Holiday and card sessions
Painted porches and warm wood give a card image color that reads as festive without any props at all. These book out early for November and December.
Old Town San Diego, porches, paint, and history
Old Town and Heritage Park. Victorian steps and painted storefronts, ten minutes from downtown.
Why Old Town works
Old Town gives a session color and structure that no park or beach can. Painted Victorian houses, wooden porch steps, spindled railings, adobe walls, and courtyards full of bougainvillea, all inside a few walkable blocks of San Diego’s oldest neighborhood.
Heritage Park sits just up the hill and is where most of these sessions actually happen. A cluster of restored Victorians around a small green, quiet almost every time I am there, with parking right beside it.
Together they are a strong choice for holiday card sessions, families with school-age kids, and couples who want warmth and character in the frame. Backgrounds change every thirty feet, which keeps a 60 minute family session from ever looking repetitive.
Old Town San Diego photo sessions
Family, kids, and couples work photographed across Old Town.
Sessions that fit Old Town
Families with school-age kids
Short walks between very different backdrops keep older kids engaged, and there is a lawn to break on when they need one.
Couples and engagements
Courtyards, adobe walls, and bougainvillea give couples sessions a warmth that a beach sunset cannot supply on an overcast evening.
Planning your Old Town photo session
Best time of day
Late afternoon is best, when the sun comes in low along the streets and lights the porches without putting anyone in harsh shade. Morning is good here too. The middle of the day is the only stretch I would avoid.
What to wear
Rich, saturated color works here in a way it does not on the coast: rust, deep red, mustard, green, and pattern. This is the location where prints are a good idea.
Parking and access
There is plenty of parking right next to the area I shoot in, which is not something you can say about most San Diego locations. Everything is flat and walkable once you are parked.
Park rules
Much of the area sits inside a state historic park with its own photography and access rules. I confirm what applies to your session before your date and plan the route around it.
Old Town session questions
How long is the session?
Family sessions run 60 minutes. Couples and portrait sessions run 30 minutes. Elopement and wedding coverage starts at two hours. Newborn sessions also run 60 minutes and are photographed indoors, at the studio or in your home. Boudoir is not photographed at this location.
When will we get our photos?
For most sessions your finished gallery is delivered within 72 hours through a private online gallery.
Is it busy?
Honestly, no. I have never seen this part of it crowded. It stays quiet and almost secluded, and I do not think many people realize it is there. It is closer to a secret spot than a tourist one.
Is this good for holiday cards?
It is one of the best locations in San Diego for them. The painted buildings and warm wood do the seasonal work for you without a single prop.
Book an Old Town session
Porches, paint, and warm light. Tell me your dates and I will plan the walk.
Book a session