I first met Dana and Ryan back in the middle of COVID, when I photographed their wedding at Chicago City Winery during one of the strangest, most uncertain years for celebrations. Since then, I’ve watched their family grow, from that wedding day, to their son’s first smash cake session, to now, two kids in, chasing each other through the prairie grass during Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area family photos in Cary, IL. These Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area family photos really showed the joy of this growing family.
If you haven’t explored Fel-Pro RRR yet, it’s one of Cary’s most underrated natural spots, rolling prairie, wooden bridges, a cascading waterfall, and quiet ponds tucked along the trails. It gave us so much variety in one session: golden light through the tall grass, a rustic arched bridge for family portraits, and the sound of the waterfall as a backdrop while the kids explored. Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area family photos are perfect for capturing these moments.
There’s something I love about photographing a family more than once. You stop just taking their portrait and start actually documenting their story. This session felt like exactly that, especially with such a beautiful location for Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area family photos.
Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area was new territory for us, and it delivered in every way, open prairie fields, a rustic arched wooden bridge, a cascading waterfall, and a quiet pond tucked along the trail. It gave us a completely different backdrop than our last session together, with light and textures that felt distinct from anywhere else we’d shot as a family.
If you’re looking for a Cary IL family photographer for your own outdoor session, whether at Fel-Pro RRR, Hoffman Park, or another favorite spot, I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re newly engaged or planning a wedding, I’d be honored to be part of your story too, just like I was for Dana and Ryan.
Charli and Brooks brought all their usual energy. We got the classic posed moments, walking together as a family of four, holding hands down the path but my favorite frames came from the unplanned ones: the kids racing each other along the water’s edge, pointing excitedly at the waterfall, and a quiet moment of Dana fixing her daughter’s hair at a picnic table as the light turned gold behind them. In short, Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area family photos can really capture both candid and posed memories in a unique outdoor setting.
Photographing this family again reminded me why repeat clients mean so much to me. Watching a couple I married during one of the hardest years for weddings now build a life and a family together and trusting me to keep showing up for it — is exactly why I love this work.
If you’re planning a wedding in the Chicago area, or looking for a family photographer to grow with your family the way I have with Dana and Ryan’s, I’d love to hear your story too.
Read about the Zoellick family’s last session at Hoffman Park ! it’s amazing to see how much has changed (and stayed the same) in just a year!