There is a reason LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles, Illinois is one of my favorite locations for senior pictures. Within one session, we can create completely different looks from open prairie and wildflowers to the creek, tree-lined paths and beautiful golden-hour light.
For this Hampshire High School senior session, we took advantage of just about everything LeRoy Oakes has to offer. The result was a senior gallery with plenty of variety while still feeling relaxed, natural and cohesive.
A Natural Location for Hampshire High School Senior Pictures
Senior pictures should feel like you not like an hour of standing in the same spot smiling at the camera.
That is one of the things I love about photographing seniors at LeRoy Oakes. We can walk, explore and change scenery throughout the session, which naturally gives us different poses, expressions and backgrounds.
For this session, we started among the prairie grasses and late summer wildflowers. Her light blue dress against all that green and golden color was such a good combination, especially as the sun began dropping behind the trees.
Golden Hour Senior Pictures in St. Charles
That last hour before sunset is where LeRoy Oakes really comes alive.
The warm light coming through the prairie gives senior portraits that soft, glowy look without taking away from the senior herself. I especially love using the light behind my seniors to create that warm rim of light around their hair.
And while I’ll always make sure we get those beautiful looking-at-the-camera portraits for Mom and Dad, I also want the gallery to have movement and personality.
That means walking, sitting, playing with your hair, looking away from the camera and giving you things to do instead of expecting you to know how to pose.
Yes, You Can Bring More Than One Outfit
One of the easiest ways to make a senior gallery feel more varied is with an outfit change.
For this Hampshire High School senior session, we went from a long, light blue dress to a casual white top and jeans and then a feminine floral dress for the creek.
Each outfit worked with a different part of the preserve, so instead of looking like the same photos with different clothes, each section of the session had its own feel.
That is exactly what I want from a senior gallery.
Senior Pictures by the Creek at LeRoy Oakes
One of my favorite parts of LeRoy Oakes is the creek.
It adds something completely different from the prairie portraits and seniors who don’t mind getting a little adventurous can even step down near the water.
For these images, the floral dress was perfect. The softer print worked beautifully against the water, rocks and greenery, while the sunlight reflecting off the creek gave us some gorgeous light.
This is why choosing the right senior portrait location matters. You don’t necessarily need to travel to several different places to get variety. At a location like LeRoy Oakes, we can create several completely different looks during one session.
Senior Pictures That Don't Feel Stiff or Over-Posed
One of the biggest things I hear from seniors before their session is some version of:
“I don’t know how to pose.”
Good. You don’t need to.
That’s my job.
I’ll guide you throughout your session where to put your hands, where to look, how to stand and when to move, but I don’t want every photograph to feel overly posed.
Some of my favorite images happen between the traditional poses: fixing your hair, walking through the field, laughing, sitting barefoot near the creek or simply looking away from the camera.
The goal is a gallery that feels polished without losing your personality.
When Should Hampshire High School Seniors Book Their Pictures?
If you’re graduating from Hampshire High School, you don’t have to stay in Hampshire for your senior pictures.
I photograph seniors throughout the western and northwestern Chicago suburbs, and choosing a location based on the look you want is much more important than choosing the closest location to home.
LeRoy Oakes in St. Charles is especially beautiful from summer into early fall when the prairie is full and the evening light is warm.
If you love the look of these photographs, I recommend booking early enough that we can plan around the season, sunset time and the type of scenery you want.
Planning Your Own Senior Pictures?
Your senior year goes ridiculously fast. Your senior session should give you an excuse to slow it down for an evening and create something that actually feels like you.
Whether you want wildflowers and golden fields, an urban downtown session, the beach, forest scenery or a combination of different looks, we’ll plan your session around your style rather than trying to fit every senior into the same formula.
I’m Melissa, the photographer behind LibbyLou Images, and I photograph high school seniors from Hampshire, Elgin, St. Charles, Geneva, South Elgin, Huntley and throughout the Chicago suburbs.