsbury kid went into, I do know where to stop for family and senior photos. Dean Park is a great choice for senior and family portraits because it is a big park with everything from forest to baseball fields. My favorite thing to do when I am capturing a family or senior session is to walk around the pond - this way the shoot starts in the woods and ends on a field next to the water.
The only real downside to a senior or family portrait session at Dean Park are that the sun can be harsh on one side of the lake while the other is in shadow. It is also very popular - on a nice day in the spring and summer the entire town of Shrewsbury seems to be there.
City Hall, Worcester
Worcester City Hall’s urban vibe plays a central role in family and senior sessions here. I like that. Sessions here hit different. It is a small space but again, there is more than enough to provide some variety. I usually start family and senior sessions at City Hall right up against the building. The architecture is fantastic. Just beyond that, if the weather is nice, we have the fountain and an army of umbrellas that photograph really well! While there is the greenery of the common behind City Hall, I absolutely love taking seniors into the surrounding buildings and alleys. Its a great way to incorporate a little bit of urban life into senior portraits. This spot is becoming more and more popular - especially with seniors. Photos with Turtle Boy are allowed but probably won’t make the yearbook.
The downside of senior and family sessions at Worcester’s City Hall is that the reality of city life is apparent. Very often, sections of City Hall are occupied by the homeless population. I have NEVER had an issue with anybody during a shoot at City Hall but there is often attention or areas that are too crowded to shoot in. That, along with an often-present cloud of marijuana smoke make City Hall a bit less comfortable for family sessions.
I shoot more often in the places above than anywhere else in Worcester County. That being said, there are almost an infinite number of public spaces that would make fantastic locations for a family or senior session in Worcester. If you would like to book a family session with me at one of the locations above - or at your own local park or secret spot - click the links or use the form below to reach out and receive more info about my family or senior sessions!
2021: Another Weird Year in Review
The best of 2021. My favorite shots from every non-commercial session in 2021.
I used to really love winter because it gave me a lot of free time to unwind from a chaotic fall and focus on growing my business without crazy deadlines every day. With grad school and a growing focus on commercial work, though, winter is a bit less free. Actually, I take that back. Grad school is the main issue. So many papers.
Still, winter is an important time for reflection and I always enjoy doing these year in review posts. They remind me that I have a good job and that my business is sustainable but they also remind me that my job is fun. I remember every single one of these sessions and they all involved at least one good laugh. If I get to laugh at least once during a day at work then it’s a win.
Here are my favorite shots from every non-commercial session of 2021.
Clare and Julian: A Sunset Engagement at Holy Cross
Check out some photos from this sunset engagement session at Worcester’s College of the Holy Cross.
Wow, what a busy few weeks. I am just getting around to sharing Clare and Julian’s engagement session photos from last month. This was my first engagement session in a while and it was my first time ever setting foot on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross despite driving by it a thousand times a week.
When Clare and Julian first reached out to me about shooting their engagement session at Holy Cross they knew that they wanted to capture the sunset. It made total sense because they had spent a lot of time walking around the campus during dusk during the pandemic. It makes even more sense when you factor in the fact that the Holy Cross campus sits on a massive hill that towers over the city. The views are killer and the campus exists in its own little world.
I liked Clare and Julian from the start. We had a lot in common and a laidback attitude and sense of humor being part of that. It was a lot of fun walking around their haunts on the verge of their graduation from medical school. We even found a little time for a few cap and gown photos.
We had actually postponed their session because there was some possible rain and definite clouds coming in for their original date. I love shooting in cloudy weather - I actually prefer it - but the vibe is totally different and when you want a sunset session a cloudy day just aren’t going to cut it. It was 100 percent worth the wait!
Check out some of my faves from my session with Clare and Julian!
Evelyn Paints: A Paint Smash Session
Evelyn came into the studio dressed as a rainbow- which is exactly what the studio looked like after she left. Paint smash sessions are always adorable and are basically guarantees for great photos. Check out some of my favorite photos from Evelyn’s paint smash.
This is my second paint smash session in as many months- which is cool considering I had never heard of these before. These are a blast to shoot because they are easy (minus cleanup - which isn’t that bad). Give a little kid a paint brush, some washable paint, and a giant piece of paper and you’re guaranteed to get some winners.
This is Evelyn. She is the child of two of my friends so this session was extra casual- though paint sessions are never particularly formal. She took a little bit to warm up to me, then to the idea of getting paint all over the place but she had fun- clearly!
A Lovely Mess: Paint Smash Session
Paint smashes are adorable when they happen on seamless backdrop paper in a studio and not in your house. Check out some fun photos from my first ever paint smash session!
Every family session I do is different because every family is different. Offering family sessions in Worcester and the surrounding communities means that one day a family session might be in front of Worcester City Hall, on one of the famous Elm Park bridges, or at the mill at Moore State Park in Paxton. Sometimes, it’s at the studio in front of some white paper.
One of the fun things about being a family photographer is that there are so many different themes to use as a tool to deliver memorable moments and big smiles in the photographs that we take. Cake smashes, park sessions, Christmas tree farm sessions, lifestyle- if you can think of it there is probably some photographer offering it as a mini-session somewhere.
Recently, a longtime client asked about a paint smash session. I have been working with Bryanna since shortly after I set up shop here in Worcester. I started off photographing kids and families at the Easter Bunny Breakfasts that she organized at Texas Roadhouse and continued through cake smashes, lifestyle sessions, extended family portrait sessions and now… paint smashes.
Full disclosure, Bryanna and her mom, Elaine, bring the set design to a borderline professional level. I realized this when I saw how much care that went into the Easter Bunny photo area and this was pretty much confirmed when it came time for our first cake smash. This, combined with Bryanna’s willingness to go for something new really makes her more of a collaborator than a client so I am always pumped when I get a message from her.
Her family is super photogenic, so it’s a win / win for me when it comes the ol’ portfolio.
Paint smash sessions are definitely not for the squeamish. They are messy as heck but are a blast to photograph. It was also super endearing to see these two brothers having some fun together. Check out some photos from Bryanna’s session:
Interested in a paint smash for your little one (or you, I won’t judge)? Use the form below and I will get in touch with session and pricing info ASAP!
Tom’s Blog:
Pictures are worth a thousand words but check out what goes on behind the scenes during my sessions.