We are in the 2nd month of 2020 and I am reminiscing about all of the locations I photographed in 2019. I wanted to share my favorites with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do and find yourself wanting to explore a new location for a future photo session.
Oak Canyon Nature Center, Anaheim
I love Oak Canyon Nature Center for a couple of reasons: 1) it has many options for backgrounds – these images were taken within eyeshot from the nature center and are my favorites as they stood out; 2) the light was just amazing with the canopy of trees and the hill to the right of the entrance. The sun wasn’t directly hitting us and it created a perfect lighting that was so gorgeous.
It's also a great place for new headshots and branding sessions.
Morning Lavender Cafe, Tustin
I found out about Morning Lavendar Cafe from a friend when we decided to meet up there. It is a great café that makes you feel fancy. It has gorgeous décor and serves yummy lavender lattes with assorted snack options. It also has a boutique in the front of the store if you need outfit ideas for date night or maybe your next photo session. I enjoy photographing here and think it would be great as a start to an engagement session before we walk the downtown area for more photo fun!
Ferndell Trail, Griffith Park
Ferndell Trail is one of those spots you dream about for a photo session. The greenery is so beautiful and has so many little corners to get great shots. You can follow this easy trail all the way up to Griffith Observatory. It ends by a café called Trails Cafe where you can stop after a photo session to rest and enjoy nature. This trail has great light for morning or evening photo sessions for clients that like that timeframe.
Malaga Cove, Palos Verdes Estates
Malaga Cove is a beach location that is perfect for sunset photo sessions. This spot is a unique beach area that has a lookout hut at the top of a paved walkway that goes down to a pebble beach. At the top, you can go to an open space that gives great views of the ocean and makes for a fantastic background especially at sunset.
Mile Square Regional Park, Fountain Valley
Mile Square Regional Park is apart of the OC Parks System and has a nature area that really makes you forget that you are in the heart of Fountain Valley. I really like this place because it is great for mini photo sessions with its many hidden pathways that give a different feel to each session based on the type of plant life around you.
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, Newport Beach
What I loved about the Newport Nature Preserve was the fact that it has many options for backgrounds. There is a building here that is shaded and adds a great texture to photos and nearby there are pathways to hike. You won’t find many trees to provide shade, but the place has wonderful views that make it stand out from other places.
Mason Regional Park, Irvine
Mason Regional is like most regional parks with big green open spaces and playgrounds but it has an island surrounded by a big lake and a nice bridge which would be great for group shots. By the lake are big boulders that give variety for backgrounds. In the back of the park, there is a nature area that is my favorite spot here. It has a wide variety of trees and plant life with many colorful flowers and shades of green. It is very accessible and is small enough that it functions great for family mini sessions.
Katie Wheeler Library, Irvine
Last but not least is the Katie Wheeler Library. I love this unique location as Katie Wheeler was a ranch that was turned into a park and library. It still has orange groves, barns and the houses that the ranch owners and workers lived in. I love the different looks you can get with weathered barns and nice colonial buildings.
What do you think?
The last four locations are all a part of the OC Parks system and that’s not even half of them. Each one has a unique nature type and shows how diverse Southern California is. I hope to have sessions at some of the other parks and maybe some new locations I haven’t found out about yet.
What did you think of these places? Which did you think would be a favorite of yours? Have you been to any of these locations? If so, what did you like about them? Let me know in the comments.
If you fell in love with any of these areas and need to have a photo session there, please contact me athello@biancajophotography.com) I would love to make it happen for you. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @biancajophoto and see more of what the locations have to offer!
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