There are many perks to living in beautiful Orange County, California: nice weather, beautiful people, and easy access to beaches and mountains. As a photographer, the photography backdrop locations are endless. Here are a few of my go-to photography spots in Orange County.
Irvine Regional Park
This is my favorite spot to shoot because of the diversity. There are grassy areas, tree-filled areas, and dry desert areas. You can get a lot of variety without having to walk far.
Laguna Beach
The beach is always a classic choice for family photos. The only issue is that when the weather is nice, the beach is crowded. So you might have to do extra work in Photoshop removing bystanders from the background of your photos. Crescent Bay is a nice, more private area in Laguna.
Costa Mesa Back Bay
I know it’s technically “Newport Back Bay”, but the area I shoot at is in Costa Mesa so I think of it as Costa Mesa Back Bay. It is definitely more of the dry, desert scenery. In the spring all of the yellow flowers bloom and that is my favorite time to shoot at Back Bay. If you start at the corner of University Dr. and Irvine Ave., you can easily walk to the bridge and do photos there as well.
Carbon Canyon
The only place you can find redwoods in Orange County! This is such a completely different feel from any other backdrop in the area. If you climb up the hill or just continue on the trail, you’ll find more traditional nature backgrounds and trails.
Crystal Cove
If you park above the Beachcomber restaurant and walk down, you can find flowers, trails, bright-colored houses, rocks, and beach. This location really has it all. Parking is $5/hour.
Courtney Walery 