If you and your love are looking for something new to celebrate an anniversary or just celebrate your love for one another, an adventure session might be the perfect date for you! Adventure sessions are some of my favorite sessions to plan and be a part of. An adventure session is a freaking amazing date focussed on an adventure and documenting your love. There’s so much joy and excitement in getting to experience these sessions with my clients as they’re always so much fun, not only to photograph but to be a part of and enjoy with them! It’s a time for the two of you to really be present with one another and have the best time adventuring together. If the idea of adventuring with your love and having AMAZING photos of the entire experience sounds up your alley then an adventure session might be for you!

What is an Adventure Session Exactly?

An adventure session is an extended couples session that typically has a little more, well adventure to it! You can have these sessions for any occasion, whether it’s your engagement, your anniversary, or just for fun. Adventure sessions are more of a time commitment and allow couples to be much more present with one another. Typically we work together to plan an experience throughout the session that speaks to you and your story or your love. Whether that’s something intense like a long hike to an epic lookout or something simpler like exploring a part of town you’ve always wanted to check out. With more time and activities or adventures planned into the session, you’re able to really be present and connect with your best friend.

What’s an Adventure Session like with JNA Visuals?

Adventure sessions are extended couples sessions that are based on a theme or an activity.  Traveling to new locations, incorporating an experience that’s new to you, or something you’ve both done before that still strikes that adventurous itch is the things that make an adventure session what it is. For my adventure sessions, I always recommend my couples choose an activity that feels like them. Focus your adventure around something you both love doing together, or that you’ve always wanted to try. Adventure sessions don’t have to be scaling the side of a mountain if that’s not your thing, they can also be walking around your favorite neighborhood, unpacking boxes in your new home, or going for a swim at your favorite beach.

I also love to incorporate multiple locations into an adventure session when we’re able to as well! We definitely can stick to just one location, especially if we have a longer hike on our hands. If we’re able to though, having multiple locations in your session adds to the overall experience and gives your gallery a bit more diversity as well. One last thing I like to recommend is incorporating snacks or a meal into your session. Whether that means making pancakes in your home kitchen, packing a picnic for your hike, or stopping at a restaurant you both have been wanting to try for ages. This keeps you fueled for the session and gives you a way to connect and have fun with one another during your session.

Planning Your Adventure Session

For my adventure sessions, I work with my couples to curate an experience perfect for them. I’ll help you decide on and scout locations, brainstorm and plan activities, and make sure everything goes off without a hitch. The session itself is an experience more than just a photoshoot, and I am more than just your photographer! Think of it as basically an extra adventurous and extravagant date day for the two of you where you have an insane amount of fun with one another, with guidance and help in planning it from a professional, and you also get some bomb photos to look back on at the end.

My goal for these sessions is to create an experience that allows you and your lover to connect with one another. I want to create an experience and create a space that allows you to be present with one another and have SO much fun laughing and exploring together.

Chicago Adventure Session Ideas

If you’ve been following me for a little while now then you know how much I ADORE Chicago and all there is to do in this incredible city. One of the best parts of Chicago for adventure sessions is how many locations there are and how close they all are to the rest of the city, making it incredibly easy to fit multiple locations in your session. While the list of adventure session ideas for the Windy City is quite literally endless, here are some of my favorites to get your brain thinking.

Explore a New Park or Landmark

There are SO many parks and landmark locations to explore and enjoy as part of your adventure session in Chicago. Whether you check out Museum Campus, The Art Institute, Lincoln Park, or any other location in Chicago you’re sure to have a great setting for your adventure session. Keep in mind that some locations do require photography permits, so let me know of any location you plan on heading to and I can look into their permit situation so we’re ready for your day! 

Picnic Somewhere Epic

A picnic along the lake or in one of the many parks in the city is an incredibly fun and cute idea for an adventure session! It gives you something to do during your session as well as a ton of fun ideas for props we can work into your session.

A Hike to Somewhere Scenic

Slightly outside of Chicago, you’ll find some incredible hiking spots in the suburbs of the city that make for perfect hiking locations. Places like Starved Rock, and the Indiana Dunes are just two examples of some of the incredible locations we can hike and explore during your adventure session.

Afternoon Wandering Your Favorite Neighborhood

One of my favorite options for an adventure session in Chicago is wandering and exploring one of the many diverse and unique neighborhoods you’ll find all throughout the city. Whether it be Wicker Park and Bucktown, Little Italy, Lincoln Park, or one of the many others there is just so much to see. For your session let’s explore a part of the city you both have been meaning to check out for a while, and we can experience all the best spots it has to offer together!

The possibilities of an adventure session are basically endless. You can make your session look and feel like anything you want to and I am 100% there for it. If you’re ready to start planning your session head over to my contact page to send me an inquiry and we can work on planning your epic adventure session together!