One of my best forest-type locations for senior photography is Sly Park that’s in Pollock Pines, California. I was always on the lookout where I could do a photoshoot in a beautiful woodsy area.
It’s really hard to find unique woodsy spots around the Sacramento area. Photographers have to drive far away to find the perfect location for their portrait photoshoots.
I did lots of scouting in different areas to find a spot that would have that forest look and feel that I was looking for. I was looking for a spot to be a safe place for both the photographer and the clients.
The best woodsy location for senior pictures near the Sacramento area is Sly Park at Jenkinson Lake, Pollock Pines. Located in the heart of the El Dorado National Forest, and just 60 miles away from Downtown Sacramento, this park will give you beautiful backdrops for portraits and not only that.
Sly Park Recreation Area is very well maintained as it’s also an excellent location for hiking, swimming, recreation, and campgrounds all year round. Every time we visit this park for a family trip or a portrait photoshoot, we always come back with positive energy and lots of great memories made.
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HOW TO GET TO SLY PARK RECREATION AREA
Getting to Sly Park from Sacramento, California, only takes about an hour in good driving conditions. The best way to get to the park is by taking Highway 50 toward the Placerville. This is the most convenient way to get to the Pollock Pines area.
Driving conditions during spring, summer, and fall are very good, but in wintertime, it’s possible to have snow there. My advice would be to have your snow chains ready when traveling to Sly Park Recreation Area in the wintertime.
Anyone who is looking to have fantastic winter photos of their family or senior pictures – this location is for you. It is an excellent opportunity for you to have a photoshoot in the snow at a location that is only 60 miles away from Downtown Sacramento.
ADVANTAGES OF CHOOSING WOODSY PHOTOSHOOT LOCATION
Choosing a woodsy photoshoot location has many advantages, especially for senior pictures. Many high school seniors want to have their portraits taken in outdoor places. High school seniors prefer to be around nature and preferably water as well.
The main advantage of choosing a woodsy location is the ability to take photos there at any time of day. With so much shade around, it’s possible to have a successful photo session even during a hot summer day. However, every photographer prefers sunset time, if possible.
The Sly Park Recreation Area lets us create very authentic senior pictures at different woodland location spots in its area.
If the client chooses to have more greenery and trees in their portraits, we go for those shots. If another senior wants to have a balance of woodsy pictures and photos on the dock or in the water, Bidun Studio Photography can do that as well!
BEST TIME FOR PICTURES AT A FOREST
The “golden hour” is the perfect time for taking those beautiful warm sun-lit portraits in the forest. A lot of seniors and other clients opt-in for natural light portraits.
With every outdoor senior photo session, we always plan to be at the location about two hours before sunset time. Considering that some client’s availability may not allow for a sunset photo session, we could take pictures during the sunrise time as well. If waking up super early is not a problem for you, we could make it work at the sunrise time.
One of the advantages of taking pictures at a forest location is that you will undoubtedly have shaded areas. There will be plenty of areas with no direct and harsh light.
During Wong’s Sly Park senior photoshoot, we knew how important it was to photograph her at this beautiful location at the perfect time. Bidun Studio Photography team always strives to arrive at photo sessions slightly ahead of time. This gives us time to plan out each photography location and timing accordingly.
MY THREE PHOTOGRAPHY SPOTS FROM THIS SENIOR SESSION
THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATION SPOT at Sly Park, where we took portraits of Wong, was at the dock. This spot gives a great perspective for the senior pictures as the sun is gently setting down behind the trees. When I shoot from the pier toward the Jenkinson Lake, it creates a beautiful scenic backdrop with the lake and forest in the background.
THE SECOND SPOT where we took senior portraits was on a parking lot. When using portrait or high-zoom lenses, we could get the main subject stand out as the forest creates a gorgeous rich background. The sun setting glow was a great addition to these portraits. Using the photographer’s creativity and different angles, we managed to create some of the most beautiful senior pictures for Wong.
THE THIRD PHOTOGRAPHY SPOT at the Sly Park was using nature props that are present at the location. We took some pictures using a chunky log that was right on the shore, and it turned out super amazing! There were also some big rocks on the beach, which served as perfect nature props. They helped us to create even more authentic senior portraits.
WHAT TYPE OF PHOTO SESSIONS CAN BE DONE AT SLY PARK
Sly Park Recreation Area is a wonderful location for senior pictures, family portraits, and even couples photo sessions. Given the wide variety of locations at this park, the photographer can spend a good few hours taking photos here. The images will look beautiful and unique.
I noticed a few things from my previous photo sessions at Sly Park. Coming for portrait pictures during weekdays will lower the chance of having too many park visitors. This, in turn, will benefit you during the photo session.
Every senior or family photo session client that I’ve photographed here has given us only positive feedback. Everyone loved their lifestyle pictures at the Sly Park Recreation Area.
ABOUT THE PHOTOSHOOT
The senior photo session started with portraits on the beach of Jenkinson Lake. Since the photoshoot was on a weekday, the whole beach was clear and to ourselves.
The sun was still a bit harsh, so I played around with different angles and lenses. The goal was to capture Wong in some creative portraits as well as full-body images.
I recommend you see our post Posing Tips for Portrait Photography for more ideas. It’s always helpful when the client comes prepared with their ideas and inspiration images. To get more ideas for your photoshoot mood board, check out our Instagram page.
Wong was natural in front of the camera and was super excited to try out different locations throughout Sly Park. She came in very prepared as well, bringing in different outfits, accessories, and hats.
Little things such as hats or glasses can bring so much authenticity into the senior photography session. Find more tips on how to better prepare for a portrait photoshoot in our post.
We always encourage seniors to bring personal items and props that are meaningful for them. We will try to incorporate that into the photo session.
Different photoshoot locations require outfits that better fit for that specific spot. Find out which senior picture outfits work best in our detailed Senior Outfit Guide.
EACH LOCATION SPOT AT SLY PARK GIVES A UNIQUE LOOK
Sun started setting down a bit, and we started getting the beautiful soft tones of the golden hour. After a quick outfit change, we went down the dock to take more portraits closer to the water.
Jenkinson Lake had perfectly clear water that day with a beautiful reflection. It gave us a chance to take many creative senior pictures on the dock. These images will look so amazing in her photo album!
The gorgeous scenery and crisp air at the Sly Park were a great bonus to this senior portrait session. We kept taking more beautiful portraits at the dock, experimenting with the different hats that Wong brought with her.
The images we took on the dock are our her favorites from the whole gallery. There’s something so calming and exciting in each of the pictures with the lake in the background.
USING SURROUNDINGS AS PHOTOGRAPHY PROPS
Sly Park has so many natural photography props that can be utilized in creative portrait photography. We encountered a chunky dry log on the beach and quickly decided to take some photos with it. I have to say that it was a great addition to Wong’s senior photography gallery.
Photographers are talented creatives, and for us, it’s a fun challenge to use surroundings in the photo session. Each portrait photographer has their own vision and way of seeing everything around them. The results will always be different and unique. That’s what motivates us, at Bidun Studio Photography, to keep pushing our creativity to the max.
With a good variety of senior portraits, we stopped by a place where there were a lot of fallen leaves. What is the best way to end a fun senior session, than to have a golden leaves-fall? Wong didn’t mind that, and with some help from an assistant, Sergey Bidun took more artistic senior portraits.
MODERN SENIOR PORTRAITS
Bidun Studio Photography is an award-winning boutique photography studio. We specialize in providing a custom high school senior photography experience in the Sly Park and all Northern California.
At Bidun Studio, we specialize in modern, fashion-inspired custom senior portraits. We aim to customize each photo session to each of our unique seniors’ personalities.
Our portrait photography team strives to make every senior session fun. We create an experience by capturing authentic portraits that reflect the unique personality of each client. As one of Sacramento top senior portrait photographer studios, we aim to take photos that will take your breath away and an experience that you will remember for many years.
Our boutique photography studio is located in Sacramento, California. We are happy to travel and provide services as Sacramento senior photographer, Roseville senior photographer, Granite Bay senior photographer, Folsom senior photographer, El Dorado senior photographer, Elk Grove senior photographer, Sly Park senior photographer, Napa senior photographer, and the surrounding areas.
