Family photos in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Family Photographer
Recent Beach Family Pictures & Photo Studio Portraits
One of the favorite highly-rated Family Photographers in Santa Barbara
Professional outdoor family photos on the beaches, gardens, and hillsides of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Goleta, and Montecito. Read some of my reviews and schedule your family photo shoot today.
My family photo sessions range from a large posed portrait with professional lighting to a highly mobile outdoorsy and kinetic family photo that captures things on the verge of total chaos and collapse, beautifully aglow in the warm oranges and yellows of the natural light here in Santa Barbara. Often my family photos are scheduled around large family anniversaries or reunions or senior or graduation pictures for families that enjoy having a good time in beautiful resort or natural surroundings and creating candid, highly kinetic and spontaneous moments of mirth and mayhem, often with pets as well. With my assistant we usually do some behind the scenes video too just to capture the speed and zaniness of life and love as it unfolds.
As Byron Katie says, “when you argue with what is, you lose, but only 100% of the time” and that is doubly true of family portraits, especially with animals, big groups or young ones involved. I also have a small outdoor courtyard area and family portrait studio space (see a few examples below) that allows for private and more controlled family portrait sittings in downtown Santa Barbara. I don’t require print orders or collections or limit you to a certain number of images from your session. Your gallery of high res selects will be ready to enjoy on your own private gallery within two weeks of your family photo shoot and they are fully downloadable and usable without watermarks.
Santa Barbara prices for family photography range widely depending on the size of the group and experience level of photographer from $350 on the low end to over $1500 on the high end for portait artists requring purchase of for high end print packages/collections.
I offer two different packages depending on the group size and length of time and/or child attention span you may have.
1. The 45 minute mini session for smaller families or younger kiddos with high energy and short patience is $495. Includes over 100 high resolution files to use as you like and plenty of assistance and variety in the session.
2. The extended 75 minute full session for groups of eight or more or multiple locations is $695, which includes both web and high res digital downloads and all post production as well as retouching of your favorites.
Feel free to reach out and email me with any questions as you plan your family vacation or stay here in Santa Barbara and are looking forward to creating those epic Christmas card photos or wall or desk art of your family, that will celebrate your time here and your love together.
Family Photo Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much does a family photographer cost in Santa Barbara?
See the description above with my pricing and deposit links. Family photography pricing in Santa Barbara typically ranges from $350 to $900 for a standard outdoor session, depending on the photographer’s experience, session length, and what’s included in the package. My family portrait sessions start at $495 and include a pre-session consultation, a one-hour outdoor shoot at a location of your choice, and a private online gallery with fully edited, high-resolution images delivered within two weeks. I don’t charge separately for digital files — every image in your gallery is yours to keep, print, and share. For families who want extended coverage, multi-location shoots, or wall art and album packages, I offer custom pricing based on what you’re looking to create. The investment reflects not just the time on location but the years of experience I bring to reading light, reading the room, toning and processing your imagery afterward. directing families naturally, and making the whole thing feel less like a photo shoot and more like a good afternoon out with a good friend and local Santa Barbara guide.
Where are the best locations for family photos in Santa Barbara?
The beach is generally the first location people think of here in Santa Barbara, but there are a few hazards to be aware of, not the least of which are the tides, the winds, the crowds, and sometimes the oily black tar that can accumulate in the sand and gather on the bottom of your feet. I have some quieter more sheltered and secluded beach photo locations I can clue you into that are tide agnostic.
Santa Barbara has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to backdrops for family portraits. My most-requested locations include Hendry’s Beach (Arroyo Burro Beach) for its wide sand, dramatic cliffs, and reliable golden-hour light; Shoreline Park for elevated ocean views with the Channel Islands in the background; the Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens for lush greenery and Spanish Colonial architecture; and the Douglas Family Preserve in Montecito for a more wooded, natural feel. For families based in or near Montecito, the estates and private garden settings offer a quieter, more sedate and groomed alternative to the beach. The best location for your family depends on the look you’re after — whether that’s barefoot on the sand, surrounded by eucalyptus, or framed by the classic Santa Barbara cityscape. During our pre-session consultation, I’ll talk through the options and choose the spot that fits your family’s personality, the tide table and the crowd factor. For more urban vibes we have our funk zone and State Street then if you want to go nautical, we have a great seawall and marina/harbor with a breakwater and it is also fun to get out on a trolley and go up to the Mission in our Upper East neighborhood.
What should we wear for family photos in Santa Barbara?
How long does a family photo session take?
Most family portrait sessions run between 45 and 75 minutes, which is the sweet spot for getting a full range of images — group shots, individual portraits, candid moments — without pushing young children past their patience threshold. For families with children under five, I generally recommend scheduling the session short and early in the day when everyone is fresh and before the sugar rush or crash sets in. In the summer months that can be early…even 8am or earlier. But then you have the whole day afterward. For larger extended family sessions or multi-generational portraits, I get there early to set up with my assistant and structure the shoot to get the formal group images first while everyone is focused, then move into the more relaxed, candid smaller groupings. The session itself moves quickly — I keep things moving, keep it light, and give direction that feels more like conversation than posing. Most families are pleasantly surprised by how fast it goes.
What is the best time of year for outdoor family photos in Santa Barbara?
Our mediteranean climate makes almost any month workable — which is one of the genuine advantages of shooting here over most of the country. That said, the most popular windows for family portraits here are summer when families are either visiting from out of state or the country and the kids are out of school, or deep fall in October till Christmas. In the autumn, the light turns golden and warm and comes in at a dramatic slant, the summer crowds thin out, and the landscape takes on a richer, more saturated quality that photographs beautifully. Summer sessions are require earlier morning or later evening timing to avoid the harsh midday sun and the busy beach crowds. Whatever time of year you’re planning, the key is scheduling around golden hour — the 60 minutes before sunset or, if you are a morning type, shortly after sunrise — when golden California the light does most of the heavy lifting.