If you’re tired of the same old studio poses for your family photo shoot this summer, consider hitting up some of these Chippewa Valley gems for unique backdrops and killer natural light. All you need is a photographer who digs shooting in the great outdoors and you’ll be good to go!

1. Irvine Park

Given its beautiful greenery and trails, finding Chippewa Falls’ Irvine Park on this list should be no surprise. Irvine Park has a ton of opportunities for unique family photos. Consider starting up by the historic Sunny Valley Schoolhouse: The stark, white, old-timey building will create beautiful contrast as a background in your photos. A few log buildings nearby also offer a rustic feel.

If you head over to the cave on the other side of the park, you can get some really great shots in front of the rock wall. The wall is pretty easy to climb, so you can bank on some creative poses you can’t get in a studio.

Want to get even further outside of the box? Consider hitting up the splash pad for summery action shots. There’s just something about candid photos that really capture who we are, and there’s nothing more candid then a kid’s expression as he or she runs through fountains of cool water on a hot day.

2. Downtown Eau Claire

While we all love downtown for its great eats, shopping, and entertainment, we don’t normally look at it and think about family photos. But downtown’s varying architecture, stoops, and brick facades will give a cool urban vibe to your yearly photos. Plus, the sculptures, benches, and streetlamps can add eye-catching elements as well.

The final bonus: Depending on where you go downtown, you can get a wide variety of backgrounds without a lot of effort. In the same photo shoot, a creative photographer can put you in front of backdrops of brick, greenery, the river, and cool graffiti in under 45 minutes.

3. Elk Mound Tower

I’ve personally photographed clients here twice, and each time it was unique and amazing. I don’t think either of them were expecting the location to produce the backgrounds it did, but believe me – the photos can look super cool here.

The tower itself gives you a picturesque brick background both inside and out. Later in the day, the sun filters through the windows in a really flattering way and allows you to pose inside on some of the benches in great light. The stairs have an industrial feel to them, so that’s fun too, and if you climb all the way to the top you have a spectacular view that produces great photos at the right perspective.

The added bonus to this location is the winding road to the top of the hill. While you need to be mindful of traffic, the road is covered by a canopy of trees. In the fall, the colors are absolutely brilliant.