Photo Session Locations in Geneva, St. Charles, West Chicago, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn and other Chicago Western Suburbs.
Hi there! Trying to decide where you should have your photo session? I'm a Chicago family photographer and I've put together a list of some of the places in the Chicago Western Suburbs that I've shot at before so you can get an idea of what each location has to offer. I will continue to add to this page/post as I discover new places, so check back before every session! (I'm also a Chicago newborn photographer! Please check out my portfolio to see some of my work!)
I will be posting photography session locations in West Chicago, Geneva, St. Charles, Naperville, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Warrenville, Schaumburg and more.
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KANE COUNTY
Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve - St. Charles, Illinois
Fabyan Forest Preserve - Geneva, Illinois
Blackhawk Waterfall - South Elgin, Illinois
Delnor Woods - St. Charles, Illinois
Farm and Covered Path - St. Charles Illinois
Peck Farm - Geneva, Illinois
DUPAGE COUNTY
West Branch Forest Preserve - West Chicago, Illinois
Churchill Woods Forest Preserve - Lombard, Illinois
Cantigny Park and Gardens - Wheaton, Illinois
St. James Farm - Warrenville, Illinois
Northside Park - Geneva, Illinois
Reed Keppler Park - West Chicago, Illinois
Mallard Lake Forest Preserve - Hanover Park, Illinois
Lilicia Park - Lombard, Illinois
Herrick Lake Forest Preserve - Naperville, Illinois
Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve - St. Charles, IL
Even after countless sessions at Leroy Oakes, I still haven't even utilized all of the areas this place has to offer. It has multiple barns, a pond, fences, lots of tall grass and areas with wildflowers, and a bridge. I like it best in the spring and in September during golden hour. It doesn't get as colorful in the fall as other places though, so you may want to choose somewhere else if you're hoping for beautiful fall colors in October.
Fabyan Forest Preserve - Geneva, IL
Note: I do not recommend having your session at Fabyan on the weekends during the fall, as it gets extremely crowded.
This is a really neat place to shoot in the western suburbs because there are so many areas and different characteristics to make every session unique. This is a perfect spot for your session if you want water, forest/trees, flowers, a bridge, a wrought-iron gate, or a beautiful trellis.
Blackhawk Waterfall - South Elgin, IL
Who knew we had this random, but beautiful little waterfall right here in the western suburbs? This is a super easily accessible trail with a waterfall, bridge, and trail. I wouldn't recommend this as a location for families with toddlers and babies, as it can be slippery walking around in the water.
Farm and Covered Path - St. Charles, IL
This location is perfect for golden hour because it has the most amazing sunsets. But it is also a great place for families with young children because the kids love to see the animals at the farm! There's also a couple rows of apple trees that bloom in the spring and have apples in the fall.
St. James Farm Forest Preserve - Warrenville, IL
This is a great place for a golden hour session. In addition, you can get some really nice fall photos taken here and I've even had luck with early mornings. The biggest negative is that it gets very crowded on fall evenings and you have to wait in line for the best spots.
2 Comments
Aug 20, 2019, 7:56:04 PM
Bella Tu Photography - Hi Mark, thank you! I specifically don't name this location so it doesn't get overrun by photographers.
Aug 3, 2019, 11:37:48 AM
MARK OTTENFELD - Where is the Farm & covered path located? Beautiful work.