THE HELPFUL GUIDE TO YOUR EAST BAY CA PHOTO SHOOT LOCATIONS, PART ONE
Whether you’re in the San Francisco East Bay or South Bay, this region offers an abundance of locations for your senior or family portrait session. In today’s blog post I’m going to talk about the different options available to you, as well as the pros and cons of each. Because Northern California is rife with locations this is the first of a three part series.
THE BEACH
We live in California and the most iconic locations for your photo session is hands down the beach. If you love the feel of sand between your toes, want something that truly represents where we live, and savor the feel of cool, salty air then this is the location for you.
Pros:
- It’s the beach!
- The lighting is often soft and dreamy. The sand also acts as a natural reflector, which is great because it won’t bounce a little bit of light back up into your face. I personally love that kind of lighting and find it very flattering.
- It is inherently beautiful. There is the water, the big and open skies, as well as rocks and cliffs which add texture to your photos.
PLEASANTON, CA HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PHOTOS
Cons:
- The weather can be extremely unpredictable. For those of us who have lived many years in northern California, we know that there can be beautiful weather inland while cold gray skies loom large along the coast. Therefore, with a beach session you often take a gamble with the weather and you have to be willing to just embrace whatever mother nature throws at you. The best season four beach photos is fall. September to November often brings us gorgeous coastal weather.
- The wind. Yes, technically this is weather, but it needs its own mention because it is often forgotten. Due to its geographical openness there are not a lot of places to go that will create a shelter or a wind break.
- Seaweed… Certain times of year mounds of kelp wash up on shore, creating mounds of smelly, fly covered mess. Some of this can be edited out of your images if it’s not too bad, but if the shoreline is covered in it then that is not an option
- It’s a long drive to get to the beach. This is something to be considered if you have little ones (or husbands lol) who may not be patient with an hour plus drive to a photo session.
LIVERMORE, CA HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
FIELDS & HILLTOPS
One option that is consistently popular with clients are fields and hilltops. Next to the beach, rolling gold hills are probably the most iconic California portrait location. It just becomes synonymous with our title The Golden State!
Pros:
- Tall natural grasses and having a location that is steeped in nature.
- Hilltops are the perfect location if you have to do your session later in the day or want incandescent skies and sunsets.
- This type of location often pairs well with home interiors when displayed on your walls. - Natural locations, like the beach, are timeless and fit most families aesthetics.
WALNUT CREEK, CA HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Cons:
- Allergies! This may not be the most ideal location for you if you suffer from seasonal allergies. One option is to take allergy medication a few hours before your session so it has time to kick in.
- Defensible space. Unfortunately because wildfires are now a common reality defensible space has become a priority. So while a field or hilltop could have tall grasses on a Sunday that could all be plowed or cut on a Monday. A lot of us photographers will scout these locations throughout the year to ensure our clients satisfaction, but come photo session day all those tall grasses may be gone in spite of our best efforts of keeping track of what a location currently looks like. Something to keep in mind for your portrait session is whether or not you’re OK with not having tall natural grasses.
- Green can create a color cast in your photos = an editing nightmare. In the spring time we all covet those green hills because that season is so short lived here. I have a lot of clients who like to take advantage of springtime’s green, especially for their senior portrait sessions. If you do not schedule your portrait session at the right time of day that green grass can leave a garish green color cast on your skin in your photos. For me personally, this is why I will not take photos at certain times of day. By doing this I can ensure that the photos you receive will look like the work you fell in love with in my portfolio and website.
- Mother Nature. Although the weather is not as big of an issue as the beach that doesn’t mean we won’t have an unwelcome aspect of nature: critters and bugs. In any natural location you always run the risk of ticks and mosquitoes. In addition to that there can be snakes and during the fall it is tarantula mating season. So if giant spiders are a hard no for you these are locations that I would advise against in the fall lol. In all my years as a portrait photographer I have only seen one snake and a few tarantulas. These gentle mammoth spiders have typically been in roadways and not trails.
SAN RAMON, CA HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
GARDENS
With their perfectly manicured grounds these can be an oasis for your senior and/or family portraits.
PROS:
- These locations typically always look good. Because they are often located in a public park they are maintained by either a full time staff or a dedicated crew of volunteers.
- If you want a session that is laden with flowers these are a great option in spring or summer.
DUBLIN, CA HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
CONS:
- Most public gardens are either in a park or on the grounds of a historic home that is open to the public like Filoli. As a result they require photography permits. Some permits are nominal in cost while others may be a heftier fee. I have seen permits range from $50-$200. Permits often come with a time limit of around two hours and a variety of rules (confetti is typically a no no).
- There will often be people that you have to share this location with whether they are garden visitors or other photographers and their clients. Unfortunately, just because you paid for a permit does not guarantee privacy. Some gardens, such as Heather Farm, are very popular with visitors when they are in full bloom.
LAFAYETTE, CA HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Need some tips for a stress free senior portrait session? Click HERE
Click HERE for five easy tips for choosing the right location for your senior photos.
Wondering what season to take your senior portraits? Click HERE to find out why summer is the perfect season!
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA SENIOR PHOTOS
Looking for a senior photographer in Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Santa Clara County, or the San Francisco Bay Area? I would love the opportunity to get to know you and work with you to capture this once in a lifetime moment for your child! My clients come from all over the Northern California and the Bay Area - Pleasanton, Fremont, Danville, Dublin, Walnut Creek, Castro Valley, San Ramon, Livermore, Lafayette. Book a consult with the button below so we can get to know one another and start planning your senior's bespoke portrait experience.
Want to see what a senior portrait session with Pixel Pages Photography looks like? Click HERE and HERE.
0 Comments