Wesley D Photography · Orange County
Orange County
Family Photo Locations
Orange County is full of golden light, coastal breeze, and tucked-away corners that feel like your own little world. Here are my favorites.
Scroll down to find your perfect spot. — Daniel Wesley
From beach sunsets to eucalyptus trails and historic missions, I've curated my favorite locations to help you choose a backdrop that feels natural, beautiful, and completely you.
Just browsing? That's totally okay.
Hey, I'm Daniel — the photographer behind all of this.
Whether you're planning a session, scouting ideas, or just love finding hidden gems around Orange County — welcome. These are my favorite spots. If you ever want someone to actually photograph you in one of them, I'd love that too.
Category
Beaches
Golden hour on the sand. Salt air and open sky.
Orange County's coastline is one of the most photographed stretches of land in California — and for good reason. Whether you want a classic pier at sunset, a dramatic rocky cove, or a wide stretch of uncrowded sand, there's a beach here that fits. Each one has its own personality, its own light, and its own kind of magic.
Crystal Cove
Newport Beach
Wildflower cliffs, tidepools, 1930s beach cottages, and a wooden clifftop path that feels like it belongs on a postcard. Crystal Cove packs more visual variety into one stretch of coastline than most locations offer in total. Classic, cinematic, and worth every bit of planning.
Huntington Beach Pier
Huntington Beach
Classic California, full stop. Salt air, sun-warmed sand, surfers in the background, and a pier that glows when the sun starts to drop. There's an ease to this place that shows up in every frame — laid-back, alive, and completely timeless.
Newport Beach Pier
Newport Beach
Surfers catching waves, soft sand stretching in every direction, and a pier that turns to gold as the sun dips below the horizon. Newport Beach Pier is the kind of location that photographs itself — you just have to show up and let the magic happen.
Strands Beach
Dana Point
Wide, uncrowded, and unhurried. Strands has a slow, generous quality — rolling waves, coastal views, and plenty of room to spread out and just be. The kind of beach where people naturally relax, and the photos reflect exactly that.
Seal Beach Dunes
Seal Beach
Sand dunes that turn honey-gold as the afternoon fades. The coastal grasses sway, the light goes soft, and everything just feels easy. Wide open sky, rolling terrain, and enough room to let kids be kids while the magic happens around them.
Treasure Island Beach
Laguna Beach
Rocky coves, tide pools teeming with life, and a genuine sea cave that feels like a discovery every time. This one rewards the adventurous — it takes a bit more planning and some patience with the tides, but the images you get here are unlike anything else on the OC coast.
Category
Parks & Trails
Eucalyptus groves, rolling hills, and golden afternoon light.
Some of the most beautiful photography in Orange County happens nowhere near the ocean. The parks and trails here offer towering trees, earthy textures, open meadows, and that warm dappled light that makes everything feel like a painting. Great for anyone who wants something lush, natural, and a little off the beaten path.
Carbon Canyon Regional Park
Brea
Live oaks, a rustic wooden fence, and a meadow that feels like it belongs in a fairytale. The northeast corner of Carbon Canyon is where I take people when I want them to forget they're taking photos. Earthy, green, and endlessly photogenic.
Citrus Ranch Park
Tustin
Hilltop park with wide open grass, old citrus groves, and a charming gazebo overlooking the city. The light here is generous — soft and warm with clean backdrops in every direction. Underrated, never crowded, and quietly beautiful.
Gum Grove Park
Seal Beach
A hidden little forest tucked right next to the beach — tall gum trees, dappled shade, and the distant sound of waves. It feels like a secret. Kids can wander the paths while parents catch their breath, and the light filters through in that dreamy, can't-quite-explain-it way.
Jeffrey Open Space Trail
Irvine
More variety in one spot than almost anywhere else in Orange County. Grass-covered fields, tree-lined trails, wildflowers in season, and the most interesting mix of foliage you'll find anywhere local. Perfect for covering a lot of visual ground in a short amount of time.
Oak Canyon Nature Center
Anaheim
One of those rare places where you can feel the city disappear. Winding trails lined with tall oaks, earthy textures underfoot, and pockets of beautiful shade that make the light do remarkable things. A slow, unhurried spot perfect for letting real moments unfold.
Oso Parkside Path
Laguna Hills
Perpetually empty, always beautiful, and once — I swear — a cowboy on horseback just walked through the frame. Gorgeous filtered light, a majestic rustic fence along a grassy pasture, and a pastoral quiet that makes this feel less like Orange County and more like somewhere you'd invent if you could.
Quail Hill Park
Irvine
Grassy hills, scenic trails, and just enough space to let little ones run while the camera follows. One of those spots where people forget they're being photographed — which is exactly when the best stuff happens. Relaxed, natural, and gently adventurous.
Redwood Grove Trail
Yorba Linda
In the 70s, a local bank gave away Redwood seedlings to new account holders. When the promotion ended, the leftover trees were donated to OC Parks and planted right here. The result is an impossibly beautiful grove that most Orange County residents have never even heard of. A true local treasure.
Serrano Creek Park
Lake Forest
An impressive eucalyptus forest tucked in the heart of Lake Forest. Soft light filters through the canopy in a way that feels almost cinematic — cool, green, and beautifully layered. One of those spots that's easy to wander through and hard to leave.
Thomas F. Riley Wilderness
Coto de Caza
Sun-drenched oak groves, rolling hills, and a golden-hued ranch energy that feels like it belongs in a film. This spot has the kind of epic, wide-open beauty that makes people stop mid-sentence and just look. It's the 'we just happen to look this good in the wild' location.
Weir Canyon
Anaheim Hills
A genuine slice of California wilderness hiding in plain sight. Winding dirt paths, rolling hills, and expansive sky — especially stunning when the sun drops low and the whole landscape turns amber. Peaceful, unpretentious, and full of that warm golden energy that makes photos feel effortless.
Yorba Regional Park
Anaheim
Come in autumn and you'll understand why this park has my heart. Golden yellow trees, a tranquil duck-filled lake, and a wooden bridge that looks like it was designed specifically to be photographed. Breathtaking in every season — but in fall, it's unforgettable.
Category
Urban & Architecture
Clean lines, artistic textures, and serious visual interest.
For those who want something a little different — photos with an editorial edge, a cool aesthetic, or a backdrop that feels genuinely unique. These three locations offer architecture, sculpture, and history in equal measure. Less 'classic OC' and more 'how did you find this place.'
Lido Marina Village
Newport Beach
More stylish date than photo shoot. White-brick boutiques, flower-covered walls, wooden docks with electric boats drifting past — this place has texture and personality in every direction. Great for anyone who wants images with a clean, editorial edge and a little Newport sophistication.
Mission San Juan Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano
Weathered stone arches, sun-drenched corridors, lush lily ponds, and the iconic ruins of the Great Stone Church. The Jewel of the Missions offers a richly layered backdrop — grand and intimate at once, with an old-world warmth that turns portraits into something closer to art.
Noguchi Garden
Costa Mesa
A living sculpture garden that feels like stepping into a modernist fairy tale. Massive granite boulders, a shimmering stream, and clean architectural lines make this spot genuinely unlike anything else in Orange County. If you want images with serious visual interest and a cool, artistic edge — this is it.
Your Idea
Don't see your spot?
Bring it.
This list is my personal collection — the places I know, love, and keep coming back to. But Orange County is big, and your family has a story that's entirely your own.
Got a place that means something to you? A neighborhood you grew up in, a trail you hike every weekend, a coffee shop that feels like yours? I'm always up for exploring somewhere new. The best location is almost always the one that feels the most like you.
Tell me about your spot →A few ideas to get you thinking
Wesley D Photography
Real moments.
Honestly told.
22 locations. Countless sessions. One photographer who genuinely loves what he does. Whenever you're ready, I'm here.