Did you just get engaged, and are looking for some ideas for places in Columbus (Ohio) to get engagement pictures taken? When I schedule engagement pictures with couples, I usually give a few ideas on some places we can go (I really don’t like doing engagement pictures in the studio… very boring!). Really the options are limitless, as a good photographer can take some amazing photos anywhere that you happen to be!
But for all the Googlers out there, I thought I’d write a blog article with bunches of ideas, so if you’re at a loss or need a spark of creativity, here are some ideas for places to have engagement pictures taken around Columbus.
First, think of your personality… are you into nature and the great outdoors? Columbus has literally dozens of parks at your disposal, from the little bitty ones (one fav of mine is Minerva Lake) to the larger metroparks (the most popular for photographers being Inniswoods Metro Gardens in Westerville). For a complete listing, visit the Columbus Metroparks website. There are also other beautiful parks in the area, with interesting spots to use; check out Homestead Park (which has a beautiful lake and a covered bridge), Scioto Park (with the really cool Tecumseh sculpture and overlook), Goodale Park (beautiful lake, gazebo, close to the Short North), Schiller Park (in German Village), Creekside Park (in Gahanna, with a little waterfall), Heritage Park (with the Everal Barn, in Westerville), Whetstone Park/the Park of Roses (with beautiful roses, a black metal staircase, a small gazebo), the Topiary Park (by the main library), Franklin Park (outside of the Conservatory, with a neat sculpture, the Bridal Garden, and a small waterfall), Antrim Park (with a lake), Fancyburg Park (in Upper Arlington), or outside of Jeffrey Mansion (in Bexley). You can even go to the Columbus Zoo for some fun engagement pictures!
If a park isn’t necessarily your thing, you can go a little more urban. There is North Bank Park (with an overlook of the city of Columbus) or outside of COSI (another view of the city). Battelle Riverfront Park is a rather neat little urbany looking park, that is right by the Santa Maria (another neat place for pictures). A walk along the Short North is chock full of some of the most interesting (photographically speaking) spots in Columbus. There’s archways on the streets, big columns at Hyde Park, the orange & teal garage… the possibilities are endless. The Columbus Union Station Arch. Even the suburbs have their own little downtowns (Westerville, Worthington, Dublin, Pickerington, etc), that are quaint and have good spots for engagement pictures.
More urban spots for engagement pictures you might want to try: German Village (brick streets and interesting architecture), Olde Towne East (more interesting architecture), Italian Village, and areas in between.
If you are a big Ohio State fan, you can head over to Ohio State’s campus for engagement pictures. The popular spots there would be Mirror Lake, the Browning Amphitheater, the new Ohio Union (which is an amazing place for pictures), or the Ohio Stadium.
If it’s wintertime and you want to (or have to) do engagement pictures in the winter, don some cute hats and play in the snow! (that is, assuming we have real snow and not gray mush), and if you want to do indoor engagement pictures, here are some ideas. Franklin Park Conservatory is beautiful and green year-round (just pay a fee to get in). The Columbus Convention Center is very cool on both the inside and outside. Do you have a favorite restaurant, pub, grocery store, laundromat, mall, rec center, or shop to play in? (get permission first). Some hotels in the area are very interesting and beautiful on the inside (again, get permission). The main branch of the Columbus Public Library is beautiful on the inside (be respectful in there). The Columbus Museum of Art is also very beautiful. (ditto). COSI is also very fun and interesting on the inside.
And lastly, you can do engagement pictures at your home or in your neighborhood! With your car, your little doggie, or whatever you have that might make them personal and “you”. This list isn’t a complete list… the possibilities are really infinite if you think about it. Even sitting at the side of the road in some Queen Anne’s Lace could be beautiful! But if you’re stuck for some ideas to spark some creativity, hopefully this list helped.
And if you’re in the market for a photographer to do your engagement (and/or wedding) photos, hop back to my main web site and have a look at my galleries… I LOVE doing engagement pictures!!! 
Afterwards, we did some family formals in front of the fireplace, and took pictures with the wedding party in various areas around the Ohio Union. It has so many interesting elements to add to wedding pictures! After the ceremony, the bride & groom and wedding party took a driving route to Mirror Lake (and the amphitheater), and then the Ohio Stadium for more pictures. The reception was at the 
