I grew up going camping at state parks almost every weekend. My family had an RV and we took that thing everywhere! So going to state parks is a little like home for me. It’s like revisiting my childhood and one the reasons I love to shoot outdoors. The closest state park to me is High Cliff and it doesn’t disappoint. For reason though, I had never shot there yet until the Cleveland family suggested High Cliff State Park for their fall family photos.
When a family suggests a location, I always take time to go there ahead of time and check the location out. I go right at the time of the shoot, so I can see what the light is like and make sure I’m prepared for their session. High Cliff State Park in Sherwood, WI has beautiful cliffs of rocks, tall grass, and a gorgeous trail called Butterful Pond Trail that wraps around a scenic pond. I’ve been to High Cliff a million times and somehow had no idea that trail existed! If you haven’t been there, go! It’s a 1.3 mile trail at the base of High Cliff State Park and was one of the locations we used for the Cleveland’s photos.
One of the best parts of High Cliff is the variety of locations to shoot in. We started at the top of the hill with beautiful rocks underneath their feet. We stopped at another spot with towering rocks behind them and then finished at the pond and huge willow tree by the entrance of the park. There’s also the shore of Lake Winnebago we could’ve used if we had more time.
My favorite part about this session, besides the fall colors, was working with a family with an older child. Carter tried his hardest not to smile, but I still caught some smiles in there! We did a lot of the same things I would do with younger kids, like tickles and jokes, that made it easy to capture their family. They were wonderful to work with and I’m so glad they will have these photos to look back on!
Interested in your own High Cliff family photos? Contact me! Ask any questions you might have. I’m here to help!
