WHY QUIET WATERS PARK ONE OF MY FAVORITE SPOTS FOR DOG PHOTOGRAPHY
I do not live in Annapolis, but I travel around Maryland a lot. Still, when a client suggested we meet on Annapolis for pictures of her two adorable dogs, I wasn’t sure where the best place would be. I love the Naval Academy, but I didn’t know if we could take dogs in there and photograph on the grounds. I like the water front in old Annapolis, with the picturesque buildings from the 18th century and sails in the harbor, but it is also a bustling place, and I did not want to be editing hundreds of people out of photos. I decided a park might be a good choice, but which one?
Google maps to the rescue. I zoomed in on various parks, looking at features, but I was still undecided. My next step was to contact a friend who lives in Annapolis and ask her for recommendations. She suggested two parks after listening to my criteria: Downs Park and Quiet Waters Park. I did some more googling and thought Quiet Waters would be perfect for what I was looking for. It was spring, and I was hoping to get some blooming trees in the photos, so my friend volunteered to check it out the next day as the weather was supposed to be perfect and she and her son could have a fun outing. After her visit, she gave me the thumbs up, and I made the decision.
My first time visiting Quiet Waters I found it was everything I had hoped for when it comes to dog photography. There were cherry trees and forsythia in bloom, plus daffodils and other spring bulbs. These flowers provided lovely back drops for the dogs who seemed to enjoy the outing as much as I did. There was a gorgeous set of brick stairs, a bridge, a gazebo, formal gardens, walkways, large rocks for posing— everything I needed to show off this pair of dog sisters. Even though it was a misty evening, I was still able to capture some lovely photos.
Recently another client who lives in Annapolis booked me, so we decided to give Quiet Waters another try for her dog’s photography session. The seasons have changed, and it is summer now, so I wondered if I would love it as much as I had before. I have to say I found it even more enchanting this time. I feared being overwhelmed by green everything, a common problem this time of year, but to my delight, there were purple plum trees and various flowers and foliage of different shades to add variety to the background. The large pool that had been empty in the spring now sported a beautiful fountain. Sunlight danced on the water. I was thrilled and used these backgrounds as well as all the other architectural features I noted before to get some great photos.
When we had finished in this area, I asked my client if she wanted to try driving down to a parking lot closer to the South River and making a 1/3 mile walk out to the water. She loved the idea, so we hopped in our cars and moved further southeast in the park. We made the walk, which seemed shorter than a third of a mile to us, and found ourselves overlooking the point where the South River joins the Chesapeake Bay. What a gorgeous view!
I photographed her pit bull on some benches at the top and then we walked down the steps to explore. Around the corner to the left we discovered a dog beach! That was an unexpected find. On the other side of a semi circular inlet was an old, falling apart dock which was quite scenic. The beautiful blue of the sky and the water added more glorious backgrounds for photography.
After taking photos at the dog beach, we walked back around in the directions of the steps we had come down. The sun was now setting and the sky was turning orange. I was able to capture some silhouette shots and then some other shots in the wild flowers with the orange sky behind.
Quiet Waters has not disappointed in any way. I am now looking forward to booking a client in the fall to take pictures there. I can only imagine just how gorgeous it will be with fall colors. And I found out the reflecting pool is turned into an ice rink in the winter. This is the park that just keeps giving.
Here is a link to some information about the park if you are interested:
https://www.aacounty.org/departments/recreation-parks/parks/quiet-waters/index.html
If you would like photos of your dog taken at this park, just left me know when you contact me!
