Where are the best portrait locations in La Crosse, WI. What makes La Crosse unique for photography. How can photographers capture diverse landscapes in La Crosse. Which landmarks offer stunning backdrops for portraits in La Crosse.
La Crosse’s Unique Topography: A Photographer’s Paradise
La Crosse, Wisconsin, stands out as a gem in the Midwest, offering photographers a diverse array of landscapes and backdrops for stunning portraits. The city’s location in the Mississippi River Valley provides a unique topographical advantage, with beautiful bluffs surrounding the area that create a stark contrast to the typical flatness associated with much of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.
This geographical diversity allows photographers to capture a wide range of scenes within a relatively small area. From urban cityscapes to natural vistas, La Crosse offers an abundance of photographic possibilities that can easily be explored during a single portrait session.
Why is La Crosse ideal for diverse photography?
- Varied terrain: Bluffs, rivers, and urban landscapes
- Compact city layout: Multiple locations within walking distance
- Vibrant downtown: Supported by local colleges and healthcare systems
- Natural beauty: Easy access to river views and woodland areas
Iconic La Crosse Landmarks for Stunning Portraits
La Crosse boasts several iconic locations that serve as perfect backdrops for portrait photography. These spots not only showcase the city’s beauty but also provide unique elements that can elevate any photoshoot.
Cass Street Bridge: A Sunset Spectacle
The Cass Street Bridge, consisting of two interconnected bridges, offers one of the most picturesque locations for portrait photography in La Crosse. Its east-west orientation aligns perfectly with the setting sun, creating a stunning backdrop for evening photoshoots.
What makes the Cass Street Bridge ideal for portraits?
- Golden hour lighting: The bridge’s alignment with the sunset provides warm, flattering light
- Architectural interest: The bridge’s structure adds depth and lines to compositions
- Easy access: A walking path alongside the bridge allows for various shooting angles
- Water reflections: The Mississippi River below offers beautiful reflective surfaces
Pearl Street Area: A Photographer’s Playground
The Pearl Street area is a treasure trove for photographers seeking variety in their portraits. This vibrant district offers a diverse range of backdrops within just a few blocks, making it an efficient and high-yield location for photoshoots.
What types of scenes can be captured in the Pearl Street area?
- Historic architecture: Brick buildings and ornate facades
- Urban textures: Interesting walls, doorways, and street art
- Green spaces: Small parks and tree-lined streets
- Eclectic storefronts: Colorful and diverse business exteriors
The Pearl Street area’s compact nature allows photographers to quickly transition between different looks and styles, maximizing the variety of shots in a single session. This versatility makes it a favorite among local photographers and clients alike.
Hidden Gems: Upper Hixon Forest and Human Powered Trails
While Grandad Bluff is a well-known spot for panoramic views of La Crosse, the Upper Hixon Forest and Human Powered Trails offer a less crowded alternative with equally stunning vistas. This hidden gem provides a natural setting that’s perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and those seeking a more rugged backdrop for their portraits.
How to access this secret spot?
- Drive past Grandad Bluff
- Follow the winding road to the Upper Hixon Forest
- Turn right at the National Weather Service station
- Look for the gravel parking lot
The area is particularly photogenic in mid-summer when the grasses grow longer, creating a beautiful, natural frame for portraits. It’s an ideal location for early fall photoshoots, capturing the changing colors of the season against the backdrop of La Crosse’s cityscape.
Riverside Park: A Year-Round Portrait Destination
Riverside Park stands as a central fixture in La Crosse’s landscape, offering photographers a versatile location that changes with the seasons. This park provides a mix of natural beauty and city views, making it suitable for various types of portrait photography.
What makes Riverside Park special for photographers?
- Seasonal variety: Different backdrops throughout the year
- La Crosse Queen riverboat: A unique prop in summer months
- Rotary Lights: Festive winter scenes for holiday portraits
- Riverside International Friendship Gardens: A hidden spot for intimate shots
The park’s proximity to downtown La Crosse also allows for easy transitions between natural and urban settings, providing photographers with the opportunity to capture diverse looks in a single session.
Myrick Park: Creative Lighting and Natural Beauty
Myrick Park offers photographers another versatile location with distinct looks in a compact area. The park’s layout and natural features provide ample opportunities for creative shooting techniques, particularly when it comes to lighting.
How can photographers maximize Myrick Park’s potential?
- Use the willow trees for natural framing
- Experiment with backlighting for dramatic effects
- Create artificial “golden hour” scenes with creative lighting
- Incorporate the Myrick Park Center for architectural elements
Even on overcast days, skilled photographers can use artificial lighting to create beautiful, sunlit scenes, demonstrating the versatility of this location for portrait photography.
Unconventional Portrait Locations in La Crosse
While natural landscapes and well-known landmarks offer classic backdrops, La Crosse also provides several unconventional locations that can result in unique and memorable portraits. These spots showcase the city’s urban character and allow for creative compositions.
Parking Ramp Rooftops: Cityscape Views
Parking ramps might not be the first location that comes to mind for portrait photography, but in La Crosse, they offer surprising potential. The rooftops of these structures provide panoramic views of the city, especially during golden hour.
Why consider a parking ramp for portraits?
- Elevated perspective of the city
- Unobstructed views of Grandad Bluff
- Urban textures and lines for interesting compositions
- Typically less crowded than popular tourist spots
Downtown Alleys: Urban Charm
The alleys of downtown La Crosse are often overlooked but offer a wealth of photographic opportunities. These hidden corridors provide an urban vibe that can add edge and interest to portrait sessions.
How can photographers utilize downtown alleys effectively?
- Use creative lighting to enhance the urban atmosphere
- Incorporate interesting textures from brick walls and metal fixtures
- Play with shadows and light for dramatic effects
- Capture candid, street-style portraits
With the right approach, these often-ignored spaces can be transformed into striking backdrops that showcase La Crosse’s urban character.
Beyond the City: Natural Wonders Near La Crosse
While La Crosse itself offers numerous photography locations, the surrounding area provides even more opportunities for capturing stunning portraits in natural settings. These locations allow photographers to incorporate broader landscapes and diverse ecosystems into their work.
Grandad Bluff: La Crosse’s Natural Icon
Grandad Bluff is perhaps the most recognizable natural landmark in La Crosse. Rising 600 feet above the city, it offers unparalleled views of the Mississippi River Valley and the surrounding tri-state area.
What makes Grandad Bluff a premier portrait location?
- Panoramic views of La Crosse and beyond
- Dramatic sunset scenes
- Rock formations for interesting foreground elements
- Easy access via Bliss Road
Perrot State Park: Diverse Landscapes
Located near Trempealeau, Wisconsin, Perrot State Park encompasses 1,200 acres of diverse terrain. This expansive natural area provides photographers with a variety of settings for outdoor portraits.
How can photographers take advantage of Perrot State Park?
- Utilize hiking trails for natural, candid shots
- Incorporate the Mississippi River for water elements
- Capture seasonal changes in the park’s flora
- Access easily reachable areas with convenient parking
Urban Elegance: Incorporating La Crosse’s Architecture
La Crosse’s rich architectural heritage provides photographers with elegant and sophisticated backdrops for portraits. Historic buildings and modern structures alike offer unique textures, lines, and atmospheres that can elevate portrait photography.
The Charmant Hotel: Vintage Charm
The Charmant Hotel, with its distinctive interior, presents photographers with a range of creative possibilities. This historic building, once a chocolate factory, now serves as a boutique hotel with a unique aesthetic.
Why is the Charmant Hotel ideal for indoor portraits?
- Rich, vintage-inspired decor
- Variety of textures and surfaces
- Warm, inviting lighting
- Opportunities for creative compositions
By bringing portable lighting equipment, photographers can maximize the potential of this elegant space, creating intimate and sophisticated portraits that capture the essence of La Crosse’s historic charm.
The Power of Perspective: Finding Beauty in Everyday Spaces
While La Crosse offers numerous picturesque locations, skilled photographers understand that compelling portraits can be created in even the most ordinary settings. The key lies in creative perspective, thoughtful composition, and expert use of lighting.
Backyard Photography: Unleashing Creativity at Home
Many photographers have discovered that their own backyards can serve as versatile studios for portrait photography. With the right approach, everyday spaces can be transformed into captivating backdrops.
How can photographers make the most of familiar spaces?
- Experiment with different angles and perspectives
- Use natural elements like trees and flowers for framing
- Incorporate artificial lighting to create mood and atmosphere
- Focus on the subject to make the background secondary
By mastering these techniques, photographers can create stunning portraits without relying on exotic locations or grand vistas. This skill is particularly valuable in La Crosse, where the changing seasons can sometimes limit access to outdoor locations.
Capturing La Crosse’s Essence: Tips for Memorable Portraits
Regardless of the chosen location, capturing the essence of La Crosse in portraits requires more than just a beautiful backdrop. Skilled photographers combine technical expertise with an understanding of the city’s character to create truly memorable images.
Incorporating Local Culture
La Crosse’s rich cultural heritage, influenced by its river town history and diverse community, can add depth and context to portrait photography. Incorporating elements of local culture can make portraits more meaningful and authentic.
How can photographers infuse local culture into their work?
- Include iconic La Crosse landmarks in the background
- Capture subjects engaging in local activities or traditions
- Use props or clothing that reflect the city’s character
- Shoot in locations that hold personal significance for the subject
Adapting to Seasonal Changes
La Crosse’s distinct seasons offer photographers the opportunity to create diverse portfolios throughout the year. Each season brings its own unique lighting conditions, colors, and atmospheres that can enhance portrait photography.
What should photographers consider when shooting in different seasons?
- Spring: Incorporate blooming flowers and fresh greenery
- Summer: Utilize golden hour lighting and lush landscapes
- Fall: Capture the vibrant colors of changing leaves
- Winter: Experiment with snow-covered scenes and holiday lights
By embracing the changing seasons, photographers can offer clients a range of looks and moods, showcasing the dynamic beauty of La Crosse throughout the year.
Elevating Portrait Photography in La Crosse
La Crosse’s diverse landscapes, rich architecture, and vibrant culture provide photographers with an abundance of opportunities for creating stunning portraits. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, the city offers a wealth of locations that can serve as perfect backdrops for capturing memorable moments.
By combining technical skill, creative vision, and a deep appreciation for La Crosse’s unique character, photographers can elevate their work beyond mere documentation. The result is a collection of images that not only showcase the beauty of the subjects but also capture the essence of this charming Midwestern city.
Whether working with natural landscapes, urban environments, or intimate indoor settings, La Crosse photographers have the tools and inspiration to create portraits that resonate with both locals and visitors alike. As the city continues to evolve and grow, so too will the opportunities for capturing its spirit through the art of portrait photography.
Best La Crosse, WI Portrait Locations
Best La Crosse, WI Portrait Locations
One reason we love La Crosse, WI is because it feels so different from much of the Midwest based on the diverse topography. Because of the Mississippi River Valley location, La Crosse is surrounded by beautiful bluffs that feel like mountains compared to the flatness of most other locations in Wisconsin/Minnesota/Iowa.
Between the bluffs and a robust downtown supported by multiple local colleges, restaurants, and two large healthcare systems, La Crosse makes for a vibrant city with countless photographic possibilities.
In particular, we find a lot of intrigue in how easy it is to get so many different portrait locations simply by walking from one block to the next over a 1-2 hour photography session. On top of the cityscape, we can incorporate the best views of both the river and the bluffs/woodlands within minutes.
The Cass Street Bridge is actually comprised of two bridges–the Cass Street Bridge and La Crosse West Channel Bridge.
This provides the main thoroughfare between La Crosse, WI and La Crescent, Minnesota.
Because of it’s orientation, the sun sets almost directly in parallel with the bridge, creating one of the best portrait locations. A walking path alongside makes it easy to access.
Aside from the ice cream shop that bears the same name (The Pearl), the best thing about the Pearl Street area is that there is so much variety from block to block. From a photographic standpoint, this creates the opportunity for so many different possible portrait looks. Ultimately, this is such a high yield area that we love shooting here.
Most people stop at Grandad Bluff, however, keep going and you’ll wind your way around to the Human Powered Trails at the Upper Hixon Forest. Turn right at the National Weather Service station and there is a gravel parking lot. If you like mountain biking, this is the place to do it. That said, it also doubles as a great portrait location spot with some sweeping vistas on the top of the bluff overlooking La Crosse.
I especially like it mid-summer when the grasses start getting longer and it makes a photogenic spot for early fall portraits.
Riverside Park is central to La Crosse in every season. It’s home to the La Crosse Queen riverboat in the summer and the Rotary Lights in the winter. Just off the park is the the Riverside International Friendship Gardens, which is a hidden gem that took us years to discover.
Myrick Park is similar to the Pearl Street area in the sense that you can get a couple of really distinct looks in a very small area. We meet near the Myrick Park Center in the parking lot and then head over towards the big willow trees. One favorite thing we like to do is backlight those trees with orange light. Even if it’s overcast, we can create a beautiful sunlit scene like on this shoot.
You’d never think about taking photos in a parking ramp, but it can be an incredible place to make some iconic images. The thing I like about this ramp is that there is a great backdrop at golden hour from the roof.
Grandad Bluff is an iconic natural landmark in La Crosse, overlooking the entire city. Follow Bliss Road 600 feet in elevation and you’ll get an amazing view, especially at sunset.
Perrot State Park is comprised of 1,200 acres near Trempealeau, WI. It is adjacent to the Mississippi River and has breathtaking hiking trails. For photography, there are some easily accessible areas with parking.
La Crosse Local Businesses
We are blessed with some amazing local architecture, which creates amazing opportunities. For example, we did a shot at the Charmant Hotel for some recent personal branding photos. The hotel has such a unique interior presence that it makes for a variety of wonderful images, especially with creative lighting. By bringing our own light in a small package, we have endless potential options.
Downtown Alleys around La Crosse
We all drive by them everyday and don’t look twice, but some of the alleys in downtown La Crosse are photographic diamonds in the rough.
They allow for an interesting perspective and a really cool urban vibe. With creative lighting, we can do some really neat stuff all over town like on this shoot with Sam.
When I first got into portraits, I assumed that I needed the panoramic vistas and amazing cityscapes I’ve seen traveling the world.
As I’ve learned more and studied images from world class portrait photographers, I’ve come to understand that creative perspective and lighting can make the best background, but you as the subject make the scene.
In this collection, all these images were shot merely in our own yard.
Do You Want Your Once-In-A-Lifetime Moments Captured Like These?
You’ll never regret something you’ll smile at everyday
Share this story
La Crosse Area Camera Club Homepage
View from Grandad Bluff by Michelle Cox
Welcome to the La Crosse Area Camera Club!
We are an educational and social organization that brings together people of all skill levels to share their art, improve their skills, and find fellowship in a friendly and supportive environment.
Our members range from just starting out to those who have been shooting for decades. We offer educational programs and mentorship as well as hands on workshops, monthly competitions, field trips and more.
LEARN
skills to improve your photography
- Short programs focused on beginner skills.
- Long presentations for more complex subjects.
- Monthly competitions provide feedback from judges.
- Mentors available for individual and small group instruction.
PRACTICE
what you’ve learned
- Workshops for hands on learning on a topic.
- Field trips to shoot with others in new and interesting locations.
- Volunteer events put your skills to use for a good cause.
CONNECT
with other photographers
- After-meeting Cookies and Conversation.
- Facebook group and Discord chat server to share images and chat with other local photographers.
- Social events like parties and picnics to get together for a meal and photo fun.
AFFILIATIONS
We are members of N4C and PSA.
North Central Camera Club Council (N4C)
“N4C is a non-profit organization dedicated to public education and learning in the science and art of photography. It is an organization of about 40 camera clubs in the North Central States area of the United States of America.“
The La Crosse Area Camera Club has been a member of N4C since 1974. Each month, images from our competition are selected to submit to the N4C competitions. We also enter the yearly website competition and took 3rd place in 2020-2021.
See our N4C page for more details.
Visit the N4C’s website
Photographic Society of America (PSA)
“The Photographic Society of America (PSA) promotes the art and science of photography as a means of communication, image appreciation, and cultural exchange.
PSA provides education, information, inspiration, and opportunity for all persons interested in photography. The Society fosters personal growth and expression, creativity, excellence, and ethical conduct in all aspects of photographic endeavor.”
The La Crosse Area Camera Club has been a member of PSA since 1949.
Visit the PSA’s website
Buick La Crosse Photos – 46 High Quality Images
- Photo Gallery
- Buick
- La Crosse
The Buick La Crosse photo gallery has 46 high quality photos.
Gallery last updated: Dec 30 2017
126kb. 1024 x 768
60
2005
1
2
3
367kb. 1600×1200
2017
425kb. 1600×1200
2017
626kb.
1600×1200
2017
420kb. 1600×1200
2017
547kb. 1600×1200
2017
395kb. 1600×1200
2017
678kb. 1600×1200
2017
346kb. 1600×1200
2017
335kb. 1600×1200
2017
488kb. 1600×1200
2017
348kb. 1600×1200
2017
409kb. 1600×1200
2017
446kb. 1600×1200
2017
722kb. 1600×1200
2017
324kb. 1600×1200
2017
414kb. 1600×1200
2017
350kb. 1600×1200
2017
392kb. 1600×1200
2017
416kb. 1600×1200
2017
363kb.
1600×1200
2017
1
2
3
If you have interesting photos of Buick La Crosse,
you can post them in the photo forum.
Buick
Images are provided under Royalty-Free licenses . Our Terms of Service permit the use of images for a wide range of services, products and industries where images purchased through Cliparto will work for you.
