San Diego senior portraits shouldn’t be limited to the school photographer. Why have the same backdrop as everyone else? We live in a beautiful and picturesque city that is almost tailor made for photo shoots! A senior portrait session is a chance to showcase your unique personality. It is also a time to have fun. With the creative talents of our San Diego senior portrait photographers, the options are endless.

You may have already decided you want a special photo session for your teen. Or, the session may be for yourself, if you are the senior. But now what? Where do you hold this photo session? Fortunately, our city has a wide variety of scenic locations and neighborhoods. And, with our long history of experience, our team has photographed pretty much everywhere. So let’s get started with a few recommendations to make your shoot stand out.

Here are 3 location ideas for your San Diego senior portraits!

1) Balboa Park

Who doesn’t love this San Diego landmark? There is so much to enjoy there that it is a favorite for tourists and locals alike. From the impressive fountains to the architecture, there is no shortage of eye-catching detail. As photographers, we make use of Balboa Park’s many diverse areas and backdrops. For example, the Spanish Village is completely different from a visual perspective than the rose garden. This gives us a lot to work with, using parts of the park that are within minutes from each other.

Where we will go on your own Senior photography session depends on your personality. If you are a permanent kid at heart, we’ll head over to the carousel for a vibrant series of photos. If you have a playful side, we may capture you engaging with the resident performers, like attempting to juggle. Or, if you are more serious and dramatic, we’ll photograph you in front of a striking background, such as the Museum of Man exterior. Rest assured we will cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

One thing to note is that there are areas within the park that are fairly far apart, from a walking perspective. We tend to plan our photo sessions around landmarks that are grouped closely together. If you plan on traveling across the park during the shoot, you’ll want to plan for a slightly higher photo shoot budget. Even by car, it will take time to find parking and walk to the next destination. Having a longer senior portrait session accounts for this, without being stressed or pressed for time.

The Beach

If you are a local San Diegan, your first thought is likely “which one?” After all, each beach has its own unique vibe and culture. At La Jolla Shores, for example, you will be surrounded by boutique shop lovers and families with strollers. In Pacific Beach, its more of the party crowd. And in Ocean Beach, you’ll see your fair share of charismatic eccentrics. Every beach in San Diego presents its own opportunity for a creative senior portrait session!

When planning for a senior portrait shoot at the beach, there is one major factor to consider. That is, the weather! This is something you may not think too much about, but as photographers, we are constantly checking weather conditions and looking for updates. This way, we know whether the images will photograph well, and how to best prepare equipment-wise. It also sounds funny, but an overcast day can often produce better senior photos than direct sunlight. And, because of our experience as San Diego senior portrait photographers, we have our ideal spots and times of day.

If you are planning to have your portrait session on or around the beach, you’ll definitely want to contact our studio well in advance. That way, we can plan out the day, and make the best recommendations. We will also check the forecast closer to the shoot date, so we can make a back-up plan if need be.

Downtown San Diego

Like the other locations mentioned above, Downtown San Diego is an amazing place to hold your senior portrait session. With its abundance of tall buildings, urban environments, and colorful public parks, downtown is full of variety. Even when walking, we can choose a location that varies quite a bit from block to block. Or, we can hop on a trolley together and capture more of the city.

We don’t have to stick to just the Gaslamp District either. There are a lot of areas on the perimeter of Downtown that make for great shooting locations. For example, the Marina, Seaport Village, Little Italy, and even Barrio Logan are all nearby. It really depends on your sense of adventure. As we get to talking, and get to know you a bit, we’ll come up with creative ideas on the spot to showcase your personality. We’ll also have a vision of where in Downtown San Diego we want to incorporate. This way, there is a nice mix of pre-planning and spontaneousness.

These are three of the many locations in town that would be ideal for your San Diego senior portrait photography session. There are many more! So, please feel welcome to contact our studio for personalized recommendations. We look forward to photographing you!