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Gorgeous Fall Photo Opps in Ottawa
There's something about fall sunlight that makes for the perfect family photo. And with gorgeous coloured leaves providing the backdrop and your kiddos decked out in chunky sweaters and rosy cheeks, you've got a magical moment worth capturing. So give these great natural backdrops a try for your autumn family photo session. Here's where to see the leaves and take in the best of the season in Ottawa.
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Jack Pine Trail
Located in the Green Belt near Moodie and Hunt Club, the Jack Pine Trail is a great natural outdoors location for west end families. In the fall, the forest is lovely with colour, and wide tree-lined paths make for great natural frames. There's a small boardwalk and best of all, the chickadees are anxious to gather seeds for the winter, so a handful of black sunflower seeds will lead to some great candid photo ops.
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Mer Bleue Bog
For east enders, the Mer Bleue Bog is a riot of fall colours that make for an amazing photo backdrop. The lovely boardwalk, framed with tall reeds and grasses, is a favourite, and if you arrive early in the morning, you'll get some amazing light and often a little bit of mist to frame your shots.
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Mackenzie King Estate
Gatineau Park is chock full of great locations, you can practically pull over along any pathway and snap away. But we love the varied backdrops at the Mackenzie King Estate best—there are stone ruins, cultivated gardens, forested areas, plus the lovely house itself. There are no charge for using the grounds, just the usual park entrance fee; try to arrive early on fall weekends to avoid competition from wedding parties.
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Strathcona Park
Looking for fast and easy? Strathcona Park is right in the heart of the city and features the cutest little “ruins” area near the wading pool. It's a favourite spot for wedding and family photos, with lots of interesting stone features and posing options, without having to worry about damaging actual historical artifacts. There's also the huge Lord Strathcona fountain and plenty of other trees and lawn spaces to play with.
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Wakefield Covered Bridge
The red covered bridge in Wakefield is iconic and makes for a unique place to take family photos. We love how the bridge itself pops with colour and has great architecture inside (a little insurance in case of rainy weather). There are rocky river shores and nearby parkland to work with as well.
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Dominion Arboretum at the Experimental Farm
If you're looking for more formal shots, a great location is the Dominion Arboretum, home to dozens of varieties of trees that you won't find anywhere else in town (fun fact: it's because the arboretum's geography makes it warmer than most other Ottawa locations). Although most of the plants and trees will be done flowering, there's still plenty of lovely greenery, a lake area, and a hothouse to make for interesting backdrops.
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Dunbar Bridge Graffiti Wall
For a more modern and offbeat portrait session, consider the graffiti wall under Dunbar Bridge, where Bronson crosses the Rideau River. Accessed via a path in Brewer Park, the wall is one of three legal graffiti spots in town and makes for a unique, colourful, and urban backdrop to family photos. The entire wall is repainted each September during the House of Paint festival, so fall family photos will have the most vibrant and original artwork in the background. Cool!
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Bate Island and Remic Rapids
A charming little island accessed from the middle of the Champlain Bridge, Bate Island is one of our favourite spots in the city. It's quiet, with several older trees, and fantastic views of the river and downtown. The Remic Rapids can be shot from the island side or the lookout along the parkway side, and features delicately balanced rock sculptures that make for a great backdrop. Fall is the best time for photos at the rapids as the water level is low, and the rocky shale shores are clearly visible.
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Watson’s Mill
A great spot for families who live in Southern Ottawa is Watson's Mill, a heritage location with a variety of backdrops to explore. We love the stone walls of the mill itself, or the wooden panels of the nearby outbuildings, but pictures on the bridge that feature the mill in the background are lovely too. There's a park on the other side of the bridge that gives great river views, and Dickenson House across the street offers even more interesting options. It's a busy spot on weekends so arrive early to make sure you get all the space you need.
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Hog’s Back Falls
Hog's Back Falls always makes for a lovely backdrop and is surprisingly accessible, with parking nearby in Hog's Back Park and a fairly easy walk down to the rocky shore along the west side of the Rideau River. Bonus: there's a great covered cantina right there for after photo French fries.
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Nepean Point
Located behind the National Art Gallery downtown, Nepean Point is your spot if you're looking for a classic Ottawa lookout. The park overlooks the Parliament Buildings, putting them at just the perfect size and distance in the background to add a hint of our nation's capital to your photo shoot. Worried about the weather? The Art Gallery will let you shoot inside for a small fee, so it makes for a foolproof backup (preregistration required).
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Petrie Island
Ottawa is a little short on beach locations, but your best bet for sand and sea is at Petrie Island in Orleans. There's a lovely beach for the classic standing-in-the-water shot, plus some lovely rock piles for posing. For variety, there's plenty of forested areas nearby, too, and a lovely lookout over a turtle pond is a short hike away. Since the beach is officially closed as of the third week in August, fall is the perfect time to get the island all to yourself.
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Museum of Nature
Not all fall days are gloriously sunny, and if you're planning a photo shoot with the whole far-flung clan, you'll want to pick a location that's weather independent. The Museum of Nature gets all that amazing autumn light in the lantern and through its classic stained glass windows, allowing for plenty of great photo ops inside the building. If you do luck out with the weather, its gorgeous stone walls and huge wooden doors make for great shots, too. There's a small fee and reservations required for shooting inside.