California
Family session · San Diego
In short
Family session in San Diego starts at $375: 75 min on location with a photographer who works in San Diego, and 40 edited photos delivered to a private gallery within 5 business days.
Why choose Family session in San Diego?
San Diego is the easiest place in this catalogue to photograph a family, and the reason is that there is no bad month. Temperatures move within a narrow band all year and rain is rare outside a short winter window, which removes the seasonal scramble every other coastal market has. What replaces it is a different variable most families have never had to think about: the tide.
Worth knowing about San Diego
A San Diego beach session is scheduled against the tide table as well as against the sun, and the two do not always agree. At high water the La Jolla tide pools and the lower sand at Sunset Cliffs simply do not exist, and a family arriving at the sunset they booked finds a cliff face. The tide is checked against your date at booking, and where it conflicts the session moves by an hour or a day.
What does the session in San Diego look like?
- Coronado Beach
- Wide flat sand with mica in it that glitters in low sun, and the red-roofed hotel behind. The default family beach.
- Balboa Park
- Spanish Colonial Revival pavilions and a lily pond. The shade option, and superb under flat light.
- La Jolla tide pools
- Only at low tide, and worth scheduling around — the sea lions are loud and children love them.
What does family session in San Diego include?
- 40 retouched photographs
- Posed group frames and candid coverage
- Individual portraits of each child
- Private online gallery within 5 business days
- Print release for personal use
Permits at these locations: Balboa Park: A professional session needs a City of San Diego film registration, which is free.
FAQ — Family session in San Diego
Why does the tide matter for a family beach session?
Because several of the best locations only exist at low water. The La Jolla tide pools and the lower sand at Sunset Cliffs are inaccessible at a high tide, and the difference between a low and a high tide at the same sunset is the difference between a beach and a cliff. The tide is checked against your date at booking rather than on the morning.
When is the best time of year?
September and October are the warmest and clearest months and quieter than the summer tourist season. That said, this is the most consistent climate in the catalogue — there is no month that does not work. May and June bring the marine layer, which is gray until midday and excellent for portraits of small children who would otherwise be squinting.