Are you unsure about what to look for in an engagement photo location in Washington DC? Do you know that you want gorgeous portraits but are uncertain about exactly what look and feel you would like? Are you not from the area and not familiar with the best sites for engagement shoots? If any of this applies to you, then please do not worry! A lot of our couples come to us for help picking out a site for their engagement portraits. And as longtime DC residents and experienced engagement photographers, we know just what to recommend in these situations. When couples are unsure about where to do their engagement pictures, we always counsel them to go with a site that is flexible. A place that gives their images a little bit of a bunch of things they might like. The diverse elements that Georgetown Waterfront engagement photos have, for example.
So what is it about that part of DC that gives it the versatility that you might want in an engagement photoshoot site? Writ large, it is the location. The Georgetown Waterfront is (not surprisingly) right by the Potomac River. That means you can get engagement portraits with a lot of natural elements. At the same time, the boardwalk area is just a few minutes walk from one of the most bustling and highly trafficked neighborhoods in DC. So photos with more city vibe are also a possibility.
But frankly speaking, there are a lot of places inside the District that can offer you that same mix of rural and urban feels. There are even spots in the same neighborhood, like Dumbarton Oaks Park, that can give you that. So why do we recommend the Georgetown Waterfront in particular to couples looking for versatile locations? There are three things that allow images captured at the Georgetown Waterfront to really stand out:
The Georgetown Waterfront is not a huge place. It stretches a mere four city blocks along the shores of the Potomac River. Nonetheless, that relatively small space gives you a remarkable number of different gorgeous backgrounds for your Georgetown Waterfront engagement pictures.
For starters, you have the river itself. From the landing on the top level of The Washington Harbour shopping mall, your engagement photographers can get lovely pictures of you with the waters of the Potomac rushing past behind.
Alternatively, you can walk down to the very southeastern end of the waterfront area. There, in a place called “The Mole,” you and your future spouse can sit on an old bridge with your feet dangling over the water while your photographer gets shots of you talking and cuddling.
Finally, your engagement photographers can pose you near either of the two fountains in the Georgetown Waterfront. One oval one sits in the center of The Washington Harbour’s complex and erupts in dazzling, choreographed displays on a regular basis. The other shoots arcs of water across a stretch of Georgetown Waterfront Park and forms a pool in which children play. Both make for creative and fun elements in your engagement pictures!
If you want a bit more greenery in your portraiture, the Georgetown Waterfront area gives you a couple of great options. The first is right next to the Potomac. From the river banks, you get a clear view of Theodore Roosevelt Island. The latter is a nature park and monument to the U.S. president that sits between DC and Arlington Virginia. It also offers a gorgeous, leafy backdrop for stunning engagement photos.
The other possibility is the aforementioned Georgetown Waterfront Park. Sitting just off of the boardwalk, this green space is another great place to get engagement pictures with a bit of a nature vibe. It is also a great spot for images of you and your future spouse cuddling on a park bench.
Because of the topography of the Washington DC metro area, great sunsets can be hard to find. The hills of Arlington tend to block your view of the western sky. There are, however, a few places with unobstructed lines of sight. And the Georgetown Waterfront is one of them. The Potomac River bends to the west just before that part of DC, eliminating all of those pesky hills. That means that a waterfront engagement photo session at dusk gives you a great chance of getting a gorgeous sky as your backdrop. Trust us when we say that a picture of you with the sky lighting up behind the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge in the background will make every single one of your friends jealous!
What if you want even more options than the ones we have already described? Not to worry! One of the best things about the Georgetown Waterfront as a location is how close it is to other fantastic spots. As we mentioned above, it is a short walk from one of the most vibrant and famous neighborhoods in Washington DC. And Georgetown has some of the coolest, most unforgettable spots for engagement photography imaginable!
Halfway up the hill from the waterfront is the C&O Canal. That well known feature of the Georgetown cityscape cuts between two rows of buildings and provides a slightly more secluded area for portraits away from the hustle and bustle of the street. The bridges that traverse the canal every block make particularly good spots where your engagement photographers can pose you.
At the top of the hill is M Street, Georgetown’s main commercial thoroughfare. That is a great location for pictures with an authentic “DC city streets” vibe. Nothing says “Washington engagement photo session” like images of couples tucked in a doorway as throngs of tourists and students walk past. The same is true of shots of future spouses posing outside of some of DC’s most iconic landmarks, such as Georgetown Cupcake or the Old Stone House.
If you want engagement photos with that genuine DC feel that comes from the ever-present crowds, though, then you do not even actually need to leave the waterfront. (As iconic as M Street is, the hill leading up to it from the river is pretty darn steep!) The Georgetown Waterfront Park is almost always teeming with visitors strolling, enjoying the view or playing in the grass. And that means that Georgetown Waterfront Park engagement photos are almost always teeming with dynamism!
And who knows? You might get really lucky and get an iconic image like the one featured here. One that really communicates what it is like to be in love in a big city like Washington DC. To be surrounded by people and yet so enamored of the person you are with that you do not even notice the crowd.
We took it during a Georgetown Waterfront engagement photoshoot in the early fall. As we and the couple strolled through the park taking pictures, we happened upon a very “DC” scene. It was a salsa dancing class practicing their moves next to the water. The future bride and groom were so inspired by the scene that they decided to join in. They took each other’s hands, pulled one another close and began swaying to the beat. But even as they danced among the group, they never took their eyes off of one another. And that makes for a very unforgettable engagement portrait!
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Location: Georgetown Waterfront Park, Water St. NW, Washington, DC 20007.
Keywords: DC engagement session (2), Georgetown waterfront engagement.© 2024 Potok's World Photography - Wife & Husband Washington DC Wedding Photographers
