Family Photo Locations, Minnesota
You know what they say: location, location, location. The importance of location doesn’t just pertain to purchasing a home - location is a major factor in creating the ideal photo session & coming away with the best results.
How do I find my locations? I location scout constantly & I love the process. Just driving from Point A to Point B, I’m always on the lookout for a new spot or some public land I haven’t yet explored. Just when I think I’ve looked everywhere in the area, a new spot magically appears that I’ve never noticed before. I also have a few handy apps up my sleeve, love hiking with my family and coming across new locations that way, and am constantly scouring Google Maps & Earth.
When I’m searching for a new location, I try to find places off the beaten path, in the middle of nowhere, with interesting features or beautiful backgrounds, but I always have a few easy-to-access locations on hand as well.
With clients coming to me from all directions, I try to always have a useable location in each direction to minimize travel time for everyone. When I say “useable location” I mean there are locations that aren’t great or can’t be used certain times of the year in this part of the country. Whether that’s due to a plethora of poisonous weeds overtaking the area, or it’s only best used when the wildflowers are in bloom, or perhaps the sun moves behind the bluffs as the seasons change, or there’s a risk of being near prime hunting land during peak hunting season, I am always paying attention to my go-to locations and tracking their usability. Location scouting is much more than a simple one-time find!
So, let’s go over some locations I love to use!
The Fields:
One of my favorites and most-used locations are fields of grass, ideally with beautiful rolling bluffs in the backgrounds. While certainly one of the easiest locations to come across around here, open fields can be tricky - both in finding one that works well and actually shooting at it - due to the often overwhelming sun that can pour over it. It must be facing the right direction and have flexibility in background to be used throughout the year as the sun moves month-to-month.
The Wildflowers:
This type of location is far too short-lived around here. The wildflower season in Minnesota doesn’t typically last long, and it’s often difficult to find a good public location to take advantage of them. Plus, the timing of them seems to change year-to-year, depending on the type of spring we have, so if your session happens to land within the time of wildflowers, you got pretty lucky. We do, of course, have various kinds of wildflowers throughout the spring to fall, but fields full of them are hard to come by, no matter the time of year.
The Water:
I love, love, love the water. The reflection, the interest and depth it creates… I especially love when families are willing to get IN the water and play! Rivers, streams, lakes… it doesn’t matter. I just love it.
The Fall Leaves:
Ah, a fan favorite - autumn leaves. Always a beautiful, short-lived, time of year for photos! Certainly the most popular time for family photos, the colorful leaves add a lot of beauty and dimension to the photos and the warm fall sunlight is always amazing.
The Overgrowth:
It may sound odd, but I love plopping a family into the middle of tall, overgrown weeds. The sun reflects off the blades of grass and they’re just surrounded by nature. Adding grass or foliage to the foreground adds even more depth, and families always naturally snuggle up while sitting in the weeds.
The Pines:
Pine trees create some of my favorite year-round locations. Providing texture and depth, with rich, moody backgrounds. Of course they’re always a favorite in the late fall/winter after the leaves have fallen, but truly make a fantastic spot all year.
The Snow:
We’re in Minnesota, you have to love the snow, right? Snow is challenging with families in particular. It’s cold, it’s hard to move around much, it’s hard to find the right clothing… but it sure is pretty! I do enjoy snow-covered sessions despite the challenges!