TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING ST. AUGUSTINE

Situated in Northeast Florida, St. Augustine is one of the most picturesque cities in the state, if not in the entire United States. Rich with history, European style buildings sit along narrow cobblestone streets begging to be photographed.

In fact, St. Augustine’s historic downtown will have a photographer busy for many days. But that’s not all, the greater St. Augustine area offers photographers a world class bird rookery, beautiful sand dunes, salt marshes, and the second tallest lighthouse in Florida.

In fact, the city is so much fun to photograph that I just have to write this post about some of the best photo spots in St. Augustine.

Note: I lived in northeast Florida most of my life and know the city well. So read along as I help you plan a great photography trip to St. Augustine.

Where is St. Augustine?

St. Augustine, Florida is just under 80 miles south of the Florida Georgia border on Interstate I 95.

How To Get To St. Augustine

By Car:

By Air:

About St. Augustine

Founded by the Spanish in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest city in the continental United States. This Spanish influence is still on display today as the Spanish and Moroccan style architecture intermingle with a vibrant downtown filled with shops, galleries, museums, cafes and restaurants.

To learn more about St Augustine’s fascinating history, check out: Our History.

Photographing St. Augustine

St. Augustine is a smorgasbord of photo subjects including historic buildings, doors, gates, windows, bridges, a lighthouse, beaches, a river, salt marshes, wading birds, alligators and more. In fact, it is almost impossible to capture all St. Augustine has to offer without spending significant time in the city.

This “Tips for Photographing St. Augustine”, post, however, is designed to make sure you do not miss the best photography spots both in St. Augustine’s historic downtown and also on Anastasia Island including St. Augustine Beach.

Tip: Visit St. Augustine has a good map of all the major downtown attractions: Downtown St. Augustine Map that will help you become acquainted with the city.

St. Augustine’s Best Streets For Photography

Before we look at specific spots for photography in St. Augustine, let me mention what I consider to be top streets every visiting photographer should be time exploring.

Saint George Street

No visit would be complete without photographing St. George Street which is considered the center of St. Augustine’s historic district. From its city gates to doors and windows to the oldest school house, this street is a visual feast of historic buildings, shops, and restaurants begging to be photographed.

King Street

King Street is one of the main entrances into St. Augustine’s historic district and also where Flagler College, Lightner Museum and the Case Monica Hotel are located. All three buildings are iconic landmarks that should be at the top of every photographer list.

Aviles Street

Aviles Street in St. Augustine is the oldest street in the nation and home to some of St. Augustine’s best galleries. Aviles Street is a walkable street off King Street with a historic stone archway you will want to photograph.

San Marcos Ave

This is a drivable street along the bayfront and a main though-fare into the city. Not only is San Marcos Ave home to the Castillo de San Marco Fort and the Bridge of Lions but it is filled with beautiful old buildings, hotels and great restaurants.

San Marco Avenue is especially beautiful during the annual Nights of Lights Festival as you can see in the image below.

Downtown St. Augustine’s Top Photo Spots

Castillo de San Marcos Fort

Castillo de San Marcos Fort is located on San Marcos Ave and is the oldest masonry fort in the United States. The fort was built out of coquina from 1672 to 1695 on the banks of Matanzas Bay to defend to city from British attacks and successfully withstood several attempts by the British forces.

Best Times: The Castillo de San Marcos Fort in downtown St. Augustine is a great photo destination both in the early mornings and in the late afternoons as well as sunrise and sunset times. Unlike some other forts, the most photogenic part of Castillo de San Marco is its exterior which can be explored even when the fort itself is closed.

Sunrise

Early Morning

Entrance Fee : Children under 16 enter free if accompanied by an adult. Adults: $15.

Hours: From 9:00 A.M to 5 P.M daily except on certain holidays.

Parking: There is a decent size pay parking lot directly in front of the fort. The lot, however, tends to fill up quickly and stay full all day. Arrive before 8 A.M. and you can park for free until 8 then pay for the remaining hours of your stay.

Oldest Wooden School House

Built in the early 18th century by hand, this wooden school house at 14 St, George Street is thought to be the oldest wooden school house in the United States.

Photo Tip: It is best photographed in the morning hours with a wide angle lens when the sun is in the northern sky.

Lightner Museum

The Lightner Museum is listed on the historic register and contains a wonderful collection of items from America’s golden age.  Prior to becoming a museum, the building was the site for the Hotel Alcazar that was built in a Spanish Renaissance style.

Photo Tip: This is an incredible building to photograph any time of year but is especially photogenic during St. Augustine’s Nights of Light Festival.

Casa Monica Hotel

Casa Monica was built in 1888 and is one of the oldest hotels still in operation in the United States today. The hotel is listed on the Historic Hotels of America and features an impressive Moroccan style of architecture.

The Casa Monica Hotel is a great photo stop since it is next to a couple other iconic buildings you definitely want to photograph; the Lightner Museum and Flagler College.

Personal thought -Although this hotel is stunning, I wish it was a bit more isolated from King Street and other buildings.

Photo Tip: One of my favorite ways to photograph Casa Monica is in the late afternoon and evening hours by the fountain on the Lightner Museum grounds.

Flagler College

Flagler College is another beautiful historic building directly across from the Lightner Museum.  The college was built in 1888 as the Hotel Ponce de Leon by Henry Flagler. Interestingly, the building was the first major poured in place concrete building in the United States.

Photo Tips: Once again, the fountain at Lightner Museum makes the perfect foreground subject for Flagler College. After taking time to photograph the college exterior be sure to go inside the gates for more great photo opportunities.

Memorial Presbyterian Church

The Memorial Presbyterian Church is located at 32 Sevilla Street and only a couple blocks from the three above landmark buildings. Interestingly, Memorial Presbyterian Church was named one of the 8 most beautiful churches in the United States.

For travel and architectural photographers, photographing this church is a must.  The church offers two main viewpoints, each equally beautiful.  The eastern facing side of the church is best photographed in the morning, while the southern facing entrance to the church can be photographed both in the morning and evening depending on the time of year.

Photo Tip: Be sure to work a variety of compositions on the east side of the church as options are quite plentiful.

Old Garden Gate

This old garden gate and doorway, known as the most photographed gate in St. Augustine, is from the late 1800’s. The garden gate is located off Bridge Street and is best photographed in the early morning hours just before sunrise to avoid excessive contrast.

City Gates

The City Gate coquina pillars were erected in 1808 to serve as the only entrance to St. Augustine. The pillars are on the north end of St. George Street by Orange Ave and face north.

Photo Tip: The best time to photograph the City Gates is when the sun is in the northern sky. Otherwise, try to photograph the gates either at dawn or dusk.

Bridge of Lions

The Bridge of Lions is a walkable double leaf bascule bridge that crosses the Matanzas Bay to connect St. Augustine’s downtown area to the beautiful coastal sections of Anastasia Island.

I recommend photographing the Bridge of Lions both in the evening hours from the bayfront and also from the bridge itself at sunrise.

Photo Tip: A wide angle lens is needed to photograph the entire bridge from the bayfront.

I have only touched briefly on the many photo subjects one will encounter in downtown St. Augustine but its time to put away the walking shoes, get in the car, and drive to Anastasia Island.

Anastasia Island-St. Augustine Beach

Top Photo Spots-Anastasia Island

St. Augustine Lighthouse

The St. Augustine Lighthouse is definitely one of the top photo destinations in St. Augustine and an extremely popular tourist spot. The lighthouse has so much to offer that I have written the following post about photographing the lighthouse: “St. Augustine Lighthouse: Capturing the Light”.

In the lighthouse post, you will not only find detailed information about how to photograph the lighthouse but also important tips such as where to park and when to go.

St. John’s County Ocean Pier

The St. John’s County Pier, also known as the St. Augustine Pier, is located at the end of Beach Street and AIA in St. Augustine Beach. Although this pier is not nearly as photogenic as other piers in the east, it still makes a great subject at sunrise.

Anastasia Island Sand Dunes

After photographing sunrise at the pier, walk north on the beach and you will find yourself in the pristine sand dunes that are part of Anastasia Island State Park. These dunes are some of the prettiest dunes on Florida’s east coast and make wonderful photography subjects in the early morning hours.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm

The St. Augustine Alligator Farm features an amazing collection of alligators well worth a stop any time of year.  Of interest to photographers, however, is that the Alligator Farm is also one of the top birding rookeries in the United States. In fact, from late February through early June, the Alligator Farm’s trees and shrubs are filled with a large variety of nesting wading birds.

The birding photo opportunities are some of the best in all of Florida.

Daily ticket prices as of this update run around $34. There are also a variety of annual memberships including a Photographer’s Membership you may wish to consider if you plan to visit multiple times. To learn more about photography opportunities at the Alligator Farm please be sure to check out my “Bird Photography at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm” post.

Of note, the Farm previously provided a discounted admission for visitors with a Zoo pass but I no longer see that discount on their site. If you have a Zoo pass, I would definitely inquire about a potential discount.

Now to the Photographer’s Membership, this pass enables photographers to arrive an hour earlier than the public and stay after closing hours as well as having special access to a photographer’s only deck. Trust me this place gets very crowded so early and late access are very desirable.

Photo Tip: I recommend photographing birds both in the early morning hours and again, late in the evening. Lens in the range of 200-400mm work well here since you will want to capture birds both at the nests and in flight.

St. Augustine- Things to Know

St. Augustine- Getting Around the Historic Downtown

Walking– St. Augustine’s downtown has been named one of Florida’s top ten walkable cities making walking a great option when visiting the historic district.

Ride a Trolley– The city offers a trolley called The Old Trolley that stops at the most popular downtown destinations. With a one day purchase you can hop on and off the trolley as many times as you wish. Don’t overlook the 2 day trolley option which will give you even more chances to see the historic district.

Automobile– St. Augustine’s downtown is small and packed with tourists, heavy traffic, a draw bridge and very limited parking especially for those with longer vans or RVs. Therefore, I do not recommend driving from destination to destination.

Photographing locations on Anastasia Island, however, does require a car since there are no good options to go between the top photography spots on Anastasia Island.

Take the New Circular Bus– The Star Bus is a new free service that departs from the Visitor Center and stops at several downtown locations throughout the city. Be aware that riders can only make one complete loop though the city on this bus. I have never ridden this bus and do not at this time know anyone who has so I can’t comment on this service. For more details please follow this Star Bus link.

Bikes– Although permitted, I do not advise anyone unfamiliar with St. Augustine to attempt to bike the downtown due to all the traffic congestion.

Carriage Rides– Horse drawn carriage rides are also available at certain times but you can’t hop on and off so I don’t recommend carriage rides for photographers. However, a carriage ride may be a good option to become acquainted with the city.

Information on these rides is available at the Old Town Trolley link above.

Getting Around Areas Outside of Downtown St. Augustine

St. Augustine has a number of places you definitely want to photograph in addition to its downtown. These areas are located on Anastasia Island and involve driving over one of two bridges.

Plan on tons of traffic as currently I am not aware of any good alternatives for visiting these areas except by car. Carefully organize your photography destinations each day to avoid going back and forth between downtown St. Augustine and Anastasia Island to often

Other Photo Spots in St. Augustine

As you read the above list of other photo spots in St. Augustine you may wonder why certain popular tourist places are not on my list. My answer is that the all recommendations in the post are based on their photographic potential. I will leave it to other blogs to cover all the best tourist sights in St. Augustine.

Final Thought on St. Augustines Best Photo Spots

The photo spots listed in this post are locations that I have photographed numerous times and are places I believe every photographer would enjoy photographing.

Plan on spending a minimum of 5 days in St. Augustine if you wish to capture the places I have included in this post. However, if you are planning a visit to St. Augustine during peak birding season, I suggest spending at least an entire week in the area.

As I previously noted, I have only touched the surface of all the great photo locations in the St. Augustine area.

For those who wish to explore the surrounding areas, here are a couple more great photo destinations: Fort Matanzas and Washington Oaks State Park. In fact, sunrise by a coquina beach just north of Washington Oaks State Park, should be on everyone’s photo list if time permits.

If you have favorite spots you would like to share, please add them in the comment sections below.

As always, thanks for joining me in the Tips for Photographing St. Augustine post. If you have this post helpful, it would greatly help me continue to provide this information for free if you would share and leave a comment. Thank you!

Related Posts