One of the most popular and important questions after families book their outdoor session is "where should we go?" I have quite a number of places that I am familiar with and love for various reasons. There are a few factors to consider. The most important for me is lighting. It's the number one thing that can make or break a photo. Therefore, the locations that I prefer to use have really great light, but also gives us pockets of shade where I can control how harsh the light hits you. It's all about the balance of having that beautiful warm glow of the sun without it being too much. Speaking of warm glow, this is why I schedule all of my sessions about an hour and a half before sunset. In summer months, this means we have a start time as late as 7:30pm. In fall we'll start around 4:30-6pm. The fall season brings later sunrises in the morning, which means I'm able to accomodate some morning sessions around 9am in certain locations. This is a great option for toddlers and pre-school aged children.
Secondly, you as a family have to decide how far you want to travel. Most of my locations are within Hamilton, Burlington or Oakville so as long as your family is local, you won't be driving too far a distance.
The last consideration is crowds - for the most part, weekday sessions will be far less crowded than Fri-Sun evenings. There are a few locations (such as the beach and urban/downtown locations) which I won't even bother using on weekends because they are overrun with people which will be visible in the background of images.
I've been photographing families for 10 years now, so I have a vast collection of places I have used. During the spring + summer seasons, most families are looking for a location that showcases the new blooms and flowers. Here's a few locations that work fantastic for spring + summer photos.
DUNDURN CASTLE, Hamilton, ON
Ideal Months: Year-Round
This is one of my favourite locations, year round and one I recommend often. It’s easy to get to, has a big, free parking lot and gives families a ton of variety of backgrounds. There are tree-lined pathways, white walls with cream pillars, green shutters and doors, rustic stables, stonework and greenery and obviously the castle makes a stunning backdrop.
PALETTA LAKEFRONT PARK, Burlington, ON
Ideal months: June-Sept
This quaint park down by the lake in Burlington offers a ton of variety all at one location. It has a beautiful stone mansion, walking pathways with lots of different flower gardens, trees and bushes, all making pretty backdrops for images. It's also a great spot to get photos in front of the water. It's a great spot for babies and toddlers because there isn't a ton of walking and it's stroller friendly. This park is usually not busy on weekdays, whereas this is a popular wedding spot on Friday and Saturdays which makes the park and parking busier. The location is down in a valley and has lots of tree coverage so I'm sometimes able to start my sessions up to 30 mins earlier here, which can be appealing for families that have little ones with early bedtimes. Ideal months are June to September because prior to this the flower gardens are very sparse, the temperature can be cool by the lake, and in springtime there are often swarms of midges bugs which are very annoying.
VAN WAGNER BEACH, Hamilton, ON
Ideal months: June-Sept
Just off the highway in Hamilton along lake Ontario is a long stretch of beach that I go to every time someone asks for sandy beach photos. It has lots of long grass, driftwood logs to sit on and trees along the sandy beach. This location requires a bit of walking and it's worth noting that some babies don't like sand - so make sure your baby doesn't cry when placed in the grass or sand before choosing this location for your family photos. I only visit this location on weekdays because on weekends there is no parking and the beaches are crowded. This location may be a bit cool during early spring evenings but once the weather warms up, it's a great choice!
GAIRLOCH GARDENS, Oakville, ON
Ideal months: late June- late Sept
A hidden gem along the lake in Oakville. It's one of my favourite summer spots for maternity sessions and families with little girls. From late June until September the gardens are full of lots of blooms including the rose garden. It makes for vibrant and colourful photos. Every year there are 3-4 palm trees that get planted beside the pond and standing in front of those makes it look like you're in a tropical paradise. Parking is limited but manageable on weekdays. The evening light here is stunning at sunset.
SHELL PARK, Oakville, ON
Ideal months: late June- late Sept
Another great option for a flower garden setting is Shell Park in Oakville. It has a ton of free parking, and a beautiful collection of gardens that get roses from about mid June - August and from August to September there are lots of beautiful flowers in a variety of colours. It's a small park which doesn't require a lot of walking and is my number one choice for outdoor newborn sessions. It's great for little girl first birthday sessions as well. So colourful and pretty! As an added bonus, right across the street is a beach location that we could also use for even more variety.
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