Walnut Creek is home to many amazing locations that are great subject matter for honing your photography skills and photo shoots of any type. Sometimes club members ask for recommendations for a few scenic spots where they can practice with their cameras.
The Shadelands Ranch Museum is pictured above and is a great location for weddings, portrait sessions, pet photography and a variety of other session types. It features an outdoor gazebo, lush green lawns, and plenty of shade trees.
If you have been involved in photography for any length of time, you know photo permits are a hot topic with photographers and the requirements can be confusing for most newbies. No discussion of photo locations would be complete without mentioning photo permits. Some locations differentiate between true professional photographers and beginning amateurs with simple camera setups. As you learn you quickly graduate to professional looking gear with out any professional photographer income to pay for these fees.
The good news is most photo locations in Walnut Creek do not require photo permits and most of the locations mentioned will not hassle you for a professional photography permit, with one exception. Many other more populated locations in the San Francisco Bay Area require permits for any type of organized photo shoot and have security stop you to ask for a permit if you have any lighting or even a simply photography reflector.
The Gardens at Heather Farms, 1540 Marchbanks Dr, Walnut Creek, CA 94598
The Gardens is a popular spot and often hosts weddings and other special events in the evenings. The rose gardens are amazing and are popular with members of the public. This Walnut Creek photo spot now features numerous signs indicating that photo permits must be purchased in advance and that last minute shoots are not allowed. If the venue is booked (for a fee) for a private event a permit is included for weddings, etc.
Mt Diablo State Parks -
All state parks require photo permits. Rangers will enforce these rules at the Mt. Diablo Park entrances off Castle Rock in Walnut Creek.
Downtown Walnut Creek
The downtown area is a great location for lifestyle shoots and features a number of different public art installations and textures for portraits. Candid's and Street Photography is also great in the greater Walnut Creek Downtown area. Public Art installations are on street corners, like a huge brass head fountain at the intersection of Duncan and Main St and a mosaic wall on Locust St. near Bonanza.
Civic Park, 1375 Civic Dr. Walnut Creek, CA
Civic Park is also located in the downtown and has a few art pieces next to the Walnut Creek Library. The park is also home to many weddings at the gazebo and has some towering redwood trees for a natural backdrop for a variety of types of portraits.
Howe Homestead Park, 2950 Walnut Blvd. Walnut Creek, CA
Howe Homestead is a great local park that is usually not very busy during off times and features some great views, scenic trails, and historic period buildings for a vintage look and fee.