I love taking photos of my family. It’s fun and a cheap way to get some great keepsakes. Living in the Sunshine State, outdoor photo locations are my favorite because we’ve got such a beautiful landscape year round. I rounded up some of my favorite places to take family photos around Orlando! Keep in mind that you don’t need fancy equipment or a special occasion to take photos – you can (and should!) do them whenever you have a chance, even if you’ve just got the camera on your phone to work with!

Dickson Azalea Park

This has been our family’s go-to location for photos for a long time (we’re talking three generations!). It’s absolutely beautiful and has an iconic oak tree that’s the perfect backdrop. Other favorite places within the park are the bridges and the walking trail! Here’s a post I wrote about this awesome Orlando park.

Disney

There are SOOOO many gorgeous places to take photos at Disney that don’t require entry into the parks! My favorites are the hotels, particularly the Yacht and Beach Club, the Boardwalk, and Port Orleans Riverside!

Mead Garden

Mead Garden has some beautiful plants all year round and there are some great photo locations – archways, picnic tables, ponds, and benches overlooking scenic areas. The best part about this one is that it’s free!

Leu Gardens

Leu Gardens has it all – a lake view, gorgeous plants, a rose garden. If you’re looking for a variety of backdrops for your photos this is a great place to go. If you can swing it, go on the first Monday of the month when admission is free! Here’s a post I wrote about what you’ll find at Leu Gardens!

Park Avenue

If you’re looking for a quaint little town to be the backdrop of your photos, check out Park Ave in Winter Park. Central Park is beautiful (and a great place for a picnic!) and you’ll have plenty of shops to look around at when you’re done snapping photos!

Lake Eola

There’s probably not a better place to take photos that scream “Orlando!” than Lake Eola. The fountain is, of course, iconic and the swans are beautiful. Plus, there’s plenty to walk around and look at after you’re done taking pictures!

Canaveral National Seashore

If you want a beach photo session, I highly recommend Canaveral National Seashore. It’s a beautiful beach that is almost completely untouched. No huge resorts, no busy roads to cross, no trouble parking! The best part is that you won’t have a ton of other tourists in your photos because it’s much more of a local favorite. Here’s a post I wrote about what I think is the best Central Florida beach!

Cocoa Village

We recently took my in-laws to Cocoa Village for a photo shoot when they came to meet Foster, and it was the perfect place for photos. Relatively small, the park on the river has some great spots to take family pictures.

Fort Christmas

There’s not much left of rural Orange County, but Fort Christmas is one of the few places where you can still get a taste of what Old Florida was like. There are some beautiful old buildings and lots of trees and open spaces where you can take some awesome photos. This one is also free! Here’s a post I wrote about our recent visit to Fort Christmas.

Winter Garden

This is another great place for a more quaint city backdrop. Here’s a post I wrote about my favorite things to do in Winter Garden!

Kraft Azalea Park

Our 2017 Christmas photos were done here and it doesn’t get much prettier than this place. The key to taking photos here is to go on a weekday if you can. The weekends get very crowded between people enjoying the park and other people trying to take photos. I’ve actually seen lines of people waiting to stand near the columns for their picture!

What are your favorite places to take family photos around Orlando?