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Hunter Park
My absolute favorite location to shoot outdoor portraits
Although I am quite happy to shoot my sessions at any location of your choosing, alot of my clients ask me where I would prefer to shoot their portraits. The answer might surprise you.
My favorite place to shoot outdoor portraits is a private reserve in an industrial park in San Marcos, CA. The 15+ acre park is owned by Hunter Industries, an irrigation company that designs commercial-grade sprinkler systems. In effect, the park is the company's 'showroom', featuring a beautiful lake, pristine landscaping, decades-old oak, eucalyptus, and weeping willows, and a year-round inhabitance by a large flock of Canadian Geese. By a lucky chance, I have been able to gain exclusive access to shoot at the park, 7 days a week!
On any given day, the park is quite empty, as it is only open to employees of the company. This allows for dozens and dozens of beautiful, natural backdrops for your portraits.
This is a very unique location as: a) Most portrait studios have a maximum of 2-3 "outdoor" set-ups, usually consisting of a barndoor, or a wagon wheel. Instead, we will have the option of dozens and dozens of unique sets. No two portraits shot at the park are the same! 
b) There will likely be no pedestrians to clutter our background, allowing us to have unlimited freedom for posing, with no distractions. (Superior to shooting at public parks or beaches).
c) The trees are very old, which allows for large shaded areas - a MUST for soft, flattering light with no harsh shadows under the eyes.
d) There are some really beautiful water backgrounds, and large stepping stones across the lake to pose on. The moving water blurs nicely in the background, allowing for great background separation - enhancing the detail and focus on the subject.
Optimal shooting times:
We will be outdoors, so naturally, the results of the session depend greatly on the weather as well as the lighting conditions. With our beautiful Southern California weather, I very rarely have to cancel a session due to rain. However, if it does becomea factor, I will notify you as soon as possible that we will need to cancel the session. I will make arrangements toreschedule your shoot at your earliest convenience.
During the Spring and Summer months, the session times will normally be scheduled anywhere from 4:00 - 5:30PM. In the Fall and Winter months, this window will probably be changed to 3:00 - 4:30PM to accomodate for the shorter days and the Daylight Savings Time. The sunlight for portraits is best at early dawn and dusk, just before the sunset. I definitely don't want to have to wake up at 5AM for a portrait session, and I'm pretty sure you won't either - so all of thesessions will begin approximately 1 - 1.5 hours before sunset.
Some portraits shot at Hunter Park:
As you can see, there is a wealth of different poses and set-ups that are completely unique - you won't get any of those "staged" portraits that look the same as everyone else's! No wagon wheels, no barndoors, no alphabet blocks; but rather, a completely unique and natural portrait experience that is incredibly timeless. Nature never goes out of style!
A few more things to keep in mind:
It is usually quite temperate in the park, ranging from 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit. But it may get a bit chilly in the evenings, so bring a jacket if you get cold easily.
If our session is on the weekends, we might not have access to a restroom to change. The parking lot will be empty, so you can change in the car if you wish, but I recommend arriving wearing a "base" outfit (i.e. - polo shirt w/ khakis), and adding layers (i.e. - vest, or coat) for variety.
Bring a brush, small mirror, make-up, or anything else you might need for "retouching".
For infants, I recommend bringing a soft blanket to sit or lay on, as the grass may be a bit uncomfortable for sensitive skin.