17 Best Places to Take Pictures in Atlanta Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia, is more than just the bustling capital of the Peach State.

It’s a city steeped in history, culture, and architectural wonders.

Its diverse landscapes, from urban skylines to tranquil parks, offer an abundance of picturesque locations just waiting to be photographed.

This roundup of the best places to take pictures in Atlanta will help you navigate the city in an effective way.

If you’re a travelling photographer, you’ll also find some pro tips coupled with the best times and views to capture.

This way, you can plan your sunset shots, night photography, and wildlife photos, and more.

I also included a couple of Atlanta photo locations that you can book to shoot professional photoshoots.

Dive in as we explore the best photography spots in this vibrant Southern city.

The Well-Known (But Unmissable) Places to Take Pictures in Atlanta

Atlanta’s iconic landmarks are not just tourist attractions; they’re a photographer’s dream come true.

From the towering heights of the SkyView Ferris Wheel to the historic allure of the Fox Theatre, here are the most renowned photo spots in Atlanta:

1. Peachtree Street

Peachtree is one of the main streets in Atlanta, and it connects many of the photo spots you’ll find on this list. In this street, you’ll find plenty of landmarks, such as the boarding house where Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind and the intersection where she was killed.

Throughout the street, you’ll find plenty of historic architecture as well as modern skyscrapers. In 2007, a 20-year, 1 billion plan started to regenerate this street – this includes parks, streetscapes, etc.

Locals and tourists fill Peachtree Street often to celebrate big events such as the Atlanta Brave’s winnings. There are many yearly events as well, such as Dragon Con.

There are plenty of other streets with the name Peachtree on them, such as Peachtree Avenue or West Peachtree Street – so make sure you’re in the right one.

Best time to visit

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Christmas Parade are spectacular and offer many photo opportunities.

Pro tip

The historic houses on Peachtree Street are usually one story high, while there are plenty of modern skyscrapers within the same street. Depending on what you want to photograph, the time of day when the light hits best may be very different. Use apps like Photo Ephemeris to plan appropriately.

2. Midtown Atlanta

Midtown is the part of the city where you’ll find most of the skyscrapers that form its skyline. You’ll also find a high density of art and cultural institutions.

It’s not exactly clear where Midtown starts and ends. However, there are two important parts that you’d want to visit – the Midtown Core, which surrounds Peachstreet and the Historic Midtown with all its neighbourhoods.

In Midtown Atlanta, you’ll find Piedmont Park – which I’ll talk more about later on. You’ll also find the Fox Theater, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Museum of Design.

It also hosts annual events such as the Atlanta Pride, the Georgia Tech Athletic Games, and the Music Midtown Festival.

If you’re more interested in buildings and skyscrapers, you’ll find the IBM Tower, 1180 Peachtree, Promenade, Viewpoint, and many others.

Best view

To get the best view of Midtown Atlanta, head over to Piedmont Park. Otherwise, just walk around the Midtown neighbourhoods to find your favourite spots depending on the type of photography you want to do.

Best time to visit

Annual festivals such as the Atlanta Pride are great times to capture how lively Midtown is. However, if you’re more interested in architecture and cityscape photography, plan your visit around sunset.

Pro tip

You can start your photo tour in Downtown Atlanta, follow all of Peachtree Street, photograph all the landmarks, and finish at Midtown Atlanta. If you don’t have much time in Atlanta, this is an easy way to fill your memory card with amazing pictures in one go.

3. Piedmont Park

You’ll find Piedmont Park between Midtown and Virginia Highland. This is an amazing location to take pictures, and it’s one of the best places for drone photography.

The park was initially designed in the 1880s, but over the years, it’s been improved and expanded – with more to come on the north side of the park.

Here, you’ll find picnic areas, lakes, playgrounds, and more. Many well-known events are hosted in the park, such as the Jazz Festival, the Dogwood Festival and Screen on Green.

Piedmont Park is perfect for practising sports photography due to its many events and all the recreational activities that take place. Next to it, there’s also a botanical garden for all flower photography lovers – I’ll talk more about it further in the article.

Best view

Lake Clare Meer is one of the best photo spots in Piedmont Park. You can photograph the lake from the bridge for some amazing landscape photography. You’ll also get a wonderful view of the Midtown skyline from here.

Instead, Oak Hill and the Meadow are the best spots for drone photography.

Best time to visit

Sunrise and sunset are the perfect time to take pictures at Piedmont Park.

Pro tip

Use Lake Clare Meer to capture reflections that will improve your composition. Also, fishing is allowed in Lake Clare Meer – you can take stunning photographs of people fishing by experimenting with silhouettes and reflections.

4. Little Five Points

Little Five Points is a commercial district on the east side of the city. It has renovated Victorian-style houses, shops, restaurants, etc. It’s so popular that it’s been mentioned in TV series and books.

One of the most popular photo spots in the area is the entrance to the Vortex restaurant. However, there are plenty of other locations that offer more subtle backgrounds.

This is the heart of the alternative sub-culture of the city. Here, you’ll find many graffiti that are worth the trip if you enjoy photographing street art. Many of them are in the alleys and side streets, so make sure you wander the entire district.

Best view

Some of the must-see graffiti includes the one dedicated to the L5P poet in the alley between Filthy Wealth and Earthtones and the Outcast mural.

Best time to visit

If you can visit on Halloween, you’ll get to photograph the parade.

Pro tip

If you don’t want people in your photos, visit early in the morning before the stores and restaurants open. Otherwise, use long exposures to blur the crowd to give it a dynamic mood. If you keep the shutter open long enough – the moving crowd won’t even show up in the picture.

5. Krog Street Tunnel

 

If you like photographing street art, the Krog Street tunnel is a must. This is the oldest bridge in the city, and it’s completely covered in graffiti.

Undergraduate students from Georgia State University, tutored by Curt Jackson, documented the ever-changing graffiti every Saturday to create a digital map of it.

After photographing the bridge, you can keep going and take some beautiful pictures of the Old Fourth Ward (O4W) neighbourhood.

Here, you’ll find great photo locations like the water tower or the park. From the bridge, it’s also easy to reach the Beltline. This project offers many opportunities to photograph natural areas and art installations and maybe explore urban areas.

Best view

Just walk around the tunnel looking for details that interest you. You can find everything from political statements to purely aesthetic designs.

Best time to visit

It’s best to go during the daytime as it’s easier to photograph without extra accessories.

Pro tip

The Krog Street tunnel is a great location for light painting photography. Bring a tripod and use a torch or more professional light painting brushes to make some awe-inspiring shots.

Oakland Cemetery

While many cemeteries are not suited for tourism or photoshoots, the historic Oakland Cemetery actually is.

Here, you’ll find a Visitors Center and a Museum Shop at the highest part of the Bell Tower Ridge. You can get a self-guided tour map to find your way around. Otherwise, use the downloadable guide on your phone or explore it at your leisure.

Around this area, you’ll find big and elaborate mausoleums that belong to the richest families in Atlanta. The cemetery was founded in 1850. If you’re looking for the oldest graves, you’ll find them in this area called The Original Six Acres.

Later, the Jewish Flat and Jewish Hill were incorporated into the cemetery in 1860 and 1878. Here you can explore the different traditions and periods – which makes this a unique and interesting site.

You’ll also find a section for the Confederate Burial Grounds and the African American Burial Grounds. You can also visit the East Hill, Potter’s Field, and the Greenhouse Valley.

Best view

The Bell Tower Ridge is the highest point of the cemetery (1070 feet above sea level). From here, you can photograph the beautiful landscapes of the cemetery.

You’ll also have a great view of the city. This way, you can incorporate a statue or a mausoleum in the foreground with the skyline in the back.

Best time to visit

The golden hour is a great time to photograph the Oakland Cemetery.

Also, if you can visit in October and November, you’ll find plenty of photo-worthy events due to Halloween and the Day of the Death. Keep in mind that most of these events will require a ticket, so plan ahead.

Pro tip

Despite its availability for events and tourists, it is still a cemetery. So, I encourage you to be respectful during your visit and photo shoots. Follow the rules of the place, and ask for permission if you wish to do something out of the ordinary.

6. Jackson Street Bridge

 

if you’re a fan of The Walking Dead, you’ll probably recognise Atlanta’s cityscape from an iconic shot in the first season of the series.

However, even if you don’t like the series – or you haven’t heard of it, this is a great photo spot to capture the city’s skyline. On the plus side, it’s completely free.

On the downside, it’s very popular, so get ready to find tons of tourists and photographers set up there, especially to capture the sunset.

Best view

The iconic view is taken on a spot between Cane Street NE and Highland Avenue NE.

Best time to visit

The best time to photograph the city skyline is during sunset.

Pro tip

This is a great place to do a time-lapse to capture how the sun sets. You can also take photographs throughout the day to capture the cityscape with different lighting.

If you come after dark, you can capture car trails with the cityscape for an awesome shot.

7. Centennial Olympic Park

The first part of the park was constructed in 1996 for the Olympic games. The second part was completed in 1998.

The Centennial Olympic Park sits amidst many Atlanta landmarks, such as the Georgia Aquarium, the National Center for Human and Civil Rights, the CNN Center, the Mercedes Benz Stadium, and others.

This makes it a great photo spot to photograph the cityscape. It’s also perfect to try all sorts of photography thanks to the wide variety of events hosted there. You can go to concerts or attend fireworks shows.

The Fountain of Rings is a popular subject for photographers as well. Unfortunately, it doesn’t host music shows since it reopened after COVID. Hopefully, they’ll bring them back at some point.

Best view

Standing at the Fountain of Rings, you get a wonderful view of the city, including the SkyView Atlanta Ferris wheel. If you have a wide-angle lens, you’ll be able to include the fountain in the foreground for a better composition.

Best time to visit

Like most outdoor spaces, the best time to take pictures is during the golden hour.

Pro tip

Use a tripod and a long exposure time to capture the Fountain of Rings. This will smooth the water and will add motion blur to the children playing in there. If you do this during the day, you may need a neutral-density filter.

8. Skyview Atlanta

I already mentioned a great vantage point to capture the SkyView Atlanta Ferris Wheel – the Centennial Olympic Park. Although, there are many spots where you can get a good view of the wheel.

However, SkyView Atlanta is also a great photo spot. Get on one of the private gondolas and photograph the city from above.

Best time to visit

Keep in mind that on the way up, you’ll see the west side, and on the way down, you’ll see the east. One is better captured in the evening and the other one in the morning.

Pro tip

Photographing through glass is not always easy – you can get reflections. You can use a lens skirt or a cone to prevent them. If you don’t have one, try covering the back of the camera with a dark cloth or paper.

Also, try changing the angle of the shot and the distance to minimize them – usually, the closer you are to the glass, the better.

9. Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium sits inside a beautiful blue metal and glass structure, and it’s one of the biggest in the world. It’s definitely one of the most iconic landmarks in the city.

As beautiful as it looks in your architecture and cityscape photograph – the real photo opportunities are inside. The Georgia Aquarium has seven galleries where you’ll find thousands of animals from hundreds of species.

Some of the most impressive are the whale sharks, the beluga whales, and the manta rays. The design was in charge of PGAV Architects.

Their idea was to create an immersive experience for the visitor. They use theatrical lights, audio-visual aids, and special effects to create it.

Whether you want to capture these emotions in your photographs or you want to capture the wildlife – the Georgia Aquarium is one of the best places to take pictures in Atlanta.

Best view

From the World of Coca-Cola, you can photograph the facade of the aquarium. As for the inside, each one has a favourite gallery to photograph – I love the Ocean Voyager tunnel.

Best time to visit

You’ll find it full most of the time, so start the day early. You’ll probably need to be patient when you want a picture without people – keep your camera ready and wait for those precious moments in between visitors.

Pro tip

There are personal experiences you can book to get up close with the animals. These can be one-of-a-time opportunities to photograph wildlife in safety and comfort. Make sure you book these in advance, though.

10. Atlanta Botanical Garden

Next to the Piedmont Park, you’ll find the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Since 2003, it has hosted blockbuster exhibitions in the summer, inviting artists from all over the world.

As part of the permanent collection, you’ll find the Orchid House, the Japanese garden, and the Plant tissue culture lab – amongst others.

The Kendeda Canopy Walk allows you to explore the Storza Woods from 40 feet above ground. This gives you the chance to change your vantage point and add variety to your photographs of the woodland garden.

Please note that flying drones is prohibited in the Atlanta Botanical Garden. You can, however, take photos and videos – as long as they are for personal use.

If you want to do a personal or professional photoshoot, you can book the venue, and you’ll be required to pay a fee. All bookings must be done in advance.

Best view

From the Skyline Garden, you can make a beautiful picture that captures the city in the background and the garden in the foreground.

Best time to visit

Contrary to what you might think, winter is one of the best times to visit. During this season, the garden organises a light show called “Garden Lights, Holiday Nights” that will give you the chance to make stunning photographs.

Pro tip

The curves of the Canopy walk, in contrast with the trees’ straight lines, offer many opportunities for interesting compositions. Make sure you explore them!

11. Woodruff Park

The most popular photo spot in Woodruff Park is the ATL playground. However, there are many monuments and statues that you can photograph. The most famous is the Phoenix Statue.

The International Peace Fountain is another landmark that’s worth photographing. Not only are fountains a good subject, but it’s also a commemoration of Atlanta’s role in the Civil Rights movement.

You can also visit the Gazebo for some beautiful landscape pictures or use it as a location for your portraits. Lastly, you can go on a photo hunt to capture all the installations from the Tiny Doors ATL project.

Best time to visit

At sunset.

The Lesser-Known Atlanta Photo Spots (Local Secrets)

1. From the PittyPatty parking deck across from the Hard Rock Cafe, you can get a great unobstructed view of the downtown and midtown skyline.
2. Head over to the Jackson Street Bridge when it’s dark and bring your tripod because it’s a great spot for long-exposure car trail photography.
3. Cabbagetown is an artsy neighbourhood filled with history. You can find plenty of photo opportunities here that are less touristy.
4. Use the lights inside the Mercedes Benz Tunnel for some vibrant portraits.
5. If you prefer to shoot nature photography, head over to the Cascade Springs Nature Preserve. It’s only about 14 minute car ride from the city.
6. Doll’s Head Trail – If you like nature photography – with a twist, this is the place for you. Head over to Constitution Lakes Park and take some amazing pictures of the paths, wetlands, and wildlife. Then, head over to the Doll’s Head trail, which is an art installation created with objects found by hikers along the park’s paths. You’ll make some interesting and unusual photos – plus, you can contribute to the collection if you find something unusual on your way there.

FAQs about Taking Photos in Atlanta

Is it legal to fly a drone in Atlanta?

Yes, it is legal to fly a drone in Atlanta. However, you should obey the federal regulations and follow other regional and local laws – like flying below 400 feet. Also, if you fly a drone for commercial purposes, you need a pilot license.

Is it legal to take street photos in Atlanta without permission?

Mostly it’s legal to take photos on the street. You just have to be aware of not breaking anyone’s “reasonable expectation of privacy”.

Is flash photography allowed in museums and indoor attractions?

This may change from one location to another. However, in most indoor locations and museums, it’s not allowed to use flash.

Can I take pictures of the Millenium Gate Museum?

The Millenium Gate Museum has a policy that forbids photographs with professional equipment, even if they are taken from the outside standing on public grounds.

While the legality of it may be contested, the rule is enforced by constant patrolling. Inside, it’s only possible to take professional photographs if you rent the venue for a private event.