Where Should We Go for Our Photo Session?

Are you looking for a location to host your engagement photoshoot, a photo session, or just a family portrait?

You can check out the top 10 famous locations around the Twin Cities, or simply choose the perfect place for you.

You will usually choose an outdoor place (for the natural light) with a nice landscape in the background. It should be a stunning place that you like! Most of the time, it’s a park or a natural outdoor location: the countryside, next to a lake, the Mississippi River shore, a lake with a pond or a beach, on top of a hill, a mountain with a scenic overlook, or a cliff. It could also be in the middle of a lush forest. For instance, the North Duluth forest, where I would be more than thrilled to capture pre-wedding photography or tell the story of a wedding day!

Alternatively, it could be a place in a city (like the Twin Cities), with authentic buildings that have character. Or it could be an unexpected place that defines you, where you feel comfortable—for instance, on a rooftop or in an amusement park! Feel free to explore your creativity with an original photo session.

We will see later that covered locations for engagement sessions are important, but try to avoid covered locations with terrible artificial light.

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It Must Be a Place You Really Like or That Has Significance for You

That’s the most basic thing: you should like the place to feel relaxed! It could be a place where you grew up that you really love, where you have a lot of passion and memories. You could return to where you and your fiancé met, or where your fiancé proposed. Or, more simply, it could be a place you’re used to visiting on weekends.

If your wedding venue is amazing and you can access it, that could also be a good option! Then, on your wedding day, you will feel at home.

In any case, it should be a place you are happy with and where you feel at ease.

Choose a Location Where You Will Be (Almost) Alone for Your Photo Session

If you’re a little shy, it might be smart to choose a place where you can have an intimate engagement session. Indeed, people might sometimes stay around during the shoot, looking at you and thinking how romantic you are and how much you both must love each other. But for you, this could break your confidence. So, just as I suggest the bride and groom step away from guests during their photo session, I suggest you choose a place with fewer people for your privacy. Of course, if you’re sure it won’t be a problem, or if you really want a public spot, let’s go for it. But perhaps consider it as an additional location.

What’s more, if we shoot photos in a crowded place, you will likely have those people in the background of your pictures.

Photo Ideas: Break the Rules, Choose an Unexpected Place!

That said, break the rules! There are no rules (except maybe that you should feel at ease).
Some places are so touristy, with so many people, that after a while, you can forget you are surrounded by the Minnesotan crowd. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about: I used to work in Paris with all the tourists. So, if you are not shy, the crowd won’t be a deal-breaker for the choice of your location for your photo session.
You can choose a very unexpected place, like:

An industrial, historic place
a local airport
a marina (or a yacht)
an old theater (e.g., The Sheldon Theatre in Red Wing)
An old opera
a stadium
a shop
a restaurant
a museum
a library
a fair (state fair, old car show)
an air balloon festival
a vintage swimming pool
a skating rink
a lake for canoeing or a frozen lake to skate, walk, or have fun on
a treehouse

In fact, there aren’t really any rules; the only limit is creativity.

Why Not Several Places for Your Photo Session in Minnesota?

The more locations you have, the more different backgrounds you will have in your pictures. So you can choose some different places to go for your photo session!

Mixing Natural Backgrounds and Urban Twin Cities Settings

A good idea is mixing a park (or other outdoor location) with another location in the Twin Cities. This way, you can have a casual outfit and a second, more formal outfit. Regarding dress selection, take a look at our advice for engagement sessions.

You Should Take into Consideration the Forecast and the Season for Your Photo Session

Season Matters

It sounds pretty obvious that the same location won’t look the same or offer the same emotion depending on the season (and weather). A breathtaking location in summer that you cherish could turn into a terrible idea in winter. Or the opposite, a place covered with snow or a frozen lake can be amazing in winter.

Time of Day and Natural Light

The best natural light is early in the morning or late in the evening before sunset. If you are ready to wake up at dawn, then you are most likely to enjoy a location empty of visitors with the best light of the day. Another advantage will be that you are not limited by the sunset.

If you prefer your photographer to capture your portraits in the afternoon, then make sure to include enough time before sunset.
Check out our Golden Hour Calculator.

If you choose an indoor place, pay attention to the kind of light. The trickiest light is the mix of natural light (blue) and artificial light (yellow).

In Case of Bad Weather, You Need a Plan B

What’s wet and falls from the sky? Rain. A rainy day could be an issue. If you have a Plan B protected under a roof, it would be smart! Clouds are not a problem at all, but a huge storm could be!

Your Home Could Be a Good Location Too

It may sound surprising, but your home may be a good place to take pictures. Of course, you need to have a nice home with lots of windows and clear walls. Then, you may want to split your session and do an intimate photoshoot (for you) in addition to a more traditional one (the one you will send save-the-date cards).

Given we spend much of our time at home, it’s a place where we have a lot of interaction. So it could be some pictures of you hugging on your couch, or fighting in your bedroom with your pillows, sharing coffee under a blanket, or drinking some wine in front of your fireplace.

best place for your photosession minneapolis

If you don’t have any ideas, I will be happy to give you some suggestions for your photo session.

Locations in St. Paul in good weather situations:

Harriet Island: Offers a very nice view of the city skyline, the river, and a port with a steamboat!
The Como Park works great. The fair part of Como Zoo also works great.
The Saint Paul Capitol and the Saint Paul Cathedral. They are both light stone buildings, meaning they work pretty well all year round, in all weather conditions.
The Summit Area is just behind the Capitol. It has plenty of old, majestic houses and manors. Most gardens have huge, century-old oak trees.
Lots of rooftops. Saint Paul is full of rooftops. I especially like the Capital City Plaza Parking Ramp, but I can recommend plenty of others.
Around the Landmark Center.
Some abandoned locations, like the Old Loading Docks in St. Paul.

Locations in Minneapolis in good weather situations:

The Stone Arch Bridge and, more broadly, the Stone Arch Bridge area work great! For example, Pillsbury Park.
And the entire area northwest of Hennepin Avenue works pretty well (old brick buildings). If you know other areas like that, let me know! 😀
Boom Island Park has an amazing view of the Minneapolis skyline and offers access to the Mississippi River.
The Monument, located at one end of Summit Avenue, offers a nice overview of the river and the city.
Rooftops. There are lots and lots of rooftops in Minneapolis. I like the Hennepin Avenue Ramp.
Speaking of Hennepin Ave: the entire part with theater lights works well in winter (but there are some strange guys around).
Old industrial buildings.
Large graffiti walls work great. Let’s think about the Schmidt Music wall (Minneapolis) or the Flor Mural on Lake Street (Minneapolis).
Minnehaha Falls: Works OK. It’s a big park with several options.
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum: Works REALLY great! It’s one of the best places I would recommend, but there is a $15 entrance fee.
Lyndale Park Rose Garden, located close to Lake Harriet. It’s big enough and offers a large variety of trees, with many different ambiances. What’s more, it’s free.
The Armory Building on the University of Minnesota Campus. It looks like an old European castle and will be a great backdrop.

Around the Twin Cities:

All the parks and state parks along the Mississippi.
Centennial Lakes Park: Located in Edina, it offers a good mix of buildings and lakes.
Lots of lakes with parks: e.g., Lebanon Hills Regional Park located in Eagan.
Golf Clubs: Like The Town and Country Club. Of course, you need to arrange access with the manager first.
Hansen Tree Farm. It’s in the north of Minneapolis, in Ramsey. Given its pines, it works very well all year round, in all conditions. They now charge $40 for the session.
An alternative with tall pines can be the Rice Creek North Regional Trail Access.
All pine forests would work great (so if you know some good ones, let me know).
Apple orchards could be a good idea too in September.
Amusement parks are often unexpected places where your photo session can take place. Like Valleyfair, or Paul Bunyanland for its funny background.
Some historic downtowns, for instance, Faribault or Stillwater.

Covered Locations for Photo Shoots in the Twin Cities that Work for Good and Bad Weather Conditions:

Como Conservatory: At Como Park. It’s a very nice conservatory. One place where you can get married, and several other rooms with tropical trees. Be careful, it’s easily crowded, and there is a $25 fee per person for photo sessions.
Landmark Center in St. Paul. It’s an OK location. It’s an old, historic, and beautiful building, but on a cloudy day, there won’t be a lot of natural light. This means it will be mostly artificial light (yellow). Nevertheless, the place is majestic, so it’s a go!
The Minnesota State Capitol has been renovated; it is just as gorgeous inside as outside. Photography is allowed.
George Latimer Central Library. It’s a blast! They have some old marble staircases with gold leaf details that I am in love with. Free permission is required.
Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. It would work great in case of snow, but it’s a pretty dark place, so I won’t recommend it for a sunny day. The immediate area is nice too.
In the same idea, all historic buildings could work (as far as we can add some stands to light the space). So if you think of an old place, an old big house, a little castle, or a wedding venue, let me know!
A museum could be a good place (if you have an interest in museums).
A brewery with big windows and natural light could work. If so, let’s plan to go there at opening.
Hotel lobbies can work great, like the historic part of the St. James Hotel in Red Wing.
A few pictures in a coffee shop could also be a good idea.
Covered rooftops. I’m thinking of the Millennium restaurant in Minneapolis (but I am sure there are plenty of others). The observation deck of the Foshay Tower in Minneapolis could work for a few shots.
Union Depot in Saint Paul would work great. Just make sure there is no event that day.
The American Swedish Institute is an amazing, beautiful mansion (or let’s say, a castle) from the outside. The inside is also great; a photo permit is needed (here)!

You Can Go Out of Minnesota for Your Photo Session!

Further than the Twin Cities in Minnesota:

Most couples won’t think to travel for their engagement photos or elopement. But that can totally be worth it to capture candid, fine art shots! You will not have access to these locations on your wedding day!

Taylors Falls (amazing landscape).
Duluth and North Duluth, I would be thrilled to take pictures in Northern Minnesota! Let’s capture the lake, the northern lights!
Historic Forestville (south of Rochester, MN) and its 1900s preserved buildings.

Much Further than Minnesota but Still in the USA:

Some places I would love to travel to take some pics:

Colorado’s state parks are just amazing! The Great Sand Dunes, the canyons, the Alpine mountains, the deserts. There is so much to see there! If you’re planning a destination wedding there, hire me!
Utah’s National Parks are very famous too!
Nevada’s National Parks.
South Dakota with Badlands National Park and the Black Hills National Forest.
Big cities, like Chicago or NYC, for an urban mood.

Other elements than Locations

Location is primary, but there are other elements to consider, such as your

Your outfits: (make sure to choose the right outfits, coordinate the colors)
Your ideas: You can do many original things for your engagement session in Minnesota! Consider whether you’re simply walking down the street or if you’re doing something special, like enjoying a boat ride on the Mississippi River.