10 Instagram Worthy Spots - Seattle/Bellevue

Ihave an exciting post for you guys today! I teamed up with Anna from Two Sleepless Foodies in Seattle who is an extremely talented blogger with some serious knowledge of all things food related, no kidding go check out her blog I guarantee you will be drooling over some of her restaurant reviews and travels. Together we came up with 10 Instagram Worthy Spots in Seattle and the Bellevue. We know that it can be challenging to find locations that are not super touristy and that as much as we love the Space Needle and Pike Place Market there are hundreds of beautiful lesser known locations to snap a gorgeous picture. So without further ado here are our 10 top Instagram worthy spots.   

LOCATION: Bellevue Demonstration Garden - 15500 SE 16th St, Bellevue
BEST FOR: Floral Photography and Portraits.
Open year round with a variety of blooming plants the lesser known Bellevue Demonstration Garden is a great place to snap photos of nature without the having to dodge the crowds. I would recommend the Bellevue Demonstration Gardens for portraits and flower photography. There is even a small covered picnic area so you can bring your lunch, rain or shine!

 View a post from the Bellevue Demonstration Garden >>> HERE

LOCATION: Jose Rizal Bridge - 2th Avenue South, Seattle
BEST FOR: Seattle city-scape and view of the sports stadiums.
Located over a busy freeway this bridge is not for the faint of heart however, the view and photography it allows is to die for! From the Jose Rizal Bridge you can take a gorgeous panoramic of the city of Seattle or portrait photography with the sports stadiums or city in the background. If you are not afraid of heights this location is a must!

LOCATION: Mercer Slough - 1625 118th Ave SE, Bellevue
BEST FOR: Nature/wildlife photography and portraits. 
Located near downtown Bellevue the Mercer Slough is a surprising wildlife refuge with a wonderful walking trail around the river and swamp. I have been to the Slough many times and spotted dozens of different bird species. This area is great for portrait photography there is even a pretty bridge with a distant view of the city of Bellevue.

LOCATION: Kelsey Creek Farm - 410 130th Pl SE, Bellevue
BEST FOR: Farm photography, vintage old barns, animals, and Lake to Lake Trail. 
Kelsey Creek Farm is located on the outskirts of Downtown Bellevue and can be a little difficult to spot since it is in the heart of a quaint little neighborhood, but that is the beauty of this spot it is a hidden oasis in the busy city that is Bellevue. Kelsey Creek has 2 beautiful vintage white barns that make the perfect background for portrait photography. There are also plenty of friendly farm animals and a hiking trail located in the back of the property.

View a post from Kelsey Creek Farm >>> HERE

LOCATION: Near Magnolia Bridge, Elliot Ave, Seattle (near cruise boat terminal)  

BEST FOR: Train photography, sunset, industrial. 

This is a hidden little spot that is great for fashion photography and an overall industrial vibe. You can quickly find parking and walk behind a large warehouse building where there is a walkway and closeup view of the railroad tracks. The sunset makes a brilliant contrast behind all of the heavy equipment, power-lines, and if your lucky moving train!

 The next 5 spots are contributed by Anna of Two Sleepless Foodies in Seattle

LOCATION: Daejeon Park, 1144 Sturgus Ave S, Seattle
BEST FOR: Korean Pavilion, Mount Rainer
Nope, we are not in Seoul but still in Seattle, in the neighborhood of Beacon Hill. The Korean pavilion was built in 2009 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the friendship between Seattle and its Korean sister city: Daejeon. What strikes me the most are the bright, vibrant colors and the traditional patterns used for the pavilion decoration. This is known as dancheong, the Korean art of painting historic wooden structures. It is based on five colors; blue (represents east), white (west), red (south), black (north) and yellow (center). If you are lucky, you can catch a glimpse of Mount Rainier in the background. It’s basically the perfect photo spot, isn’t it? If you want to check out more examples of Korean architecture, head over to my blog post on Seoul HERE

LOCATION: NE 14^th Street, Sacred Heart church 
BEST FOR: Seattle skyline / cityscape pics. 

If you are looking for unobstructed views of Seattle’s skyline from the other side of Lake Washington, look no further! This spot on top of the hill is great for sweeping views of the city against the show-stopping backdrop of the Olympic mountains and the sunset. You can also clearly see the Space Needle from here. Not bad, uhm? Plus, since this location is on the Points loop trail connecting Bellevue, Medina and Clyde Hill, you can always combine your photo session with a nice walk, hike or bike ride.

LOCATION: Union Station, Seattle

BEST FOR: Architecture, travel and fashion or vintage-themed pics.

This is by far my absolute favorite spot in Seattle. Ready to travel back in time? As soon as I entered the building, I was transported to a different dimension, to a different century. I pictured myself as a traveler back then and how modern this station must have looked in 1911. For some reason, it reminds me a bit of New York’s Grand Central Station and its vaulted ceilings. Let the charm of this enchanted place spark your inspiration. You won’t regret it.

Bear in mind that it is also an event venue and is only open to the public from Monday to Friday (8 am to 5 pm).

LOCATION: Daejeon Park, 1144 Sturgus Ave S, Seattle

BEST FOR: Korean pavilion, Mount Rainier.

Nope, we are not in Seoul but still in Seattle, in the neighborhood of Beacon Hill. The Korean pavilion was built in 2009 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the friendship between Seattle and its Korean sister city: Daejeon. What strikes me the most are the bright, vibrant colors and the traditional patterns used for the pavilion decoration. This is known as dancheong, the Korean art of painting historic wooden structures. It is based on five colors; blue (represents east), white (west), red (south), black (north) and yellow (center). If you are lucky, you can catch a glimpse of Mount Rainier in the background. It’s basically the perfect photo spot, isn’t it? If you want to check out more examples of Korean architecture, head over to my blog post on Seoul >>> HERE

 

LOCATION: Bellevue skyline and school bus parking lot, from 120^th Ave NE and 6^th Street

BEST FOR: Bellevue skyline / cityscape pics

Bellevue, Seattle’s little sister, is often neglected as a photo spot. But Bellevue is cool too and still off-the-beaten-photo-track. Take this location, for example. It’s a cool urban setting and I love how the yellow school buses, all gathered together, seem to be hanging out and enjoy a breathtaking Pacific Northwestern sunset over Bellevue. Ok, maybe that’s just too much imagination… 

 

* For more Instagram-worthy spots off-the-beaten-path in Seattle and around the world, follow Anna on Instagram anna.mariani86 and Ashley of Charcoal and Ash charcoalandashpnw

I'm Still Alive!

H ey anyone and everyone who reads my blog! It's been a while so I thought I would do a little update on life and the blog. 2016 has been insane for me so much has happened and a LOT of it has been good yay! I have started a photography business which I am currently working all the kinks out of, learning about the business and perfecting my technical skills. I hope you will all take a moment to check out my Shop and maybe add a print or two to your home ;) As for the blog I have been taking time to ponder what it is I want to do with this space of mine which is now 4 years old (still a baby on the blogoshpere) I have decided that this space will be an extension of my photography business, which makes sense as it is what initially inspired me to pick up a camera. I remember when I first started taking low resolution images from the web for my posts lol oh how the times have changed. I hope to share my photography adventures, inspiration, a fashion post or two although I think I'm over that, and some of my finished products. I hope you will stick around the blog and enjoy this new phase of my creative life with me!