I live in Sydney's Inner West, and most of the locations I use for shoots are the same ones I walk past on the way to get coffee. That's not a compromise, it's the point. You don't need the Opera House sail curving in over your shoulder to get a great portrait — you need good light, an interesting surface, and enough space to move without a hundred backpackers wandering through the background. Here are ten spots I keep coming back to, and roughly when to turn up for the best light at each.

Callan Park (Lilyfield)

Callan Park's sandstone buildings, huge fig trees and open lawns give you three completely different backdrops within a five-minute walk, which makes it one of my go-to spots for portraits and lifestyle branding. The old asylum architecture reads moody and cinematic without trying too hard. Aim for late afternoon, when the light comes in low and gold under the fig canopy — midday sun here is harsh and unforgiving.

The Bay Run / Iron Cove foreshore

The Bay Run wraps around Iron Cove with water on one side and parkland on the other, which suits couples and friend-group sessions that want movement — walking, laughing, actually talking to each other instead of holding a pose. Sunset here is genuinely lovely, with the water picking up whatever colour is happening in the sky. Weekday early evenings are quieter than weekends, when the path fills up with joggers.

Sydney Park (St Peters)

Sydney Park's grassy hills, red brick kilns and wetlands give a surprising range of textures for a former industrial site, and the elevated mounds work well for full-length portraits with the city skyline sitting behind you. It's popular for a reason, so I usually shoot early morning or the hour before sunset to avoid sharing the same three hills with every other photographer in Sydney.

Marrickville laneways

The laneways around Marrickville are full of peeling paint, roller doors and street art that turns over every few months, which makes them a solid pick for branding shoots and anyone after texture and colour rather than greenery. Light bounces around unpredictably between the buildings, so I treat these as an overcast-day or golden-hour location rather than one for harsh midday sun.

King Street & Enmore Road (Newtown)

Newtown's main strips give you neon signage, murals and genuine street energy — this is where I go for personal branding and editorial-style portraits that want some life in the background. Evenings work best once the shopfronts light up and the foot traffic thins slightly; midday is workable, but you'll be dodging a fair few pedestrians.

Camperdown Memorial Rest Park

This small park between Newtown and Enmore is deceptively good for portraits: mature trees, dappled shade and a relaxed, local feel without the crowds of the bigger parks. It suits couples and family sessions after something soft and unhurried. Late afternoon light filtering through the tree canopy is the sweet spot.

Glebe foreshore walk

The Glebe foreshore path along Blackwattle Bay has timber boardwalks, small beaches and a view back toward the city, which makes it popular with couples wanting a mix of natural and city backdrop in the same session. Morning light is soft and even here; sunset works too if you're happy with the skyline as a silhouette rather than lit up.

Balmain East wharf area

Balmain East's wharf and the narrow streets running down to it have a village feel — sandstone, jacarandas in season, and water at the bottom of nearly every street. It's a favourite for couples and small branding shoots after a slightly more polished, upmarket look. Go for the last hour of light, when the harbour catches the colour and the wharf empties out for the evening ferry.

Cockatoo Island

Technically this one needs a short ferry from Circular Quay or Balmain rather than a walk from my place, but it earns its spot on this list: industrial cranes, tunnels and heritage buildings sitting right on the harbour's edge give a backdrop you won't find anywhere else in the Inner West. It suits branding and creative portrait sessions where the goal is memorable over familiar. Worth building the ferry timetable into your session plan rather than trying to squeeze it in.

Jubilee Park (Glebe)

Jubilee Park sits at the Glebe end of the Bay Run, with a footbridge over Johnstons Creek that's one of the most photogenic small spots in the area. It's compact but versatile — good for couples, family portraits and quick branding sessions when you don't have half a day to spare. Golden hour lights up the water under the bridge nicely, and overcast days work fine too since there's plenty of shade to fall back on.

How to choose

With that many options, it helps to match the location to the type of session rather than just picking whatever looks nicest on Instagram:

If you're not sure which fits, have a look at my services page — it breaks down what's included in each type of session, and I'm always happy to talk locations before anything is booked in.

If any of this has you picturing your own shoot, get in touch and we'll sort out the right spot, light and time together. Or have a browse through recent work on Instagram first — most of it was shot at one of the ten places above, tripod trip-ups not included.