Lancaster County Park

Best Lancaster Locations for Family Photos

A golden hour family photo session during the fall at Lancaster County Central Park.

If you are looking for a beautiful outdoor location to have your family photos taken in Lancaster County, here are some of my top favorite spots. These Lancaster photo shoot locations are all easily accessible, free and open to the public. Furry friends are welcome too! All of the parks listed below give children plenty of space to explore and have a variety of backdrops throughout the seasons.

CONSIDER THE SEASON

In addition to logistics, its also important to consider the time of year you’re having your photos taken. The season will determine what you wear and the start time for your session. The location combined with your clothing choices will set the tone and the mood. Are you running through wildflower fields in flowy dresses in summertime? Or layering with warm sweaters and scarves and walking through a colorful fall forest? Also keep in mind that the best start time for golden hour can vary from 4 p.m. in fall to as late as 7 p.m. in the summer. Timing is key for families with young children who have earlier bed times. I am open to early morning sessions, but my preference is always to photograph during evening golden hour.

TRUST YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

As a seasoned photographer, I know many of these parks like the back of my hand. I know which spots have the best golden hour light (FYI, nearly all of the photos you will see here were taken during golden hour, about 60-90 minutes before sunset). I have a good idea of bloom times in spring for flowering trees and wildflowers in summer as well as peak times for colorful fall foliage. I have also learned to recognize the “no touch plants” like poison ivy and stinging nettle and will make sure we avoid them. If you hire me to take your photos, you will get an even more extensive location guide (with some of my top secret spots in addition).

But before I dive into the list of my favorite Lancaster family photo shoot locations, I need to preface this by saying that I believe it is not the location that makes the photos great but its the people (YOU) and how you interact with one another. In addition to having a skilled photographer (ME!) who understands the importance of light, angles and composition, it is important to bring a positive attitude and just be in the moment with your loved ones. Think of your family photo session as a fun playdate with your friendly camera toting friend rather than something you have to get over with. My job is to make you feel comfortable, give you gentle guidance, and capture the real, unscripted moments that showcase who you truly are as a family. Let’s ditch the stiff poses and let your personalities shine!

And without further ado, here is the list, starting with my top location for a family photo session in Lancaster PA.


  1. LANCASTER COUNTY PARK

A family walks through a golden field in Lancaster County Park (and don’t forget to check for ticks!)

If I had to choose my number one favorite location of all, it would definitely be Lancaster County Central Park. This park is huge and there is so much variety throughout the seasons. Even during popular photo session times (spring and fall) there is still space for everyone. It has pretty much every type of backdrop you could want; from open fields to evergreen trees to magical forests, creeks and streams. It also has Historic Rock Ford which has a brick mansion with a wrap around porch and a barn (a membership is required to photograph at Rock Ford, which I have). Additional architectural structures that can be found in the park are a covered bridge as well as an old stone house where the Shuts Environmental Library is located. And a personal favorite spot is the Garden of the Five Senses which has a winding path that follows a little stream down to a waterfall. In late May there is a peony patch that blooms here. Below are some examples of family photos taken in Lancaster County Park throughout the seasons.


2.OVERLOOK PARK

Another popular location for family photos is Overlook Park. If you go into the pine forest during golden hour in the fall, you are bound to see several photo sessions happening simultaneously. For this reason, I tend to avoid photographing there on weekends during fall. Apart from the unique tall skinny pine forest, Overlook Park has some beautiful fields throughout with long grasses and sweeping vistas. During the summer months there is a native wildflower patch that adds a pop of color. In September the goldenrod flowers bloom in abundance. There are also a couple of ponds, though they can be difficult to capture in photos. There are lots of paved walking paths throughout the park as well which make it easy for strollers and little ones to access as well as heated restrooms in the colder months. One thing to be aware of is that poison ivy abounds in the pine forest, especially during summer and fall.


3. Long’s Park

Long’s Park is another favorite photo shoot location in spring, summer and fall. In addition to the pond with the ducks and gazebo, there is a wetlands area and several walking bridges and wildflower patches that bloom in summer. There are some stunning trees around the pond in both spring and fall as well. The main drawback to this park is that it is often crowded and the parking lot goes around the pond so it can be hard to work the angles to avoid parked cars. However it is very accessible and fun for little kids who like to watch the ducks.


4. Buchanan Park

Buchanan Park is located in Lancaster City near Franklin and Marshall College and even though it is small, I would argue that it has plenty to offer for a family photo session. The main two highlights of Buchanan Park are the rose garden which blooms May-September and the willow tree that sits just below the perfect silhouette hill. If you are looking for a family silhouette photo, this is the place to do it!


5. Greenfield park

Greenfield Business Park is lovely if you like water and willow trees. There are paved walking paths throughout this park as well as some small footbridges and a small creek at the far end that you can wade into if desired. It also has some interesting sculptures throughout. Cons are that it can be crowded with people at times and it sits between lots of buildings and parking lots so the angles can be limited. It has a more manicured landscaped feel with mulch and perfectly trimmed hedges and fountains if that is the vibe you are looking for. As a bonus there is a wildflower field close by that flowers May through July.


6. Landis woods park

Landis Woods is a forested location in Manheim Township with some nice easy walking trails through the woods. This location is not stroller friendly but the paths are easy to walk on. I think it is most beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. There is also a wooden fence that runs along one side of the entrance and some more open areas but for the most part this is a forest location where kids can run down paths and climb on logs.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!


A Spring Blossoms Maternity Photo Session in Lancaster County Park

Lancaster County Park is probably my absolute favorite location to do photo sessions year round, but it especially shines in the spring. My other top spring location is Buchmiller Park because you can find the weeping cherry trees there along with an old magical crab apple tree where the light hits just right at golden hour.

This maternity photo session happened in the first half of April which is typically peak spring for flowering trees. I love the ethereal romantic periwinkle blue dress that Dana wore. I had to make sure to take photos with the sunlight shining through the tulle. If you are thinking about scheduling maternity photos, I recommend planning on somewhere between 28-34 weeks pregnant. Luckily we fit this photo session in just in time because their baby boy ended up arriving early, just a week after these photos were taken!

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!


A Spring Cherry Blossom Family Photo Session at Lancaster County Park

Lancaster County Central Park is one of my favorite locations for photo sessions during all seasons of the year, but especially in spring time. If you time it right, you can find flowering dogwoods, red bud trees and cherry blossoms all in bloom at the same time and it is simply glorious.

For this family photo session we began at the Garden of the Five Senses and then wandered over to a row of pink cherry blossom trees. The kids picked flowers, blew dandelion puffs and rolled around in the grass. To end the session, we went to one of my favorite hill top locations in the park for sunset silhouettes.

Spring photo sessions are not quite as popular as fall, but in my opinion they should be! It’s the perfect time for Mother’s Day portraits (hint hint: I do offer gift certificates!) and photos before the weather gets super hot. If you’re thinking about scheduling a spring session, I recommend reaching out in February/March to book.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!


A Spring Maternity Session in the Weeping Cherry Trees at Lancaster County Park

A golden hour spring maternity session in the weeping cherry trees at Lancaster County Park

This was my first official spring session of 2021 and I have to say it is a hard one to beat. My dear friend Magdiel is absolutely stunning and when she asked me to take her maternity photos for her fourth and final baby I was immediately on board. I had her model a unique vintage bohemian lace dress that I have in my client closet by Cora and Violet. The golden hour light was perfect and the way the sun came through the weeping pink cherry tree was heavenly. As I type this, the family is now at home adjusting to life with their newborn baby girl who joined the family in May. I will let the images below speak for themselves because honestly I could gush about them forever.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait, family and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!


Lancaster Family Photography: Creek Stomping One Year Session at Lancaster County Park

one year photo session at Lancaster County Central Park

I have so many favorites from this summer family mini session at Lancaster County Central Park with MJ and his parents. I don’t always get to go creek stomping for photo shoots so this was a real treat! Little MJ was such an expressive, happy little boy to photograph and I’m so glad I got to capture his personality at his one year session. It was a delight to watch him interact with his parents and he was all smiles throughout this entire photo session. Since he turned one in the summer time, we thought it would be fun to end the photo shoot with some creek stomping, which was perfect for him. Enjoy some more images of this smiley little guy below.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!


Lancaster Portrait Photography: Spring Butterflies and Blooms Creative Portraits

Colorful creative spring portrait photography in Lancaster, PA with blooms and butterflies

This spring I got together with some creative photographer friends to do something magical and colorful. A little while back I came across these magnetic butterflies on Amazon and bought them thinking I could use them some day for a creative project. And thus we decided on a butterflies and blooms spring themed photoshoot. I created a hanging mobile of butterflies and shot down through it for a neat effect (although the wind made them tangle quite a bit).

Emily of Emily Grace Photography and Sirena of Monsters and Lace brought all the color and creative modeling expertise. It turned out to be a rainy day but we didn’t let that stop us. We each took turns being in front of and behind the lens (though let’s be honest, Sirena’s pink hair stole the show).

When I shared the image of Sirena lying in the yellow flowers with the butterflies on Instagram, someone said it reminded them of Taylor Swift’s new album about butterflies. I am totally out of the loop when it comes to pop culture so I had no idea, but hey, I guess I’m on trend for once?

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!

Lancaster Maternity Photography: Sam & Taylor's Fall Maternity Session at Historic Rock Ford Plantation

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If you know me, you know that I love hearing birth stories as well as sharing my own. Becoming a mom and growing a human is one of the most incredible journeys I have ever been on. Of course it would make sense that I love doing maternity and newborn photography for families. I get to play a small part in telling the story of growing families as they welcome their precious new babies into their hearts and their homes.

This fall maternity session at the Historic Rock Ford Plantation in Lancaster is full of joy and smiles (other than the vicious mosquitos attacking us near the end). The light was golden, Sam was glowing, and I think the images speak for themselves. Baby Eck is supposed to make his/her appearance right around Thanksgiving and I am so looking forward to meeting (and photographing) their new little one.

Melissa Engle Photography offers portrait and lifestyle photography in Lancaster, PA. Please contact me if you would like to make some photo magic together!