The Best Places to Take Photos in Downtown Salt Lake City

Aug 25

Salt Lake City isn’t a big city. It isn’t quite a small city either. The downtown fabric includes buildings that are 150 years old right next to modern skyscrapers. A light rail line runs through it all, providing hop-on, hop-off service. Through the cracks in the buildings, you can see the Wasatch Mountains peeking through.

When Ben and Madeline asked me to take couples photos for them near the place they first met, I was thrilled. When they told me they first met on one of the busiest corners in downtown Salt Lake City, I was a little bit intimidated. I wasn’t sure how I could capture delicate moments among the afternoon bustle of the city. After walking around just a little and warming up to our surroundings, we found some beautiful spots to take photos.

Starting off at the Federal Court Building (351 S West Temple St), we used the row of trees to create a bucolic walkway in the middle of the city. Next to this was a small plaza with more trees and a reflecting pool that created an almost sci-fi, modern look to the photos. This was one of my favorite spots for photos.

As soon as we started taking photos the sound of traffic and bustle faded away and I was able to capture tender moments like this one

Next we went to the **plaza in between the American Towers (48 W 300 S)**, a quiet spot with pretty landscaping and lots of sun. This was a really fun spot to take photos.

For some photos with a sweeping view of the foothills, we snuck up to the 6th floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel (170 S West Temple St). There is a restaurant with a patio up there, so it is accessible to anybody. We found a small door leading to the North side of the rooftop and captured a few photos here. If you are up for a small challenge, this is a fun spot to go.

These were important photos to take, as Madeline was about to embark on a year in Ireland for graduate school, and they had never had photos together as a couple. They invited me to Madeline’s going-away party that same night where I took some fun party photos of them.