Charleston Falls Photos & Dayton Area Engagement Session Location Info
June 3, 2024
Charleston Falls Preserve Description
At the intersection of Tipp City, Vandalia, and Huber Heights Ohio is Charleston Falls Preserve, a beautiful park with a waterfall at which to create outdoor engagement photos. This Dayton area engagement session location is about twenty minutes north of Dayton and features the aforementioned waterfall, a beautiful pond, and some of the most unique hiking trails in Dayton.
I suggest to my engaged couples that they prepare for a long walk. On a humid day, this can mean messed up makeup and a sweaty couple. This park is best in the spring and fall to avoid the heat. Taking the path to the right takes you back to the falls, the centerpiece of this Miami County park. The mist coming off the bottom of the falls necessitates quick portraits. As you step back from the water, you can use the stairs for other beautiful engagement portraits.
Walking to the left, away from the falls, provides a more tranquil less used area for photos. My favorite spot is a picturesque pond surrounded by cattails. During the late summer and fall, the grass can be 3-4 feet tall, providing a prairie-like look to your photos. The pond, on calm days, is good for several reflection shots as well. No matter which part of the park you use, your pictures will be great.
Preserve Highlights
- Charleston Falls Preserve Address: 2535 Ross Rd, Tipp City, OH 45371
- Permit Requirement: A daily permit is required for photo sessions
- Large waterfall
- Walking trails
- Fields
- Tall grasses
- Pond with dock
- Reasons You Should Choose: The largest waterfall in the Dayton area.
- Reasons To Not Choose: It is a 1/2-mile walk to the falls.
- Warning: Permit required
TIP: Charleston Falls Preserve park closes promptly at sunset, so be sure to exit the parking lot before this.
Spring Engagement Session At The Best Waterfall Dayton Ohio
In June 2022 I connected with this fun young couple after they found me on Google. They wanted pregnancy announcements and Dayton waterfall engagement photos at Miami County’s Charleston Falls Preserve. We had a great time creating the most unique and fun-filled engagement photos I’ve ever taken at this park. Normally couples are fun, but this couple went above and beyond that. They were so excited to be pregnant and celebrating one year of marriage. She was not showing at all, so we also did engagement-style photos. The maternity photos featured a sonogram and a custom onesie.
You can see from the photos below, that her smile was absolutely perfect. In fact, she was one of the most smiley women I have ever photographed. I hope they decide to do family photos in the future, as I’d love to photograph them again.
Since this was a maternity and engagement celebration photo shoot, I had to combine poses. Obviously the mom-to-be did not look pregnant. She was very early on and wanted to use these as pregnancy announcements. I could not have her husband standing behind with his hands on her belly (for very many shots). It was also useless to do any type of silhouettes or belly shots.
My approach was to shoot this as an engagement and occasionally throw in hints of a newborn. Sonograms and onesies made for great props and would eventually be telltale signs she was pregnant.
