Family Portrait Locations Near San Jose

7 Best Family Portrait Locations Near San Jose

Finding a great place for family portraits can be difficult. Some places require a permit, many are too crowded, and some have poor lighting. Here are my 7 favorite family portrait locations near San Jose – in no particular order.

Bernal Historic Ranch Park – San Jose, CA

Bernal Historic Ranch park is one of my favorite rustic locations for portraits. It is tucked away in a location that most people would not know was there – but is BEAUTIFUL for family portraits. It features two large barns, golden colored grass (most times of the year), wooden and white picket fences, etc. The best time for outdoor portraits is definitely in the evening – but this location has enough open shade where you can schedule a session at most times of the day. If it happens to rain, there is a small covered area where you can take pictures as well!

Hellyer Park – San Jose, CA

Hellyer Park is another great location. It has green grass, oak trees, and a really nice lake. The best time to take portraits here is in the evening. At that time, the sun sets right over the water and it creates really beautiful backdrops. Most weekend days are pretty quiet and during the week there are barely any people at the park.

Martial Cottle Park – San Jose, CA

Martial Cottle Park is another really great location for family portraits. It has a large grass area, oak trees, and many other backgrounds that are good for family portraits. Since there is not a lot of shade, scheduling your session in the afternoon may be difficult – in terms of lighting.

Vasona Park – Los Gatos, CA

I schedule the majority of my sessions at Vasona Park. My favorite thing about Vasona Park is that it is a really large park with many different backgrounds for portraits. It features large grass fields, a miniature railroad track, trees, water, and a really cool bridge! Since there is a lot of shade, you can schedule sessions here at any time of the day. During sunset, you can get the sun shooting through some of the trees and setting over the water.

Cuesta Park – Mountain View, CA

Cuesta Park is a pretty good option for family portraits as well. The majority of the park consists of large grass fields and trees. During certain times of the year, the trees have really beautiful foliage and makes for gorgeous images. One thing to keep in mind is that there is a dog park and a pretty busy playground area within the park.

Shoreline Lake Park/Rengstorf House – Mountain View, CA

Out of all of the locations that I shoot at, Shoreline Lake Park/Rengstorf House is my favorite! It is just a really BEAUTIFUL place for portraits. The Rengstorf House has brick paved walkways, well manicured plants and flowers – as well as green grass and a bridge. At sunset, the sun sets right over the lake for really beautiful images.

Elizabeth Gamble Gardens – Palo Alto, CA

The Elizabeth Gamble Garden is a nice place for family portraits. Depending on the time of the year, the gardens will be blooming with roses and other exotic looking plants. It has a white gazebo, trees, grass, and a house that make for really nice backgrounds. The best time to shoot here is in the evening – but there is a lot of shade to be able to take pictures at other times during the day.

All of these venues are great family portrait locations near San Jose. If you are getting together with family and would like to schedule family portraits, I’d LOVE to hear from you. The best way to reach out to me is through the contact form on my website. Thanks!