5 Unique Spots for Your Photos in Fresno

Like any other city, Fresno has it’s popular venues. Traditionally, they’ve been on postcards and now they are sprinkled on social media. So, I thought I’d write about 5 unique spots for your photos in Fresno. These are less often, if at all, on Instagram stories and some don’t make it onto travel guides. Yet, they make fantastic settings for your pictures.

5 Unique Spots for Your Photos in Fresno

1. Federal Courthouse

The Robert E Coyle Federal Building is on the corner of Tulare and O Streets and it’s commonly known as the federal courthouse. It was surprising to me that its grounds are considered public. As such, there’s no need to ask for permission to shoot.

If you’re looking for a location that features greenery and modern architecture, the courthouse is ideal. Even the sidewalk looks great with trees along the way though we didn’t take pictures there. Still, there are plenty of nice photos that you can add to your collection from grounds of this beautiful building.

2. River Park

If you live in Fresno, you know about River Park for it’s two theaters, upscale restaurants such as Ruth Chris and chic boutiques. However, I rarely see photos taken here. Perhaps, it’s because permission is required. Well, I made calls and was allowed to shoot. One important note is that one isn’t allowed to include business logos in photographs. We started in the early morning and finished by 9 AM, which is when most shops open. This way, we were not in the way of customers and nor were they in way of our pictures.

3. Mountain View Cemetery

The fall brings about a whole new style of pictures. Have you considered a cemetery shoot? For some people, this may seem grim or even disrespectful. Yet, in some cultures, a cemetery is sullen at all, and pictures are not viewed as impudent. Otherwise, no cemetery would allow such activity. One important note, however, is that I do not touch tombstones and I advise models/clients to do the same.

I’m glad that Mountain View Cemetery permits photography because all around there are beautiful headstones and greenery. It’s the perfect setting for the concept that my son, Jovanni, had for his shoot: vintage wardrobe and tombstones. He collected his outfit from various thrift shops and it worked out great! We spent a couple of hours shooting and he was pleased with the pictures.

Should you be interested in such a shoot, I suggest the golden hour and twilight. It’s the perfect mood for pictures then.

4. Forestiere Underground Gardens

The Forestiere Underground Gardens is one of Fresno’s true gems. A shoot permit is a must, here, and with good reason. There are always visitors and the underground spaces are quite narrow, even the rooms. And yes, there’s a fee with the permit but it’s worth it.

In 2021, Lupe López, me and our team did our annual Catrina shoot. It was simply magnificent! Though we shot in August, the temperature underground is significantly cooler than above. It was the perfect venue for portraying a sense of yesteryear. From this shoot, we got pictures that we included in our two-person exhibit, La Catrina, at Fresno Pacific University last fall as shown in the image below.

5. Tower Theater

Sometimes, shoots don’t happen as you planned. Usually, this means that something goes wrong. In this case, the unexpected was an upgrade! Denise Rogers-Heydt and I were about to work out the first pose outside of The Tower Theater when the owner walked up and invited us to shoot inside. How could we have declined?!

The pictures are of three different locations. Each had it’s own color scheme and lighting. So, the pictures serve to show you the diversity within such a space.

Conclusion

Fresno has lots of wonderful locations for making your pictures special and memorable. I enjoy scouting locations for my clients and often we find unexpected gems during the shoot. It’s a matter of being alert and creative so that each spot harmonizes with your wardrobe and reason for your pictures. Do you have a special location? Where would you like to shoot? Share below your questions and comments.