The Best Photo Locations in Maryville & Knoxville, Tennessee
Because choosing where to take your photos should be part of the fun.
You booked the session.
Now comes one of my favorite questions:
Where are we going?
And no, the answer doesn't always have to be “some field somewhere around sunset.”
East Tennessee has SO many beautiful places for photos. We have historic homes and gardens, downtown streets, bright studios, huge trees, open fields, beautiful architecture, and plenty of places where the kids can actually move instead of being asked to stand still and smile for an hour.
The location you choose can completely change the feeling of your photos.
A downtown session feels different from a garden session. A studio gives us something completely different from a park. And sometimes the perfect location isn't the fanciest one at all. It's simply the place that feels most like you.
As a Maryville photographer serving Knoxville and East Tennessee, I've definitely collected a few favorites.
So whether you're planning family photos, celebrating your pregnancy, newly engaged, updating your portraits, or just finally getting everyone in front of the camera, here are some of my favorite photo locations in Maryville and Knoxville, Tennessee.
Broadway Avenue | Downtown Maryville, TN
For the “let's do something different” people.
Give me sidewalks, storefronts, brick, interesting architecture and two people walking around downtown like they have somewhere important to be.
I LOVE the personality a Downtown Maryville photo session can have.
Instead of staying in one spot, we can walk around Broadway Avenue, find interesting little corners, use the buildings around us, and create photos that feel a little more editorial while still being relaxed.
It's especially fun for couples because the session can feel less like taking pictures and more like wandering around downtown together while I happen to be following you with a camera.
Perfect for: couples, engagement sessions, maternity and portraits.
And since you're already downtown, you're surrounded by plenty of reasons not to go straight home afterward.
Maryville College | Maryville, TN
A little bit of everything without leaving Maryville.
Maryville College is one of those locations where we can turn around and suddenly have an entirely different background.
Big trees? Yep.
Open green spaces? Yep.
Beautiful architecture and pathways? Also yep.
That's exactly what makes Maryville College photo sessions so versatile. We can create a gallery with plenty of variety without spending half your session getting back into the car and driving somewhere else.
For families, there's room for kids to move.
For maternity sessions, we can go soft and natural or dress things up a little.
For couples and engagements, we can walk around campus and let things happen naturally instead of constantly stopping for another pose.
Perfect for: families, maternity, couples, engagement sessions and portraits.
Bicentennial Park | Maryville, TN
Green, relaxed and made for movement.
If you have little kids who consider standing still a personal attack, this might be your place.
Bicentennial Park in Maryville gives us greenery, trees, walking paths and room to actually do something.
Walk together. Chase the kids. Cuddle up. Explore.
I don't need everyone staring at my camera for an entire session. Some of my favorite family photos happen when everybody forgets they're supposed to be taking pictures in the first place.
It's also beautiful for maternity and couples sessions when you want something outdoors that feels simple and natural.
Perfect for: families, maternity, couples and relaxed portraits.
The Holmstead Studio | Knoxville, TN
One location. So many possibilities.
This one has my heart.
The Holmstead Studio in Knoxville gives us beautiful indoor spaces, natural light, fields and multiple settings that can make one gallery look like we went to several different locations.
Want something soft and intimate?
We can do that.
Want to step outside and chase the evening light?
We can do that too.
It's especially beautiful for Knoxville maternity sessions and engagement photos, but it works wonderfully for couples, families and bridal portraits too.
If you love photos that feel romantic, warm and just a little more elevated, put this one on your list.
Perfect for: maternity, engagement, couples, family and bridal portraits.
Studio rental fees apply.
Knoxville Botanical Garden | Knoxville, TN
For when you want... everything.
Can't decide between flowers, greenery, stone, architecture and open spaces?
Good.
You don't have to.
Knoxville Botanical Garden gives us so much variety that it's easily one of my favorite outdoor photo locations in Knoxville.
Instead of planting ourselves in one spot, we get to wander.
And that's exactly what I love about it.
Walking gives couples something natural to do, gives kids something to explore, and gives us those little in-between moments that often become the photos you love most.
Depending on the season, the garden can also look completely different from one session to the next.
Perfect for: family photos, maternity, couples, engagement sessions and portraits.
Professional photography fees may apply.
The Bleak House | Knoxville, TN
This is your excuse to dress UP.
Some locations practically ask for the pretty dress.
Bleak House in Knoxville is one of them.
Historic architecture, beautiful columns, gardens and an elegant setting give photos a timeless feeling that's completely different from a traditional outdoor park session.
I especially love it for Knoxville engagement photos and bridal portraits because it gives us that little hint of wedding-day romance before the wedding even arrives.
But don't count it out for maternity or couples portraits either.
If your Pinterest board is full of romantic, classic, slightly more formal photos, I would absolutely consider this one.
Perfect for: engagement, bridal, couples, maternity and formal portraits.
Professional photography/location fees apply.
The White Room Studio | Knoxville, TN
Simple can be SO good.
Sometimes we don't need flowers, fields or a dramatic background.
Sometimes all we need is beautiful light and you.
The White Room Studio in Knoxville gives us a bright, clean setting where the people in the photos become the entire focus.
It's especially beautiful for maternity sessions because there aren't a million things competing for attention. It's also a great choice for couples, smaller families and portraits when you want something modern and intimate.
And there's another little bonus:
Tennessee weather can do whatever it wants.
We'll be inside.
Perfect for: maternity, couples, families and portraits.
Studio rental fees apply.
Sequoyah Hills Park | Knoxville, TN
Give me the golden light.
Big trees. Open spaces. Room to walk. Beautiful evening light.
There's a reason Sequoyah Hills Park is such a good Knoxville photo location.
Nothing about it needs to feel complicated.
For families, kids have room to run and play.
For couples, we can walk, talk, cuddle up in the grass and let the session feel more like an evening together.
For maternity photos, the greenery and golden-hour light create that soft, natural feeling that photographs beautifully.
Bring a blanket and this one can easily turn into a little picnic when we're finished.
Perfect for: families, maternity, couples and engagement sessions.
But here's the thing...
Your photo session doesn't have to be the whole plan.
This might actually be my favorite part.
You're already getting everyone ready.
You've picked the outfits. Your hair is done. Somehow all the kids are clean at the exact same time. Or maybe it's just the two of you and you're dressed nicer than you have been in three months.
Please don't immediately go home and put sweatpants on.
Okay, you can. I'm not the boss of you.
But you could also make a day out of it.
Many of these Maryville and Knoxville photography locations are close to restaurants, parks, coffee shops, downtown areas and other places you can enjoy before or after your session.
Have the picnic.
Make the dinner reservation.
Grab coffee before we meet.
Let the kids pick an ice cream place afterward.
Turn your engagement session into date night.
Take your maternity photos and go have one of those quiet dinners together before life gets a whole lot louder.
Your photo session doesn't have to feel like another appointment on the calendar.
Let it be the reason you made plans.
Because years from now, I don't just want you to remember what you were wearing.
I want the photos to bring back the whole day.
The restaurant you tried afterward.
The way the kids ran around the park.
How excited you were about the wedding.
How close you were to meeting your baby.
How good it felt to actually slow down and spend some time together.
That's when a photo becomes more than a pretty picture.
It becomes attached to a memory.
And if none of these locations feel like you?
That's completely okay.
Your backyard. Your family's property. Your favorite coffee shop. Downtown. Your home. A field you drive past every day. The place you had your first date.
I'm always open to somewhere new.
As a photographer based in Maryville, Tennessee and serving Knoxville and East Tennessee, I'll help you choose a location that works for your session, your people and the way you want your photos to feel.
You don't need to know exactly where you want to go.
Tell me the feeling you're looking for, and we'll find the place that fits.
Ready to plan your session?
Whether you're looking for a family photographer, maternity photographer, couples photographer or engagement photographer in Maryville or Knoxville, let's make your photos something you actually have fun creating.
Pick the location. Make some plans. Let's make a day out of it.
