La Crosse, Wisconsin
Engagement photo locations in La Crosse
Seven places we’ve photographed couples, and what each one gives your pictures.
Before the list
The place matters. What we bring to it matters more.
Light, attitude, direction. Every photo here comes from a real session at that spot.
01 · Over the Mississippi
The Cass Street Bridge
Blue steel over the river. At sunset the girders frame the sky, and we light you to match it.
See Ryan & Greg’s session →
02 · On the riverfront
Riverside Park
The river walk at the edge of downtown, with the bridges behind you. Easy to reach, easy to walk.
See Jocie & Jovahn’s surprise proposal →
03 · Inside Riverside Park
The International Friendship Gardens
Stone paths, a waterfall and deep shade. We use it close: the ring, the laugh, the two of you.
04 · Downtown, after dark
Downtown after dark
Alleys, loading docks, a café window at closing time. Nothing here is pretty until it’s lit.
See the downtown session →
05 · Trempealeau
Perrot State Park
Bluffs, backwater and tall grass where the Trempealeau River meets the Mississippi.
See Christina & Matt at Perrot →
06 · On the waterfront
In the rain
Rain moves most sessions. With a light behind you, every drop turns to sparks.
See Tina & Howard in the rain →
07 · Skógafoss, Iceland
Or somewhere farther
We photographed a surprise proposal at the foot of Skógafoss. The question can happen anywhere.
See the Skógafoss proposal →Before you pick
Three things that matter more than the spot
The hour is yours: we bring the light. Two looks, two spots. And we keep you moving, because that’s where the real laugh shows up.
Your session
Pick the place. We’ll bring the light.
The place matters. What we bring to it matters more.
River, steel, brick and bluff all sit within half an hour of each other around La Crosse. These are seven places we have photographed couples, what each one gives your pictures, and the session behind every photo. The place matters. What we bring to it matters more.
The Cass Street Bridge
The Cass Street Bridge crosses the Mississippi on a blue steel truss, a few blocks from downtown. At sunset the girders frame the whole sky, and after sunset the steel holds its color long after the light goes flat.
Here’s the deal: the sky is brighter than any couple standing under it. Available light and hope turns you into two silhouettes. We light you to match the sky, so you get the bridge, the sunset and your faces in the same frame.
Riverside Park
Riverside Park runs along the Mississippi at the edge of downtown: a paved river walk, open water and the bridges in the distance. It is the easiest place in town to start a session.
It is also where half the couples in La Crosse have stood. We work it off the obvious angles, low along the water with the bridge behind you, and keep you walking so the frame never looks like a lineup.
The International Friendship Gardens
The International Friendship Gardens sit inside Riverside Park: stone paths, a small waterfall and plantings that honor La Crosse’s sister cities.
Tight spaces and broken shade. We use them close, for the moments a wide frame loses: the ring, the laugh, the way you lean in when nobody is directing you.
Downtown after dark
Alleys, loading docks, a café window at closing time. Downtown La Crosse after dark is a set almost nobody photographs, because none of it looks like much with the lights off.
That is the point. We bring the light, so the back door of a restaurant becomes the frame. Light, attitude, direction. The place is the least of it.
Perrot State Park
Perrot State Park sits where the Trempealeau River meets the Mississippi, up the river from La Crosse: bluffs, still backwater and fields of tall grass with room to walk.
Big sky and long views. We keep you moving through it, so the pictures look like a day you had together, not a pose you held.
In the rain
Rain moves most sessions. It made this one. Water in the air catches light, and one light behind you turns every drop into sparks.
Because we carry the light, a gray evening stays on the table. Bring an umbrella if you want one. We will probably use it.
Or somewhere farther
We photographed a surprise proposal at the foot of Skógafoss, on Iceland’s south coast: one knee on the black gravel, the waterfall behind them.
If the question is happening somewhere farther than Riverside Park, tell us where. We will talk about coming with you.
Three things that matter more than the spot
We bring the light, so you pick the time that works for you, not the only hour the sky allows.
One outfit dressed up, one you live in. Two spots a few minutes apart. That is a session that looks like a story.
We pose you, and we keep you moving between poses. The movement is where the real laugh shows up.
Asked before every engagement session
Do you photograph surprise proposals?
Yes. We have photographed them in Riverside Park and at Skógafoss in Iceland. Tell us the plan and we will work out where to be, and when to step in.
What if it rains?
We keep going when it is safe, and the light we carry makes rain work for the picture. If it pours, we will talk about a new date.
What should we wear?
Two outfits: one dressed up, one you would wear on a Saturday. Solid colors photograph better than busy patterns, and shoes you can walk in help more than you would think.
Can we do more than one spot?
Yes. Riverside Park, the gardens, the bridge and downtown all sit a few minutes apart, so one session can look like three. Most of these spots work just as well for senior pictures in La Crosse.
Do you photograph weddings?
Yes, both of us. Start with our guide to wedding venues around La Crosse.
Pick the place. We’ll bring the light.
Top 10 Photographer in the World · Three consecutive years