William Lawson Photography
San Diego
There are some well known places around San Diego, but one of my favorite things here is the variety of landscapes within the county. Does San Diego have the best mountains? River valleys? Desert? Coastline? Not at all. But they're all within 2 hours of my front door. Living here I'm able to visit my favorite places at different times of year and in different weather. Over time I've figured out what interests me the most and done my best to photograph it. The photographs below are some of my favorites that show the many landscapes, weather conditions (seriously) and seasons (seriously) around San Diego County.
Beach and Ocean
The beach. Maybe the image that comes to mind when many people think of San Diego. Not my go-to place especially on weekends, holidays and anytime it's sunny and warm. Photography and outdoor adventures are about getting away from crowds and the beach can be a popular place. But even the beach can be somewhat peaceful on colder weekdays the farther I walk from a parking lot. For me the coast is about rocks smoothed by waves, sand patterns, reflections in wet sand, low tide views looking back at the coastal cliffs and endless views of ocean and clouds to the west. All with the soothing white noise provided by the ocean.
Potholes in Surf | Potholes sit just above the surf on a perfectly timed visit to this popular spot in La Jolla. I keep notes on what tides are good at what locations. This sunset had a forecast for clouds and the perfect tide height for the surf to wash over these potholes. Can count on leaving here wet below the knees. But it's a good day if I don't have a slip and fall on these rocks.
Spring Storm | Rain falls into the ocean on an unusual spring day at Torrey Pines. I like how this shutter speed gives the waves a texture similar to the clouds.
Ocean Rain | One more of rain falling into the ocean at Torrey Pines. I should probably pick one of the two, but... I like them both... It was getting pretty dark when I shot this and I was having fun seeing how the water texture changed with increasingly long exposures. As is usually the case, it was a dark walk back to the car. But I didn't get rained on.
Sunset Glow | Rain showers passing over the ocean. A break in the clouds at sunset. Magnetite sand patterns. A rare occasion where everything comes together.
Sand Patterns | Low tide sand patterns at sunset. I'm sure I look like an idiot bent over photographing this stuff. And I need to be careful with my back. But these patterns are super interesting to me and always a little different each time I visit despite seemingly identical conditions (time of year, tide height, lack of clouds). Torrey Pines State Beach.
Golden Glow | Sunset glow on wet sand. I love watching these patterns appear and disappear with each wave cycle. Needs to be photographed right as the sun sets. Or slightly before if there is enough haze to diffuse the sunlight. Torrey Pines.
Cliff Reflection | Low tide reflection of the coastal cliffs at Torrey Pines State Beach. This is a focus stacked telephoto image from a low angle. Usually I don't go out to shoot on clear days. But a clear sunset is perfect for this since it lights up the cliffs a saturated yellow/orange and give some contrasting blue sky reflections.
Last Glow | On the drive to the coast I knew this would be a good sunset. It was overcast but there was a small break in the clouds right at the horizon. I got to my spot, looked around for interesting sand patterns and the right angle to shoot the cliffs behind me (I was alternating between shooting North towards Flat Rock and South East towards the glider port cliffs) and waited. Then it was 10 minutes of chaos while the light was good and I was moving in and out with the tide trying to get the compositions I wanted. This was photographed after the best light on the cliffs but with better foreground and cloud detail.
Low Tide Mirror | Love going here at a super low tide. It's a great view back towards the cliffs and on this day the sun peeked through the clouds right before sunset. Many know that this is also a nude beach. And I did use some Photoshop magic to clone out a naked guy (common) side planking (???) along the right edge of this picture.
Coastal Cliffs and Canyons
The beginning of a giant block of city. But there a few beautiful sections of land in this highly developed region. And there's often one of my favorite weather conditions: fog.
The Gliderport | Pretty sure being a paraglider is way cooler than being a photographer.
Razor | A classic view of San Diego coastal cliff erosion in Torrey Pines State Reserve. Got that window in the clouds right at sunset that I always hope for.
Torrey Pine Ghosts | Dense fog clears just enough to reveal this photogenic group of trees at Torrey Pines State Reserve.
Torrey Pines | Torrey Pines State Reserve is magic in the fog.
Breaking Through | Light breaks through the fog in San Clemente Canyon.
Fleeting | Sunlight burning through a thin layer of fog. San Clemente Canyon.
Inland Valleys
It's a pretty solid block of city from the coast to west side of Mount Woodson. But the east side of Woodson feels different. I think of this area around Ramona and up towards Santa Ysabel as the transition towards the wild part of San Diego County.
Break in the Horizon | A little bit of sunset light finds it's way to this semi-secret valley near Ramona.
Ribbon of Light | Cows in the Santa Maria Valley. Sprinklers were an unexpected bonus.
Grasslands Trail | A favorite local spot for a walk or run. Except for the cows. I don't trust cows, and they seem unsure about me.
The Green Room | Late afternoon sunlight breaks through a group of mature oaks. Grass was just starting to grow after early November rain that thankfully put an end to fire season. Photographed along the PCT near Warner Springs.
Light Show | Sunlight breaks through a rainy day right at sunset. Not the only time I've stood in the middle of this road, in the rain, taking pictures.
Sunset Strip | This picture does nothing to capture how crazy this sunset was.
Skyline | The Ramona Skyline viewed from Eagle Peak.
San Diego River Gorge
The most I hear about the San Diego River is when it floods the parking garages near Fashion Valley Mall. Fashion Valley Mall and all of Mission Valley lie adjacent to the current San Diego River, and maybe entirely within the riverbed of the old, undammed San Diego River. Maybe 30 miles Northeast of Mission Valley is one of my favorite places in the county, where the San Diego River carves a big canyon that separates what I'd roughly refer to as East Ramona and West Julian. And according to me the area around the popular Cedar Creek Falls is one of the most scenic in the county especially in the spring months following a wet winter.
Fleeting View | The sun breaks through clouds on a beautiful spring day. 30 minutes of driving and 15 minutes of hiking to get here. And for several years I had no idea this place existed.
Rain at the Gorge | A little window in the clouds lights up the east side of the San Diego River Gorge and a passing rain shower.
Double Rainbow | Not an everyday sight in San Diego. A double rainbow briefly appears above the San Diego River Gorge.
Break Through | Sunlight breaks through an overcast day and lights up the San Diego River Gorge. The drive out here didn't look promising for photography. Drizzle. Fog. I somehow briefly got lost a few miles from the trailhead. But then right around the time we started hiking there was light at the horizon. And by the time we reached Eagle Peak the sun was shining into the river gorge.
The River Gorge | An aerial view of the convergence of a creek with the San Diego River. Completely alone out here on a wet day.
In the River Valley | My favorite views of the San Diego River Gorge are from above on either side of the valley. But the bottom of the valley is also an interesting place with a variety of trees, creeks, turkeys and this large moss covered boulder.
Soaring | Birds soar in the wind above Boulder Creek. I was not paying attention and was surprised by the birds. Immediately after this shot I changed to a faster shutter speed. But the birds didn't come back in such a perfect formation. So this is the best of the series despite the slight motion blur of the birds.
Eagle's View | An aerial view of Eagle Peak and the Cuyamaca Mountains (with the distant road cloned out). I had looked at this peak many times from the Ramona side of the San Diego River Gorge. But this was the first time on this side. A fun adventure with my wife and son. Followed by a dark hike back to the car.
Palomar Mountain
I've never been to the Observatory. But I'm a semi-frequent visitor of Palomar Mountain State Park and the overlooks along East Grade Road. The park is small but has beautiful forests with trees and plants I haven't seen elsewhere in San Diego. Elevation drops sharply to the South and the views along East Grade Road, and Boucher Hill if it's open, are incredible when they're just above cloud level.
Edge | South facing slopes of Palomar Mountain rising just above the clouds.
Disappearing | A very foggy day on Palomar Mountain. Several miles of the drive here were scary. The hiking was magic. Although it's not much of a hike to get to these trees.
Into the Fog | Trees rise into the fog on Palomar Mountain.
Lined Up | These trees are on the way to "more interesting" trees. I've passed by them numerous times. Never really noticed them. But fog changes things - makes less interesting things more interesting. The fog was moving fast through this valley. So, I stood here for several minutes watching and photographing the fog pass between these foreground trees and the distant hillside. It's usually difficult to tell at the time what will look best. But this frame stood out as having just the right amount of fog to separate the foreground trees from the hillside while still showing a little bit of that distant hillside.
Dogwood in Fog | I have made several spring trips to Palomar hoping for these conditions. It's pretty common to get dense fog at the edge of the mountain where the webcams are located, but much less common away from the edge where these dogwoods grow. Typically the hike starts with dense fog and excitement, but both fade away on the mile or so to these trees. Finally got lucky on this day in May 2025.
Spring Show | The spring dogwood bloom on Palomar Mountain. I know these trees grow like weeds in other parts of the country. But they are rare here and I've taken hundreds of mostly terrible photos of them trying to capture their beauty.
Fall Colors | Palomar Mountain. No seasons in San Diego.
Last Light | Always looking for those trees that get last light. And I love the acorn storage.
Piercing | A group of dead trees pierce through the clouds. Palomar Mountain.
Above the Clouds | Sunset above the clouds on Palomar Mountain. Don't know if others consider this an iconic San Diego scene. But I do.
Laguna Mountains
Starting from the coast, elevation gradually increases on the way to Mount Laguna. Then on the east side it abruptly drops into the Anza Borrego Desert. The PCT follows much of this edge and provides great views to the east. Like Palomar, Laguna also has Black Oaks that change color in the late fall.
Change of Perspective | An aerial view of a west facing slope of trees catching sunset light. Mount Laguna. It was breezy. I knew the drone wouldn't be happy and the remote was screaming. To be fair the remote screams when the battery has six minutes left and the drone is less than one minute away. Total flight time was maybe 2 minutes. I took several shots. Only this one was sharp.
The Season Change | Three oak leaves changing color. Mount Laguna.
Season's End | A small cluster of oak leaves catching the last light shining through a west facing slope of the forest.
Summer Storm | Rain showers over the local mountains and desert.
The Desert
November to May is desert season. My first visits left me disappointed and questioning the appeal the desert has to some people. Then I started to get away from the paved roads, hiked farther, stayed overnight - and now I understand.
Night Lights | The white flowers of the Dune Evening Primrose stand out in a field surrounded by Sand Verbena and Desert Sunflowers as day blends into night near Borrego Springs.
The Bloom | A popular spot for sure. Not my preference. But this spot consistently puts on one of the best windflower displays in Anza Borrego. And I didn't really mind the little bit of a crowd. More bothered by the some minor distracting elements scattered around this image.
Mountain Palm Springs Sunrise | A colorful sunrise in the Anza Borrego Desert. This part of the park is densely covered in these beautiful but "sticky" cacti.
Badlands Sunset | A beautiful afternoon looking North towards Clark Valley from the edge of the badlands near Font's Point.
Sunset Stripe | Late afternoon light on the Santa Rosa Mountains. Photographed near the popular Font's point overlook, but far enough away from the people and cars that I could hear the sound of bird wings flapping. The haze at the horizon is sand kicked up by Saturday evening traffic thru Font's Wash.
Sunrise in the Mud Hills | Just barely off the beaten path near Elephant Knees. Anza Borrego Desert State Park.
Cracked | Are you even a wannabe landscape photographer if you don't shoot mud? The desert version of low tide sand patterns. Hard for me to resist. I thought the shadows were pretty cool. Without them this is very 2-dimensional. But the shadows from the low sun angle exaggerate the 3-dimensionality showing the peaks where the mud has curled up. The little craters are cool too.
Mud Hill Layers | Sunset in the Fish Creek Wash Mud Hills. A favorite place to wander.
Mud Hills | Late afternoon light on the Fish Creek Wash mud hills. Telephoto shot from the wind caves trail.