Five great locations for Family Photos in San Francisco

Five great location for Family Photos in San Francisco! Over the years I have photographed families for their holiday cards or to simply document their life at that time in these locations. They are a diverse mix of iconic San Francisco and tucked away spots.

I wanted to share these five spots in one handy post for you!

1. CRISSY FIELD EAST BEACH
Want a beach backdrop? East Beach is located at the east end of Crissy Field Park in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco. The free parking lot is adjacent to the beach which makes it a short walk over to the beach. It is one of the best kitesurfing spots and you might find surfers launching into the ocean. A weekday might be a better option for your session when it is relatively less crowded. The golden hour can be especially nice on a warm summer day. For this session it was really cold at the East Beach so we ended up going to Fort Point which is listed below.

2. CRISSY FIELD CENTER AND GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
This location is iconic San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. It is best accessed by driving down to the paid parking area close to the Warming Hut Cafe. There are several spots once you get there. The shortest walk is to Fort Point which takes you right under the Golden Gate Bridge walking past the Warming Hut. The old fort building offers free admission and a popular spot for tourists to take bridge close-up photos. If you are up for an adventure, you can hike to get to the upper area with a view of the bridge as we did in these family photos.

3. CORONA HEIGHTS PARK
This park is a hidden gem that offers beautiful views of the city in a tucked away residential neighborhood of San Francisco. It is a somewhat steep hike to get up the hill for the views. We still had a fun session as pictured above with more of their session here. Corona Heights Playground and the Randall Museum are located within the Corona Heights Park.

4. HUNTINGTON PARK
A small square park in the heart of San Francisco across the historic Huntington Hotel and near Grace Cathedral. It is a perfect spot to take a break after climbing the hills of San Francisco. Street parking can be tough in this area although Grace Cathedral has a parking garage that is an option. The park has a beautiful fountain that is a copy of the Fontana delle Tartarughe (fountain of the turtles) in Rome. You can read more about it’s history here. This landscaped park with a playground for kids makes a great urban spot for your photos!

5. DE YOUNG MUSEUM AND ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, GOLDEN GATE PARK
As you can imagine there are several areas within the Golden Gate Park that can be picture perfect for photographs. This location is the Music Concourse, an open air plaza between the de Young Museum and the Academy of Sciences. The concourse’s grove of pruned trees in rows offer an interesting perspective and a kid-friendly space to make your holiday card memories!

There are plenty of other spots in San Francisco to create your magical memories but these are some of my favorites. If you would like to book a family session please contact me.

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