The Best Photoshoot Locations Near Fort Rucker, AL for an Adventure Session
Adventure sessions are some of my favorites to photograph as an Alabama and Florida photographer. Within driving distance of Fort Rucker (where I live) you can find all sorts of beautiful, natural landscapes that make for an amazing session. Not only are they jaw-dropping backdrops, but it will be such an epic day out making memories with your love or your family! In this blog, I’m going to list what I think are the best photoshoot locations within a few hours’ drive of the Fort Rucker area, so you can get an idea of what an adventure session with me might be like at any of these places!
What’s an Adventure Session?
Of course, I want to talk a little about what an adventure session with me is like at any of these places before I jump into the list. An adventure session is an opportunity for you to have professional pictures taken of you and your love (or maybe you and the kids/dogs/etc.) somewhere in the great outdoors. Unlike a more traditional couples session or family session, I love to focus my adventure sessions on capturing people in their element. It’s not about the posing or super carefully-curated outfits, but rather getting the real-life moments you share so you can preserve those memories. An adventure session with me can last anywhere between 2-4 hours, so we’ll be able to do a lot of exploring together.
You’ll see some examples of the adventure sessions I’ve done here in this post to give you an idea of what your own session could look like. So let’s dive in!
1. Providence Canyon State Park
Another name for Providence Canyon is “Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon.” Exploring here will make you feel like you’ve taken a trip out west to Utah! There are nine different canyons to explore, and I think it’s the perfect place to have a fun day out without taking a big, overnight road trip.
This spot is an hour and 45 minutes away from Fort Rucker, making it the perfect day trip location for your photoshoot.
2. Fort Pickens/Gulf Islands National Seashore
I love Fort Pickens! This is located on Pensacola Beach in Florida, so it’s going to be a little longer of a drive from Fort Rucker (about 3 hours depending on the route you take). But don’t let the drive sway you away, it’s so worth it!
Fort Pickens has really cool history that you can learn about when you visit, and of course, who doesn’t love wandering around on the gorgeous beaches? You can definitely make a one-day trip out of this, or splurge on a 1-2 night excursion with your adventure session built into the weekend itinerary. Even though this is one of the longer drives on this list of photoshoot locations, it is so worth it!
3. U-Pick Farms Near Enterprise, AL
Okay, so this one isn’t just one location. But, that means you can get creative with any of these locations for a photoshoot! You can take your honey out to pick blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, pears, etc., and have a photographer tag along. This is an especially great option if you’re unsure about being in front of the camera. An adventure session, like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, is already a relaxed type of session. But when you have an activity like berry-picking to focus on, you may even forget there’s even a camera around!
4. Grayton Beach State Park & South Walton’s Coastal Dune Lakes
Another beach location! I’m sorry, I just can’t help it. Who doesn’t love an excuse to go to the beach? Fort Rucker is just 2 hours from this gorgeous area in Florida. You can get playful in the water with your love, and be able to frame those day-trip photos for the wall later!
While we’re out there, we could also venture to one of the coastal dune lakes that are just a few minutes away. Coastal dune lakes are a rare beach phenomenon that only occur in a handful of places worldwide, and this is one of them! They’re created by wind that redistributes the sand and creates shallow lake basins. They are, strangely, mostly fresh water, while the salty sea sits just feet away. This is one of those rare experiences you should definitely see, especially since it’s so close by!
5. Pine Mountain, GA
If you’re willing to adventure a little further outside the Fort Rucker radius, Pine Mountain in Georgia is a gorgeous location for a photoshoot. There are beautiful lakes, as well as hikes that will take you up high enough to see views of Georgia that are simply breathtaking! The sunsets here are unbeatable! Callaway Gardens is also close by, where you can golf or treat yourself to a luxurious resort weekend.
6. Chewacla State Park
Camping, cute cabins, hiking…what more could you want for an adventure session?! Chewacla State Park is just under 2 hours from Fort Rucker, so this makes for a great day trip adventure. At one end of the lake, there’s a pretty waterfall that would make a 10/10 photoshoot backdrop, too!
These are just a few photoshoot locations near Fort Rucker that I love and recommend for an adventure session! No matter what kind of adventure you’re looking for, I think you can find it here in Alabama (or nearby in Florida or Georgia). And I can’t wait to hear your ideas for your adventure session! Reach out to me here to tell me all about it.