Photo Shoot Locations
Gatineau Park (Lac Des Fees)
This is such an amazing spot for photos. It's only about 5-10 minutes from any of the bridges, it has free parking, is accessible year round, and isn't as busy as a lot of the other Gatineau Park locations.
There are fields, wooded areas, and a beautiful little lake. It's also a dog friendly location, so if you're looking to include your pooch it's a great choice! The lake is about a 5-10 minute walk from the parking lot, just as a heads up (we take photos along the way!).
If you're looking to book a morning shoot, this is the location I would suggest.
Aylmer Beach
Just north of the sandy area there's a beautiful pebble shoreline with boulders, fallen trees, a forest, etc.. it has a sort of west coast kind of vibe. Feed the ducks, chase seagulls, skip rocks on the river - it's a truly gorgeous location for your family photos!
There's ample free parking and it's also a dog friendly location.
Parc Mousette
The rocky shallows at Parc Mousette are a photographic dream. Rock throwing, splashing, feeding ducks, building rock towers...it's perfect!
Something to note is that the rocky shallows are seasonal as the river is only low enough to enjoy this cool scene in the dry summer months (and sometimes, even then, it can be a bust if we've recently had a lot of rain). The river and beach are still beautiful any time of year, though! This is another good option if you're considering a morning shoot.
Parc Mousette also has a playground, a sand beach, field areas with long grass as well as some wooded areas. It also has a small farmer's market on Thursday mornings which is a great spot to pick up some croissants and fresh veggies!
There's ample free parking right at Parc Mousette (off of Lucerne) or at the end of Rue Boudria and Rue Maricourt.
Ornamental Gardens
If you love flowers and groomed gardens, then this may be the location for you! Kids love looking at (and picking...haha) the beautiful flowers, there's a small fish pond, stone paths, large hedges and beautiful old buildings.
The ornamental gardens are right next to the experimental farm where we can often see some cows, goats and donkeys out in their paddocks, too!
Free parking can usually be found at the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement (right behind the gardens), at the greenhouse on Maple Drive, or paid parking is always available in the big Indigo lot off Prince of Wales (at the Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum).
Please note that this location does not allow dogs.
Fletcher Wildlife Garden
If you're looking for fields of long grass and wild flowers than this is the spot for you!
This location is best for evening shoots and offers a beautiful, natural landscape. There's ample free parking available at the Fletcher Garden parking lot off Prince of Wales Drive (by the baseball diamond).
Tropical Greenhouse
The Tropical Greenhouse is only open Sunday-Friday 9am-4pm, but it's such a cool place for some family photos!
It's not a very large space, which means it's only ideal for families of 4 or less. Since it's a public space, we have to consider the fact that other people may be enjoying the greenhouse while we're trying to shoot, too.
There's a free parking lot directly next to the greenhouse that always has lots of spots available.
Unfortunately, due to Covid, I'm not currently able to offer shoots inside the green house, however, the outside is also really nice!
