How to Choose Your Outdoor Photoshoot Location

Already have a feeling?

Before we go any farther, before I start influencing your choice…does somewhere already come to mind? That special place that says everything about your family all at once? 

If so, don’t read this, skip down to Light Matters. And if you haven’t told me about this location yet, let me know so that I can help decide if it will work well for your photo session.

🌿 Think in environments, not destinations

I always start by asking what kind of space feels like your family?

Do you feel most at home beneath the redwoods? On coastal headlands, with windblown hair and crashing waves? In rolling golden hills, where the kids can run free? Maybe it’s the edges of Tomales or The Bay, where water meets salt grass and birds drift through the fog.

This guide to all my favorite Bay Area Photoshoot Locations lets you filter locations by environment!

You don’t have to name a specific place right now — I can help with that. Just start with the feel you’re going for. Together, we’ll pick the spot that brings it to life.

☀️ Light matters (but I’ll handle that part)

One of the big reasons my images look the way they do is that I’m a bit obsessive about light. The same trail can look completely different in the morning, midday, and golden hour. Some spaces (like redwood groves) are best in the middle of the day. Others (like open beach) only come alive with sunset light.

If you are flexible on timing, we have more latitude in choosing a location. But don’t worry, most folks (especially with little kids) have relatively small windows of time that work well for everyone. My job to find a location that works at that time of day.

💨 Weather is part of the story

If you’ve lived in the Bay Area for more than a minute, you know that fog happens. So do wind and chill and unexpected heat. 

I build flexibility into the scheduling process (especially with Sunshine Insurance upgrades), and I’m always thinking about how to make your session feel good, not forced.

The goal isn’t perfect conditions — it’s more about being ready for anything and embracing (loving!) whatever weather we find on session day.

But, all that said, the location you choose has a big impact on the potential variability of weather. Interior Marin, for example, is sunny a lot of the time, and fog rarely rolls in unexpectedly. Rodeo Beach, on the other hand, is anyone’s guess!

👣 Bonus tip: access matters

We want to be in beautiful places — but not at the end of a 2-mile hike with two hangry toddlers and an empty diaper bag. 

But also if getting your family out on an adventure & pushing your limits a little is where you connect and grow together, that’s a beautiful thing to capture.Some of my favorite spots are stunning and stroller-friendly, others are at the end of a long trail.

I can help you choose based on the ages of your kids, any mobility considerations, or just how much walking you want to do.

So, how do we put it all together?

When you book a session, I ask if you prefer –

I also ask if there are any locations that you have in mind, or any environments that call to you. With these details in mind, I think in terms of priorities. Is a specific location really important to you? What times of day work well?

Or is timing the priority for your family? If so, I’ll help find a location that can accommodate the lighting conditions at that time. I can help narrow the options or even make the decision for you!