January 2025 has not been a great month for Malibu … a place that I have loved and photographed for years now as a high school senior photographer in the Los Angeles area since 2007. BUT there are still some great Malibu locations for your senior portraits, and I can’t wait to get back out there and photograph Class of 2026!
PS: if you aren’t on my calendar yet, click HERE and request some info!
Watching so many iconic places burn and SO many families being displaced is heart-wrenching. If you want to help any of the victims, please go to this episode of my podcast (Tried & True With a Dash of Woo) and in the shownotes, I have a list of Go Fund Me accounts that will directly help people in need.
Let’s get into some of my favorite spots in Malibu for your senior portraits and why:
Malibu Bluffs Park and Malibu Colony Road Beaches
When it comes to Malibu locations, my favorite overall is to first shoot at Malibu Bluffs Park and then head to a small beach around the corner off Malibu Colony Road.
I am pretty sure (not 100% sure) that this area has not burned; however, Malibu Bluffs Park DID burn in November of 2024, so parts of it will need to have some re-growth before we can shoot there. It used to look like this:
(click HERE to see this entire session)
I am not sure how much of it still looks like this, since I have not been back to the area yet but even when it does burn, after some rain, it’ll get super green and pretty again. Also, there are two different trailheads there, so it’s possible one is fine while the other is not. As always, before we decide on a location for your senior photoshoot, I will do my homework to find all this out and I will also send you lots of info on how to prep for your session.
Shooting with me means I take care of everything – I even have clothing you can borrow!
This has been one of my favorite spots in Malibu for years for many reasons:
- It is super close to a small beach (see below) so we can get some natural vibes and some beach vibes without having to drive far.
- It is right across from Pepperdine, making it easy to find
- It is a well maintained park so there is a clean bathroom to use
- The hiking trail is maintained and is usually really green, no matter what time of year
- You can see the ocean from up on top of the bluffs, making for a picturesque shoot
The small beach I mentioned is way down at the end of Malibu Colony Road, which is right around the corner, and looks like it is a private beach; however, NO beach in CA is private – it’s against the law. I love this little area because it is usually not very crowded and very close to the first spot above.
(click HERE to see the images from this session)
Westward Beach – Point Dume
My next favorite beach to shoot senior portraits or engagements at is Westward Beach, further North on PCH in Point Dume. This area was not affected by the January 2025 wildfires from what I know.
I absolutely love shooting here for many reasons:
- It’s easy to park and shoot – we do not have to hike to get to this beach; it’s a paid lot
- There are bathrooms (not super clean but nice to have)
- SO many rocks, which makes for a beautiful background and not “just” beach
- There is also a small natural hiking area at the location (see below) and in Spring, is filled with wildflowers
- It’s famous – many movies, including Grease and Planet of the Apes were filmed here (the downside is that sometimes, they still do film here, so it may not be open to the public on those days)
(click HERE to see more of this session)
I shoot at Westward Beach a LOT … and it’s also super close to the Sunset Restaurant, where Jami (my makeup artist) and I like to go for a great meal and a cocktail after our senior sessions – highly recommend!
I have so many iconic shoots from Westward Beach! Click HERE, HERE and HERE to see more.
El Matador Beach
El Matador Beach is hands down one of THE most popular beaches in Los Angeles for any kind of photoshoot.
I’ve shot senior portraits, family portraits and engagements here, and I just love going there in general. It was my happy place when I first moved to LA from Louisiana in 1995. Back then, not a lot of people knew about this gem. Now it is swarming with photographers, no matter what time of year. For this reason, I don’t love to shoot there very much; however at certain times of the year, it is gorgeous.
October is my favorite month to shoot senior portraits at El Matador Beach; pretty much Fall through Winter at LOW tide is ideal. High tide makes it hard because you really do lose a lot of beach when the tide comes in and it can be downright trecherous, so make sure you check the tide schedules!
What I love about El Matador:
- The beauty … hands down the prettiest beach we have in LA; the rocks and the way the light angles through the arches!
- The rocks are fun for a different backdrop than “just” beach
- The walk down and back up have little spots for a different shooting perspective and the top part is green, so you can get a handful of natural vibes if you like.
But that’s really it lol! The hike down to the beach and the stairs are NOT fun, especially coming back up. There are no bathrooms – just porta-potties at the top, so once you are down on the beach, that’s it. And the parking lot is TINY, so it can be hard to find a spot there.
(click HERE to see more of this session)
Natural Areas in Malibu For Your Photoshoot
Some of my senior portrait clients want to get photos at a natural location like a hiking trail before doing beach photos. I usually suggest this, since JUST beach can be a little redundant – and I want you to have as much variety in your senior photo session as possible.
As mentioned above, Malibu Bluffs Park is where we’d go if we are shooting at the small beach off Malibu Colony Road because they are super close to one another. But if we are heading deeper into Malibu and North, we can go to Solstice Canyon first, which is a really pretty hiking trail. We don’t use the entire trail, just the first part of it. There are other hiking trails as well, but I like to make sure the locations are in close proximity, since my sessions are time based.
Are you ready to book YOUR senior portraits?
Let’s chat about how I can help make this an amazing experience, no matter where we shoot! Make sure you check out my SENIORS PAGE here on my site and when you’re ready, just EMAIL ME or fill out the form below!
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