Favorite Photography Locations | Springfield Bog

As a family and senior photographer, I love keeping an eye out for new photography locations. This summer we took a hike to the Springfield Bog Metro Park and it instantly rose to the top of my favorite photography locations list!

The Wild Flower Fields

If you haven’t been to Springfield Bog, it is a giant wildflower field with walking paths cut all through it. At its peek and in full bloom it is almost magical to walk through. The wildflowers surround you on either side of the trail as butterflies, bees and dragon flies busily buzz by. We visited in July and that was when the wild flowers were at their peek. There were tons of yellow golden rod, purple and pink cone flowers and white queen annes lace. But even when the flowers aren’t at their peek, Spring field Bog is still an amazing place to take pictures. The family picture above was taken at the end of August, when most of the wildflowers had faded.

The Bog

Toward the end of the hiking loop, or the beginning if you start your hike by heading to the left instead of straight, you will find the actual Springfield Bog. There is a wooden deck that sits over the water providing an amazing view. It’s a great place to take a break. Soak in the scenery. And look for frogs, dragon flies or other wildlife. The picture below was taken on the bog deck. The beautifully colored background is the wildflowers across the bog paired with a beautiful sunset.

The Lighting

One issue I encountered When taking pictures at the Springfield Bog is that the light stayed harsh and bright much later than where I typically photograph. In Northeast Ohio, most locations are surrounded by woods. And the sun dips behind the trees making us loose quality light to photograph in well before sunset. These trees also provide open shade to photograph in if the sun is still too high and harsh. But at the Springfield Bog, it is an open flat area. This means the best lighting was right before sunset rather than an hour or two before sunset. And, that there is little open shade to work in when the sun is high.

Sample Photography Sessions From Springfield Bog