Coffee and Dunes at Ocean Beach

Experience No. 11 • San Francisco • Part of the Inspiration Series

Toddler pulls mom and family towards beach across San Francisco's new Ocean Beach Park.
Dad and two toddler's jump off sand dunes while mom and baby watch from atop.
  • Toddler pulls mom and family towards beach across San Francisco's new Ocean Beach Park.
  • Dad and two toddler's jump off sand dunes while mom and baby watch from atop.
  • Mom spins with toddler on the beach while the rest of family play in ocean behind her.

View a Coffee and Dunes at Ocean Beach sample gallery

Andytown on Taraval is a few steps from the Pacific — and depending on who you ask, the best coffee in the city. On a clear morning you can feel the ocean before you see it.

A short walk and you’re at the edge of the country. The Sunset Dunes are what San Francisco looked like before anyone showed up to pave it. The oat grass bends in the wind. This is where the Pacific Ocean meets The City.

The Basics

  • Location: Ocean Beach / Sunset Dunes, San Francisco
  • Duration: 90 min
  • Effort: 3 – Easy
  • Suggested Medium: Film
  • Best For: Family, Young Kids
  • Cost: $1,475
  • Parking Info
Check Availability

The Session

You start with coffee and a scone, then walk a few blocks to the beach, pausing at Sunset Dunes Park to see what’s new.

From there you climb up into the dunes and find a private nook in the oat grass — parents settle in, kids take over. Climbing, jumping, hide-and-seek in the grass.

On a sunny morning you feel the warmth of the sand. On a foggy one you smell the sea and breathe a little deeper. Either way, nobody is checking their phone. The whole day is still ahead.

When everyone’s ready, you head down to the water’s edge — feet in the shallows, kids chasing the foam. End there if that’s your style, or stay and let it run.

Photographer

DAVID ENLOE
(HE, HIM)

Easygoing, grounded.

David crafts experiences rooted in presence and quality time with your people.

More about David

Field Notes

✎ Ancestral lands of the Yelamu people, a tribe of Ramaytush Ohlone, who were displaced with the arrival of Spanish missionaries in 1769.

✎ Before San Francisco was built, the entire western peninsula was sand dunes — some over 100 feet tall. The dunes at Ocean Beach are among the last native dune habitat remaining in the city.

✎ Giant ocean sunfish (Mola mola) occasionally wash into the shallows here. The world’s heaviest bony fish — up to 5,000 lbs, with skin up to 3 inches thick. Your photographer once helped rescue one stuck in the shallows at OB on a low tide.

+Video

Some sessions lend themselves to a short film, and this is one of them. Motion and sound, paired with your photos. I make it easy to add it when you book.

Play video sound on
Close-up of folded knitted sweaters on rustic wood, showcasing texture and warmth.

Come Prepared

I prefer to park near the pin, along the Lower Great Highway near Taraval. It’s usually easy to find a spot. I’ll meet you at the intersection and we’ll walk up to Andytown together.

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Start with layers you can shed. Beach sessions often begin cool and end with everyone chasing kids across the sand in their base layer. Knits, linen, and denim all photograph beautifully here. Flowing accessories like scarves or shawls add movement, especially in the wind.

Color depends on the specific beach, but you generally want tones that stand out from the sand rather than blend into it. Soft whites and creams are a reliable base, especially for moms. Ground everyone else in warm neutrals and use one or two deeper tones to anchor the group. Blues and teals tend to photograph especially well near water. Avoid light grey, which can disappear depending on the light.

Most families end up barefoot by the end. Bring sandals for the walk back and a change of socks. Kids will get wet. Plan for it.

Don’t forget your kids, your partner, or your dog. Beyond the obvious, here’s what’s worth throwing in the car for this one.

Beach blanket
Sand toys (for the little ones)
Change of clothes for kids + extra shoes (leave in the car)
Bag for wet and sandy things (leave in the car)
Wipes
Beach shade or umbrella (optional)

A straw bag and towel on white sand beach, perfect for a relaxing day outdoors.

Location Specifics

Shade

No shade on the dunes or beach — bring a shade umbrella or tent if needed.

Terrain

Walk: ~0.2 mi RT | flat + sandy dune scrambling | sidewalk + paved path + soft sand

Restrooms

Restrooms at Andytown and at the Taraval/Lower Great Highway access point.

Dog friendly?

Dogs welcome. Off-leash under voice control north of stairwell 21; leash required in the Taraval/dunes section for most of the year.

Parking

Street parking along the Lower Great Highway at Taraval. Free and easy early in the morning.

Make it a day

✓ Avenues is right there on Taraval — grab a musubi and the avocado toast before the kids get their second wind.


✓ Walk or roll Sunset Dunes after the session — bring bikes, skates, anything that rolls. Two miles of car-free coastline.


✓ Blackbird Bookstore on Irving has one of the best kids’ sections in the city — local authors, field guides, Bay Area history. Good back patio.

Check Availability

Questions. Answered

These experiences are built around real conditions — tides, light, flower blooms, coastal weather. A little fog or wind is often part of what makes them feel alive. Unless your experience includes Sunshine Insurance, we’re going to lean into what Mother Earth sends our way.

If conditions look truly unworkable or unsafe — typically a rain forecast of 30% or greater, or any weather warning — I’ll cancel and issue a full refund so you can book another date.

Depending on my availability and the realities of that particular experience, a reschedule may be offered.

If you need to move your session to a new date, a rebooking fee of 20% of the total session fee applies. Any payments already made can be credited toward an available session within six months of the original date.

If you cancel without rescheduling, payments already made are non-refundable.

If illness or something unexpected comes up, get in touch. I’ll always aim to handle things fairly and thoughtfully.

Each experience is thoughtfully paired with the medium, so check the top of the page to find out which one applies here.

Film is slower and more intentional. I take fewer frames and commit to the moment. The results tend to have a softer, more timeless look, with natural grain and texture. You may see a frame that’s slightly soft or imperfect in a way that feels human. That character is part of what people love about film.

Digital gives me the freedom to shoot a lot. That means I can work quickly with moving kids, handle low light, and deliver sharp photos in a wide range of conditions. It also gives me the luxury of finding the best split-second moment during editing.

If you want clean, sharp, and technically consistent, digital is the better fit. If you want something tactile, nostalgic, and emotionally textured, film is the one.

Photos for digital sessions are delivered within 4 weeks. If you purchase Rush Delivery, they are delivered within 7 days (sometimes less, ask for current availability).

Please allow up to 8 weeks for the delivery of videos and analog film photos.

Not every experience includes Sunshine Insurance — check The Basics section at the top of the page to see if it’s part of yours.

Typically, I don’t reschedule for fog or overcast — coastal weather is part of the experience. Sunshine Insurance changes that. If your session includes it, you can reschedule up to twice at no additional cost if conditions aren’t cooperating.

Let’s pick a date

Sessions begin at Andytown Taraval at 8am. Morning light and an empty beach — the earlier the better.

Ready? Choose a date below and you’ll receive a booking file by email — agreement and invoice together. Your spot is confirmed once the retainer is paid.

***Selected dates are held for 24 hours pending completion of the booking file.

Deliverables

  • Session Length: 90 min
  • 50+ digital images
  • (or) 30+ film scans
  • Immediate family + 2 extended members included
  • Print release
  • Shareable online gallery available for 30 days
  • Cost: $1,475
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