5 West Michigan locations for your photo or video session
One of the beautiful things about Michigan is there are so many different types of locations you have access to for wedding, lifestyle, family, or portrait photo or video sessions. You don’t even feel like you’re in Michigan when you are some of these locations! Here are some of my favorites!
1) Silver Lake Sand Dunes—I have known about this location for a long time and FINALLY went there for the first time and I was blown away. When I was at this location, I was getting major California vibes. It’s a very simple location but offers a lot of variety with the style you are looking for. This is a prime example of a Michigan spot that doesn’t feel like it’s in Michigan. Silver Lake Sand Dunes is perfect for portrait, engagement, family, and wedding session.
2) Provin Trails—this is a well-known spot about 15 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids. One of the things I like about this location is you can get different looks when you’re there. There is an area that is sandy and that makes it feel like you are near the lakeshore, and multiple heavily wooded areas for those looking for more of a cozy backdrop. I love the variety of looks you can get from Provin Trails! Because of the variety of backdrops, you can do it’s a perfect place to do outfit changes if you’re doing a session that includes multiple outfits. No one will know you’re at the same spot! ;)
3) Blandford Nature Center—I love Blandford Nature Center because I like the tall grass and wildflowers that bloom in this area. This location is another great spot to get a variety of backdrops! I love finding locations where you can get different styles. This is also in Grand Rapids so if you’re doing a session where you want both city and nature locations this would be perfect, as it isn’t very far from downtown.
4) Downtown Grand Rapids parking garages—this location is becoming very popular! With being at the very top of a parking garage you can get great cityscape backgrounds in photos if you want to be in a more urban environment. I really like this location for lifestyle sessions! If you want a parking garage location, be sure to talk to your photographer or videographer about ones that would work! I’ve run into issues where there are a lot of guardrails and I don’t want those in the photos!
5) Pickerel Lake—this is another beautiful nature-filled location in Rockford, MI. One of the things I really like about this place is having a body of water as an option for a background, but you also have areas for a woodsy background. You can’t go in the water so if you are someone who wants a session where you can get some fun water shots, I’d suggest heading to Lake Michigan access. But this is another 2-in-1 location perfect for engagement, family, pregnancy, or wedding photo sessions.
