A Japanese Tea Garden Family Portrait

The Japanese Tea Garden is one of the most unique and beautiful locations in San Antonio. Built to resemble the manicured gardens of the Orient, the former limestone quarry has an abundance of intimate spots that are ideal for a photo shoot of any kind. In today’s blog post, I will be sharing all the details of Tanesia’s Japanese Tea Garden family portrait session. From the best photo locations to when to schedule your shoot, I have all the information in today’s article.

Do you need a photo permit for the Japanese Tea Garden?

Let’s start off with the first question I ask at any venue: do you need a photo permit? The answer, is a resounding ‘no.’ As explicitly stated on the property’s website, you do not need a photo permit at the Japanese Tea Garden. That said, donations are always appreciated, and the venue happily accepts contributions for the upkeep of the Japanese Tea Garden.

While no photo permit is necessary for a simple portrait session at the Japanese Tea Garden, you do need to make a reservation if you plan to host a wedding or other event at the venue. Prices range from $300 to book the space in front of the waterfall to $400 to book the main pavilion during daytime hours. For any evening activities, you will need to contact the Japanese Tea Garden staff directly for reservations.

When should I schedule a photo shoot at the Japanese Tea Garden?

I will warn you now, the Japanese Tea Garden is popular with locals and tourists alike. I mean, crazy popular. My recent photo session was scheduled on a Saturday at 9:00 a.m. While I was waiting in the parking lot for Tanesia and her family to arrive, the crowds began to descend. By the time we left the garden at 10:30 a.m., the parking lot was completely full and the pathways were choked with visitors. Learn from my experience: get to the garden early, and avoid weekends at all costs.

So, how early should you arrive? The Japanese Tea Garden operating hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. My recommendation is that you arrive as close to 7:00 a.m. as possible. One kind word of warning: the bathrooms do not open until later in the morning. As such, you will only have the porta potty facilities available at 7:00 a.m.

Arriving early has several advantages. In addition to beating the crowds, you will also beat the Texas heat. The main benefit of getting to the Japanese Tea Garden early, however, is that you get the best light. I have visited the venue on many occasions, both in the morning and in the afternoon. In comparing the morning and afternoon sessions, I feel that the best light at the Japanese Tea Garden is in the morning.

Photo Shoot Challenges at the Japanese Tea Garden

You can’t go wrong, no matter where you point your camera in the Japanese Tea Garden. The main challenge you will encounter, however, is that the pathways are very narrow. This means you have a limited set of locations to accommodate large groups. Your best bet for groups of four or more are the main stone bridge and the area in front of the steps leading up to the upper pathways by the side, flat bridge.

The other problem is that the venue is quite compact. So, if the park is crowded, then there is no way of avoiding people in the background of your photos.

Japanese Tea Garden Family Portrait Recommended Locations

Entrance Gate, Side Pagoda, and Main Pavilion

If your portrait session is scheduled at the Japanese Tea Garden for the morning, then I recommend you first hit the torii-like gate at the entrance to the garden. The light tends to get very harsh around the entrance as the sun rises, so make this your first stop.

Next up is the side pagoda, found to the right, past the restaurant as you first enter the venue. This little outlet is amazing in early morning light. Most people don’t discover this building until the end of their trip, so hitting it early is a good idea to avoid the crowds.

The main pavilion patio area itself doesn’t offer that much in the way of photos, besides the wooden benches. If you are going to bring extra lights and are shooting at night, then you can light up the main pavilion column. Otherwise, I would use the main pavilion as a vantage point to get wide shots of the garden.

Main Stone Bridge and Side Bridge

Now it’s time to make a loop through the Japanese Tea Garden. The main stone bridge and side bridge on the right are great for small group photos. Unfortunately, these areas are also major traffic hubs, so note that you will need to get in and out quite quickly.

My favorite area of the garden is the side loop through the bedded garden as you walk towards the waterfall from the side, flat bridge. Most people take the main path over the second stone bridge towards the waterfall. Avoid this area, and instead take photos in the side garden. From this vantage point you have a view to the waterfall, and with any luck, you can blur out the crowds.

The Waterfall

You can’t say you’ve taken photos in the Japanese Tea Garden without a shot of you standing in front of the waterfall. The spot is amazing, but expect to simply wait in line for your turn to take a photo. There is not much in terms of variety for photos in front of the waterfall. Also, note that space is limited in front of the waterfall, so all of your images will have to be at an angle. It is best to simply take your photo and move on.

Upper Pathways

The upper pathways in the Japanese Tea Garden offer the most privacy, and I feel that this area is underutilized for portraits. If you head up the stairs from the waterfall to the top pathway leading back towards the entrance to the garden, you will find that you pretty much have the Japanese Tea Garden all to yourself. This area is shaded, and the light is beautiful. You also have enough space near the entrance for group photos.

The walkway over the driveway into the park can give you an interesting perspective on the garden, and don’t forget to take photos in the pathway leading back into Brackenridge Park. This area is shielded by trees and you can get some wonderful photos with a lot of privacy on less crowded days. Finally, if you are at the garden in the afternoon, you might try taking some interesting photos through the driveway entrance into the park.

Areas to Avoid at the Japanese Tea Garden

The side pathway into the koi pond on the left just outside the main pavilion is a little too narrow to get many good photos. Also, the cute little lily pond bench is in direct sunlight and isn’t a great shot because of the background. Finally, avoid the second stone bridge. It is tempting because of its height, but the constant flow of waterfall traffic makes it a near impossible shot.

The Early Bird Gets the Parking Spot

Seriously, get to the Japanese Tea Garden early if you want to find a parking spot. When I left the garden at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday after Tanesia‘s session, the parking lot was absolutely full. There was a line of cars of people waiting for empty spots to open up.

If nothing else will motivate you to book your session early on a weekday, then know this: the parking lot at the Japanese Tea Garden is tiny by any state’s standards, much less that of Texas. Trying to find a parking spot, especially for a large truck, is nearly impossible after 9:30 a.m. on a weekend.

Meet Tanesia and Her Family

Finally, let’s meet the family! Tanesia and her crew moved to San Antonio from Alaska two years ago. The summer heat of San Antonio still takes a bit of getting used to. The terrain of Texas has also been quite a change for Tanesia and her family. While the parks of San Antonio can’t hold a candle to the majestic outdoors of Alaska, Tanesia did want to find a completely unique location that you could only find in San Antonio. The Japanese Tea Garden fit the bill perfectly.

Tanesia and her crew are a blended family and she recently became engaged to David. He and his sons cooked up the perfect engagement to bring her into the family. They have been perfecting their cooking skills as a family, and to show off, David’s sons decided to serve an elaborate meal one evening. In addition to great food, her sons went all the way with chef’s hats and moustaches to play the part. But dessert proved to be the ultimate surprise course. As cheesecake was served, there on the plate was an engagement ring. That tops anything a five-star restaurant could serve.

Conclusion

The Japanese Tea Garden is one of my favorite photo locations in all of San Antonio. The garden is such a distinctive location, and every corner seems to offer a completely different view of paradise. The garden is perfect for portrait shoots of all types: surprise proposals, family portraits, you name it. And while the garden can quickly become overwhelmed by crowds, there are still ways to get the garden all to yourself. You just have to know the out-of-the-way paths.

Enjoy the images, and I’ll have more photo adventures for you next week!

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