When I first started doing wedding and engagement photography, I avoided South Congress like it was the plague. I love walking around and looking in all the cute shops, grabbing ice cream, and being a tourist. But I use to hate shooting there! For good reason, South Congress is a really popular Austin hotspot for native Austinites and tourists alike. Because of this, it tends to be really crowded. It can be difficult to shoot your engagement session with twenty people crossing by.
As I’ve gained experience, I’ve figured out some ways to get around the crowds. I love shooting sessions on South Congress now! There are so many cute elements that you can interact with, and lots of geometry in the spaces that photograph well. We’re also a short walk or drive from green parks. If we opt for a South Congress engagement session location, I also recommend that we start out at one of the green spaces or parks nearby (and there are plenty of them).
Grace and John shot their engagement session in February, and the weather was really on our side! Light sweater weather and sunshine in Winter. It’s hard for me to even imagine when it’s been over 100 degrees for like, sixty days straight 🤪.
Auditorium Shores and Town Lake
When I shoot on South Congress, my go-to spot to start your engagement session is by the water at Town Lake. I feel like that park has changed names so many times since I’ve lived in Austin, but most people know it as Auditorium Shores. It’s been Vic Mathias for a few years now, though. This gives us a chance for get some really “safe” shots of the two of you, and to get comfortable in front of the camera. When we head to South Congress and switch to a more candid style. It also adds a little variety to your session, and is a great stopping point for outfit changes. If you want to have your dog in your engagement session, I also recommend having your pup featured in these photos. When we go to SoCo, we can say bye and do the South Congress photos pet-free.
Austin Skyline Engagement Session Location
Vic Mathias isn’t my favorite Austin skyline location for engagement photos, but it’s a great contender! I love this location for skyline photos because it’s convenient and easy to add in to your session. It’s going to be in direct sunlight unless you go right before sunset or it’s overcast, and there tends to be a lot of people relaxing to photoshop out. That being said, I still love this location because the park is super photogenic in other spaces. The above two photos can kind of show the difference between direct sunlight and back lighting. The photo on the left is shot AWAY from the skyline, which the light behind them, making the photo soft and romantic. The photo on the right is INTO the Austin skyline, with sun light facing them, and leads to a harsher look.
You’re the yee to my haw mural
I think when we shot this session, this “You’re the yee to my haw” mural was pretty new! If you’re wondering where it is, it’s on South Congress next the the Kendra Scott building. Super cute little mural for tourists, but also super cute for engagement sessions! One thing I love about shooting engagement sessions on South Congress is that we will definitely stumble upon something cute this. There are always new and fun elements to explore.
South Congress Hotel Engagement Location
The outside of South Congress Hotel is so cool and photogenic! This is always on my list for South Congress engagement photos, if time allows. There’s a really cool brick art deco wall on the front, and these cute black and white tiles on the side. So many different ways to shoot photos on the outside of this building. The inside is also a great space for photos. Just remember that you’ll probably be paying a facility fee to use the awesome inside spaces.
String lights and our last South Congress stop
We hit up lots of different locations and did a lot of walking around. We finished in this cute little string light area that is ALWAYS a favorite of mine! Sometimes, there’s another photographer waiting to use this space as well (because it’s so cute!), and there are typically patrons around. We’ll be mindful and polite when when we shoot here, of course! I like this location because you can shoot photos into blue hour (right after sunset) and still have enough ambient light without using flash… though I do really want to try some direct flash photos here also. Maybe next time! But how cute are these two?!
Thank you for a fun evening of exploring South Congress for your engagement session!!
