Our favorite Evanston parks and lakefront spots for natural-light pet portraits, and when to shoot each one.
Our studio sits right at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center in Evanston, so we shoot outdoors here constantly. These are the spots that consistently give us the best light and the calmest pets.
Open lakefront space with soft, even light in the early morning and gorgeous warm tones an hour before sunset. Great for dogs who like room to move before settling into a pose.
Quieter and more shaded, which works well for pets who get overstimulated by open water views or crowds. The mature trees give us dappled, forgiving light almost any time of day.
A good middle ground: some open lawn, some tree cover, and usually fewer people around on weekday mornings, which helps anxious pets settle faster.
The right park depends on your pet's temperament as much as the scenery. We talk through this during every planning consultation, and it's also worth reading our guide on preparing an anxious or nervous dog for a photoshoot before you pick a spot.
Prefer a controlled environment instead? Our private Evanston studio is weather-proof and just as personal. If you're closer to the city, see our companion guide to dog photography locations in Lincoln Park.
All outdoor sessions are booked through our Outdoor Pet Photography page, where you can see example galleries from these exact locations.