Gantry Plaza State Park LIC NYC portrait sessions

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Sunset Engagement Portraits at Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City

If you’re looking for a stunning outdoor spot for engagement portraits with epic NYC views, Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City should be at the top of your list. With the East River as a backdrop and the Manhattan skyline stretching behind you, it’s the perfect setting to capture real, unfiltered moments. It’s one of my favorite parks to photograph lifestyle portraits with an NYC backdrop. And of course, there’s the iconic Pepsi-Cola sign, a bold piece of NYC history that adds a graphic edge to any shoot.

We used to live not far from Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City. Since then, so much has changed. Now, it’s a beautiful waterfront park with a variety of food trucks where you can hang out and relax. For some reason, I keep getting requests for portrait sessions there—which I’m always excited about (though to be fair, I get excited about every photo shoot from the start).

This couple used to live in NYC but now call Connecticut home. They’re getting married in Princeton, NJ, and wanted their engagement session to reflect both their past in the city and their new chapter.

This day just happened to coincide with Manhattanhenge, when the sun sets perfectly along streets that run east to west in the city, creating a stunning view of the sun right in the middle of the street. We were lucky to have that as our backdrop, adding an extra layer of magic to the moment, thanks to the alignment of the sun and the city’s grid.

Did you know that there are many cherry trees at Gantry Plaza State Park? In the spring, they burst into beautiful pink blooms against the blue sky, creating a dreamy backdrop for portraits. Here is a link.

If you’re considering an outdoor engagement or family portrait session in NYC, Gantry Plaza State Park should definitely be on your radar. The views, the light, and the energy of the city all come together to make it a perfect place to capture authentic moments.

Here is a proposal / engagement portrait gallery!