Less Crowded Places for Photos in Santa Barbara

People often ask what some of my favorite locations are for photos here in Santa Barbara and Montecito, and this is part of my curated list of off-the beaten track photo session spots!

Nature:

A couple of the best locations for forests and woods and tall grasses include: Douglas Preserve and More Mesa or Ellwood Bluffs. More Mesa also has a beautiful beach. The Mission Rose gardens can be gorgeous on an early morning but get a bit too crowded later in the day. Further up the hill in the American Riviera are some small parks with beautiful sweeping views of the coastline and rolling hills along the mountains.

Beach:

Arroyo Burro/Hendry’s is usually too crowded for good family photos or couples/proposal or engagement photos unless you are willing to get up super early, so I would suggest going to Mesa Lane or up north to Ellwood Beach or south to Hammond’s.

Urban Vibes

For urban vibes, we can often start at my office and photo studio in downtown Santa Barbara because there is beautiful Spanish/colonial architecture, stark white walls reminiscent of Greece, and all the color and humanity of the farmers market downtown and the Paseo Nuevo mall right in the center of the action on State Street. For other urban settings, consider the Funk Zone with its colorful painted murals and quirky slightly gritty architecture, the train station which has beautiful arches and an antique train you can climb on. I also