Hamilton Viewpoint Park
Perched on a bluff in West Seattle, Hamilton Viewpoint Park offers one of the most complete compositions of Seattle you can find, with the downtown skyline, Elliott Bay, the working waterfront, and the Cascade Mountains all lining up in a single frame. The elevated position gives you a natural foreground-to-background depth that flat waterfront spots simply cannot match. Shoot from the railing along the main overlook to keep the frame clean, or work the edges of the platform to find slightly different angles on the skyline. A medium telephoto lens in the 70-135mm range helps compress the mountains behind the buildings for a dramatic layered effect. Blue hour and the hour after sunset are the sweet spot here, when the city lights balance with the fading sky and the water reflects warm tones. Street parking is available along Southwest Sunset Avenue and the overlook is open and easy to navigate. (Seattle, Washington, United States)
