A Guide to Photographing the Pacific Coast Highway
A Guide & Highlight Reel
In early summer 2021, I flew from Denver to Los Angeles and drove a rental car up the coast to Seattle.
(Edited January 2025): I’m working on updating this blog, and would like to turn this into a definitive guide this year once I’ve completed my third journey up and down the coast.
This article is a summary of the places I stopped, photography locations, ideas, and a journal of my very first time driving up the West Coast via Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).
This is an older blog featuring older work. If you’re interested in a more recent trip to the West Coast, I released a video featuring my most recent work from the region. Enjoy!
Part 1: Los Angeles
LA had never been on top of my list of travel destinations, but one of our goals in 2021 was 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!
(2025 update) If you’re visiting Downtown LA, I now also have a map specifically for photo locations in that area.
Can’t Miss Location: El Matador State Beach
We took a lot of the second day in LA to unwind from traveling and just stick our feet in the sand, but I was happy to have the chance to run around with a camera as well.
Just before golden hour
Definitely one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve been fortunate enough to see, and I still 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!
Part 2: Big Sur
For the most part on our way up the West Coast, we stayed on Pacific Coast Highway, which means we got the chance to travel all the way from LA to Portland along the water.
It’s something I’d encourage everyone- especially if you’re located in the U.S.- to do at least once in your life.
(2025 Update) During my most recent trip to the coast, I collected lots of new work from PCH. This time, I was fortunate enough to have sunny conditions, meaning I have now had the chance to see Big Sur and PCH in two very distinct ‘costumes’. Check out the sunnier stuff here!
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 ever change about this trip up the West Coast is the amount of time that we had. I 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.
Part 3: San Francisco
Where to start with my new favorite city??
(2025 update) I do indeed still adore SF. I have visited many times since, and you can see all that work here.
As much as I daydream about downtown San Francisco these days, Chinatown was actually the stand-out part of our day.
Some other can’t-miss locations, especially for street photographers: North Beach, Embarcadero/Ferry Building, Union Square, Palace of Fine Arts, The Presidio (and all its Golden Gate Bridge viewpoints), and COIT tower as well as the surrounding hills and historic streets.
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.
A Note on Arcata
When traveling up the coast, Eureka or Arcata can be a natural pit stop in Northern California. We stopped in Arcata.
We only stopped in the town very 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.
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 mist among the towering redwoods of NorCal.
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 preserved 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 image.
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. 😅
Part 4: Portland, OR
As exaggerative as it sounds, getting to Portland was a bit like meeting a celebrity for me.
At the time, in 2021, I’d been considering a move to Portland for most of my adult life. 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. I’ve visited again in recent years, and actually plan to visit once more with my partner in 2025!
However, I do not have many photos to show as I have yet to spend a truly substantial time in the city and chose Seattle over this little Oregon town when I traveled up the West Coast again in 2024.
Downtown Portland Street Photography
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 have talked briefly about the way Portland, and other cities on the West Coast have been portrayed in the media lately, but I understand it better now having lived in LA, and Seattle for extended periods, and of course visiting San Francisco 5 or 6 times by now.
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!
There are inherent issues that are not to be taken lightly, glossed over, or dismissed, but I have never been anywhere that looked nearly as bad as it seems to be on the news.
For reference, that includes this semi-exhaustive list as of my 2025 edits to this blog: Guatemala City, México City, New York, Boston, Montréal, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and so on.
I am a city person. I am biased and accustomed to the general insanity of living with millions of other humans.
Perhaps city life is not right for you, but I would encourage you to set aside fear or preconceptions and be willing to give anywhere a shot- at least for a weekend.
Part 5: Seattle, WA
(2025 Update) Since this first trip, I have been lucky enough to spend both a month in Seattle and a month in Bellingham, WA up on the Canadian border, multiple crossings into British Columbia + a quick road trip through the Cascades. I am very excited to be heading back- for much longer this time- with my partner this year in the Spring.
You can probably guess how I feel about the city by now…
Seattle was such a unique part of the trip in terms of both travel and photography. Contrary to the reputation Seattle has developed as a rainy city if you visit at just the right time in late Spring/early Summer, the weather is nothing short of idyllic. It’s not too hot, not too cold, and there is a perfectly manageable amount of rain.
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.
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.
The Pike Place Market
On the second day in Seattle and the final day of my first trip up the coast, we got to experience the Pike Place market. I’ve now explored this part of Seattle much more thoroughly, 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.
Alright, I think I’m finished editing for now. As I said up top, I have plans to transform this blog into a definitive guide to photographing the Pacific Coast Highway after my next trip down the coast this year. Stay tuned for that update and get on my newsletter list to be notified of new content like that!
Have any questions or comments about travel and photography on the West Coast? Let me know!
You can comment below or get in touch on Instagram. Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to do something new today!
