Downtown Walking Photo Tour
Explore and photograph these San Diego essentials: scenic San Diego Bay’s Embarcadero waterfront, the famous and historic Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, old world and contemporary architecture, and other fun surprises! You will hear lots of great history and entertaining stories as you learn about San Diego’s colorful past—the second hundred years—and you will discover how the recent redevelopment has turned it into a thriving and visually abundant world-class downtown.
This tour is approximately 4 hours, ending around sunset (starting time depends on the season) with approximately 3 miles of walking. Please realize that that this is a lot of time on your feet, especially if you are weighted down with camera gear; so we request that you are in reasonably good physical condition so as to not hold up the group. We do make many stops and give you hands-on instruction at each stop for great photos, but we also move along at a good pace, and one location has 110 stairs. Just think of it as a photography workout! Contact us to book a tour.
| TOUR TIDBIT: In the 1980s, when the city of San Diego was reinventing its downtown area—now known as "The Gaslamp Quarter"—they made plans and even produced signs with the new name for this soon-to-be resurrected historic district. The original name was actually not "The Gaslamp Quarter.” But the city ended up deciding against the first name, and did eventually rename it "The Gaslamp Quarter." On our Downtown Walking Photo Tour, you'll find out what the first name was, why they changed it, and you'll photograph beautifully renovated architectural details from the Victorian era when gas lamps were prevalent in this historic district. |
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Old Town & San Diego Waterfront Walking Photo Tour
Take a trip into the past to visit San Diego’s first hundred years and learn about our rich Mexican and Spanish heritage. Photograph colonial-style buildings from California’s first settlement, artisans in period dress, colorful Spanish patios filled with folk art, beautiful tiled fountains, and exquisite hand-painted Mexican furniture. We’ll also show you funky figurines and statues, women making tortillas, a historic cemetery and even some splendid Victorian architecture. If we’re lucky, we can also catch some folklorico dancers or Mariachis!
After we check out Old Town, we depart (via the trolley) to the northern section of the Embarcadero waterfront for dusk photography, including the splendid Star of India, historic Santa Fe Train Depot and Art Deco Administration Building. Note: Tour ends on the waterfront close to Little Italy. The total tour, including both locations, is approximately 4 hours, ending around sunset (starting time depends on season), with approximately 2 miles of walking. Price includes one-way trolley fee. Contact us to book a tour.
| TOUR TIDBIT: For entertainment, early settlers in San Diego would tie the legs of a bull to the legs of a grizzly bear (which they would hunt down in our local mountains) and then let them fight. Find out where these brawls took place, and photograph the beautiful buildings surrounding this historic landmark on our Old Town Walking Photo Tour. |
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City Highlights Shuttled Driving Photo Tour
Enjoy many stops as our roving photo-mobile zips you all over San Diegoland to our iconic photographic hot spots and hidden treasures. You’ll be clicking highlights of our vibrant downtown, exquisitely lush Balboa Park, colorful Old Town, the scenic Embarcadero Waterfront and other possible photogenic stops.
This 5-hour tour has approximately 1 mile of walking. This shuttled driving photo tour requires a minimum number of passengers to operate. Contact us for details and to book a tour.
| TOUR TIDBIT: One of San Diego's biggest tourist destinations contains a tranquil garden purposely landscaped to attract countless beautiful butterflies. But this garden was not always so tranquil! Over the years it has served as a dance hall, a mining camp, and stagecoach station. And, at one point, it was surrounded by a big redwood fence with a few strategically placed holes that visitors could peek through to spy on… a nudist colony! On our City Highlights tour, you'll visit this location and photograph its modern-day attractions (sorry, the nudists are long gone.) |
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Pt. Loma/Cabrillo/Harbor Shuttled Driving Photo Tour
Explore the captivating nature and panoramic vistas of the Cabrillo National Monument—the 7th most-visited American National Monument—including the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, one of the original eight on the West Coast. Also, you’ll experience somber, yet hauntingly beautiful Ft. Rosecrans, the majestic Star of India—the world’s oldest active sailing ship—plus some stunning harbor and city views.
This tour is approximately 4 hours, with approximately 1 mile of walking and some uneven footing (including 50+ uneven stairs), so we request that you are in reasonably good physical condition to walk that portion or you can sit it out (there are plenty of other photo ops at that location.) This shuttled driving photo tour requires a minimum number of passengers to operate. Contact us for details and to book a tour.
| TOUR TIDBIT: One of the most scenic cemeteries in the world has an unsurpassed ocean view. Learn about who is buried there and photograph this stunning location on our Pt. Loma/Cabrillo/Harbor Photo Tour. |
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Coastal Gems Shuttled Driving Photo Tour
Surfers, palm trees, captivating coastal vistas, postcard perfect cliffs, colorful beach umbrellas, hidden sea caves, picturesque ocean coves, crashing waves... Need we say more? This is the quintessential southern California beach and seascape tour you’ve always wanted to do. Experience the affluent culture of La Jolla with its Mediterranean architecture and unmatched coastline, step back in time viewing Coronado’s charming beaches, elegant residences, and other seaside surprises!
This adventurous tour is approximately 6 hours** with 1+ miles of walking including 150 stairs (seasonal only). Tour ends around sunset (starting time depends on season). This shuttled driving photo tour requires a minimum number of passengers to operate. Contact us for details and to book a tour.
**We also offer a 4 hour version of this tour which excludes Coronado.
| TOUR TIDBIT: Although many sea caves exist on the West Coast, there is only one place on the entire West Coast of the U.S. where you can actually walk into a land-accessible sea cave. Visit and photograph it on our Coastal Gems Photo Tour. (seasonal only) |
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Custom, Private, One-on-One Tours
Private tours have these advantages over group tours:
- You have the professional photographer guide all to yourself so you can choose whatever locations you want at whatever time you want.
- The tours are less structured than group tours, so you can linger longer in locations you love.
- The instruction is completely customized to your abilities, interests, and goals; so you get the maximum amount of one-on-one instruction tailored to suit your needs.
Personal instruction and the ability to shadow a skilled professional photographer (getting guidance and immediate feedback as you shoot) is a great way to raise your photography to the next level! Contact us for details.
Ask us about group discounts!
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