As an equestrian estate, Danada House photos were the perfect choice for my horseback riding senior portrait client! It was particularly fun to choose a location to highlight that interest – Danada House and Equestrian Center in Wheaton has beautiful grounds and a working stable!
Danada House Wheaton
The Danada Estate in Wheaton was acquired in 1928 by Dan and Ada Rice, hence the name of the estate – Danada! In 1946 they acquired racehorses, and built the stable and turned the grounds into an equestrian estate. In 1965 their horse, Lucky Debonair, placed first in the Kentucky Derby!
With this rich history, white picket fences, and charming tree-lined alleys, the Danada House is a lovely backdrop for photos with an equestrian flair. Clients also love its proximity to downtown Chicago – it’s only an hour west out of town.
Danada House Photos
For photos, Danada House does require a photo permit. The permit for photographing on the grounds can be acquired from the DuPage County Forest Preserves office. If you’re looking to photograph inside Danada House, however, you’ll want to reach out to their coordinators directly. Danada House is a lovely option for events large and small – weddings, baby showers, and parties.
Danada Equestrian Center
You can ride horses at Danada Equestrian Center, learn how to care for horses, and take trail riding lessons. I will say that as a senior photographer, it was actually a little challenging to find a horse to cameo in the background of a photo! But nonetheless, the white picket fences, the horse paddocks(?), and stables allowed to get the vibe of a working horse farm whether or not the horses were there.
Dogs are allowed on the estate grounds, as long as they are leashed and not disruptive to guests or horses.
Danada House
What times of year are prettiest to photograph here? It’s pretty lovely any time of year! These photos were taken in April so we could get images with the redbud and crabapple trees in bloom. With the classic white gravel paths and tree-lined alleys, Danada House is also a great photo location in Wheaton in summer and fall.
Some of our favorite locations on the site to capture that equestrian vibe included the stable, older white barn, and of course, the picket fences along the horse paddocks!
Here’s what my client’s mom had to say about her photoshoot:
“From start to finish, Kristen is enthusiastic, energetic, positive and extraordinarily skilled. A consummate professional, she made me and my daughter feel completely at ease and comfortable at every stage. She thought of every detail and has an uncanny ability to remember likes, dislikes and preferences. No concern is too small for her attention, and no challenge insurmountable. Getting ready for the photo shoot was exciting, and boy was it fun! Kristen kept it light and kept it moving and didn’t let any good photo opps go to waste, even while walking to/from locations. And the pictures–just wow! My daughter and I were blown away by the variety and quality. I can’t wait to work with Kristen again someday. She is the best of the best. I highly recommend this talented artist.”
Interested in a fun senior photoshoot of your own? I’d love to help out! Look here for my senior portfolio, and reach out here to get the ball rolling for your own photoshoot!
Kristen Hazelton is an award-winning Oak Park, IL (West Chicagoland) and Livermore, CA (San Francisco East Bay Area) graduating senior, and family photographer. She occasionally photographs in San Diego, CA, Tucson, AZ, and Seattle, WA. You can inquire about your own photoshoot here!
