I’ve been compiling a list of place/things to photograph around WA state. This is my list for the greater Seattle area. Links go to Google Maps where you can get directions.

• Seattle Center- Includes:
  • The Space Needle is iconic Seattle and is one of the most photographed structures in our fair city. Ride to the top for stunning views of the surrounding city, Puget Sound, the Cascades, Olympics, Lake Union, Lake Washington, and Mount Rainier. Wander around Seattle Center’s grounds for different views/angles of the Space Needle.
  • The Experience Music Project (EMP) is uniquely shaped and multi-colored, which offers great reflections.
  • The International Fountain between Key Arena and Memorial Stadium offers shots of kids playing in the fountain. At night, lights at the base add a colorful touch. Place Key Arena or the Space Needle in the background for a distinctly Seattle shot.
  • The Pacific Science Center is distinguishable by it’s arches from a long way off. These arches make great subjects that include lines and curves against the blue sky. Inside the Pacific Science Center is the Tropical Butterfly Exhibit and is a good place to shot butterflies all year long.
• University of Washing (UW) Campus is a great place to photograph in April when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. There are 30 cherry trees in the Quad (the university’s Liberal Arts Quadrangle). The classic buildings are also great to photograph.
• The Washington Park Arboretum and Seattle Japanese Gardens have so many photographic opportunities that you will never run out of things to shoot. The best time to shoot is in the spring and fall. In May, the rhododendrons and azaleas are in full bloom. In October, the maples provide spectacular color. Tripods are ok in the park, but not allowed in the Japanese Gardens. The garden opens early several times a year for a limited number of photographers with tripods.
• In Greenwood, photograph a variety of classic cars from the early 1900′s to more recent at the annual Greenwood Classic Car & Road Show.
• Kerry Park offers the best view of Seattle and the Space Needle. This location is good for both sunrise and sunset. Mount Rainier can sometimes be lost during mid-day in the summer. If you go during a full moon, get there early for a good spot since dozens of photographers show up for the same reason.
• The Seattle Waterfront should appeal to the travel photographer. Besides the Ye Old Curiosity Shoppe and the Seattle Aquarium, go to the rooftop of the Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center with a wide-angle lens to capture a panorama of the city and the waterfront.
• Pike Place Market and Steinbrueck Park are other iconic Seattle destinations. The market is a treasure trove for travel and lifestyle photographers. Photograph salmon-tossing fish vendors, Rachel the Pig, vegetable and fruit displays, flowers, and the original Starbucks. Tripods are discourage due to the crowds, so a monopod is best. For great views of Elliot Bay, the Olympic mountains, and the Seattle skyline, go a couple of blocks north of the market to Steinbrueck Park. You can also get good views of the ferries, container ships and cranes, the sports stadiums and sometimes, Mount Rainier.
• Pioneer Square is where to go to photograph character studies, old buildings, an iron and glass pergola, and a totem pole.
• Some of the best views of Seattle are from the Washington State Ferries. The ferries vibrate a lot, so you probably don’t want to use a tripod. On a clear day, there’s a good chance of getting pictures of a ferry with Mount Rainier in the background.
• From several vantage points at Myrtle Edwards Park, you can line up shots that contain a container ship, cranes and Mount Rainier.
• The Olympic Sculpture Garden has many pieces of art to photograph. One of my favorites is a transparent “wall” that has a design painted on it. If the light is just right, you can get some really cool shots of the Space Needle showing through behind it.
• Go the the Montlake Cut for the opening day of boating season, where you can photograph dragon boats, crew races and a parade of boats.
• The Woodland Park Zoo is a wonderful place to practice your wildlife photography. Overcast days are best to avoid shadows. Plus, it’s not as crowded on dreary days.
• Gasworks Park is packed with photographic opportunities. You can get a great view of the city with Lake Union in the foreground, or colorful machinery of the old gas plant. You might capture a float plane as it takes off or lands and there’s always kite flying on top of the hill.
• Candy Cane Lane has been a staple in Seattle since the 1940s. It is a neighborhood Christmas light display on Park Road and Ravenna Boulevard near Ravenna Park. The local residents put on quite a display with music and several mechanical decorations in the traffic circle island in the middle of a large cul de sac on NE Park Road. Nearly all of the homes in the area are adorned with Christmas lights and holiday figures. Come prepared to shoot night photography.
• Magnolia Park offers views of the city, West Seattle, Elliot Bay, Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains. This is a good location for sunset photos.
• Explore funky Georgetown – an interesting old Seattle industrial neighborhood, now an artist haunt. Tully’s (the old Rainier Brewery) has a wild new paint job. Catch the afternoon light on sights from Georgetown’s past: the old ice house, City Hall and a cute Vespa shop.
• Discovery Park has finds like the West Point Lighthouse and the annual Seafair Indian Days Powwow (held at the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center). A permit is required to drive the road down to the lighthouse, otherwise you have a nice hike in each direction. You can also photograph the colorful and mysterious world of wild mushrooms and kin (best in October).
• The Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union is best photographed in the morning since the light is not only better, but it’s quieter. Besides the boats, you can photograph chains, gears and propellers in various stages of restoration.
• Fisherman’s Terminal is one of the best places in the city to photograph a working harbor. It’s a great place to shoot on either a clear or foggy day. Morning and evening light offer great boat reflections in the water.
• The Hiram Chittendon Locks (also known as the Ballard Locks) is a must-see site. You can photograph the botanical garden or boats traveling through the locks. Depending on the time of the year, you may even capture salmon as they make their way from Puget Sound to Lake Union via the salmon ladders.
• Go to Golden Gardens during a low tide to photograph herons fishing, gulls, and other tideland inhabitants.
• The Boeing Museum of Flight is a great place to take photos of various aircraft, including rare WWI and WWII planes.
• The Kubota Gardens is a must-visit location for landscape and nature photographers. You’ll find ponds, streams and waterfalls among hills, valleys, rock gardens and the Moon Bridge. The best time to photograph are in the spring and fall.
• The Rizal Viewpoint from the Jose P. Rizal Bridge is one of the best views of the city, especially at night. Long exposures will cause headlights and taillights to streak into white and red curves with the lights of the city adding an extra splash of color. You can also get nice sunset or sunrise photos here.
• Probably the best overall view of the city can be found on Harbor Avenue SW in West Seattle. From here, you can get great view of the city from across Elliot Bay and get the best panoramic shots. At sunset, the warm light falling on the skyscrapers reflects in Elliot Bay. Twilight is one of the best times to photograph from this location. The beach at Alki Point also offers interesting subjects to photograph. Photograph the Alki Point Lighthouse; walk the beach at Charles Richey Sr. Viewpoint to photograph seastars at low tide; and visit the Log House Museum.
• Lincoln Park, in West Seattle, offers great views across the sound to the Olympics, views of the ferries, and madrona trees.
• Federal Way is the home of the Rhododendron Species Garden and the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection. The best time to visit is March through May when things are in bloom. You may only photograph the bonsai collection for person use since each piece is a work of art. The Weyerhaeuser Company Headquarters is a great place to photograph lupine.
• The Mukilteo Lighthouse is a pretty light lighthouse to photograph along with the ferries that come and go adjacent to it.
• The East Side has lots to offer as well. The Bellevue Botanical Gardens, the region’s most creative nighttime holiday displays (December), with thousands of tiny lights formed into fantastic sculptures around the gardens. Spring is another good time, which things are in bloom. Bellevue Downtown Park has a waterfall that is fun to photograph, as well as views of bridges crossing the canal.