Guest Contributor: Jack Daryl Cohen

All Images Provided by Jack Daryl Cohen

Jack Daryl Cohen is a class act. Besides being one of the nicest humans that exists on the Instagram platform, he is also wonderfully talented and always willing to lend a hand to anyone wanting to hone in on their photography skills. Jack captures the raw, edgy, and historically beautiful character of Boston so well that he’s been featured in the Boston Globe, and USA today. And today he is sharing with you the most photographic places in Boston and even includes the best month to shoot each spot! You can find Jack on Instagram {reach out and say hi!}, and you can even purchase his stunning captures at www.JackDarylPhotography.com!

I moved to Boston from New York City with my wife, Emily, almost three years ago.  My only prior visit to Boston was for a Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway Park. I didn’t really know much about the city besides what I learned in elementary school and from movies like The Town and Good Will Hunting. 

I took up photography about a year before moving to Boston and figured what better way to explore my new home than from behind my camera lens. Since then, I have photographed Boston in almost every conceivable weather condition, early in the morning to late at night and met so many amazing people along the way.  When Shannon asked if I would be interested in writing a blog post about photographing Boston, I didn’t hesitate. The hardest part was narrowing my list down! 

This list of the most photographic places in Boston are wonderful to visit and shoot at any time of the year but I selected one location for each month.  While you may want to bring your tripod and camera equipment along, you can also get great photos with just your iPhone or point and shoot camera.

January – The Museum of Science

The Museum of Science dates back to the 1800s and is one of the best museums devoted to science in the country.  The Museum is great to take the kids and explore many of the hands-on exhibits and the famous electricity show. The parking garage offers stunning views of the Boston skyline.  From the upper levels you can capture the Hancock Tower, the Pru, Longfellow Bridge and the picturesque buildings of Back Bay.

The best time to shoot from the garage is in the winter as the sun sets closer to the skyline from this vantage point compared with the summer months.   If you get lucky, you will see a colorful sunset that reflects off the buildings and the frozen Charles River. Even if you don’t see a spectacular sunset, this location offers amazing nighttime views of Boston that shouldn’t be missed. Bonus Tip: Take a few photos of the Museum itself especially its Art Deco inspired-tower.

Address: 1 Science Park Boston, MA 02114

February – Beacon Hill 

I’m cheating a little bit since this isn’t a precise location, however there is something magical about Beacon Hill during and after a snowstorm.  Certain cities have that “I feel like I’m on a movie set” feel to them. Beacon Hill definitely encompasses this feeling with its narrow cobblestone streets and alleys, brick sidewalks, and beautiful townhouses, making this neighborhood a shoe in for most photographic places in Boston.

Throw in some snow and you have a photographer’s dream. There are a few must stops in Beacon Hill, including Acorn Street, Louisburg Square and 29A/B Chestnut Street. But be sure to wander the neighborhood and look for interesting compositions of the streets, local stores, and doorways.  The absolute best time to photograph Beacon Hill is during an early morning snowfall. After taking your snowy photos, warm up with some coffee and a fresh pastry at Tatte Bakery and Café on Charles Street. 

March – Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor in East Boston 

East Boston or “Eastie” offers great views of downtown Boston all year round.  There are a number of parks, old and new, where you can take in the view. When shooting from parks like LoPresti or Piers Park look for interesting foreground elements, including old pier pilings.  While many have been removed as part of the construction boom in the area, there are still some you can incorporate into your photo.

My favorite time of year to shoot from East Boston is in March, as the sun sets over the city from the Harborwalk near the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor.  This is another location that you capture a wonderful sunset as well as great nighttime photos. As a bonus, you can also take in and photography the fireworks over the harbor from this location. Typically, there are fireworks around July 4^th, at the end of the summer and on New Years Eve. Bonus Tip: If you park at the hotel, make sure you have a drink or get a small bite and have your parking validated!

Address: 101 Harborside Drive, Boston, MA, 02128,

April – North Point Park

No list of Boston photo locations would be complete without capturing the Zakim Bridge. You can capture this iconic Boston landmark that was part of the Big Dig from a variety of locations, but my favorite location is from North Point Park.

The Park and its surrounding area offers a number of compositions and angles of the Bridge. You can shoot the Bridge along the water to capture reflections and incorporate the railing that acts a nice leading line.  The Park is expansive and during the spring, the flowers, plants and trees come alive to add color and landscape elements to your cityscape.

You can also head to the bike paths and walkways that offer striking composition possibilities with the Bridge, TD Garden and the North Station train tracks. Walking along these paths you will find yourself under the Bridge and can photo the bridge from a different vantage point.

Bonus Tip: The paths from the Park will lead you to Paul Revere Park in Charlestown, which is another beautiful place to capture the Bridge and skyline. 

Address: 6 Museum Way, Cambridge, MA 02141

May – Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum 

Huzzah! The Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum is not only one of my favorite subjects to photograph in Boston, it is one of the best museums I’ve ever visited.  The museum is great for the kids and adults!

The Museum includes actors reenacting key parts of the tea party, high-tech interactive exhibits, and probably my favorite part, tossing tea overboard into the channel!  The ships and Museum can be photographed from both sides of the channel. When the water is calm it offers wonderful reflection opportunities. The trick is keeping your exposure time relatively short since the ships do bounce around on the water.  My favorite time to shoot here is during sunrise in the late spring.

If you are standing at the corner of Congress St. and Dorchester Ave., the sun will rise over the ships and if you get lucky, you can witness a truly spectacular sunrise over the site of one of the most famous events in American history. 

Address: 306 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210

June – Fan Pier

Fan Pier is probably the most iconic view of Boston to photograph.  This scene is featured on countless travel guides for Boston and is a favorite of photographers.  The location offers everything you could ask for in a cityscape – foreground elements that include a cobblestone walkway and large metal chains, open water with the city in the background. 

This location offers compositions at sunrise, sunset and at night. The summer months, especially June, offers the best time to shoot the sunset from Fan Pier. During this time, the sun sets over the city and while this view photographs well in all conditions, a special sunset will make your photo an instant classic.  The entire Seaport district is one of the fastest developing parts of Boston and includes rotating art installations and new sections of the pier to photograph.

Bonus Tip: be on the lookout for tall ships that often visit Boston in the summer months. These ships dock near Fan Pier and make for special photo opportunities.  

Address: 1 Marina Park Drive, Boston, MA 02210

July – Public Garden 

Founded in 1837, the Public Garden is the oldest public botanical garden in the country and one of the most beautiful. The Public Garden is another location that can be photographed at all times of the year, day and night.   With its photogenic footbridge, calm lagoon, carefully manicured trees, flowers and plants, iconic statues, swan boats and open sunrise and sunset views, there is no shortage of compositions.

Another “movie set” type location made even more famous by Robin Williams and Matt Damon.  I don’t think you can take a bad photo here; however, my favorite time to shoot is for summer sunrises. I know I know, the sun rises at 5 in the morning in Boston in July. The reason why I picked July for the Public Garden is because you will have this magical place all to yourself and the sun rises directly over the George Washington statue.  

Bonus Tips: – don’t miss the Angel monument at the corner of Arlington and Beacon Streets and the famous tulips that usually bloom in April. 

Address: 4 Charles St, Boston, MA  02116

August – Copley Square 

Boston has a number of historic churches and two of the most photogenic surround Copley Square.  First is the imposing Trinity Church built in the Romanesque Rival style with its incredible details.  Second, and one of my favorites, is the Old South Church built in the Gothic Revival style.

At Copley Square you also have the Boston Public Library, which is worth a visit to explore its reading rooms and courtyards.  You don’t want to miss Bates Hall for that classic library reading room photo. The new Hancock Tower (or 200 Clarendon St.) is also in Copley Square. The building itself is included in many photos of the Boston skyline and offers great photo opportunities itself as the surrounding buildings reflect off of its window glass.   I suggest photographing Copley Square in August as the sun sets over the Old South Church and bathes Trinity Church in a warm golden glow. 

September – Boston University Bridge 

The BU Bridge offers a truly special view of the city skyline with the Charles River and graffiti decorated train trestle in the foreground.  This is another location that can be shot year round, especially at night as there is a wide sidewalk to set up your gear.

September is a great time to shoot the sunrise for a few reasons.  First, the sun rises over the city and the Charles River, which gives the opportunity for great reflections in the calm early morning water. Second, the college students have returned for the fall semester and crew practice starts early!  From the BU Bridge you can incorporate the crew teams dotting the Charles.

Bonus Tip: is to walk under the BU Bridge onto the bike and footpath where you can incorporate the bridge into your compositions. 

October – Mt. Auburn Cemetery 

A cemetery, really?  Yes! Mt. Auburn is no ordinary cemetery – it is the first garden cemetery in the country that is basically an arboretum.  Within the cemetery you will find a wide variety of horticulture, a number of ponds and beautiful gravestones and monuments. 

The cemetery is also popular with birders as many migrating birds stop in the cemetery as part of their annual migration. The cemetery is probably at its most photogenic in late October when New England’s famous peak foliage arrives in the suburbs of Boston.  The cemetery is very large and can be confusing to navigate but that is part of the charm.

I suggesting arriving when it opens and wandering around as you capture the stunning fall colors. The cemetery also houses Washington Tower, which offers spectacular views of Boston and the surrounding suburbs and is worth the relatively short climb to the top.  

Address: 580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

November –  Commonwealth Avenue Mall 

November typically begins with peak foliage arriving Boston and ends with Christmas lights wrapping the trees.  The Comm Ave Mall was designed in the French boulevard style and offers a wonderful place to walk through the Back Bay.  Here you can photograph the the mansions and statues that line the Mall. A beautiful place to take a leisurely stroll or sit on one of the benches and watch the world go by. 

From a photography standpoint, you can capture the beauty of fall as the colorful leaves will frame the statues, mansions, and skyscrapers. At the end of the month, those same trees are lit up for the holidays and offer wonderful Christmastime photos.  My favorite time to to shoot here is early morning during peak foliage. If you stand in the middle of the Mall in between Arlington and Berkley Streets, the fall leaves will frame the George Washington Statute in the Public Garden and its colorful foliage.   The combination of the early morning light and lack of people makes for postcard worthy photograph.

Bonus Tip: Don’t miss the Firefighters’ Memorial, which is on the Mall near Dartmouth Street.

December – Memorial Drive/MIT Sailing Pavilion 

The MIT Sailing Pavilion is on the Cambridge side of the Charles River and offers some of the best views of the city skyline.  Here you can capture the city and its reflections in the Charles River, which is usually iced over by late December. Bring your hand-warmers and hot coffee but the payoff is worth it to take in the view. 

In addition to the reflections in the Charles, you can also incorporate the colorful MIT sailboats that are winterized on the docks. I picked this location for December not only for the reflections but for both the sunrise and sunset opportunities this time of the year.  In December, the sun rises over the city skyline and you can capture a fire and ice kind of sunrise. While the sun sets behind you from Memorial Drive most of the year, in the winter months the sun sets closer to the skyline and you can pick up some color.

Bonus Tip: check out the MIT campus and its photogenic Great Dome.

Address: 134 Memorial Dr., Cambridge, MA 02139

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