Travel and Street Photography on the West Coast
A highlight reel
In early summer 2021, my partner Lauren and I flew from Denver to Los Angeles, and drove a rental car all the way up the coast to Seattle.
I’m already working on some detailed blog posts about some of the individual places we visited that I was able to photograph- especially San Francisco, but I wanted to do a recap of the whole trip as well. A bit for me to look back on, but also because I have a ton to share about travel and photography on the west coast!
For those of you interested in my personal life outside of photography, my partner and I have been considering moving to the west coast for a couple of years. Not to mention, we were celebrating our anniversary too!
Los Angeles
LA has never been on top of my list of travel destinations, but one of our goals this year as we search for our new home and travel to different places, is to keep an open mind about each location regardless of any preconceived notions we might have. A good mindset to take into travel and photography, not to mention most other aspects of life.
That’s not to say I thought I’d hate LA, but I definitely didn’t expect to love it as much as I did! Don't get me wrong, I’m still not sure if I could ever call it home, but riding a tandem bike down Venice Beach and spending time taking in the palm trees can do WONDERS for your mental health.
The photography was good in the city, especially on the Santa Monica Pier. I’d highlight that spot in particular for street photography.
One thing to note- street has a very unique look in LA. Or at least it seems that way to me coming from the very landlocked city of Denver, Colorado. People dress differently, there are tons of tourists, and the vibe is… breezier? I really, really enjoyed it!
El Matador State Beach (Malibu)
Traveling with a camera, I’m always looking for a photo op. It doesn’t hurt that my partner is an incredible model as well! We took a lot of the day to unwind from traveling and just stick our feet in the sand, but I was happy to have the chance to run around with the camera as well.
Just before golden hour
Definitely one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve been fortunate enough to see, and we strongly recommend it! Photographers flock to the beach around golden hour for portrait or landscape sessions as well.
Quick note: Parking is tough, and you may need to park on the road above the beach if the lot is full. It’ll be in your best interest to bring some decent walking shoes with your sandals. We didn’t have it too bad, but we still walked at least a half-mile from the car to the beach!
Big Sur
For the most part on our way up the west coast, we took Highway 1, which means we got the chance to travel all the way from LA to Portland along the coastal highway. It’s something I’d encourage everyone- especially if you’re located in the U.S.- to do at least once in your life.
From LA to San Francisco, we experienced heavy fog, but the views and scenery were still nothing short of breathtaking. Of course, we drove through Big Sur on our way, stopping to get pictures here and there. The only thing I’d really ever change about our travels on the west coast is the amount of time that we had. We could have easily spent a month on this trip between the 4 cities we visited (LA, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle) and the breathtaking drives in-between.
I think any trip along the west coast is really embodied by the famous traveler’s quote “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”.
It’s definitely a goal of ours now to spend more time out on the west coast, taking our time along Highway 1 and staying in BNB’s along the way.
San Francisco
Where to start with my new favorite city?? I’ve never thought of myself as someone who’d choose to live in California, but between loving LA and San Francisco even more, I can see it now!
As much as I daydream about downtown San Francisco these days, Chinatown was actually the stand-out part of our day.
Everywhere you look, this area of the city is completely captivating. I think it’s also refreshing to immerse yourself in a different style of living whenever you can. In reality, San Francisco’s Chinatown is just a small section of a bigger city, but it feels like a whole new world. It left me craving international travel even more than usual.
We’re still in a precarious position with the virus, so we’ll be making the best of our chances to travel within the U.S. for now, but hopefully those adventures aren’t too far away!
Arcata
We only stopped in Arcata briefly- mainly just to sleep on our way to Portland, but I thought it was worth a mention all the same simply to share our eerie experience with you all.
We ended up booking a room at Hotel Arcata which we strongly believe to be haunted. Okay, maybe not haunted, but seriously look it up and imagine checking in after a long night of driving through the redwoods.
A Bit About Hotel Arcata...
Hotel Arcata is a historic building. It was initially established in 1915 as a sportsman’s retreat. The interior and rooms are reminiscent of the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, featuring historic photos, and antique details.
Image courtesy of Hotel Arcata
The following morning, the town of Arcata presented itself to us as a sleepy, foggy affair straight out of a Stephen King novel. There was definitely a magic to it, but it was doubtless an unsettling kind of magic.
I wouldn’t talk a place down after seeing it for just a few hours, but I will say we were happy to get back on the road that morning. It could also have had something to do with us listening to an Agatha Christie novel on our drive the night before. 😅
Portland, OR
As exaggerative as it sounds, getting to Portland was a bit like meeting a celebrity for me.
I have been considering a move to Portland for most of my adult life, even before meeting Lauren. It’s always spoken to me on some level, and I’ve loved it from afar for years.
Setting foot in the city came with some of those preconceptions we talked about earlier, but in this case, I was far from disappointed.
I loved just about everything we saw other than maybe the traffic around the International Rose Test Garden, and to be honest it’s still calling my name. Although it doesn’t seem as though it’ll become our next home, I can’t wait to get out that way again. The travel and photography in Portland and outside of the city were some of my favorite parts of the whole trip.
Downtown PDX
The signature gritty, punk rock vibe that Portland’s always had feels just like home to me, and the beer scene doesn’t hurt either!
It’s worth acknowledging that Portland, like all cities, has its ups and downs. There are rough areas that require you to have some basic street smarts, but it’s not everywhere.
I wrote more about the way Portland is being perceived right now in a post I made recently, but my “stance” is easy to summarize.
If you want to live in a city, you need to understand the lifestyle that comes with it and decide whether it’s for you or not before you make that decision. It’s not for everyone, and that’s okay!
Seattle, WA
Seattle was such a unique part of the trip in terms of both travel and photography. We hadn’t seen any rain in the Pacific Northwest leg of our trip so far, but we definitely did in Seattle! Aside from the weather, Seattle is also home to some of the most beautiful city architecture I’ve ever seen, which is contrasted by the piers and San Francisco-style hills near the water.
Seattle rain seems to be pretty light, even when it won’t let up, and our experience was no exception. It gives the whole city a feeling that’s somehow cozy and cold all at once. Although I’m not sure I could live in Seattle full-time, it’s probably my new favorite place to enjoy a cup of coffee!
During our first day, we saw the Space Needle (thank the weather gods it was clear enough for photos despite the rain), bits and pieces of the city, and ended with chowder of course right by the water.
On our second day, and final day of the trip, we got to experience the Pike Place market. I’ve written in a lot more detail about the Pike Place market, but what you need to know is this.
Photographers, especially street photographers- go to Seattle. Make a point to spend an entire day at the Pike Place market. Bring extra batteries and memory cards. You will NOT regret it!
This is another one of those you need to do it once kind of places. Believe me. Or better yet don’t, and get the plane tickets to see for yourself.
I made a separate post about shooting candid street photography in the Pike Place Market! You can check it out here.
Aaaannnddd I think that about does it for this post! Without getting too sentimental- the time we spent on the west coast was spectacular. It opened my eyes to so many incredible places, and I’ll never forget seeing each of them for the first time.
I couldn’t be more excited to go back!
I hope you all get the chance to take a road trip like this one, no matter where you are. I think that getting out of your comfort zone, especially for photographers who can do it with a camera in hand, is what life is really all about. So take the time to see something new, and try and enjoy every second of it!
Fair warning however, the more you travel, the more you’ll want to keep going.
Have any questions or comments about travel and photography on the west coast? Let me know!
You can email me at nick@gunairy.com, or get in touch on Instagram. Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to do something new today!
- Nick