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- Best Photography Spots In Southern California: Hollywood Sign. You can drive near the Hollywood Sign, but if you want to get a good picture, you’ll need to hike.
- Hollywood Boulevard & Walk of Fame. Hollywood Boulevard is where the Walk of Fame is located as well as TCL Chinese Theatre. Get that photo of the walk of fame star with your favorite actor or actress!
- Best Photography Spots In Southern California: The Getty Center. If you love art, The Getty Center is an obvious stop on your trip! Take photos of the beautiful campus with gardens and sculptures.
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Check out the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) if you’re interested in art and/or history! They have a mix of contemporary and historical pieces, as well as a beautiful outdoor sculpture garden that’s great for photoshoots.
- The Redwoods
- Yosemite
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Eastern Sierras
- La Jolla
- Big Sur
- Malibu
- The Channel Islands
- Laguna Beach
- Bodega Bay
Known as the largest trees in the world, these gentle giants are a must-see for any photographer travelling through California. These trees can be found along Northern California’s coast (known as the Redwood Coast) by taking a quick detour off Highway 101 and following a 31-mile route where you’ll find yourself surrounded by photo opportunities ga...
YosemiteNational Park offers some of the most incredible mountain scenery anywhere in California — complete with snow peaks, pine forest valleys and multicoloured skyscapes which are all easily accessible from the valley road that runs through it. The magical sheer cliff faces of El Capitan and Cathedral are particularly beautiful at sunset when th...
It’s easy to see why The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most photographed structures in the world. We’ve seen the famous bridge in countless movies and up close, with its sweeping views of San Francisco Bay, and it’s even more impressive in person than it is on the big screen! Getting the right angle will make all the difference to your photo, so...
Heading up Route 395, you’ll be greeted with 120 miles of sunlit Sierra Nevada, completely removed from metropolitan areas and a region that’s not to be missed when it comes to mountain and valley photography. Get ready to marvel at towering landscapes in spots like Lone Pine, Mt. Whitney, the Alabama Hills and Mono Lake. These aspen-lined canyons ...
Complete with dazzling blue Pacific Ocean Views and an abundance of marine life living in harmony, this picturesque little beach community is a real gem for photographers. From sweeping, elevated coastal views at the Gliderport (complete with colorful gliders dotted around the sky!), to the romantic rocky settings of Windansea, this stretch of coas...
The ultimate Californian destination for majestically rugged and truly wondrous seascapes, a trip to Big Sur will take you on a 300km drive though sun-kissed coastline, golden plains and faraway mountains. With amazing photo opportunities every few hundred meters and sunsets that will take your breath away, it can be tricky to know where to stop in...
The surf-filled, celebrity-studded enclave that is Malibu also happens to be home to some of the best coastal photography spots in Southern California. Hike around Point Dume where you can lose yourself walking along the sandy beaches with vistas of both the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Catalina Island. Of course, you can’t miss El Matador State Beac...
Channel Islands National Park is made up of San Miguel, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas, San Clemente, Anacapa, Santa Barbara, and Santa Rosa — some of which are better known than others. What they all have in common though is their sheer natural beauty. Surrounded by crystal clear azure waters on all sides that are often visited by orcas a...
Arguably the best beach location for sunset snaps, Laguna Beach is one of Southern California’s favourite, sun-drenched photo opportunity locations. From bridal portraits to rainbow-colored beachscapes, Laguna Beach truly is a postcard destination. To shoot some beautifully maintained tropical gardens, head to Treasure Island Park and for hundreds ...
This quiet California beach community resides just off the Pacific Coast Highway where a laidback pace of life is wonderfully apparent among the windswept shores. With miles of sandy coves and rocky headlands and very little traffic, it’s easy to capture an air of peaceful reflection in your snaps, whether its of the churning surf or a quiet meadow...
- El Matador Beach. Jagged cliffs and secret caves await you at this dreamy Malibut hotspot. El Matador Beach is one of the most stunning beaches in SoCal and it’s situated right next to all of the homes of Hollywood’s hottest stars.
- Balboa Island. Newport Beach ranked as one of the best beaches in the country in the Southern Living poll, but it’s Balboa Island that’s the real gem. This harborside community is accessible via a bridge or ferry (although we’d suggest the latter for extra photo ops).
- Laguna Beach. The famous show by the same name made this beachside city one of the most visited in Southern California. It’s located south of Los Angeles in Orange County and is home to numerous lesser-known beaches great for socially distanced photography.
- Pirate Tower. We’re somewhat cheating with this one as Pirate Towers is located at Virginia Beach, mentioned above. However, it’s such a great spot in SoCal for photography that it’s well worth the mention.
- Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. The most southern photo spot on our list is the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. It is a 68-acre regional park in San Diego, stretching along the Point Loma peninsula's shoreline.
- Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Twenty miles north of Sunset Cliffs, another photo spot worth the visit is the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.
- Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve. Moving farther north to beautiful Laguna Beach, there are two adjacent marine protected habitats, The Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve and the State Marine Conservation Area.
- The Pirate Tower in Laguna Beach. Nearby, there is another photo spot we found very interesting to photograph, and it is known as the Pirate Tower. It is a very odd and unusual place considering its location and purpose.
Huntington Beach. With a brilliantly-designed pier, up-front ocean views, and fiery red and orange colors by evening, Huntington City Beach is without doubt one of Southern California’s most breathtaking landscapes to photograph. The pier marks the middle of the sandy, three-and-a-half-mile beach, but you can go for a long walk in both ...
May 3, 2023 · This blufftop park next to the Main Beach in Laguna Beach has some of the best views in all of Southern California. It’s one of the most beautiful photography locations in Orange County because it’s got some jaw-dropping scenery, with lush greenery and views of the crystal-clear blue waters.
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Jun 9, 2019 · Sunset at Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California – Canon EOS 350D – 18 mm – ¹⁄₂₅₀ sec a ƒ / 10 – 100 ISO. Final Thoughts. A California coast photography trip will be at the top of many landscape photographers’ bucket lists.