Every fall, I get some version of the same question. It usually comes in around August or September, right when people start thinking about holiday cards and realize they need to book something. The question is this: beach or garden?
I want to give you a real answer — not just “both are beautiful!” (even though they are). These two locations have different vibes, different logistics, and different families they’re best suited for. Here’s how to think through it, so you can stop second-guessing and just pick the one that fits.
First, a Little Context on Why This Matters
The beach and the garden are my two most popular locations for fall family sessions, and they book out every year. But they’re not interchangeable. Choosing the wrong one won’t ruin your photos — I promise — but choosing the right one means your session will feel easier, more natural, and more you.
So before you go with whichever one looks prettiest on Instagram, let’s talk about what’s actually going to work for your family this season.
The Beach: Movement, Drama, and That Coastal Golden Hour
My beach sessions are photographed in Malibu. Open sand, rocky outcrops, grassy bluffs, and warm evening light. There’s a reason those images keep showing up in your Pinterest searches.
The beach has energy. There’s movement built right into it with waves coming in, kids running across the sand, wind catching everyone’s hair. It’s part of what makes the photos feel alive. The beach is a little bit of chaos, and I mean that in the best possible way.
The beach tends to be a great fit if:
- Your kids need room to run. If your child is in constant movement, the beach definitely has more space for action shots.
- You want that classic coastal look that screams Southern California.
- You love a little drama and romance in your backdrop. The ocean and the light together are hard to beat.
- You have a larger family. The open space works well for big groups.
- Your family is adventurous, or your kids genuinely love the beach.
- Your kid can shrug off a little wind, sand, or water. If wet pants or messy hair aren’t going to derail the session, the beach is a beautiful place to be.
Worth knowing before you book the beach: sessions are scheduled around low tide in the evening, which means the available dates and times are more limited than at the garden. Both locations shoot at golden hour — about 1.5 to 2 hours before sunset — so timing is locked in either way, but the beach has that extra tide constraint on top of it. Beach sessions also tend to run a bit longer than garden sessions, so plan for a slightly bigger chunk of your evening.
The Garden: Variety, Texture, and a little less effort
My garden sessions take place at a tucked-away 3-acre property in Pasadena. Wild grasses, manicured courtyards, seasonal color, dappled light filtering through trees. It has a softer, more intimate quality than the beach.
The garden is more contained — and for a lot of families, that’s a good thing. There’s still room to explore, still plenty of space for candid moments and natural interaction, but the boundaries are a little tighter and the energy is a little calmer.
The garden tends to be a great fit if:
- You have younger kids who you think might start to flag. The variety of backdrops in a smaller space means we move quickly, before anyone hits their limit.
- Your child is sensitive to the elements. It can get chilly at the beach as the sun goes down, even on hot days and it’s often windy.
- You want that warm, layered, fall-foliage look. The garden definitely has some seasonal color that the beach doesn’t.
- You want texture and depth in your photos — greenery, dappled light, that cozy, tucked-in feeling.
- You like the idea of a shorter, more contained session. Garden sessions move efficiently, which can make a real difference with little ones.
- Your kid (or you) is going to lose it if their pants get a bit wet. The garden keeps things dry, tidy(ish), and a lot more manageable.
Like the beach, garden sessions are photographed at golden hour. The light is doing the same beautiful work — it’s just coming through trees instead of bouncing off water.
So, Which One Is Right for Your Family?
If you’re still going back and forth, try asking yourself:
- Do my kids need room to run, or do they do better in a more contained space to explore? Beach for room to run, garden for contained exploration.
- Am I drawn to open, airy, coastal images — or warm, layered, intimate ones? Beach for airy and coastal, garden for warm and layered.
- Do I want that classic fall-leaves look, or timeless ocean tones? Garden for fall foliage, beach for coastal.
- Do I like the idea of controlling the environment around me? That’s pretty much impossible at the beach (part of its charm), but the garden gives you a little more of that.
- Is my family more “adventure and movement” or more “let’s keep this manageable”? You probably already know the answer.
And be honest about your own temperament, too — not just the kids’. If you don’t want a hair out of place, the garden is your spot (though, good luck with that either way). If you can go with the flow and don’t mind a few unknowns, the beach is a beautiful place to be.
There’s no wrong choice here. Both locations give you beautiful, golden-hour photos that you’ll actually want to frame and keep. It comes down to what fits your family best this season.
Fall Books Fast — Here’s What to Do Next
Every year, these sessions fill up earlier than people expect. If one of these locations is already calling to you, don’t wait too long to grab your date.
Let’s talk about your fall session →
