Best photo spots in Central Illinois


Located in the Heart of Illinois, Central Illinois has several photography locations to offer! You can explore Jubilee College State Park, visit Grandview Drive, and relax at Luthy Botanical Gardens.

Are you looking for the best place to take your portrait photos in Central Illinois? Find the best spots from a local photographer first hand!

Donovan Park (Peoria, IL)

Sitting right of Knoxville Avenue in Peoria Illinois, Donovan Park is one of the only locations in Central Illinois that looks great all year round! Even when most parks have died, there are trees in Donovan Park that look gorgeous no matter the season. This location, while amazing for portraits, is also just as good, if not better, for family and maternity sessions. One of the reasons Donovan Park is my most booked location for families is because there is no playground in sight! Why is that such a plus? Your kids won’t be begging you to go play during our entire session.

Jubilee College State Park (Kickapoo, IL)

No location in the area is booked quite as much as Jubilee College State Park. This gorgeous, untouched landscape offers a wide variety of backgrounds for your photos. Some spots include the flower fields scattered across the park, creeks that are also scattered throughout the park, and a gorgeous pond with logs surrounding it (photos of all locations will be added below). I prefer to shoot at Jubilee during the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons, but I’m sure you could get gorgeous shots in the Winter season as well. Similar to Donovan, one of the perks of Jubilee with families is that there is only one playground. Since Jubilee is so large, it is fairly easy to avoid, but it is good to note before heading over there with clients and their children!

Luthy Botanical Gardens (Peoria, IL)

Luthy Botanical Gardens is such a gorgeous location that I love having as my backup. What do I mean? The tropical scenery is all indoors, which means, no matter the weather, this stunning spot is always available! If we are considering cancelation with one of my outdoor sessions due to weather, I will recommend the Luthy Botanical Gardens. They’re always warm, dry, and absolutely stunning! If you’re in the area, I strongly urge you to check it out, it’s free to enter and they also don’t charge to take photos, as long as you aren’t being disruptive!

Chase Bank Rooftop (Downtown Peoria, IL)

This is a bit obscure but is one of my favorite hidden gems! How do you get to this spot? Put Chase ATM into your GPS, it’ll be the one on NE Jefferson Ave! They do have a small parking fee, but they take cash and credit/debit, so don’t worry too much! I think it’s around $5.00 an hour. I absolutely love bringing portrait and couple clients up to this location since it will not only provide gorgeous images but will offer the clients with stunning views of the city’s architecture. You can actually see the Pere Marquette sign from this rooftop perfectly! I also love offering nighttime flash sessions at this location! A couple tips before offering this type of session, make sure you know and have worked with the client before offering nighttime flash sessions. I would also strongly recommend sharing your location or informing someone you know and trust where you are going and who you are meeting before you attend the session. I am a big advocate for safety, on all sides, and intend to write a blog post dedicated to this topic in the near future!

Grandview Drive (Peoria, IL)

One of Peoria Illinois most iconic locations, Grandview Drive, is a perfect spot to schedule a portrait session. I have found that Spring, Summer, and Fall are the best seasons for scheduling sessions on Grandview Drive. However, I will say that the fall season is on another level! The 2.5-mile stretch is picturesque from start to finish. Pick the least crowded spot and start snapping away!

Bonus location: Cherry Festival, or Good Neighbor Days (Washington, IL)

You saw that right, a bonus location! The Cherry Festival, renamed as the Good Neighbor Days, is super fun spot to bring clients for a portrait session! The only problem is that the festival only takes place for 5 days in June, but, during those days, I’d strongly recommend that you head over there with some clients, or models, and your camera to get some shots! If you’re looking to try a new technique, go at night, while still applying the safety techniques I mentioned earlier, head over to a lit up ride, lower your shutter speed, tell your subject(s) to remain perfectly still, and snap away! I will include a photo of my results. (Settings: ISO 100, f. 3.5, SS 1/6)

Capturing Flawless Portraits in Central Illinois


Any of these stunning locations are perfect for a portrait session! Book yourself a session with Geneava Wilson Photography for your graduation, birthday, to build your model portfolio, or maybe just for fun! Did you want to bring someone along to join in on the fun? No problem! They’re more they welcome to join in the photoshoot with you! Click here to learn more about my packages!