22 BEST Places to Photograph in San Diego in 2023 (Local Tips)

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These are one of the best spots to {photograph} in San Diego County to get probably the most instagrammable photographs — hand-picked by native photographers!

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After I’m not touring, yow will discover me taking pictures in my hometown. From east county to downtown, these are a couple of of one of the best locations to {photograph} in San Diego from an area photographer.

Best Places to Photograph in San Diego
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Greatest Locations to Take Footage in San Diego

1. Downtown

Southern San Diego looks like a world away from the place I stay, however among the most spectacular locations to take footage in San Diego are close to downtown — in South San Diego.

One in every of my favourite photographs is from the San Diego harbor overlooking the buildings downtown — as pictured beneath. This photograph was taken from N. Harbor Drive.

Best Photo Spots in San Diego

The Gaslamp Quarter and the Gaslamp Quarter Archway Signal is one other favourite for photographers. This spot in San Diego is listed on the Nationwide Registrar of Historic Locations and it’s particularly well-liked for wedding ceremony pictures!

For among the greatest views of the San Diego Skyline and Coronado Bridge, I extremely suggest taking this San Diego harbor cruise throughout your go to.

Learn extra: Final Information to San Diego in a Weekend

2. Coronado Overlooking Downtown San Diego

Centennial Park in Coronado is situated simply off of the ferry touchdown and is the right spot at sundown! If the water is glassy, you’ll get probably the most superb reflections of downtown San Diego.

Learn extra: The Most Stunning Oceanfront Motels in California

3. Level Loma Harbor

One other among the finest images spots in San Diego is Level Loma Harbor. This spot is nice for taking pictures of the harbor with town lights within the background. I nonetheless want to go again right here when it’s not overcast.

Learn extra: 15 Greatest Issues To Do In San Diego

4. La Jolla Cove

Youngsters’s Pool is in La Jolla Cove and is the spot to {photograph} wildlife. There’s nice photograph ops of pelicans on the cliffs and seals on the seashore. It’s also possible to take a La Jolla sea caves kayak tour for some actually distinctive photographs!

Best Photography Spots San Diego

In case you get fortunate and go to in August, you may even see some leopard sharks!

Leopard Shark Photos La Jolla California

5. Blacks Seaside

At Blacks Seaside, in La Jolla, I like heading to the south finish of the seashore at low tide and exploring the way in which the water hits the rocks. There’s additionally the Ho Chi Minh Path for these sure-footed photographers. Blacks is a nude seashore so be respectful once you’re taking pictures down on the seashore!

Learn extra: The place to Keep in San Diego: Greatest Neighborhoods & Motels

6. Windansea Seaside

Windansea is one other must-visit seashore in La Jolla. For my part, it’s the prettiest seashore in San Diego. The primary photograph beneath was taken with a drone and the second was taken on a open-cockpit biplane tour. 

Prettiest Places in San Diego
Best Places to Take Pictures in San Diego

7. Horton Plaza

This Alice in Wonderland-esque mall in downtown San Diego is nearly the one mall I’ll go to. To not purchase issues, however to marvel on the distinctive structure. Remember, they don’t permit tripods on this mall and safety guards will get suspicious and ask you to go away if you happen to look an excessive amount of like an expert photographer.

Horton Plaza Mall San Diego

8. Torrey Pines Gliderport

The Torrey Pines Gliderport is probably the most historic aviation web site in North America and it’s is certainly one of my all-time favourite locations to take pictures in San Diego. I’ve in all probability been there no less than 100 instances and it by no means will get previous.

You possibly can take footage of the dangle gliders and paragliders with the sundown as your backdrop and dolphins frequent this space as nicely!

Learn extra: The Final Information to California’s Pacific Coast Hwy

Best Places to Take Pictures in San Diego
The best Photography Spots in San Diego

9. Scripps Memorial Pier

Piers are among the greatest photograph spots in San Diego — particularly Scripps Pier in La Jolla. I wish to mess around with lengthy exposures, particularly when there are individuals strolling alongside the pier. This pier is situated in La Jolla.

Scripps Pier La Jolla San Diego Photograph

10. Sundown Cliffs

Sundown Cliffs in Ocean Seaside was named due to its awe-inspiring sunsets and it’s positively one of many prettiest locations in San Diego. It’s additionally an incredible place to convey your digital camera at low tide as there are some locations you possibly can solely get to when the tide is extraordinarily low. 

The Best San Diego Photo Spots

In fact, pictures from the cliffs are spectacular as nicely. I like to recommend getting there early to search out parking and scope out your favourite shot earlier than the solar begins to set.

Best Places to Take Pictures in San Diego

11. Birch Aquarium

Birch Aquarium at Scripps is a small aquarium in La Jolla and it’s my favourite place to get pictures and movies of jellyfish. In addition they have an octopus, a number of seahorses and the world’s smallest penguins!!

Reservations are required and it’s important to buy tickets on-line. The final time I visited the aquarium, I bought the San Diego Go Metropolis Go, which gave me free entrance to a number of locations round San Diego, together with Belmont Park (one other great place for pictures), Birch Aquarium, two-person kayak rental in La Jolla and free beer tasting in Carlsbad. You actually get your cash’s price and also you get to expertise a variety of San Diego in sooner or later! I bought the Explorer Go, however it’s also possible to get multi-day passes.

San Diego's Best Photo Spots

12. Swamis

One other photogenic spot at low tide is Swamis in Encinitas. Surfers flock to Swamis when the waves are good, however at low tide, it’s the right spot for individuals who hunt down little sea creatures hidden within the rocks.

Tide Pools Swamis Encinitas

13. Balboa Park

Balboa Park is unquestionably price a go to for photographers visiting this space. My favourite images spots right here embody the Japanese Friendship Backyard, the Kate O. Classes Cactus Backyard, the Zoro Backyard, and the Botanical Constructing.

Learn extra: 15 Greatest Weekend Getaways in California

Best Places to Take Pictures in San Diego

14. Salk Institute

The Salk Institute isn’t open to the general public, however throughout daytime you possibly can enter the courtyard, which is the place you’ll discover one of the best pictures!

Best San Diego Photo Spots - Salk Institute

15. Cabrillo Nationwide Monument

Cabrillo Nationwide Monument is situated on the southern tip of the Level Loma Peninsula. All business images requires a allow, however you possibly can take pictures without spending a dime so long as it’s not for business functions.

16. Oceanside Harbor

Oceanside Harbor is my best-kept secret and a spot I like to go to as typically as attainable. It’s a small harbor with a number of colourful buildings and nice photograph alternatives of the boats within the harbor.

Best Places to Take Pictures in San Diego
Best Places to Take Pictures in San Diego

17. Kate Classes Park

This Pacific Seaside park affords beautiful views of Mission Bay. It’s particularly attractive at sundown!

18. Potato Chip Rock

Potato Chip Rock, in Poway, was made well-known by Instagram and now there’s typically a line for pictures. I like to recommend visiting when it’s not too scorching out as a result of the 7.4-mile hike is kind of the climb!

19. The Flower Fields

The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch are in bloom for roughly six to eight weeks annually — from early March via early Might. In case you’ll be in San Diego throughout this time, it’s price a go to. There’s an entrance price so hold that in thoughts.

20. San Diego Wild Animal Park

I’m not an enormous fan of zoos. Even the San Diego Zoo, which is by some means generally known as among the finest zoos within the States, makes me sick to my abdomen.

I don’t like when animals are confined to such small areas. The Wild Animal Park is a unique story. The bigger animals are given acres of land to roam round on and it makes me really feel slightly higher about visiting and taking pictures.

You should purchase tickets right here!

San Diego Wild Animal Park Colobus Monkey

21. Cedar Creek Falls

Cedar Creek Falls in Ramona needed to be included on my record as a result of for my part, it’s the most spectacular waterfall in San Diego. This waterfall and swimming gap has turn into certainly one of San Diego’s scorching spots.

Best Places to Take Pictures in San Diego

22. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

One other place that’s worthy of creating this record is the magical show of wildflowers in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

There are lots extra spots to {photograph} in San Diego however when you have restricted time whereas visiting and also you need to be sure you get some good footage of San Diego, these locations gained’t disappoint.

FAQ: Most Instagrammable Spots in San Diego

The place can I get Instagram footage in San Diego?

As a San Diego native photographer, one of the best spots for Instagram pictures in San Diego are Balboa Park, The Flower Fields, Potato Chip Rock, Sundown Cliffs, La Jolla Cove and Torrey Pines Gliderport.

The place can I take household pictures in San Diego?

The very best spot for household pictures is, palms down, in La Jolla Cove. There’s so many choices alongside the rocks, overlooking the ocean (with the sundown as your backdrop). Different well-liked spots embody Scripps Pier, Oceanside Pier, Coronado and Sundown Cliffs.

The place can I {photograph} the skyline in San Diego?

Centennial Park in Coronado has one of the best skyline view of San Diego. It is a great place for household pictures, {couples} pictures, Instagram photographs, and sundown footage.

Do you want a allow to take footage at Balboa Park?

Balboa Park doesn’t require a allow for non-commercial images.

Plan Your Journey to San Diego

After touring persistently for over 10 years, we’ve come to belief and depend on a couple of web sites to assist us discover one of the best offers on flights and lodging.

Flights:

  • Flights: Going is the primary place we examine when looking for low-cost flights. In case you join their e-mail alerts, you’ll obtain flight offers at as much as 90% off. I’ve traveled everywhere in the world utilizing their flight offers.

Lodging: 

  • Reserving.com affords financial savings on motels, flats, and villas in 80,000 locations worldwide. You possibly can browse resort evaluations and discover the assured greatest worth on motels for all budgets.

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