Convenient Locations to Take Family Photos on Oahu, Hawaii
Convenience is Key
When it comes to kids, convenience is key. Am I right, Mamas? There are PLENTY of stunning places to take photos on Oahu, but I am always running a cost analysis in my head when helping families choose locations.
How much inconvenience are my families willing to endure for a specific location?
Will it be worth it for my families?
What is important to them?
What is the perfect combination of convenience and dreamy?
Some locations are absolutely beautiful, but are challenging to park at, don’t have showers, or are a hike to get to. In this blog post, I put together the most convenient places – the no brainer places— to take family photos on Oahu.
What is Convenient to me?
To me, convenience means there are three main things.
There are showers/ bathrooms at the location. This is super important, especially when we are doing your photos at the beach. Everyone likes a nice shower to get all of the sand off before hopping back into the car/ going on with their day. Bathrooms are pretty self explanatory, but you always need one when you don’t have one. So, I really like to have them around.
The parking is reasonable (if needed at all). If you are staying at a hotel near by these locations or Ubering to your session, you may not have to worry about this at all. However, if you are going to be driving, I love to be able to tell my clients that parking is promising and low stress. Reasonable parking to me is a parking lot that regularly has spots available within a 1-2 minute walk of the location.
Travel Time is Low (under an hour). If you are staying in Waikiki, it takes about 30-45 minutes to get to any other area of the island. For this reason, I put any travel time under an hour in the reasonable category. However, if you are staying near one of the locations listed below, you might not even need to get in the car!
Convenient Locations for Family Photos on Oahu
Waialae Beach Park- Southern Shore of Oahu
Waialae Beach Park is conveniently located near Waikiki, but it offers a calmer vibe than Waikiki. While there are still people there, it is WAY less busy. It is glowy and colorful at sunrise (right photos) and has soft lighting and sun-kissed scenery at sunset (left photo). There are showers and bathrooms for changing, if needed, and this spot is 15 minutes from Waikiki. If you are willing to get up for sunrise, parking is SO easy, free, and available right by the location. Parking gets a little more challenging at sunset, because the lot is busier. However, with a bit of patience, you can absolutely score a spot. A lot of my clients will Uber to this location to eliminate the parking situation completely. This spot is also within walking distance of the Kahala Resort. So, if you are staying there, this is a super easy location.
Ko Olina- Western Side of Oahu
Ko Olina is a group of lagoons and beaches along the Western side of Oahu. It is known for its incredible sunset views and calm waters. While it is 45 minutes from Waikiki, it is where the Aulani Disney Resort, the Four Seasons, the Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club, and the Beach Villas at Ko Olina are located. There are visitors in this area, but the beaches are not overly populated at sunset. This location is also available for sunrise! There are showers and bathrooms for changing if needed. If you are driving from another area on the island and not staying in Ko Olina, there is paid parking available at all of the resorts and at each lagoon. If you are staying in Ko Olina, you can walk right out of your hotel to your session location. Talk about EASY!
Kualoa Regional Park - Eastern Side of Oahu
Kualoa Regional Park is known for its dramatic mountain views AND a small beach in the same park. It has beautiful green mountains and so much variety. There are showers and bathrooms for changing if needed, and this spot is 45 minutes from Waikiki. This location is an afternoon and sunset spot. Parking is extremely easy and available as long as the park is open. If you are a mountain lover and less worried about the sun setting over the beach in your photos, this is a PERFECT spot for you!
If You are Traveling, Right Outside of Your Hotel!
One of my favorite things is when my couples or families (that are traveling) can walk right out of their hotel and have their photos taken. Being able to do this is LOW STRESS, which is a top priority of mine. It is important to me that your photos are something that you are looking forward to and enjoy on your vacation, not something that feels overwhelming or stressful. If you are staying in Waikiki at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Outrigger, the Royal Hawaiian, etc; Waikiki beach at sunrise is a convenient, beautiful, location for photos. If you are staying at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore, there are stunning, calm beaches on the property for photos there as well. As I mentioned above, any of the resorts in Ko Olina are also extremely close to photo locations.
Ready to Plan Your Own Session?
While this location list isn’t very long, it is very carefully curated to include the least stressful, most convenient location options on Oahu. If you're ready to plan your session or need help deciding which spot is best for your family, I’d love to chat! Email me or fill out the contact form here to book your session or ask questions—let’s make some magic!