At long last, after 11 years in business, I’m sharing the best locations for family photography in Fairfield County, CT. As someone who serves both Westchester and Fairfield primarily, I have run the gamut of locations and still do location scouting to find the best places to take family photos. This guide serves to help busy moms and families plan their perfect, dream photo session. We live in such a beautiful area of the country, and the locations I choose specifically with my families help tell the story of where we are. As someone who gets on a plane several times a year to photograph families all over the world, I am always proud to come back and seek out the natural beauty in our area. When I started Tesora Photography, this business came directly from my heart. I am an outdoor person through and through (my families know that I grew up in the Hudson Valley), and these locations have captured my heart.
Location Matters for Family Photography
Location matters for family photos for so many reasons; it provides certain light that can make for a romantic, timeless session, a backdrop that will complement, and not take away from your family, and the colors that adorn your session background will also adorn your home when you hang your beautiful prints on your walls. Soft colors will add to the look at feel of your home, no matter what your decor style really is. Some practical considerations beyond the beauty are as follows:
- Parking must be ample to alleviate stress of any kind
- The location has diverse options for background
- The dream spot where we pick has enough room for a family to run around and explore, which really adds to the feeling of togetherness in our photos
Some things to consider about Fairfield County Photo Locations
Before we choose a location, I have a planning call with my moms who want to design their dream session. While some locations are completely free and open, I may have a family that opts for a location with some barriers to working there, which is COMPLETELY fine, but we just need to be prepared and ready for this scenario. I love the feeling of being prepared and not being faced with last minute challenges. Here are some things to consider:
- A location may need a day pass or a permit to work there
- A location may be very dark at my usual golden hour time, so we will need to push the session up a bit to get beautiful light
- A location is very well-known, and may be a bit crowded (which is absolutely fine!)
Location 1: Sherwood Island Park, Westport, CT
Sherwood is a great location for family photography in Fairfield County because it is 1) centrally-located, 2) free for CT residents, and 3) has a stunning coastal backdrop and the option to also use tall grasses. It is so big that we can go several different places within the park for portraits. It is great in the morning as close to sunset as possible, and then again during golden hour (about an hour and a half before sunset) in the evening. The only drawback I can think of is the traffic on 95 that we will always need to add more time in for to get there, but that preparedness that we have never makes this an issue.
Location 2: Waveny Park, New Canaan, CT
Everyone knows by now that I love Waveny, and here is why: Waveny provides such a diverse backdrop for any type of feel you’re going for in family sessions. My personal favorite type of portrait at Waveny is the use of the wild grasses as a backdrop. Because my own style is organic beauty, this holds a special place in my heart for spring, summer and fall sessions. If you’re going for more of a tailored look and feel, we can use the beautiful rose garden or have the stunning mansion as a backdrop to some of the portraits. Or even better, we can use ALL of it. Waveny also has a lot of woods and walking paths, which is perfect for a family who loves the outdoors. There is ample parking despite the construction this past year, and it is free for all, even if you don’t live in CT. Truly a wonderful place. While this location is very popular among photographers, a great photographer will always make it so that we don’t know that in the photos 🙂
Location 3: Tod’s Point, Greenwich CT
Simply speaking, Tod’s Point in Greenwich, CT is a fantastic spot for family photos. It is vast, provides diversity in background choice, and is stunningly beautiful. The drawback? It requires a permit from the town to be sorted ahead of time for each car. I always recommend a decent amount of lead time to work out any kinks with the town and securing this permit. It is VERY doable, but needs to be picked up ahead of time (the town is only open Monday through Friday).
Location 4: Irwin Park, New Canaan, CT
I adore Irwin Park for family photographs in Fairfield County. Offering motherhood sessions in the spring for Mother’s Day in the beautiful daffodil field has been such a beautiful addition to my spring offerings. I also adore the wild grasses in the back of the park (seen below). It is free for everyone, and a great location for photographs. Irwin’s light can be shadowy the later it gets, making it a great spot for some earlier portraits instead of a super late session.
Final Thoughts
While these are some of my favorite locations for family photographs in Fairfield County, the list above is almost exclusively for spring, summer and fall/ autumn sessions. This is a great list for when it’s fantastic weather, but what about the freezing cold winters? If you’re looking for a winter session, I have several incredible studio locations that I work with exclusively in the area to create a dream winter session. Further, I have used wonderful home rentals that take away the stress of having a session in your own home where the light can be unpredictable, or where you’d be responsible for cleaning and organizing it for it to be photo-ready. I’m excited to chat more about your dream Fairfield County family photo session and create magic for you and your family this year. Let’s have a conversation and get started!
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Carolyn of Tesora Photography is a family, maternity and newborn photographer serving Fairfield County, Westchester County and the Hudson Valley with a fine art film background, bringing a luxury experience to busy moms. She travels worldwide and spends significant time photographing families in the UK.
