Best Places to take Photographs on Vashon Island

Ask a Local…

Whether you are coming to Vashon Island for the day or for a week, no doubt you will want to find the best places to photograph on Vashon Island . You and your family will have lots to choose from. Forests and beaches, ponds and fields, our beautiful island has it all, rain or shine.

Time of Day 

Good photos really are dependent upon good light so for starters, if it is a clear sunny day, I recommend photographing either in the morning or evening during what we photographers call The Golden Hour. The Golden Hour is the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. This refers to the angle that the light is coming to earth; this angle creates saturated colors giving your images that warm sun-kissed tone. This is more important if you are photographing in an open area like the beach, a pond or a field.

For morning light, head to the east side of the island. Grab some coffee and head to KVI Beach or Point Robinson. If you have a friendly pup, let them off leash and catch some action shots alone or with your family on the beach. Point Robinson even has a sweet lighthouse that you can photograph up close or have in the background.

 Play with Light

Be sure to experiment with your subjects running into the sun, away from the sun and being side lit by the sun. If it is a clear day you might even see Mount Rainier! Don’t forget to check what time sunrise is so that you can be there at the right time. Remember in the Pacific Northwest, the sun comes up early in the summer, real early! And in the winter, the sun comes up late, real late!

For afternoon or evening light, head where? To the west side of the island of course, to none other than the beautiful quiet Lisabuela Park. This is a quiet place with few visitors but has a stunning beach that looks out on the Colvos Passage.

 Favorite Locations

Vashon forests are full of great hikes and the most popular is Island Center Forest with the Valley of the Firs. Judd Creek Trail has both a forest, a field, and a salmon-bearing creek to use as your backdrop. Finally, Fisher Pond hosts a beautiful pond surrounded by trees, though note, dogs aren’t allowed.

Oh and yes, we do have our fair share of gray days here, of course. But for a photographer, gray days actually mean you can photograph almost any time as the light is more diffused. If in the forest, I tend to like taking photographs when the sun is higher in the sky, like midday. Then I can actually get as much light as possible coming through the trees to the forest floor.

Vashon has so much for a photographer. I hope you can take home some beautiful photographs to go along with your memories.