THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SELECTING YOUR FAMILY, MATERNITY, COUPLES, OR ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATION IN THE SF BAY AREA

If ever there was a place that held my heart, San Francisco is definitely that place. Being a family, maternity and couple’s photographer here is an endless treat of exploring wild, beautiful, funky and fun places. Here I offer a compilation of some of the best locations for photography sessions, what I love most about them, what are their potential drawbacks, and other pertinent details. I hope this helps you pick out the right spot to record a beautiful chapter of your love story. Let’s make some memories together!

Mile Rock Beach

Mile Rock beach is located off of the main Lands End trail. When you hike down, their is a bluff offering stunning vistas of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. The beach itself varies depending on the tide.  At high tide it is a beautiful but small beach often filled with rock cairns.  At very low tide, it is a long rocky beach (hence the name) with abundant tide pools teeming with sea anemone, mussels and sea stars.  This location is great for a couple or elopement, an adventurous maternity session or families with older children (or children that can hike a bit and be trusted around cliffs edges).  This location requires a ½ mile hike to get there and is especially beautiful for a sunset session.

China Beach

China Beach is a small beautiful beach cove located in the Seacliff neighborhood of San Francisco.  There is a short staircase with easy access to the beach.  The beach itself is a small sandy cove surrounded by impressive rocky coastal cliffs to the west and a clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge.  I love this location for an early morning session or weekday sunset sessions and if we are lucky sometimes the beach is entirely empty save for a few surfers or ocean swimmers. It is not recommended for weekend sunset sessions because it is so small, it can get overcrowded easily. I also like that this location works well on both sunny and overcast days.

Baker Beach

Perhaps the most iconic beach of San Francisco, Baker Beach offers variety: Classic beach and bridge views, sandy cliffs, coastal trees, and some dilapidated but aesthetically interesting barracks… Baker Beach is a one stop shop for a variety of beautiful backdrops!  It works equally well for early morning and sunset sessions.  I do love photographing here, but I don’t love the crowds as they can distract from the beauty of your photos and the intimacy of the session. Sunrise sessions are usually uncrowded and weeknight sunset sessions are also manageable in terms of crowds. I do not recommend this location for a weekend sunset session as it is just too hectic. One final downside is the old dude nudists are a fixture at this beach (they are there year round) so if you don’t want to see old naked men or don’t want your kids to, this is not the location for you. 

Ocean Beach

Another fabulous beach option, this beach is easy to access and offers wide and expansive views down the beach and toward the Pacific. It works great for early morning sessions or weekday sunset sessions. It also is one of SF’s more popular beaches, so I don’t recommend it for weekend sunset sessions. The unique feature at Ocean Beach that isn’t found at many other SF beaches is the beautiful coastal dunes which is where I start my sessions here. If you are looking for a coastal and minimalist vibe to your photos, this location works wonderfully.  This location can also be combined with the Windmills in Golden Gate Park to get a variation in backdrop.

Marshalls Beach

This is a hike-in only beach and requires about a 15-minute hike down down down to the beach and then up up up at the end of the session. The hike is truly stunning though!  I find it really worth the effort for the right adventurous family or couples session. This beach offers some of the best and closest views of the Golden Gate Bridge.  At mid to low tides, a short jaunt down the beach leads to some really cool rock formations by the shore. This spot works well for sunset and because it requires effort to get there, it sees far fewer crowds than most of the other beach locations.  But be warned, the nudists old dudes common at Baker, they sometimes hang out here too. 

Thorton Beach + Bluffs

This is the Bay Area’s best kept secret in my opinion! It’s south of Fort Funston but sees far less visitors partly because you have to know the way down to the beach and the route is not obvious. This is a location for an adventurous pregnant mama, couple or family that is willing to hike for glorious scenery and views.  It does require a considerable hike down to the beach, about 3/4 mile, and some of the best views are en route along cliffs edges. We’ll photograph along the bluffs quite a bit so the journey is part of the session. I do not recommend this spot for spirited toddlers or children who can’t be safe on steep bluffs.  For babies that can be carried down in an ergo or older children that can hike, it is a lovely spot. I have seen whales breaching just off shore at this beach many times. There are gorgeous views from the bluffs and every time I go here (which is quite often with my family), I am blown away by the sweeping coastal views that are right at the city’s edge.

Lands End and Sutro Baths

These are two of my favorite spots in the city and can be done alone or in combination at a session. I am often left in disbelief that such stunning beauty lies within our city limits. It’s truly a lovely spot and sometimes we are gifted with extra session surprises like whale watching during the session (true story — I’ve seen whales a couple of times while out shooting here). Where I take clients here depents on the time of the day and the weather, but Lands End works equally beautiful in sun or fog. I may even prefer this spot in the fog because it offers such a magical atmosphere!

Lands End has beautiful and accessible trails so great for clients that have mobility challenges! We can also for further into the trees, out on the bluffs. Coastal views and windswept trees abound! If you are up for an adventure, we can head down the trail to Sutro Baths. Sutro is a very popular spot for photographers but for good reason.  Once the world’s largest indoor pool house, the archaeological remnants are now an iconic staple of San Francisco. There is even a small hidden beach in front of the baths that can be accessed at low tide.

Lands End and Sutro both work well in the early morning or for sunset.  I won’t photograph here on weekend evenings though because it can be such a zoo and it’s not safe on the baths if we are working our way through large crowds and also trying to have a photoshoot (and sometimes there is a cue just to take pictures)! My absolute favorite time to shoot here is actually an hour or two after sunrise. The light can be extra beautiful reflecting off the baths at that time of day. So if sunrise or sunset doesn’t work for your family, but you still want a coastal location, this is your spot!

SF Botanical Gardens

The San Francisco Botanical Gardens is a beautiful oasis located in the middle of the city’s Golden Gate Park. This is a great location for those who know sunrise or sunset session timing won’t work for their schedule. It photographs well throughout the day, in sun or fog, and there are a variety of beautiful backdrops from giant trees, different blooms each season, a small redwood grove, succulents and cactus, bamboo forest, and lush, verdant, hidden gardens of plants from around the world. Entrance to the gardens is free for SF residents with proof of residency but there is an entrance fee for those coming to the city from out of town. 

De Young Museum + Music Concourse

I have so many favorite spots to photograph in the city and this is definitely one of them!  The skyspace is an outdoor exhibit at the De Young Museum and free to the public. It offers a beautiful backdrop of terracotta walls, and extremely interesting light and shadow play.  The space outside the De Young and in the Music Concourse has very interesting opportunities to use architecture, lines, light, and texture for a fun, artistic and unique session.  It can work great for couples, maternity or family photography sessions. Some areas can only be accessed during museum hours, but this is a great location option for folks not wanting to book a sunset or sunrise session as it can work well throughout the day.

Mission Murals

The Mission District of San Francisco is filled with colorful murals that make this an excellent backdrop for a casual, fun and urban vibe session. I love using art to create more art and this location is perfect for that! This is another great option for those that can’t do sunrise or sunset timing as the lighting here can work well throughout the day.  In addition to the murals, you could add-on a visit to a local coffeeshop or ice cream parlor for a documentary and natural vibe to the photos.

Mallard + Elk Glen Lake in Golden Gate Park

This pair of lakes is relatively unknown in the expansive Golden Gate Park.  I actually stumbled upon them accidentally while running through the park and immediately thought of how well they would work for a family photo session especially with little toddler explorers. It is sometimes hard to get away from crowds at SF locations, but not here.  Both lakes have the verdant tree-lined lake backdrop so classic of Golden Gate Park. When I think of this location, I think of me documenting your kids being kids — having fun, exploring outdoors, playing, and maybe getting messy too.  There are some cool and gnarly Australian tea trees that allow for safe and low tree-climbing, stone pathways, a creek with crayfish, wispy trees, sticks and flowers to collect, and a really shallow shore at Elk Glen Lake for rock throwing and splashing (bring your kids’ rain boots)! 

Woodline / Lovers Land in the Presidio

You can’t go wrong with Woodline also known as Lovers Lane. It’s definitely a favorite session location for my clients, but for good reason! Sun or fog and almost all day long this site is a crowd pleaser.  It’s a small forested area of the Presidio with a nature-art installation by Andy Goldworthy in the form of a winding river created by tree stumps.  If you’ve never seen it, it is very cool and it works super well for sessions.  The light seeping in through the trees is atmospheric, and kids love balancing on the tree stumps, collecting sticks, and exploring the little tree forts. 

Fort Point

A National Historic Site located under the Golden Gate Bridge and at the entrance to the San Francisco Bay, this is another one of San Francisco’s beautiful and unique locations. Fort Point is architecturally stunning with interesting geometric backdrops, beautiful brick-red archways, and especially fun for all you history buffs out there.  On the top level you can stand underneath the golden gate bridge with views of the Pacific Ocean, SF Bay and downtown SF.  It’s only opened Fridays – Mondays 10-5, but can work well anytime within that window. This is an edgy, funky and unique venue and I love photographing here.

Lincoln Park Mosaic Steps

If you are looking for an off-the-beaten path vibe, this is the session location for you! The colorful mosaic staircase at Lincoln Park is truly a work of art. They are located at the end of California street where it dead-ends at Lincoln Park. The colorful staircase makes for a bright and beautiful backdrop for a session. The nearby area offers a short and verdant tree-lined trail that connects to the eastern end of Lands End.  This session would start at the stairs, meander through the tree-lined trail and finish at Lands End with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park

This is a new update to the list because it was only “created” as a pedestrian and bike road in San Francisco recently. The area begins with the LOVE block art installations and runs up until the Music Concourse. There are some fun murals on the road (which is now car-free thanks to voter advocacy and efforts). Kids can climb on the blocks, we can hang outside or inside the SF Conservatory of flowers, there are beautiful flowers and trees, a ping pong table, a coffee truck. Bring a blanket or bikes and this is a playful and interactive locations with a variety of unique backdrops!

Ghiradelli Square

A tourist landmark, Ghiradelli square offers some fun and interactive options for a family or couples photo session. There are various fun walls and stairwells with funky rainbow design that make a vibrant backdrop for photos. Options for stopping in the ice cream shop, ardase or even San Francisco-themed mini golf could be part of your family session all within Ghiradelli Square. We could also combine with some photos by the cable cars nearby or at Aquatic Park.

Corona Heights Park

A hidden gem of San Francisco City Parks, Corona Heights Park offers sweeping views over downtown’s city skyline as well as toward Sutro Tower. There are some nice textured rocks and fun trees to climb. This session location can also be combined as a neighborhood + local park session for folks in the Castro, Mission, or Eureka Valley Neighborhoods. I recommend spot for early morning sessions or for a couple hours prior to sunset.

Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts is a very popular photography session location in San Francisco. It is a very beautiful Beaux-Arts styled building with an interesting history, a pretty pond and some nice greenery around. This location is almost always crowded especially in the main dome area so it is only recommended for early morning sessions or weekday evenings. Expect some crowds regardless of session time. The design and composition possibilities here are quite fine and it works well if you are looking for a formal backdrop for your family, couples engagement or maternity session.

San Francisco City Hall

San Francisco City Hall is a very popular location for micro weddings and elopements. Couples choose this spot for is spectacular photo opportunities and ease of getting married here. Couples can reserve a wedding spot here 90 days in advance. I’ll be creating a SF City Hall wedding guide soon with all my tips and tricks, so check back for when I have that posted. But I LOVE City Hall for photography sessions and it even works quite well for family sessions. It’s open to the public on weekdays between 8-5 and no reservations are required if you aren’t getting married so it is also a wonderful option for an indoor family or maternity location. I just did a family session there as a pivot on a rainy day and the photos came out beautifully!

Session locations outside of San Francisco that I also really love! ↓↓↓↓↓

Hawk Hill

This is a new favorite location of mine. Hawk Hill trail was opened to the public a few years ago. It is a great spot for 360 sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, City Skyline and out toward the headlands and Pacific Ocean. It works best at sunset but also quite well in the early morning. Weekend evenings or during holidays can be tricky because there is limited parking in the area. I always check the wind report here because it can catch some wild winds (expect some wind no matter what). We start through a fun tunnel then look out toward the Pacific and then reach the top point with the bay views. It’s a short an easy hike up on designated trails and the view is spectacular. The bluff with the GG Bridge as backdrop is not recommended for running kiddos or folks with a fear of heights.

Gray Whale Cove

This is a new addition to my favorite locations and it’s actually not in San Francisco but it’s such a great spot that I had to include it here.  This beach and cliffside area is south of Pacifica.  I love this beach location because it works best a few hours after sunrise (which is unusual for a beach location). It can also work well at sunset but on weekends sometimes the lot is full so better for a weeknight sunset or weekend morning. The most epic light I’ve ever had the fortune of getting at a session was here so I am always hoping to see it again. The magical mix of the sun coming over the mountains and fog burning off the coast is often at play here and it’s quite stunning. 

Kirby Cove

This is not exactly in the city but it is located right across the Golden Gate Bridge in the Marin Headlands. The area is actually a small campground of 5 sites (for all you campers out there — it’s a true gem of a spot)! It requires a 1-mile walk each way from the parking area down a fire road to get to the cove but if you don’t mind the walk, you are rewarded with a stunning forested cove, almost private beach, and vistas practically under the Golden Gate Bridge and toward downtown San Francisco. Pelican flocks frequently swoop overhead and sea lions play in the water just offshore. This spot is for all you adventurous hike-loving families, pregnant mamas and couples. And it is absolutely worth the adventure!

Filoli Gardens

If you are going for magical secret gardens vibes, this is your place! Filoli Gardens is located in Woodside, California about 30 minutes south of San Francisco. This location offers an elegant and foliage or bloom- inspired photography session depending on the season. The gardens are open 10-5 daily and advanced purchase tickets are required. If you opt for a session here, you purchase the tickets for your group and me as the photographer so be sure to plan in that additional cost.

Rockaway Beach in Pacifica

Rockaway beach in Pacifica is really two smaller beaches that connect at low tide but are mostly separate. On the North side of the beach there is a gorgeous field of tall sea grass with mountains in the backdrop and you can hike up the bluffs to arrive at a spectacular coastal labyrinth. The Southern side of the beach is more beautiful on the beach itself with beautiful textured sandstone and gorgeous beach views. I do drone photography but there aren’t many place in the SF Bay Area where you can fly a drone. This beach is one of the places where you can fly drone and it offers a really special birds eye view of the California coast!!

That is my roundup of the best photography locations in San Francisco! I hope this post has helped you to discover the perfect family, maternity or couples location for your next photo session! I always love scouting new locations, and using locations in unique ways is a speciality of mine. This certainly is not an exhaustive list of all the rad places to photograph in San Francisco or greater Bay Area, but just some of my faves that I wanted to share with you. For my top recommendations of East Bay locations, you can check those out here. If you’d like to get on my booking calendar, you can contact me here. I look forward to exploring the Bay Area’s magnificent beauty and recording some forever memories for you and your loved ones!