Top Albuquerque Photo Shoot Locations
By Colton Newman
Downtown- Downtown Albuquerque is a diverse location for photo shoots. From the graffiti filled alleyways to the iconic white marble pillars of the Occidental Life Building, downtown is always changing with the days light. Downtown ABQ is a quality location for year round photo shoots. So whether you’re on a parking structure or in Civic Plaza great shots are inevitable.
Old Town- Old Town is littered with small fascinating locations to take pictures at. If you’re a taking senior pictures, there are brick walls with so much personality you’ll want to know their stories. If you’re taking family pictures there are little courtyard where you can fit everyone into the picture and not bother surrounding people. The best time of the year though has to be around the wintertime, wreaths, Christmas trees, and strings of lights fill the Old Town Plaza with endless photo opportunities.
Foot Hills- The entirety of the Sandia foothills offers hundreds of locations to take pictures at. Whitewash at the top of Candelaria gives a great backdrop during the golden hour, turning the setting into a washed wave of pink and yellow. Further down to Tramway near the base of the La Luz trail a couple of stone houses can pose as a captivating photo shoot location. The foothills offer year round opportunities for images but late in the evening during the fall and snow days during the winter are your best bet for professional shoots.
Bosque- The Bosque itself is one massive backdrop. If you were aiming to take pictures down by the Rio Grande, the absolute best time of the year would have to mid-fall when the trees contain the riches yellows and gold’s nature has to give. Depending on where you go in the Bosque you can have an intimate shoot with thick brush surrounding your subjects or you can have wide-open fields, it’s one of the most diverse locations in Albuquerque.
Nob Hill- Nob Hill has it all, neon lights, murals, modern architecture and any other form of city shoot locations you might want to use. The most stunning photos to come from Nob Hill would have to be night images where the subject is lit souly by neon lights from storefronts.
UNM- UNM has the best of both worlds. If you want pictures in nature there’s the duck pond, which offers features such as a wooden bridge, animals and low hanging tree greenery. UNM also offers modern and traditional architecture. There’s the “Center of The Universe” art installation and countless new age buildings that offer a modern feel for images. There’s also a ton of adobe to accommodate anyone looking to include that in their shoot. If you’re shooting a UNM grad student than the giant “U” by the intersection of Central and University is a must have picture.