Best Fort Worth Photo Locations

Best Fort Worth Photo Locations ⓒ Mansfield Photography

Panther Island Location #1

Best Time: Golden and Blue hours

Uses: Landscape Photography, Portraits

Panther island is not (yet) an island and received its name in a unique fashion. You can take some nice shots of a few downtown Fort Worth buildings here. This location is on the south side of the Trinity River. The best car parking can be found at the Ripley Arnold Plaza but parking is limited. The image here is from a beautiful sunset being reflected in the TCC campus building. 

More Photos: Fort Worth Stock Photos

Panther Island Location #2

Best Time: Golden and Blue hours

Uses: Landscape Photography

Panther island is not (yet) an island and received its name in a unique way. You can take a nice cityscape photo of Fort Worth here. This location is on the north side of the Trinity River. Parking can be found at the Haws Athletic Center or walk across the foot bridge if visiting Panther Island location #1 above. The Fort Worth Trinity River Trail goes right by here, pick it up and take a walk (or bike ride).

More Photos: Fort Worth Cityscape Prints

Best Fort Worth Photo Location for Cityscape

Best Time: Golden Hour

Uses: Landscape Photography, Portraits

If you are near the Panther Island area, this location is a great shot of downtown. While not officially on the Trinity River Trails, it is still easily accessible by visiting Panther Island, and taking the foot bridge to the other side of the river. You can get a good photo of a train bridge, and then turn around to get a great photo of Downtown Fort Worth. If they move forward with re-routing the Trinity River, time may be ticking to get a photo from this location. 

More Photos: Fort Worth Stock Photos

Historic Stockyards ⓒ Mansfield Photography

Photo Location for portraits: Fort Worth Stockyards

Best Time: Anytime.

Uses: Landscape Photography, Weddings, Portraits

The historic Fort Worth Stockyards have a great old west style feeling, great architecture, and great portrait / photoshoot locations. From the stockyard website: Fort Worth is where the West begins, and nothing embodies Western heritage better than the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District. From the original brick walkways to the wooden corrals, every inch of the Stockyards tells the true history of Texas’s famous livestock industry.

More Photos: Fort Worth Stockyards Stock Photos

West 7th Street Bridge

Best Time: from 2 hours before sunset to sunset. 

Uses: Landscape Photography

I’m not sure why, but the bridge here does not have a name, so it is referred to as The West 7th Street Bridge. This location is nothing but spectacular. It doesn’t offer the best views of downtown, but it does offer some exceptional photo opportunities. You can walk to this location from Panther Island along the Trinity River Trail, or you can park close by at the Fort Worth Police and Firefighters Memorial. The historic Montgomery Plaza is also nearby, and a nice area to visit. 

More Photos: Fort Worth Fine Art Prints

Best Fort Worth Photo Location for the Tarrant County Courthouse

Best Time: Golden and Blue hours

Uses: Landscape Photography, Portraits​​​​​​​

Tarrant County Courthouse is an old courthouse built in the 1890s that is still used today. It is a beautiful building. While you can take photos from various locations, it is tough to find any angle that will give you a full courthouse shot due to obstructions. But nonetheless, good photos can be had. My favorite location is Sundance Square. If looking to photograph the courthouse, I recommend parking near Sundance Square and using it as your home base for other imaging opportunities around downtown.

More Photos: Fort Worth Stock Photos

Fort Worth Photo Location for portraits: Sundance Square

Best Time: Morning, Golden and Blue hours

Uses: Landscape Photography, Portraits

Sundance Square was renovated in 2013 and it is a great place to visit. If looking for photo opportunities, they are all around this area. And when you are tired, find a table, sit back and relax with a cold beer. What I love the most about Sundance Square is being right in the middle of downtown, yet feeling as if you were almost in the old west. I don’t think there are many places in the USA that can pull off the charm that Fort Worth offers. 

More Photos: Fort Worth Stock Photos

Bass Performance Hall

Best Time: 2 hours before sunset through Blue hour. 

Uses: Landscape Photography, Weddings, Portraits

Just a stone’s throw from Sundance Square, Bass Performance Hall is another fine piece of architecture. It was completed in 1998 and is truly a unique performance center. If you are looking to enjoy fine art in Fort Worth, look into Bass Performance Hall.

More Photos: Fort Worth Wall Prints

Scat Jazz Lounge

Best Time: After dark.

Uses: Landscape Photography, Portraits

If you are already at Sundance Square, be sure to visit the Scat Jazz Lounge as it is right across the street! Set in the basement of the historic Woolworth building, Scat gives the vibe of an old speakeasy, complete with an alley entrance. It is lit with a neon sign, and worth a photo!

More Photos: Fort Worth Stock Photos

TCC Water Fountains

Best Time: After sunset

Uses: Landscape Photography, Portraits

Tarrant County College (TCC) has some genuinely nice buildings for higher education. This particular building complex is a beauty and was the headquarters of Radio Shack in the not-too-distant past. The water fountains look very nice around the blue hour. Not only is this a good spot for general photography, but for portraits as well.  

More Photos: Fort Worth Fine Art Prints

First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth

Best Time: Morning hours or Blue Hour

Uses: Landscape Photography, Weddings, Portraits

The First United Methodist Church is another example of great architecture, worth going by for a photograph. The First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth began in 1874, with the current church being completed around 1930. Morning time is a good time for a photo, and then Blue hour is also another good time. 

More Photos: Fort Worth Stock Photos

Fort Worth Zoo ⓒ Mansfield Photography

Fort Worth Zoo

Best Time: Late Fall and warmish Winter Days

Uses: Landscape Photography

What can you say? The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the top ranked zoos in the United States and is a must visit when in Fort Worth. Surprisingly, the entrance fees are modest for the caliber of the zoo and when compared to other major attractions you might want to visit. Good area to practice up on your wildlife photography!

More Photos: Texas Wild Wall Prints

Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Best Time: Anytime, but Spring and Fall are particularly good.

Uses: Landscape Photography, Weddings, Portraits

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is massive in size. It focuses more on native Texas plants, but obviously has the typical sections you’d expect from a botanic garden. The Rose and Japanese gardens are highlights. If you plan to use for portrait photography, there is a separate ticket for entry you must buy.

More Photos: Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Japanese Garden

Best Time: Anytime, but Fall is the best with all the fall colors. 

Uses: Landscape Photography, Weddings, Portraits

Located within the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the Japanese Garden is a must visit. It is a traditional stroll garden with winding paths through the landscapes and around ponds. The Garden consists of 7.5 acres filled with cherry trees, Japanese maples, magnolias, bamboo, bridges, and ponds which are home to over 1,200 Koi fish. If you plan to use it for portrait photography, there is a separate ticket for entry you must buy. For the Japanese Garden, there is parking/entry close to here, instead of parking at the main botanic entrance.

More Photos: Autum Fine Art Prints

Log Cabin Village

Best Time: When Open

Uses: Landscape Photography, Portraits

Fort Worth’s Log Cabin Village is a small village of actual buildings from the 1800-1900s. It is an interesting attraction for its history. Check the days/hours of operation before going. There is a small entrance fee. Children will love this place. As far as photography goes, there are some nice old buildings to photo, and they keep a small flower garden where you might find a couple of nice shots. If heading to the Fort Worth Zoo one day, make a side trip to this place. 

More Photos: Texas Old West Buildings