California
Family session · San Francisco
In short
Family session in San Francisco starts at $375: 75 min on location with a photographer who works in San Francisco, and 40 edited photos delivered to a private gallery within 5 business days.
Why choose Family session in San Francisco?
San Francisco is the easiest city in this catalogue to photograph a family in, for a reason that has nothing to do with the landmarks: the light is soft for most of the year. The overcast that visitors complain about is the condition every family photographer elsewhere waits for — no squinting, no harsh shadows across a small face, and no need to confine the session to forty minutes at either end of the day.
Worth knowing about San Francisco
Wind rather than fog is what actually ruins a family session on this coast, and it is worse at Baker Beach than anywhere else on the list. Afternoons at Ocean Beach and Baker Beach regularly run fifteen to twenty knots, which is unpleasant for small children and visible in every frame. Crissy Field and the Presidio sit in the lee of the headlands and are noticeably calmer at the same hour.
What does the session in San Francisco look like?
- Crissy Field and the Presidio
- Open lawn, cypress and the bridge at a distance, with parking and room to run.
- Baker Beach
- Sand and the bridge, in the last ninety minutes of light. Check the wind, which is the real variable here.
- Golden Gate Park
- The inland option when the coast is socked in, which between June and August is most mornings.
What does family session in San Francisco 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
FAQ — Family session in San Francisco
Do we need a permit for family photos in the Presidio?
Not for a handheld session of eight or fewer people. Crissy Field, Baker Beach and Lands End are Golden Gate National Recreation Area, where the National Park Service requires no permit for that; the inner Presidio is run by the Presidio Trust. Golden Gate Park and the Palace of Fine Arts are city parks, where a paid photographer needs an SF Recreation and Parks permit.
What time of day works best for young children here?
Mid-morning, and San Francisco is unusually forgiving about it. Because the marine layer provides even light for much of the year, a 10am session works as well as a 6pm one — which means you can schedule around naps and meals rather than around the sun. That is not true in most cities and it is the single most useful thing about photographing families here.