Picture-Perfect Locations for Family Photos in Northern San Diego

San Diego offers spectacular locations for family photos, with picturesque beaches, towering bluffs, and lush greenery. Whether you’re a local or on vacation, it’s an incredible place to create long-lasting memories with your loved ones.

After my son was born, I made it a tradition to take annual pictures. We started when he was just eight months old and have continued to do so ever since. Family pictures make for an important keepsake and are useful for holiday cards at the end of the year. We’ve mostly stuck with locations in northern San Diego as we live in North County.

Here’s the scoop on all the locations where we’ve taken family photos and some places we plan to use. Though I don’t like sharing many pictures of myself, it was difficult to avoid while trying to showcase each location’s settings. If you’re getting too much of me, feel free to focus on the stunning backdrops!

Beach bound

The beach is one of our favorite spots for family photos. In San Diego, it’s tough to beat. Although we’ve only used a few beaches so far, there are still plenty to choose from.

The only downside is that the conditions can be unpredictable. Depending on the time of year or Mother Nature on a random day, there may be fog and wind, and it can get chilly. The wind and hair do not mix well, at least not mine. Nevertheless, we’ve managed to get beautiful pictures even with these challenges.

I’d suggest avoiding beach photos in May and June, also known as May Gray and June Gloom. During these months, there are many days when we hardly see the sun. Besides that, taking pictures at any other time of the year is pretty safe.

We usually schedule our sessions between October and December. October has been the ideal time, but November and December have worked too. However, I’m usually freezing halfway through the session when we’ve taken photos after the time change in November.

South Ponto Beach

Our first time taking family photos, we visited the Batiquitos Lagoon and South Ponto Beach. It was late October, and there was an abnormal heat wave, but I prefer that over cold weather!

South Ponto Beach may be small, but it offers a variety of photo opportunities. The jetty is a terrific spot for capturing unique photos, either sitting on it or using it as a background.

It’s easy to get to this beach, and parking is convenient, with spots available along the road or by paying a fee to park in the day-use parking lot.

Del Mar Dog Beach

Del Mar Dog Beach is fantastic, with or without dogs. It offers marvelous views in all directions, featuring the ocean, bluffs, caves, boulders, and the Torrey Pines reserve in the distance.

This is an ideal place if you have a furry friend tagging along. Unlike some other locations, you won’t have to worry about restrictions as your dog can roam around off-leash and explore while you capture perfect shots.

You can’t beat San Diego weather. These photos were taken in mid-November. If you look at the image on the stairs, you can tell how windy it was, but luckily, we could still get some pictures without my hair flying everywhere.

Terramar Beach

Another beauty, Terramar Beach! Much like Del Mar Dog Beach, there are endless bluffs, rocks, and coastline views with towering palm trees in the background. It’s secluded and relatively small, which means it’s less crowded than some other beaches in the area.

Unlike Del Mar Dog Beach, your four-legged friends are not welcome here. We took pictures with our dog up on top of the bluff, known as Terramar Point, and then he hung out in our car (with windows cracked) while we were on the beach.

These photos below were taken right before Christmas, and aside from the weather being chilly and windy, it was perfect.

La Jolla Scripps Pier

This one isn’t in north San Diego, but it’s worth mentioning.

Scripps Pier is a 1,090-foot pier in La Jolla. It was built in 1916 by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography for research, education, and recreation purposes. It offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and is a popular spot for photography and leisurely strolls.

This is an extraordinary location, but it can get crowded, especially if you want to take photos under the pier, which is a must! You’ll typically have to wait in a line of other families and Instagrammers. Nevertheless, it’s definitely worth the wait. We were there in early November in the evening and waited for about 5-10 minutes for our turn, which wasn’t too bad.

Nature Settings

If you want to skip the beach, plenty of other locations have magnificent scenery. These are less crowded than the beach, and we mostly had each place to ourselves during our shoots. They’re also farther inland, so you won’t experience as many weather variables.

Batiquitos Lagoon

This saltwater lagoon is a treasure that offers a diverse range of plant and animal life and captivating tidal wetlands. With over 610 acres of remarkable landscape, it’s no surprise it’s a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and photographers.

We had limited time to explore Batiquitos Lagoon since we decided to split our time between this spot and South Ponto Beach. Despite that, we got some great pictures without walking very far along the path. If you have more time, you can wander the lagoon and take pictures with a different background.

The Presidio – La Costa Greens

The Presidio is a delightful location situated in the La Costa Greens neighborhood. During our morning shoot in early December, we had the entire place to ourselves. The area offers a lot of attractions, including a path that winds around a waterfall and a pond with ducks, turtles, and other wildlife. There are also vibrant flowers, trees, and lush greenery throughout.

La Orilla Trail

The La Orilla Trail is a phenomenal location offering various backdrops with its wildflowers, greenery, trees, fencing, logs, and more. Many of our photos looked like they could have been taken in entirely different locations. You can even get great shots in the parking lot, like the one below next to the road.

Leo Carrillo Ranch

Leo Carrillo Ranch was the residence of Leo Carrillo, a well-known actor and conservationist who played many roles in films and TV shows. He was a passionate supporter of preserving and conserving California’s natural resources.

Today, the ranch serves as a historic park, and it’s a lovely location for family photos, with its countryscape and historic buildings providing a unique backdrop.

It features adobe buildings, gardens, and the surrounding hills. Whether you’re looking for a rustic countryside feel or a more classic look, there are plenty of opportunities to take some unique shots.

My top picks

I love all the locations we’ve used, but if you want to narrow down the list of possibilities, here are my top picks. Drum roll…

My favorite beach location is a toss-up between Del Mar Dog Beach and Terramar Beach. The bluffs, rocks, and coastline are impeccable in both spots.

For nature settings, it’s La Orilla Trail. Many flowers, vines, trees, and meadow-like fields offer a wide variety of pictures.

Other locations to consider

• Annie’s Canyon
• Cardiff State Beach
• Torrey Pines State Reserve
• Poway Train Station
• Balboa Park
• Dixon Lake

Photographer

If you need a photographer, I highly recommend Holly Ireland. She’s exceptionally talented, sweet, and amazing with kids.

I had initially planned to hire her for our wedding, but unfortunately, someone else booked her before I could. However, we’re lucky to have her for our family photo sessions!

Taking photos with my son is challenging because he tends to run around like a maniac. Still, Holly works her magic with him, capturing impressive pictures and memories for us to cherish. Now, whenever we see Holly each year, my son runs up to hug her.

Hair and Makeup

I prefer a professional to do my hair and makeup when taking family photos. Although I can do it myself, it seems like I always screw it up when I have a special occasion. To remove any stress and pamper myself a little, I go to Jane Sweeney, a wonderful and incredibly talented hair and makeup artist.

I’ve been going to Jane for ten years to get my hair cut and colored, and she’s been doing my hair and makeup for eight years. She’s lovely, fun to talk to, and a master at what she does. I am very finicky about my hair and makeup, but she always nails it. 

Keep your belongings with you

While taking pictures at La Jolla Scripps Pier, our car was broken into about five minutes after starting our session. We planned to take a few photos with our dog and put him in the car before heading to the beach. As I was walking back, I heard an alarm going off. When I reached our car, I saw the driver’s side window and a small triangle window on the passenger side had been smashed in.

We parked in the corner of the P003 lot, and street parking was going up a hill next to us. Unfortunately, we made the terrible mistake of putting our phones, watches, and wallets in the middle console (yes, I know – not smart), and someone was watching us.

Never in a million years did we think our car would be broken into in La Jolla. The parking lot was hectic when we arrived, so it shocked us that it happened with so many people around.

The silver lining is that we have a large SUV, and they could not reach our belongings. But what a mess! We managed to smile through the rest of the shoot and then had to call AAA to have our car towed home since there was so much glass.

My advice to everyone is to bring a bag to put all of your valuables in and carry it around with you. Or ask your photographer to hold on to your valuable things for you.

Getting dressed up calls for a nice dinner!

Encinitas

• Pacific Coast Grill
• Cicciotti’s Trattoria Italiana
• Q’ero (make reservations – it’s tiny)

Carlsbad

• 2051 Cucina Italiana
• Le Papagayo

Del Mar

• Brigantine Seafood & Oyster Bar
• Jake’s Del Mar
• Viewpoint Brewing Co.

La Jolla

• George’s at the Cove