Locations

GRUAE MILL

Graue Mill is a historic location featuring beautiful brick backdrops, stone staircases, the iconic mill, and plenty of surrounding trees. Overlooking Salt Creek, it offers a scenic setting that I highly recommend for senior and family photos. It’s especially good in the late afternoon, and you can also walk to Fullersburg Woods from here for even more variety.

FULLERSBURG FOREST PRESERVE

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve is a scenic spot with natural backdrops, a bridge over the river surrounded by trees, and some brick and stone features. With areas along the water and a good mix of settings, it’s a great choice for senior and family photos. It works well at any time of day, but early afternoon is recommended, and it’s a great option in almost any type of weather.

Katherine Legge Memorial Park

Katherine Legge Memorial Park features a 1927 English style building, along with open fields, a brick wall, and classic archways. The mix of historic structure and simple outdoor space makes it a great option for senior, family, and engagement photos, and it looks best in the late afternoon or early morning.

Bull Frog Lake

Bull Frog Lake is a calm, open area with a pond surrounded by trees, rolling hills, and wide green fields filled with wildflowers. It has a really natural, peaceful feel and lots of variety for photos. It’s my favorite spot for senior sessions, especially during golden hour when the light is soft and warm across the fields.

Dean Nature Sanctuary

Dean Nature Sanctuary is a beautiful natural spot with tall grass and wildflowers that create really soft, pretty photos. It also has a small pond, a wooden fence, and a barn that add a nice variety of backdrops. I recommend this location for senior photos, especially in the late afternoon and during golden hour when everything looks warm and glowy.

The Morton Arboretum

The Morton Arboretum may require a small entry fee, which would be added to the session cost, but it offers some of the most beautiful and unique backdrops. Depending on the season, you can find flowering trees in spring, lush green canopies in summer, colorful foliage in fall, and peaceful snowy scenes in winter. It also has forests, open fields, water views, and even sculpture areas that add variety to every session. This spot is great for any type of photoshoot year round.

St. Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier Church is a beautiful church with classic architecture, high ceilings, and stained glass that make for timeless and sentimental photos. The outside of the building also has large pillars that create a great backdrop for portraits. This is a great option for anyone looking for a location that is not nature based, especially for senior photos.

The Wrigley Building

Wrigley Building is a beautiful and historic Chicago building with really cool architecture and great lighting, especially in the afternoon or later evening. It’s close to the river and a lot of other pretty Chicago locations, which makes it easy to get a variety of photos in one session. This spot is great for wedding and engagement photos, but also works really well for family and senior pictures.

North Avenue Beach

North Avenue Beach is a beautiful spot for both sunrise and sunset photos right along the beach in Chicago. With the lake, skyline views, and sandy shoreline, it’s a really cute location for proposals, engagement photos, family sessions, and senior pictures.

The Palmer House

Palmer House Hilton is a historic hotel with beautiful Beaux-Arts architecture, an ornate lobby, grand chandeliers, and elegant vintage details. It has a slightly darker, classic Chicago feel that photographs really well, especially indoors. This location is perfect for engagement or wedding photos if you’re looking for something timeless, dramatic, and a little more moody.