I’ve photographed many families, portraits, and engagement sessions in New York City (and beyond!) over the years, and while the city has a bunch of great spots for photos, by far the most popular place to capture special moments has been Central Park.

Central Park History

Don’t worry, this isn’t a history lesson. I just think the park’s history is fascinating and nice to know if you spend any amount of time there.

Central Park was created in the mid 1800s as a response to an increasingly crowded city. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a competition to design a new park in the center of Manhattan, basing his idea on England’s Birkenhead Park. Fun fact: Olmsted went on to a long career in landscape architecture and eventually designed the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, among other projects.

Some amazing stats via centralparknyc.org:

“Workers moved nearly 5 million cubic yards of stone, earth, and topsoil, built 36 bridges and arches, and constructed 11 overpasses over the transverse roads. They also planted 500,000 trees, shrubs, and vines.”

The park today is 843 acres, 2.5 miles long, a half-mile wide, and the most visited city park in the United States. This article by the Central Park Conservancy is great reading if you want to learn more.

Since I moved to NYC in 1996, I’ve always seen Central Park as a beautiful haven – a place to run, walk, observe, think, and just get away from the city (even though it’s literally in the middle of one). It’s also got the best hills for marathon training.

Now for the photos! I’ll sort them into areas of the park, starting with the north and working my way south. Note the month and time of day, both of which can make a difference in terms of foliage, light, and temperature.

The following is what I have written so far – I will add to this post as the weeks and months go on.

A map of Central Park detailing all the different locations mentioned in this blog post.

North Woods

You can probably guess that these were taken at the height of fall. It was a mostly cloudy day, which produces fewer shadows; the trees in this area also help shield harsh light. A bonus about the North Woods: it’s relatively unknown to tourists, so there aren’t many park-goers to clog up the background.

The specific location of the rocks is the North Woods Loch Waterfall, just south of Huddlestone Arch, and there are plenty of walking paths like the one below.

Smiling family standing on top of and in front of rocks in the North Woods of Central Park. — November, early afternoon, overcast

Smiling kids jumping up in the air on fall leaves in front of a pond in the North Woods of Central Park. — November, early afternoon, overcast

The Pool

One nice thing about posing in front of water is that even if it’s a busier time of day, you can generally avoid people in the background. Note that the below photos, at the “Pool” lake in northwest Central Park, were taken at the same time of year but different times of day.

I’ve seen this lake covered in algae in the past, but I don’t think it happens very often.

A smiling man and woman playing with their young daughter by holding her upside down in front of the Pool pond in Central Park. — November, mid-afternoon, sunny

Smiling man and woman holding the hands of a little girl in front of the Pool pond in Central Park. — November, early morning, low sun

Loch Walking Paths

Walk west from The Pool, through Glen Span Arch, and enter a wooded area with dirt paths and short pedestrian bridges. There are multiple trees to provide coverage, and, as with most northern areas of the park, it’s usually not too busy.

There are a few paths in this area, most exiting south onto the 102nd Crossing.

A father holding his young daughter as she sits on the side of a small wooden bridge in the middle of the Loch woods in Central Park. — November, late morning, sunny

A father holding his young daughter on his shoulders in the middle of the Loch woods in Central Park — November, late morning, sunny

East Meadow

Just north of the East 97th Street entrance is the East Meadow. If the meadow itself is too crowded with park-goers, there are numerous trees surrounding it that make nice backdrops for photos.

I don’t know if the below rock has a name, but it’s on the northwest corner of the meadow, and it’s a fun place to capture kids. (This particular family had a special connection to the rock and specifically wanted photos on it.)

Smiling family sitting on a large rock near Central Park's East Meadow. — April, late morning, overcast

Smiling girl lying on a large rock near Central Park's East Meadow. — April, late morning, overcast

Late April and early May are the height of cherry blossom season, and there are lots of great spots in this area for spring photos.

Smiling family under cherry blossoms near Central Park's East Meadow. — April, late morning, overcast

West 80s

This is the lawn just inside the West 86th Street entrance. During busier times of day, there are usually people sitting on the grass and walking around. It’s not exactly secluded, but it’s easy to get to from the west side and a great space for kids to run around.

A father picking up his laughing boy with a grassy hill behind them. — October, mid-afternoon, sunny

A smiling boy running down a grassy hill. — October, mid-afternoon, sunny

Walk just south of the above lawn, staying on the west side, and there are some nice trees, plants, and grassy areas that make for lovely backdrops.

A smiling woman and man, with a small girl, standing with trees and grass behind them. — October, mid-morning, overcast

A woman holding a small girl who is touching a trees with small red berries on it. — October, mid-morning, overcast

Summit Rock

Did you know that Summit Rock, located on the west side of the park between 81st and 85th Streets, has the highest natural elevation in the park? This is a nice, quiet area complete with a stone mini-amphitheater, old majestic trees, and rocks big enough to play on. It’s usually not overly-populated with park-goers, either.

A family of four consisting of a father, mother, and two small boys, playing on a rock. — September, late afternoon, low sun

A smiling family of four posing in front of a large tree. — September, late afternoon, low sun

The Great Lawn

Smack in the middle of the park between 81st and 85th Streets is The Great Lawn, a popular spot for both sports and lounging. It’s a fun place for kids to frolic, but note there will almost always be people in the background. If you’d prefer photos without too much background activity, this area would work best very early in the morning before too many people are out.

A smiling family picking tiny flowers or grass off of a lawn. — October, mid-afternoon, sunny

Belvedere Castle

Just south of The Great Lawn and right above the 79th Street Transverse is Belvedere Castle, which sits atop Vista Rock, the second-highest point in the park. This is a cool and very popular spot that is also great for kids. (Fun fact: the name “Belvedere” comes from “beautiful view” in Italian.)

This location can get packed with tourists and locals alike, especially on the weekends, but there are still a few nooks where you can get photos without too much background distraction.

Oak Bridge

This bridge, originally built almost entirely of white oak before being replaced in 2009, is an entrance to The Ramble as well as a popular photo spot on the northern tip of The Lake. The best way to access it is to enter the park on West 77th Street and cross West Drive (aka the Ted Corbitt Loop).

If it’s a nice day with lots of foot traffic, it might be tricky to get photos across the bridge, but it’s possible – and people are usually nice about letting photographers take a pic or two. Note that the subjects facing south get more foliage in the background and more even light (first photo below), while subjects facing north gets more of The Lake as well as the skyline in the background (second photo below).

A couple on Oak Bridge and the woman is smiling as the man seems to be whispering in her ear. — November, late afternoon, low sun (subjects facing south)

A couple on Oak Bridge and the woman is smiling and the man is kissing her cheek. — November, late afternoon, low sun (subjects facing north)

The Ramble

Oak Bridge leads to The Ramble, a beautiful, 36-acre section of the park designed to resemble the forests of upstate New York. Tucked in the center of the park between 74th and 79th Streets, the dense trees shield sunlight (especially in the warmer months when leaves are more plentiful), and the rustic bridges and stone archways have a charming, almost medieval quality. It might be the least NYC-ish part of the park.

I could probably do an entire post on The Ramble itself, but I’ll put photos from multiple spots here, using the structure’s name when possible.

The Ramble Stone Arch is not far from Oak Bridge – just walk a bit to the south to find it. The below two photos were taken from opposite sides of the arch.

A smiling couple standing under a stone archway. — October, mid-afternoon, overcast (subjects facing south)

Woman standing under a tall stone archway. — November, early afternoon, overcast (subject facing north)

This little bridge doesn’t seem to have an official name, and it’s not far from the arch.

A smiling couple standing on a bridge surrounded by trees. — October, mid-afternoon, overcast

This was taken in one of the Ramble’s clearings, although at the time of this writing I can’t remember specifically which one.

These rocks and stream are located near the above locations, on a northern edge of The Lake.

One of the many pathways inside The Ramble – this is just north of Bow Bridge.

A couple smiling at each other inside The Ramble with trees and plants in the background. — October, mid-afternoon, overcast

Taken in the same general area.

The Lake

Simply called “The Lake,” this popular attraction on the park’s west side is nestled between Bethesda Terrace, Strawberry Fields, The Ramble, and Loeb Boathouse. Here are just a few spots along the Lake to take photos:

Bow Bridge is lovely, and usually filled with park-goers – especially weekends. If it’s crowded, it might be difficult to get photos of a large group, but a smaller one could work.

A smiling young couple standing on Bow Bridge with flowers in the background. — October, mid-afternoon, overcast

This was taken on the east side of the lake, with the west side’s San Remo in the background. (Note that, as of October 2022, Loeb Boathouse has closed for good, so there won’t be any row boats on the lake for the time being.)

A large extended family of six adults and two smallc hildren pose smiling in front of a lake in Central Park with buildings behind them. — April, late afternoon, overcast

South of The Ramble and just northwest of Bethesda Terrace, you can find little spots like this along the water with Loeb Boathouse in the background.

A little girl wearing a tiara jumping in front of The Lake in Central Park. — April, late afternoon, low sun

This charming platform – a great place for proposals, by the way – is near Bow Bridge on the northern edge of The Lake. I took this from across the lake, unbeknownst to the bride-to-be. One of my most fun photoshoots!

Conservatory Water

This is another great spot for kids. Located on the park’s east side between 73rd and 75th Streets, there’s a lot here: the small pond (which used to have model sailboats available for rent, but I think only during warmer months), surrounding lawns and trees, the Alice in Wonderland statue, and Hans Christian Anderson Monument.

A small boy lying across the large bronze book on the Hans Christian Anderson statue in Central Park. — November, morning, sunny

Bethesda Terrace

Also known as “Bethesda Terrace and Fountain,” this massively popular area of the park was constructed during the American Civil War. It sits in the middle of the park between 72nd and 73rd Streets, on the southern edge of The Lake.

This area gets very crowded during the day, especially on weekends. I haven’t had too much success getting great photos in front of the fountain itself (unless closeups), but there are various structures on the terrace itself that make for nice backdrops.

I would recommend getting there as early as possible in the morning for the least amount of foot traffic.

A couple kissing under an archway at Bethesda Terrace. — August, late afternoon, overcast

A smiling man, woman, and little girl, and a baby boby all posing outside in front of a stone wall at Bethesda Terrace. — April, late afternoon, partly sunny

A large extended family all smiling and posing in front of a stone wall at Bethesda Terrace. — March, mid-afternoon, sunny

A smiling little girl holding her baby brother in front of Bethesda Fountain. — April, late afternoon, sunny

The Mall

Although a lovely part of the park, perhaps not ideal for a family session due to the heavy foot traffic. However, if you don’t mind some people in the background, it could work. Or, you could wait for a snowfall – winter tends to bring out fewer park-goers, and the trees are magnificent in the winter.

A smiling couple looking at each other while standing in a pathway with pedestrians and large trees in the background.

Sheep Meadow

This is a 15-acre lawn on the park’s west side between 65th and 69th Streets. And yes, Sheep Meadow got its name from an actual flock of sheep that lived there and maintained the grass between 1864 and 1934!

Similar to The Great Lawn, it’s a popular spot for sports, lounging, walking, and all kinds of activities. It’s kind of difficult to avoid people in the background – or shade, if it’s a sunny day – but it’s a great location if you want an open space and buildings in the background.

A smiling couple standing in the sun on Sheep Meadow. — November, early afternoon, sunny

West 60s

South of Sheep Meadow, on the far west side of the park, is a little area of pathways, benches, and grass. I don’t think the area has an official name. We entered the park off Central Park West between West 63rd and 64th Streets and walked a bit north for these photos.

Two panrets and two small children walking along a pathway inside Central Park. — June, mid-morning, overcast

A father walking behind his young son who is running ahead. — June, mid-morning, overcast

The below archway is right inside the park at West 65th. (Full disclosure: I digitally removed some litter and a few traffic signs in the background.)

The backs of two small children walking along a path with benches and a stone archway in the background. — June, mid-morning, overcast

The Pond

At the southeast corner of the park is The Pond and the oft-photographed Gapstow Bridge. What makes this area unique and particularly inviting is that it’s set below street level – so while The Plaza Hotel and buildings of 59th Street are nearby, it makes for a nice escape from the city.

It’s a popular spot, due both to its lovely terrain and proximity to 5th Avenue, so if you prefer photos without a lot of background noise, I recommend getting there early in the morning. Or, as with the below photos, going in early December when fewer people are out and about.

It also helps if you know how to Photoshop people out of backgrounds [winks].

A young woman with a small smile wearing a black cloth coat standing in a pathway with trees and benches in the background. — Early December, mid-afternoon, overcast

A young woman with a small smile standing in front of Gapstow Bridge at The Pond in Central Park.

A young woman in a long black coat standing on a rock in Central Park with trees, a lake, and buildings in the background. — Early December, mid-afternoon, overcast

Additional Areas of Central Park

Obviously, I haven’t photographed every area of the park. Here are a few other well-known locations that are worth mentioning – some might work better than others for photos.

Harlem Meer: This is a quiet lake on the park’s northeast corner, frequented by runners, walkers, and turtles (yes, literal turtles – my dog is fascinated by them). However, as of this writing in 2022, the area is closed for major construction. It’s expected to re-open summer 2024.

Conservatory Garden: This is a beautiful spot on the park’s east side between 103rd and 106th Streets. I have never done a photo session here, mostly because a $400 permit is required to photograph inside the garden. It’s not impossible, just a bit more expensive, and it must be planned well in advance.

North Meadow: There is some nice green space between 97th and 103rd, but I think there might be too many baseball fields for it to be a great location for a photo session – unless it’s fairly early in the morning and no sports are happening.

Jacqueline Onassis Reservoir: The reservoir takes up most of the width of the park between 86th and 92nd on the west side, and 96th on the east side. Although I’ve seen some people take casual photos along the reservoir’s path, it’s probably not a great place to do family portraits due to the foot traffic. The bridle path just outside the reservoir also sees a lot of runners and walkers at all times of day.

Central Park Zoo: I’ve never done a photo session here, and it might be too crowded for one depending on time of day, but it could make for a fun family outing type of session.

Central Park Carousel: This could be a great spot for kid photos!

Best Central Park Photo Locations