One landscape photographer pro-tip I received was to choose a place near your home that you can return to again and again, at all times of the year, at all times of day, for photography practice. It teaches you how to look at a place from so many angles and in so many circumstances with so many different light conditions.
I am fortunate to live less than one mile from Jacob L. Loose Park – a 75-acre, centrally located park in Kansas City that is home to a beautifully curated rose garden, a garden center, a pavilion, shady picnic areas, a small pond with ducks and koi fish, grassy hills dotted with all varieties of trees. It has a playground, tennis courts, a splash pool, and a memorial to the historic Battle of Westport. It is beautiful and bustling with activity year-round, from picnics on the lawn to kids’ birthday parties to weddings in the rose garden. It provides so much fodder for the practicing landscape photographer. Not to mention, it is at the top of a steep hill, which is great for strapping on a heavy pack and putting on miles to train for my big hikes.
I will regularly return to this article, continually adding and curating photos from Loose Park to improve and develop a cohesive set and better understand this important part of my community, with all its history and beauty. From whole scenes to tiny details, I hope a clear capture of Loose Park will begin to take shape.
All images below were photographed on the Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless camera. Some prints for sale at my ZenFolio store, where half of my proceeds are donated to environmental and conservation charities.
