Southern Utah Photoshoot Locations
Southern Utah is packed with fun, nature filled, and breathtaking locations! Here’s a bunch that I LOVE! As you go to these locations please make sure to take great care in keeping them clean, and as beautiful as they were before you arrived. Also, all State and National Parks do need a permit to shoot on their land. Please contact the parks at least a month before your photoshoot to obtain the permit.
Now let’s get to it!
Downtown St. George
This is beautiful from March with the blossoms all the way through the fall when the leaves change colors. I love to shoot down Main Street, around Tabernacle Street, in the big parking garage on Tabernacle Street, and behind Bear Paw Cafe and the Advenire Hotel. These places all give more of an urban feel and are perfect for senior portraits, small families, and fashion shoots!
Kirkland Field
***LAND HAS BEEN SOLD FOR COMMERCIAL USE, MIGHT NOT BE AVAILABLE!
Kirkland Field is located in Washington City, directly West of the Sullivan Soccer Park. This location/field is owned by a local family and they have been SO generous to let photographers use their land. Often times there are horses or cows roaming about during your photoshoot! It’s full of huge trees, and long green grass! It’s great to shoot here all year round! Great for family sessions, portrait sessions, dance photos, or couples sessions! There are usually lots of photographers there each night so please make sure to be aware and polite when shooting close to others. Best months to shoot in this location is from April-November! October-November is when there are the stunning fall leaves!
Tonaquint Park & Nature Center
Tonaquint is so fun for the kids and has a wide variety of locations all in one spot! Tonaquint Gardens is located on the South side of the tennis courts and the Nature Center is on the North side of the tennis courts. The Gardens has a big grass area, cute planter boxes, palm trees, and a fun arch that’s covered in vines. This spot is AMAZING for your kiddos and portrait sessions! The Nature Center is full of pine trees, a beautiful wooden bridge, a pond, and lots of overgrown greenery, trails, and a cute amphitheater in the middle! This spot is also amazing for any type of photo session. This is a populated area in the Spring/Fall with other photographers, so please again be courteous and aware of other peoples sessions going on! Best times to shoot at this location is from April-November!
Virgin River
The Virgin River is definitely one of those places that doesn’t look like you’re in Southern Utah. It has white sand beaches, beautiful cattails running along the sides of the river, and clear waters that go for miles and miles! Be prepared to get wet and sandy especially if you are wanting to play in the river! If you bring your adorable doggie’s please remember to bring poop bags just in case they need to do their business!
Snow Canyon State Park
Permit Fee: $75
***WHITE ROCKS TRAIL WILL BE CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE 2023-2024 (Dates to be released).
Southern Utah is known for it’s Red Rock locations, especially in Snow Canyon State Park! This location does require a permit from the photographer for the park, and needs to be obtained at least a week before the session. Planning ahead is essential!
There are many trails such as: The White Rocks, Butterfly Trail, the Upper/Lower Galoot Trails, and the Sand Dunes that are all fun to shoot at! Please make sure to stay on the trails as there is a large amount of wildlife including Rattle Snakes, Rabbits, etc. that live all through the park. Make sure also to pack out what you pack in! We want to keep this location as beautiful as it is!
Dixie Rock
The famous Dixie Rock in St. George is always a fun location to shoot at year round. It’s purely red rock, and has gorgeous views of the city to the south! I recommend shooting here on weekdays to avoid the huge crowds on the weekends! The best place to park is on the East side of Dixie Rock by the bathrooms and pavilion!
High School
High schools are a great option for senior photo sessions! This type of location really personalizes the session for the senior!
White Dome Nature Preserve
The White Dome Nature Preserve is located out by the Arizona Strip on River Road and is a great place for hiking, trail running, and stunning desert photo sessions! It is a Nature Preserve so please keep to the trails and don’t go off of it as there is an endangered plant on that reserve. I recommend shooting at Sunset here because of the golden hour and how pretty it is as the sun sets in the west!
INDOOR LOCATIONS
Home Sweet Home
Since home is where the heart is, it’s the perfect place to capture those special moments! Can be anywhere from the living room to the backyard, really anywhere there is lots of natural light!
White Space Studios
White Space Studios is located in Santa Clara, which is about 15 minutes from St. George off of West Sunset Blvd. It is brand new and has a gorgeous kitchen, bathroom, couch, large windows for natural lighting, and multiple backdrops for sessions! It has a fee of $70 p/hour and needs to be booked at least 48 hours before the session. Please visit: https://thewhitespacestudios.com/ to book!
The Photo Loft
The Photo Loft is a brand new studio here in St. George! It has multiple rooms that include backdrops, and infinity wall, a bed, couches, big windows for natural light, and different textured walls! It’s a party to shoot in and a MUST if you are worried about weather!
Click HERE to book!
Garage Mini
Garage minis have become some of my favorite sessions because it gives a studio feel for your photos with the light that comes into my garage! Crazy right?! Yes, a garage mini is located at my own home in my garage with a plain backdrop! It’s as simple as that! We can make your session as creative or professional as you’d like! It’s a complete blank canvas! Garage Minis are ideal for 1-2 people, headshots, or a creative/fashion shoot!
Out of Town Locations
Joshua Trees: Travel Fee $50
This location is about 25 minutes West of Santa Clara as you take the back road to Beaver Dam City. It is a nature reserve with thousands of beautiful Joshua Trees, Cactus, and stunning landscapes. This location is beautiful all year round! Great for a desert/boho vibe as well for your photos!
Cedar City: Travel Fee $75
Cedar City is such a fun place to shoot in whether it is up in the gorgeous mountains by Cedar Breaks, or down Main Street to get the small town feel! Best to shoot here from May-October due to snow and chilly weather!
Kolob: Travel Fee $75
The Kolob Terrace Location is part of Zions National Park and is known for it’s grassy fields and stunning red rock background! In the Summer it has green grass and in the fall it turns to the golden grass! The best times to shoot at this location is from late May-October due to icy roads and cold weather. This location is about 1 Hour 10 minutes from St. George.
Pine Valley: Travel Fee $75
**PINE VALLEY IS CLOSED FROM OCT-MAY DUE TO FROZEN ROAD CONDITIONS.
Pine Valley is about 45 minutes from St. George and has so many locations to go to! There are grassy fields, a cute church, lots of forrest areas, a reservoir, a river, bridges, etc! There is a $6 entrance fee to the park if you are wanting to shoot in there. Please make sure to stop and pay that fee even if there isn’t an attendee there to take your payment. It is best to shoot in Pine Valley from May-October!
Zion Overlook: Travel Fee $75
Zion National Park is a gorgeous place to take photos. It is a very crowded park, but there is always room for everyone! I highly recommend the Zion Overlook Trail. Its about a 3 mile hike round trip, but is a very easy hike. I would not advise to go during the winter due to the icy trail conditions.
Las Vegas, NV: Travel Fee $175
Las Vegas is about 1 hour 45 minutes south of St. George. I love shooting along Las Vegas Blvd, Freemont Street, the Little White Chapel, and have always wanted to shoot at the Sand Dunes right before you enter the Las Vegas Valley! If you are wanting to shoot in hotels for commercial purposes, please speak with the hotel management before shooting.
