It’s been almost 20 years since I moved to Los Angeles from England —hard to believe it’s been so long! In that time I’ve made Los Angeles my home and been on many, many shoots over the years and made many friends. But in almost two decades of living here there are some spots I keep going back to and highly recommend to anyone visiting. So, if you’re from out of town and looking to take some landscape pictures in Los Angeles or you’re just looking for some inspiration in this city, I present to you my countdown of My Top 5 Photography Spots in Los Angeles for 2022.

5. Malibu

Malibu sits where the Santa Monica mountains meet the Pacific Ocean. It has some 27 miles of coastline open to the public, and has everything from rocky bluffs to smooth sandy beaches. Some of these include Leo Carrillo, El Matador, Point Dume and Zuma Beach (all of which should be on your list of places to visit if you’re a photographer) however, my favorite place to shoot in Malibu is the pier. Some great shots can be had both on the pier and around it. In fact, if you take a small walk south along the beach there are some great rock formations for foreground shots of the pier and if you play with your shutter times you can get some wonderful movement over the rocks from the ocean waves. Don’t forget to check the tides before planning a shoot.

To reach Malibu pier take the 10 Freeway from Los Angeles to Santa Monica, then follow signs for PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) route 1 north. Follow this road north for about 10 miles until you're in Malibu, the pier can be seen from the road as you travel. Parking is available along PCH right out front of the pier.

4. Manhattan Beach

Thirteen miles south of Santa Monica along PCH is Manhattan Beach. The pier here is one of the prettiest in the LA area and if you catch the tide right, it can make for some great long exposures. Last time I visited there was a heavy fog as I arrived to shoot. Determined to sit it out, I had almost given up hope when just as the sun passed below the horizon, the fog cleared within minutes and left me with some beautiful pastel hues in the sky that reflected back in the water. One of the prettiest blue hours out shooting I’ve ever experienced! The pier has two parking lots and there is plenty of parking just a short walk away.

3. Downtown Freeways

If you’re a fan of long exposure and night shooting then you must visit Downtown Los Angeles. The shot above was taken on the 4th street overpass of the 110 freeway just after sunset. My shot is a few years old now, and newer and taller skyscrapers have been appearing over the last few years which is leading me to go back soon.

Something to note: Downtown Los Angeles has been seeing much more crime since the Covid pandemic, a lot of it is brazen and in broad daylight let alone night time. If you’re heading to this spot with lots of camera equipment you may want to take someone with you.

2. Griffith Park

Griffith Observatory is another great spot in Los Angeles to check out if you’ve never been. Not only do you have the observatory to take photos of, you have the view of downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood sign and also, if you take a short hike up the mountain behind you, you’ll get views like the one above. This puts the observatory firmly in my number two slot of places to shoot here in LA. You can spend hours up here. There are so many photo opportunities. I used the Canon 70-200 telephoto for this shot as it compresses the skyscrapers in the background up against the observatory and makes for a much more composed shot.

To get up here just turn around and look at the mountains from the observatory entrance. Walk past the small car park and you’ll see the George Harrison tree on the other side. Take the hike up past the tree and this view is about 20 minutes up.

1. Santa Monica

After living in LA for almost two decades now the top spot still is and will most likely always be Santa Monica. Starting at Pacific Bluffs and heading all the way down to the beach and pier, this location has so much for photographers, from street photography along the bluffs and the pier to gorgeous sunset shots along the beach.

If, like me, one of your favorite things to photograph is beach sunsets then this is the place to be. The pier makes an excellent subject and if you want the sun behind it as it sets then then March/April and September/October are the best months for this.

Also, if you like clouds in your shots then you may want to avoid the famous clear skies of Los Angeles over the summer. You’ll get a few lucky days but the best weather is over the fall, winter and spring months. There is plenty of parking in Santa Monica, the pier has its own lots and there is a big parking structure on 3rd street, one block from the pier entrance.

I hope I’ve given you some ideas if you’re planning a trip out here or are just local looking for something new. Next up, I’ll list some of lesser known “secret” spots around Los Angeles so be sure to sign up for my newsletter below and check back soon!