Photography Guide to San Diego
Updated: Aug 27
Nature & Cityscapes | San Diego, California USA
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These tips will help you find Instagram worthy photos of iconic landmarks in San Diego as well as landscapes of nature & the unique wildlife of my favorite city in California.
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Encinitas Meditation Garden at Swami’s
For beautiful florals and coastal views with cactus plants head to Meditation Gardens at Swami’s State Marine Conservation Area. Plus, the added benefit of peace and quiet will give you time to meditate and be at one with nature. The main image at top of this article is from the Meditation Garden.
Torrey Pines State Reserve & Gliderport
Hiking in Torrey Pines State Reserve will provide a desert landscape against the blues of the Pacific Ocean. And don’t miss the Gliderport to photograph the paragliders and hang gliders in action. If you want to get in on the action, read and watch videos at Most Anxious Paraglider at Torrey Pines.
Photos hiking Torrey Pines State Reserve and Paragliders at Gliderport
La Jolla Shores, Cove, Children’s Pool & Mount Soledad
Most beaches are great for sunset photos, but I caught cool shots of surfers in the sunset at La Jolla Shores Beach and they have a great line of palm trees and the Scripps pier to photograph.
Photos from La Jolla Beach in San Diego
An abundance of birds, pelicans and seals can be found at La Jolla Cove as well as Children’s Pool just down the road. You can get some decent photographs of waves from the end of the Children’s Pool pier.
Photos of La Jolla Cove & Children's Pool that is over taken with wildlife
A short drive to the top of Mount Soledad offers the best views of the entire city and you can even see Mexico on a clear day. Great 360 degree view for panoramic shots.
Photos of Mt Soledad cross and view of downtown San Diego. On a clear day, you can see Mexico!
Balboa Park & San Diego Zoo
Balboa Park attracts lots of photographers. The botanical garden building and the pond as stunning along with some cool architecture.
Photos of Balboa Park in San Diego
Some people do not like taking photos of captive animals, but I like to capture their personality up close. They also had a baby panda bear when I was there in 2013.
Downtown San Diego – Petco Park & Seaport
Baseball is America’s favorite past time and Petco Park is a cool stadium with buildings surrounding it, they also make it easy to get your photo on the big screen.
Photos from Padres Petco Park - our photo made the big screen
There are huge naval ships and you can usually photograph sailboats from the Seaport. Don’t miss the famous kissing sailor statue!
Photos from the Seaport in downtown San Diego
Coronado Island
Coronado Island is home the picturesque Hotel del Coronado and has one of the best beaches.
Don’t forget to make your way to the east coast of Coronado Island to photograph the skyline of downtown San Diego and the seaport.
Point Loma & Cabrillo National Monument
Visit Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument for a great look over the naval base and downtown San Diego. There is also a lighthouse at Point Loma as well as tide pools and cliffs that photograph well at sunset.
