Modern Los Angeles Engagement Photo Locations

A Photographer’s Top 5 Picks for a Memorable Engagement Session

With an area as large and diverse as the Los Angeles metro area, planning an engagement session can feel a bit defeating. You want someplace unique, you want something special, and you want somewhere meaningful. 

But in the crowded LA landscape, it can be hard to find the perfect place for your engagement session. 

What are the best Los Angeles engagement photo locations?

Why a Los Angeles Engagement Session?

First of all, why should you consider an LA engagement session?

Most people who decide to have an engagement session in Los Angeles do so because it is special to them. They love the city in all of its vast grittiness and never-ending experiences. 

Having an LA engagement session is a poignant and special place to those of us who love this city and I’d like to help you navigate all of the many options available to you. 

 

Top 5 Los Angeles Engagement Photo Locations

Los Angeles is a massive city and there truly are a never-ending amount of options for an engagement session. I do, however, have some locations that I highly recommend based on their versatility and their ability to really capture the LA vibe that we all love so much. 

 

Griffith Observatory

If you are wanting a location that is truly unique to Los Angeles, Griffith Observatory may be the location for you. 

Built in 1933, Griffith Observatory is quintessential LA. It’s iconic and notable and its minimal design and stunning architecture are classic LA. There are also so many “secret” nooks and crannies to explore, giving you a diverse and impactful array of images. 

Beyond the observatory itself, the park offers expansive views of LA and acres of nature trails. 

The best part? You can create a full-day experience out of Griffith Observatory—make sure you stay and take advantage of the public telescope viewing on certain nights. It is even possible to schedule your engagement session at night, making it a hopelessly unique and romantic session.

 

Arts District

The Los Angeles Arts Districts is a trendy urban area that can be considered the new heartbeat of this ever-evolving city. 

Unique and unexpected, an engagement session in this area is full of mural walls, converted industrial buildings, and a plethora of cool textures that make for great images. It is bordered by the Los Angeles River and is within walking distance of LA City Hall and Little Tokyo, which is a very historical and lively street with lots of off-beat places to photograph in. Another great option in this area is the many great bars and cafes for a more editorial style of photography.

The Arts District is expansive, giving you the ability to get a lot of different types of images in a short amount of time. 

With the eclectic mix of new and old, engagement sessions in the LA Arts District have a gritty, edgy feel with vibrant undertones.

 

Downtown Los Angeles

Adjacent to the Arts District but with a completely different feel, is the proper downtown LA area. There are several different directions that you can go with a Los Angeles engagement photo location downtown.

The Iconic Architectural Route

One of my favorite focuses for Los Angeles engagement session locations is the iconic architecture that can be found in the downtown area. Locations such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the revitalized Spring Street provide exceptionally unique backdrops. 

The Brutalist Architectural Route

For an entirely different architectural perspective, the area around the Los Angeles City Hall for a grittier approach is always an option. City Hall, with its neoclassical appeal, is just one of the many locations you can wander around capturing impactful and architecturally relevent images.

The Tourist Route

Consider the ornate LA Central Library with its painted ceilings and its enticingly modern exterior. Or maybe you’d rather explore your cultural interests at the Grand Central Market with its endless stalls of colorful culinary adventure. Add in Pershing Square, Angels Flight, and the Bradbury Building and you have the makings for an exciting and impressive collection of images.

It’s also easy to combine a studio session, see more below, and a downtown LA session for one extraordinary experience. 

Beach. But Done Differently

Southern California is known for its beaches and the beach holds a special place for so many people. 

But before you roll your eyes at the thought of another engagement session at the beach, consider this: choosing a photographer who is also an artist means that no matter where you shoot, your photographer will be able to art direct your engagement shoot. This allows you to really push the envelope in creating something unique, editorial, and interesting.

Shooting at the beach doesn’t necessarily mean the beach is the focus. There are many ways to shoot beach photos in an avant-garde way that will put you and your love at the forefront and the fact that your engagement shoot is at the beach as secondary.

Beach sessions can be magical and meaningful; what I don’t like to see are beach engagement sessions as a default, without a true reason or intention behind them.  

In-Studio Session

One of my favorite places to host an engagement session is at a private studio in the Los Angeles area. Studio sessions aren’t as popular as outdoor locations—which automatically makes them more appealing, in my opinion. Many people don’t even consider them as an option. 

But I love in-studio engagement sessions and think they make an interesting and unique choice for a location. 

Gone are the days when studio images mean classic backdrop and stiff portraiture. Today’s studio portraiture is modern, editorial, and oh-so-very chic. 

But why should you consider a studio session? 

It’s private. A studio is private, which will help facilitate a session where you are comfortable and can easily be yourself.  It helps you put forth your best self and really shine in the images. Having a private space also makes it easier to have multiple looks and to change quickly and away from others. 

It’s fashion-forward. A session in a studio also gives an opportunity to focus on fashion or more of an editorial style. With stunning neutral walls and massive windows letting in an abundance of that beautiful California light, your images will certainly have the opportunity to be expressive and impressive.

There are so many options. Los Angeles has so many studios to choose from where you can showcase your style and personality. I have a selection that I share with my engagement couples but am always open to others as well. 

It offers diverse session options. With a studio session in downtown LA, you also have easy access to rooftop areas and street scenes to give your images a nice diversity. 

Best Advice for Finding Los Angeles Engagement Photo Locations

With its temperate climate and year-round beauty, it is always a prime time for an engagement session in LA. Here is my best advice as you begin to narrow down your Los Angeles engagement photo locations.

Wardrobe and Vibe

Decide on your clothing and the feelings and style you want to create with your session before deciding on a location. You want the location to complement your objectives, not the other way around. 

Once you figure out what you want to feel during your session, it becomes easier to narrow down a location. Do you want to feel romantic and peaceful? You might want to consider an in-studio session as opposed to one at the Grand Central Market. Do you want to portray a high-energy vibe? Then you might want to head over to the LA Arts District for your session. 

Use Your Wedding Photographer

If possible, use the same photographer you hired for your wedding. This will not only create continuity within your images but will give you an opportunity to work with your photographer before your wedding. The more you can work together before your wedding, the more comfortable you will feel in front of their camera. 

 

Finding Your Perfect Photographer

When looking for your perfect photographer for both your engagement session and your wedding, consider finding a photographer who doesn’t just take aesthetic-driven, pretty photographs. 

In order to get truly special images, you want to find a photographer who knows LA intimately, approaches your shoot as an artist (as opposed to a photographer), and works with every aspect of the shoot, from wardrobe, location, details, poses, and vibe. 

At the end of the day, you want your images to tell a story of your experience in Los Angeles. You don’t want uninspired, unintentional images that make you look like paper dolls stuck in random locations around Los Angeles.  You want intentional, curated Los Angeles engagement photo locations.

As a Los Angeles native and artist, I know so many unique spots and interesting locations in the area and would love to chat more about creating memorable, art-driven images for your engagement session.