If the desert isn’t your vibe, GOOD NEWS. Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, Scottsdale… they have so many urban locations for photos! Our cities are full of clean architecture, interesting streets, alleys, colorful details, industrial textures and modern spaces. The trick is knowing where to look—and what we can actually photograph at!

Train Stations

I LOVE our Valley Metro stations. The pale blue/green tones photograph beautifully and give us a modern city feel without being too industrial. We can find these throughout downtown Phoenix and Tempe, so they’re also easy to pair with nearby streets, buildings and alleys during a longer shoot.

Arizona Science Center

The exterior of the Arizona Science Center is one of my favorites for a clean, modern look. Think HUGE gray walls, interesting staircases, a gray corridor and lots of architectural lines. We have both sitting and standing options here, and mornings are my favorite!

There are some rules around photography, so I generally limit these shoots to about 45 minutes. We also have to check what is happening around Heritage Square before scheduling—festivals and events can completely change access.

Parking Garages

Parking garages can be SO cool for photos—the concrete, open rooftops, city views, stairwells and clean lines give us an amazing urban look. But there are some important rules to know before we plan around one.

Even when a garage says “Public Parking,” that usually means it is open to the public for parking, not that it is publicly owned. Many garages are private property, and professional photography may require permission from the owner or management company. This is mostly about safety, liability and making sure a shoot doesn’t interfere with cars or people using the garage.

Getting permission can also be tricky because the company operating the parking garage isn’t always the company that owns the property, and not every owner allows professional photography at all.

ASU parking garages tend to be a better option because there is an actual process for requesting permission to photograph or film in their parking structures. We can work on getting the proper approval ahead of your session, but even with a request, some locations may still say no.

So if you LOVE the parking garage look, tell me! We can explore our options and request permission, but I always recommend having another nearby urban location planned as our backup.

Streets, Alleys & Downtown Buildings

Honestly, some of the BEST urban locations aren’t really “locations.” They’re streets, sidewalks, old buildings, random alleys and pockets of beautiful light.

Downtown Phoenix gives us more grit, texture and true city energy, while downtown Tempe can feel a little smaller & cleaner and more uptown (and way less homeless people following you lol – I wish I was kidding – but downtown phoenix it can be a thing so please take care!) Also, we always have to consider traffic, construction, events and foot traffic because downtown changes literally every day.

Murals & Color

Phoenix has SO many murals, but they change ALL THE TIME. A wall I photographed last month may be completely different today—which is part of the fun!

If COLOR is what you really want, head over to my Colorful Downtown Phoenix Shoot Locations guide for even more inspiration. https://blog.fullyalivephotography.com/2021/06/colorful-downtown-phoenix-shoot-locations/

The best urban shoots are usually a little bit of a wander. We pick an area, plan around the light, and then use everything the city gives us that day. That’s where the magic happens.

Downtown Tempe, Tempe Town Lake & Tempe Center for the Arts

Downtown Tempe gives us a totally different urban feel than downtown Phoenix. It can feel a little cleaner and more uptown, with modern buildings, interesting streets, great little alleys and plenty of places to wander and find cool light.

We can also head toward Tempe Town Lake for a mix of city AND water. There are some really cool bridge angles here that give us a more architectural, urban look, or we can shift toward the water for something completely different. If the water vibe is more what you’re looking for, check out my Beach Vibes in the Desert Photography Location Guide because I have a whole post dedicated to those locations!

Nearby, Tempe Center for the Arts gives us even more variety. We can use the bridge and water for a modern marina feel, or photograph around the building itself with its glass windows, geometric shapes and colorful orange accents.

This whole area is especially great if you want VARIETY because we can move between city streets, architecture, bridges and water without your gallery feeling like it was all photographed against one wall.

There is also the historic Hayden Flour Mill off Mill Avenue for an older industrial feel, although access can change with construction.

Old Town Scottsdale

Old Town Scottsdale is SUCH a fun option because there is a surprising amount of variety packed into a pretty walkable area. It can feel colorful and playful, historic and Southwestern, or clean and elevated depending on which direction we go.

One of my favorite pops of color is the iconic Sugar Bowl—the old-school ice cream shop with its bubblegum-pink exterior. It has actually been an Old Town landmark since 1958! There are other pink walls and colorful little pockets nearby too, so this area is great when you want color without necessarily committing to a full mural backdrop.

Then, just a few blocks away, we can completely change the vibe with the Old Adobe Mission, Scottsdale’s historic adobe church built in 1933. The adobe texture, old architecture and surrounding streets give us a much more historic Arizona feel.

We can also wander toward the Scottsdale Civic Center, which gives us green space, modern architecture, public art, fountains and plenty of clean lines to work with.

This is one of those locations where I don’t necessarily want to park you in ONE spot for your entire shoot. I’d rather walk! Old Town has so many little corners, storefronts, textures, alleys and unexpected backgrounds that we can create a gallery with a ton of variety without ever getting back in the car.

Downtown Gilbert

Downtown Gilbert is another great option if you want an urban feel without the bigger-city look of downtown Phoenix. The Heritage District is really walkable, which means we can start in one spot and find several completely different backgrounds without spending half your session getting in and out of the car.

The iconic Gilbert Water Tower is an obvious starting point. It was built in 1927 and has become the landmark of downtown Gilbert, but I actually love the whole area AROUND the tower just as much. There are historic details, brick, little streets, modern buildings, interesting walls and plenty of spots where we can play with layers and architecture.

This is another location where wandering works in our favor. Rather than choosing one exact wall and staying there, we can walk a few blocks and let the area give us a mix of clean urban shots, old-town texture and a little bit of that charming Main Street feel.

Like all of our downtown locations, we do have to pay attention to what’s happening that day. Water Tower Plaza hosts events throughout the year, so crowds and access can change depending on the date. But when the timing is right, Downtown Gilbert gives us a TON of variety in a really small area.

Urban & Cityscape Photography Locations in Phoenix

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