Clear Springs Nature Preserve, in Montague Michigan, is another great woodland option for dog photography. The 3 miles of trails are typically quiet year around, with both natural forests and planted forests, that wrap along side of two natural springs, once home to a trading post and fish hatchery.

This location does require hiking, and is best for both clients and dogs who are agile and up for a 1-2 hour hike. The two springs are set below steeper banks, and while they can be seen in the background of photos, they do not provide good angles for photographing your dog(s) enjoying the water, and can be difficult for clients to retrieve their dogs from. (Check out Duck Lake State Park or Muskegon State Park for a fun water location!)

Looking back on the photoshoots I’ve done at Clear Springs, I realized that this is my go-to spot for winter photoshoots, and a favorite for corgi clients. 😆 If you’re looking for a good mix of action shots, woodland portraits, and trails that wind through images creating stories, this is the location you want!

During all photoshoots, I do keep all dogs on leashes. In my camera bag, I keep several styles of leashes, including thiner show leads for the smallest dogs, heavier leather leads for the bigger dogs, and a long 15’ leash we can use for action shots. These leads are always edited out of your final image, leaving it looking as though your dog was the perfect angle, posing like a professional dog!

As always - no dog training is needed to capture professional photographs of your dog! It does help when your dogs knows the basics (sit, down, stay or wait), but I am very used to working with puppy brains or show dogs, where photographing them standing, and then capturing them in a sit or down when they naturally provide that behavior, is perfectly fine as well.