Best Portrait Locations in Chilliwack

When you’re choosing a location for your family photos in Chilliwack, there is no end to stunning options! And while there are a lot of factors that go into choosing a location, there are two key ones: the environment and how the location makes you feel. Ultimately, you want your photos to be a reflection of who you are, and a great experience to shoot! Use those two things as a guiding light as you decide on the best family photo location in Chilliwack.

When it comes to the environment, ask yourself what time of year is it? The season will obviously affect how a location looks and feels in photographs. Do you need to have a backup option available in case of rain? What will the lighting be like at that time of day? Lighting can change daily (or even hourly!) and is the largest uncontrollable factor for a photograph. In other words, results may vary. 😉 But if we choose a location with the season and time of day in mind, we can always use the lighting – whatever it may be! – to our favour.

Of course, the biggest factor is a simple one: Where will you feel most comfortable, most like yourself? The best location is the one where you feel the most comfortable, the most like yourself. Don’t choose an urban location if you hate the city. Don’t hike into the wilderness if you will wear high heels. For family photos, a park in your town can be ideal; a shorter commute usually means happier kids AND a park they’ve been to before can encourage comfort faster. And remember, there is no shame in bringing along their favourite treat of choice! Think of it as a reward for beautiful smiles and excellent behaviour – not a bribe. 😉

If possible, try not to overthink the location choice: the biggest ingredient to beautiful photos will be the lighting and the laughter. And so, here are some of the best family photo locations in Chilliwack.

Best Portrait Locations in Chilliwack: Cultus Lake

Cultus Lake is a stunning location if you want it all – convenience of close by amenities (ice cream shops and – of course – public washrooms for the little ones!), lakefront with exceptionally close parking lot access, and mountain views surrounding the lake! While the main beaches of Cultus Lake are quite busy in the summer season, there are always smaller beaches with equally beautiful views as you drive along the lake, making it easy to find a quiet spot.

Chilliwack Lake

A little further removed from Cultas, Chilliwack Lake still has the amenities of public washrooms and not too far removed parking lots, while being significantly quieter. But the extra work of driving a little farther is well rewarded by the stunning panoramic mountain views that surround the pebble beach lake. If you are willing to drive a bit into the mountains, I cannot recommend Chilliwack Lake highly enough!

Vedder River

Vedder River is by far the most family friendly location. With multiple playgrounds, public washrooms, and food and coffee trucks, it is an ideal place to take little ones. And for all the convenience, there is also a tremendous amount of variety. Take pictures down by the river, with the mountains in the background, or along beautiful walking trails, or in little fields surrounded by trees and beautiful natural scenery. And finish your time off with joy-filled candid shots on the playground!

Best Portrait Locations in Chilliwack: Cheam Wetlands

The Cheam Wetlands is an amazingly unique photo location. With forests, mountain views, and water, the wooden boardwalk paths through the wetlands will allow you to truly go into the heart of it for photos. And if you want to try something different? Pray for fog hovering low on the wetlands, for some truly emotive, moody shots.

And there you have the best portrait locations in Chilliwack! Want to know my favourite location? It’s the one I’m in right now. I can get stunning photos out of any location, and I’ll gladly prove it to you.