Kansas City Photographers and photography clients alike may not realize just how blessed they are to have such an awesome variety of locations and settings to choose from for their sessions. Whether you are looking for an urban backdrop with alleys, graffiti, and cool doorways or rolling pastures, and old barns you can find it all within a short drive. Manicured parks with fountains and gardens and rustic woods are both a hop, skip and jump away. Here is a list of some of my personal favorites. Some are no secret (as in you might be standing in a line of other photographers and clients waiting for the “hot spots”) but are dependable and often worth using again and again. You can find my business website with more of my work at: www.heathernealphotography.com
Located in Blue Springs just off 7 Highway, Burr Oak Woods is a beautiful location year round. Always changing with the seasons and with an enormous variety of backgrounds, it is easy to use over and over still create unique and personal sessions. The Evergreen forest is extremely popular and beautiful in every season.
Also located near Blue Springs, Lake Jacomo offers a wide variety of natural backgrounds and is a great location for those who are looking for a setting with water. The Marina offers docks, stairs, a blue “garage” door and some woods near the parking lot that have brilliant colored leaves in the fall. There is a second fishing dock in a cove that is a bit of a challenge to find if you aren’t familiar with the area but quieter and has a beautiful sidewalk that is tree lined on one side and the lake lines the other. There is also a great wooden staircase off of one of the shelter areas that leads to a tiny dock however it’s not always open to the public. I love scheduling to use sessions here but since it’s close to Burr Oak Woods, I also use it as a back-up location in case we arrive at Burr Oak and find it closed due to a managed hunt.
The West Bottoms is easily one of the most popular “Urban” photography settings in Kansas City and with good reason. With colorful doorways, metal staircases, graffiti, rustic buildings and alleys full of brick and ivy around every corner, it is a fantastic place to find an overwhelming variety of backgrounds without even trying. Especially good for high school seniors, tweens and family sessions!
If you are looking for graffiti, the Crossroads Art District takes it to a whole other level. The graffiti in the Art District is…well, art! Huge murals, “graffiti alley” and other random alleys with amazing artwork are a photographer (and some clients’) dream come true! There are even hanging twinkle lights and a cool old camper.
If you are looking for someplace new and original for your photo session…well, Loose Park isn’t your place. This park is more full of photographers and clients than anything else on most days, but with good reason. Think… rose garden, fountains, ponds, bridges, weeping willows, flowering trees, stone walls, majestic trees…need I go on? It’s central location in Kansas City also puts it near many other great locations so if you are thinking of using multiple locations you might consider making this one of them!
Just South of Liberty, off of 291 Hwy you will find this hidden gem. Belvoir winery has a unique combination of nature and architectural elements that can be used for your photo session. It is a great spot for all types of sessions and the trees are beautiful in the fall. There is an open pasture and lots of green space surrounding the buildings and staircases, steps, ledges and all kinds of places on and around the main building for a great variety of posing!
I have only been to this location once for a family session and it was a rainy day so we didn’t do too much exploring but I loved Old Red Bridge. It’s a fairly unique location and doesn’t seem to be overused. You can leave a “love lock” on the bridge while you are there. Perfect engagement session! There is a park nearby which provides some green space as well.
Located just outside of Lee’s Summit, Unity Village offers beautiful fountains, a rose garden and amazing architecture. There are also trails around the buildings and lots of trees which provide green space or beautiful colors in the fall. They have recently implemented a policy requiring “commercial” photographers to purchase an “approved photographer badge” which is $100 for one day or $500 for the year. Their policy is a bit confusing since a commercial photographer is actually photography used to sell or market a product however on their site they have the following definition: *Unity considers a commercial photographer to be anyone providing photography services for a fee.
Unless you are a studio photographer, there aren’t a whole lot of indoor options around Kansas City for photography use. Most photographers and their clients end up at Union Station. During the holidays it is beautifully decorated and there are a lot of great spots for photos (as long as you are wanting a Christmas theme). They do charge for a permit but waive that fee between Thanksgiving and New Year. Their fee is a bit confusing. Here is their policy:
$75 facility fee. Our definition of “Formal” includes the occasions of weddings, engagements, graduations, and any event that includes more than 10 people. If the group is part of an event at Union Station, this fee is waived.
$25 facility fee. In the cases of Informal Photos being taken for private use, the fee is reduced. Our definition of “Informal” includes groups of less than 10 people (and waive it entirely between Thanksgiving and New Year).
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