SF Palace of Fine Arts Wedding Photographer
As a San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer I have mixed feelings about The Palace of Fine Arts. It is by far the most requested destination for our SF City Hall couples after their wedding. There is no doubt that it is absolutely beautiful and of course historic. Our out of town couples especially like it for it's architecture and past history. Located on the outskirts of the Marina District in San Francisco, POFA faces many expensive and amazing looking homes. It's a very safe place to walk around with very little messiness and for the most part, no worries about homeless people. So why do I have mixed feelings about the Palace of Fine Arts for wedding photography? To make up your own mind, please check out our gallery of wedding pictures at the Palace of Fine Arts and City Hall
It is not that big of a deal, but the fact is that the Palace of Fine Arts is very touristy. Especially during the summer, it can get quite crowded. So much so that you end up having to wait for people to clear the background before shooting. This is not that different from photographing marriages at San Francisco city hall, but obviously it can be tough to go from one touristy place to another. It certainly works fine and we are able to capture some great photos at POFA (Palace of Fine Arts). The good news is that over the years, we have learned how to avoid the crowds during our photography sessions. We have also learned the best times of the day to capture compelling and more private wedding pictures at POFA. The photo just below was taken close to the actual Rotunda and was captured just a few minutes before sunset. Just before the sun goes down can be an amazing time to photograph our brides and groom at POFA as long as we are in the best area. You can see the low sun angle coming in through the building and how it lights up the Bride's veil and makes it glow! These kind of special lighting moments can always be found at the Palace of Fine Arts before sunset.
Should You Visit the Palace of Fine Arts For Wedding Pictures?
The short answer is yes! It is a great place to come after your San Francisco city hall wedding and allows you to mix some outdoor photography with the building interior photos we will have already captured after your ceremony. If you are planning on putting together a wedding album it is nice to have this variety to show to your friends. We can also create a wedding album for you if you are interest and will incorporate the city hall ceremony and photoshoots at the building and then at POFA.
Quinceanera Photography Location
The Palace of Fine Arts is also very popular for Quinceañera photoshoots. On any given day you will find at least two or three Quince photo shoots going on. It's not quite as popular as San Francisco City Hall but it's very pretty with lots of great photo opportunities.
