Cincinnati Senior Portrait Photographer Memorial Hall OTR

September 14, 2023

During the summer, I enjoyed photographing my first Cincinnati Memorial Hall OTR senior pictures. I have done Music Hall (next door) senior photos during the pandemic. Memorial Hall in Over The Rhine’s Washington Park sits just to the south of Music Hall. These were taken of a kid I’ve known since birth. I used to work with his mom and have been friends with his dad for almost 20 years. For this session I had 3 hours inside this Cincinnati concert venue, and we used every minute.

Outside The Venue

We started out photographing this high school senior in the area surrounding the park. We used an alley, Music Hall’s steps, and a live music neon sign. I could spend hours photographing a senior within a one block radius of Memorial Hall. The choices for Memorial Hall senior pictures are endless when you include the exterior and surrounding area. Of course, on a rainy day, this would not be possible. On weekends, Washington Park is full of events and people. As with most photo sessions, arriving early is the key.

Inside The Venue

Once we got access to the hall, I went to work. I had already photographed Memorial Hall empty a few years ago. This gave me plenty of ideas going into this session. Additionally, the parents had plenty of ideas, wardrobe changes, and props. We had a great time capturing this kid’s personality while utilizing the space. The stage and the audience area were my two favorite places to photograph this Cincinnati-area high school senior. Always trying to create unique photos that also tell the story of where we were is important. As a fellow professional photographer says, you can take a tight head shot in front of the Eiffel Tower but no one will know you are in Paris.

I photographed Music Hall senior photos before just after the pandemic let up. Coincidentally, those photos were for another person I had worked with starting more than 20 years ago. I didn’t realize the coincidence until I was writing this blog post. For this session, remained outside and socially distanced. They were my first senior from Anderson Township.

Check out more of my Dayton and Cincinnati senior photography.

This Cincinnati senior photo location requires permission from the operator. It isn’t just a walk-up-and-take-photos kind of place. Additionally, it can be quiet dark in all the spaces, so I make sure to bring flashes or constant lights for every photo shoot here.

Five Best Things About Memorial Hall Senior Photos

The beauty of the auditorium
The intimate nature of the venue makes it less overwhelming
The stage lights create a unique look to the senior photos
You can take indoor senior photos in Cincinnati that are not in a studio
They are unique – not many people get their senior pictures in a historic performance space