A Photography Weekend in San Diego

I lived in San Diego for over 25 years; Mary and I lived there together for about 4 years; and most of my best friends still live there, so Mary and I are in San Diego about four times a year. San Diego is, physically, a very large county and city with a huge amount of diversity.  Writing one blog about San Diego will certainly not do it justice.  That notwithstanding, here are some of our favorite places to photograph in San Diego.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park aka Wild Animal Park

We have been to the Safari Park about five times, including a photo caravan which takes you into the large preserve.  We also have an annual pass so we can come and go throughout the year.  We usually spend 2-4 hours here.  See out blog about photographing the Park.

Downtown from Harbor Island

One of the iconic shoots is downtown San Diego at dusk with the harbor in the foreground.  Go to Harbor Island, near the airport and face South with the sun setting over your right shoulder.

Old Town

There is a lot to do in Old Town.  It is often times crowed and I did not see many big shots, but a lot of little details that make it special.  Here are a couple.

The San Diego Mission de Alcala

This is the oldest and one of the best missions to photograph.  The outside of the Mission is free of charge and there is a small fee if you want to go inside or into the courtyard.  It is a working Catholic Church, so you should avoid Sundays and Saturday nights (unless you want to attend Mass).  See our two blogs (Part One and Part Two) about photographing the missions.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside

This mission is in Oceanside.  It is a very large mission with a large property.  You can spend a few hours here.

Cabrillo National Monument and Point Loma Lighthouse

This is our favorite spot in San Diego.  The views are outstanding and there are a lot of subjects.  You can do the Monument; then the lighthouse; and then drive down to the beach and the tide pools.  The cemetery nearby is also beautiful and moving.

Mission Bay

Walking around the Bay – one way or the other – presents many fun subjects.

La Jolla

The main attraction here is the cove and children’s pool.  This is a great sunset spot.

San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas

This is a fun garden.  It is not as good as the Huntington Gardens, near our home in San Marino, but is still very interesting.  There is a group of topiary musicians and dancers that were quite enchanting.

Del Mar

Again, the attraction here is the small village and the beach.  This is another beautiful sunset spot.

The Carlsbad Flower Fields

In the spring, the field is full of colorful rows of flowers.  This is a good afternoon or morning outing.

Other great areas we have not covered in this blog, but will in the future: the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Sea World, Coronado, and Torrey Pines State Reserve.  We like this Photo Secrets book for planning outings in San Diego.

To see more of our photos, please go to www.pamphotography.com.