If you’re a milspouse photographer heading to Redstone Arsenal, this location guide is for you! Lyssa Barrow is a retired military spouse who has made that area home. Keep reading for her local knowledge in this Huntsville, AL Photography Spotlight!

What are your top three favorite locations for sessions? Briefly share about each.

Monte Sano State Park

This location has a variety of beautiful settings and views for any time of day but especially golden hour. From the Japanese Gardens to the mountain overlooks, it’s a great place for family or senior photo sessions.

Huntsville Botanical Gardens

The gardens offer a diverse and beautiful backdrop to many kinds of photo sessions and for any time of year. Especially fitting for family, senior and pet photo sessions.

Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment

This old textile factory built in the early 1900s has been converted to the country’s largest artist community. It is a great backdrop for a more industrial moody vibe and is especially suited to senior photo shoots.

Are there any particularly busy seasons for photographers in this area? Any events an incoming photographer should know about?

October/November and April/May are the busy seasons for seniors and families.

What should an incoming photographer know about permits in this area?

You will need a city and/or county permit depending on where you shoot. A lot of the best locations require a site fee or permission if privately owned.

What is the biggest piece of advice you’d give to an incoming photographer?

Huntsville and the Redstone area is one of the fastest growing areas in the country with incoming members of Space Force and the FBI Cyber Village. There is a lot of opportunity for work but many families are on a budget, so finding that sweet spot in pricing is important.

If you are staying here, your business has great organic growth opportunities. However, reaching the military community can be difficult because the base is not very proactive in helping military spouses advertise their businesses. Social media is your back door to your clients and must be used to reach your military clients.

Any other local expertise you’d like to share?

Explore! Get in your car (or on Google Maps) and go on adventures. Huntsville is at the foot of the Appalachians, so it has such a large variety of shoot locations from the mountains, rivers and meadows to the beautiful city and town streets of Huntsville and Madison. Even Research Park is a relatively untapped shoot location for photographers. Just stay away from the popular areas for weekend shoots as they are too crowded unless you go very early in the morning.

Where can other milspouse photographers connect with you?

Website: https://www.lyssabarrowphotography.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyssabarrowphotography

---

Are you a milspouse photographer interested in contributing? I’d love to have your insight! Please send me an email at erin@erinthompsonphoto.com and I’ll be in touch with the details!

If you enjoyed this Huntsville, AL photography spotlight, be sure to check out other featured location guides and tips for moving your business!