Retzer Nature Center is a beautiful location for photos no matter the season! In summer and spring, you’ll find grassy fields and wispy trees on one side, and tall pines on the other. In winter, the fields are the perfect muted brown (Trust me, dead grass photographs beautifully no matter what you might think!).
When I am choosing a location for photos, I am always thinking about color palette. I love greenery, but not all greens photograph the same! In fact, if you have TOO much green in a location, you can actually get some pretty funny skin tones. Retzer Nature Center has a perfect amount of trees, greenery and fields and the grass help the greenery to not be too overwhelming. Even the winter at Retzer is beautiful!
A Winter Maternity Session at Retzer Nature Center
It is a major misconception that winter is not a good time for photos. In fact, the muted browns, creams and whites (although maybe not as beautiful in person) are the perfect paint palette for some stunning neutral images! Whenever I think of the colors that I want in my image, I think of what I would want to hang on my walls, and neutrals are high on the list! Winter photos – especially in the fields of Retzer Nature Center – will give you exactly that look!
A few other tips for shooting at Retzer
Summer is just as beautiful! Be prepared to bring some walking shoes because it is a VERY big nature center. It can be a long walk to get to the fields at the back, and wearing heels will certainly make your feet sore by the end 😉 I suggest bringing walking shoes to wear while carrying your shoes for the session separately. I would also recommend bringing water and even a snack for the littles if needed!
Side note – my favorite snacks for kids are ones that are not colorful/won’t stick to their faces!
After your session
After your session, consider doing something fun as a reward, especially if you have young kids with you! A few nearby places that you could go are:
Mama D’s in Wales or Waukesha for coffee!
The Chocolate Factory in Delafield for ice cream!
