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There are so many great locations around Sioux City that are beautiful for family photos, but one of the most important things to consider when choosing a perfect session location is the lighting – depending when the sun rises or sets!

This list is some of my favorite locations around Siouxland and my favorite times of the day to shoot there!

Adam’s Nature Preserve in McCook, SD

Already a very popular location to shoot at among local photographers, Adam’s Nature Preserve has many different locations on the property that give the feel of totally different locations. When photographing at Adam’s Nature Preserve, expect to see tall grass fields and their wild flowers in the summer! In the summertime, you can get some beautiful glowy images that are sure to be some of your favorites.

My favorite time to shoot at Adam’s Nature Preserve is in the evening (about 1-2 hours before the sun is scheduled to set), but have found that shooting in the morning here is great too (about 2 hours after the sun has risen)

 

Downtown streets in Sioux City, IA

If you’re not into the outdoorsy and country vibes, then definitely consider taking your portraits in downtown Sioux City. When I first started, I primarily shot in some of the alleyways in downtown Sioux City, but now I find myself shooting on the city sidewalks, parking ramps, and parking lots. Because of the unique architecture of so many different buildings and structures in downtown, you can gets tons of variety in your images within a short amount of time!

Because of the tall buildings, you can get away with shooting in downtown Sioux City at almost any time of day. I prefer shooting in the mornings, but have shot during the evenings as well. I recommend avoiding when the sun is at high noon.

 

Private property

Sometimes I get lucky and get the chance to photograph families on their own property! This is a favorite of mine, because these families get photos that mean so much more having the session take place on their land and I get to add some variety to my portfolio!

When I shoot on private property, I always have to do my research before I schedule the session start time with my clients. I will go on Google Earth to scope out the location, see where the sun will rise/set, and what would be our backdrop at that session time and then choose our start time based upon my findings.

 

Rose Garden at Grandview Park in Sioux City, IA

Especially in the summer when the roses have bloomed, the Rose Garden in Grandview Park is a great location to shoot at. The roses add the prettiest pop of color. Just be cautious planning shoots on the weekends, because it is also a location people will rent out for their small weekend weddings. 

My favorite time to shoot at the Rose Garden is in the evening (about 2 hours before the sun is scheduled to set).

 

Gravel roads

Some of my favorite locations for portrait sessions are random back-country gravel roads! The photos from this session were found while I was driving to their home to meet them for their family session. We were going to do the session on their property until I found the prettiest lighting popping through the trees on this gravel road.

I find start time of sessions on gravel roads also depends on the direction of the road and the backdrop when the sun rises or sets.

 

Taylor Maurer Photography only takes a limited number of portrait sessions each year, so to contact Taylor to book a session ASAP, click here!

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