St. Augustine isn’t just a haven for history buffs, surfers and tourists. It’s also a photographer’s paradise, boasting a captivating blend of Spanish colonial architecture, ancient thoroughfares, vibrant streetscapes and brilliant natural beauty. And for outdoor professional headshots, downtown St. Augustine’s locations are spectacular and putting you right in the heart of the community leaving not only a great initial, but also a lasting impression.
When I’m photographing my outdoor headshot or personal branding clients, I’m always coming up with creative photo ideas and looking for great backdrops to position them in front of. Having a local landmark, cityscape, river or park for instance behind you can really position and brand you as the local expert in your field, which might be super important for Real Estate Professionals, Legal Professionals and others.
That said, let’s explore a few magical spots in and around the downtown St. Augustine area. I have photographed in all of the areas we’ll share in this article at various times of the day and I’ve found the best time to photograph is first thing in the morning from sunrise until the end of Golden Hour.
Castillo San Marcos: The incredible Castillo San Marcos is an absolutely brilliant location to personal branding, actor portfolio portraits and outdoor professional headshots. The coquina walls and turrets of the Castillo can create a really inspiring backdrop for any portrait work.
As you can imagine, the imposing fort is steeped in history from the Spanish to the British occupation and exudes power and resilience which, as a backdrop, might help make a professional stand out while conveying a sense of strength and determination.
Don’t miss using the waters of the Matanzas Bay as a backdrop to some of your new outdoor professional headshots.
Pro tip: Definitely plan a first thing in the morning photo session and take advantage of the early morning Golden Hour while avoiding the crowds of visitors.
Aviles Street: One of the reasons I love photographing clients on one of the oldest streets in St. Augustine and therefore in the USA, is it’s just brimming with charm! Aviles Street offers a quintessential St. Augustine scene in the heart of the Old City. Can you imagine yourself framed by vibrantly colored buildings adorned with wrought-iron balconies and overflowing with lush greenery?
Pro Tip – The cobblestone street with brick and coquina walls add a touch of natural texture to your headshot, while the narrow street creates a feeling of intimacy – perfect for a portrait that exudes confidence, intelligence, warmth, approachability and local knowledge.
Lightner Museum: There are lots of little, quiet areas to create amazing business portraits at the Lightner Museum. One of my favorites is the super serene courtyard at the back. As with many of the photo spots around the Lightner, it can be a little tight, so the right lens, lighting, positioning can be critical.
Nothing speaks louder than adding a little touch of artistic flair to your headshot with the elegant facade of the Lightner Museum as your backdrop. The Spanish Renaissance Revival architecture, with its intricate details and ornate sculptures, delivers a touch of old-world sophistication. With the statue of Sir Francis Drake front and center, the Lightner Museum is a great location for those in creative fields, legal industry who may be seeking a more formal portrait or someone who wants to be seen as a mover and shaker in St. Augustine.
Pro tip – Use the shadows and light to create very unique backdrops, Couple this with a wider aperture lens, the right lighting and you can create a stunning, scroll stopping headshot.
Old City Around Charlotte Street: I couldn’t help but include a photo of our rescue pug Banksy who, like us, loves walking around the historic old roads early in the morning before the tourists hit the streets. I’m sure you get the gist what’s possible with human portrait!
You can really capture the essence of St. Augustine’s historic charm by wandering the beautiful streets around Charlotte Street, Bravo Lane and Cadiz Street. Colorful walls, gardens, lush courtyards, and hidden alleyways provide a backdrop brimming with character and visual interest.
With easy to carry photography equipment you can stroll around and find the perfect location to create an images that promotes stability, trust and longevity.
Pro Tip – Very early in the morning is best, have an assistant to spot or hold traffic. Use the colorful walls, highlights and shadows created by the old building and trees.
The weathered brickwork and imposing archway evoke a sense of heritage, strength and gravitas, ideal for those in professions with a long and respected history.
And, don’t forget adjacent to the Old City Gate is the ancient cemetery! The rumor is that it’s haunted and it’s true that one evening I saw a ghost just across the wall of the cemetery! That said, with the right camera and lens settings the cemetery can make a great blurred out background if the light is right.
Pro Tip – Early morning shooting with St. George Street just starting another busy day behind you always makes a great professional portrait.
St. George Street: The “something for everyone street!” The heart of St. Augustine really is bustling St. George Street. Offering backdrops bursting with energy. The area between Treasury Street and Cathedral Place right around the side of the Cathedral is one of my favorite photo locations and at every turn we can create a different look and vibe for you.
Great for projecting a dynamic and outgoing persona. Think cine-style headshots with lots of blur in the background. St. George Street really is an early in the morning location and with the amount of balance light in the shadows of the buildings we can extend our photo sessions to create a lot of different looks for you.
Plaza de la Constitucion: With a cool, shady oak tree canopy this historic plaza, steeped in Spanish colonial history, offers a timeless backdrop for your personal branding or headshot photos. The central fountain and nearby ancient brick buildings create a sense of history, balance and tradition and might be perfect location for professionals in legal, financial, or government fields.
There are a number areas in and around the Plaza that are too many to mention here, but have been and are some of my favorite outdoor headshot locations. And, of course Business Headshots and Personal Branding photography.
I might add that it’s also a fantastic spot for family portraits!
Pro Tip – Bring four or five outfits and one or two props like a smartphone or notebook etc. to create a sense of working in the community.
Bridge of Lions: Being a creative person and professional headshot photographer I love the grandeur of the iconic Bridge of Lions. Either side and across the bridge offers great locations for personal branding photography as well as outdoor professional headshots.
The bridge can be a little breezy even on calmer days, so do take that into considerations when planning your looks. I find the light on over cast and cloudy days to be perfect on and around the bridge for great colors, minimal shadows when adding lights and reflectors to my subjects.
With the turquoise waters of Matanzas Bay sparkling below, the bridge of Lions location really does inject a sense of power and accomplishment into your headshots, which might be great for professionals in leadership or government positions.
Pro Tip – It’s best to photograph early in the morning as the area gets super busy after about 10:00 am.
Every turn offers a great opportunity to create on-location headshots or personal branding photos – there truly isn’t a bad spot! The backgrounds here can position a person as intelligent, ambitious, well grounded and approachable.
Pro Tip: Use the shadows on bright or mildly over-cast days. Best to shoot early in the morning when it’s not so busy and the light is leaning more to a blue tone. On-location studio, strobe lighting a must have to create High-speed sync to create cine style images.
To book an outdoor headshot photo session select “Professional Headshot” and follow the steps to book your photo session. Outdoor photo sessions have an additional $125 on-location fee which is billed at the end of the phot project. BOOK NOW
