San Diego Photography Tours — Local services in San Diego

Four hours chock full of usefulness.

My tour actually started weeks before it began. After scheduling the date, Julie sent me a packet of information including handy tips on travel photography and a survey I could complete to describe my level of experience and any goals I had for the tour.

For me, those goals were simple. I wanted to have fun, capture awesome images, and come away a better photographer than when I started.

Julie picked me up from my hotel (right on time). On the way to our first location she provided recommendations for several out-of-the-way restaurants and descriptions of things I might want to do (both photo and non-photo related) during the remainder of my stay. It turns out, she gives "regular" tours as well and has amassed a lot of information on San Diego history and culture.

Once we got to our first of several locations, a secluded beach near La Jolla, she got down to business. For me, based on my goals, that business covered everything from equipment and technique to ways of interpreting a scene and extracting images that aren't immediately obvious. At least they weren't obvious to me before we started. Throughout the evening she suggested challenges and critiqued (in a kind and gentle way yet constructive way) my results. She explained, demonstrated, and let me try some simple accessories that made a world of difference in the right circumstances. She gave me insights into how she approaches photography and used our breathtaking locations to allow me to see the impact when I apply them.

I've been on several photo tours also led by professional photographers. However, they were with groups of people, anywhere from 6 to 12, and the per-person charge was (understandably) a bit less.

I knew about Julie from a series of Event Photography training videos she did with another San Diego photographer. From that I expected she would be a capable photographer. My only concern prior to going on the tour (which I expressed to her) was that I might not be able to fully leverage the value of a dedicated instructor/guide for the entire time of the tour.

What I didn't realize then and would like to share with you now is that Julie is an outstanding instructor who can tailor the evening to meet your objectives and effectively teach to whatever level you're at. In addition, I received the benefit of a professional tour guide who used the time we weren't taking pictures to give me a better appreciation of San DIego and what it has to offer.

Far from "not leveraging the value", I exceeded my expectations for all three of my "goals" and see her photo tour as one of San Diego's...

I recently went on Julie's downtown photography tour and I must say that the experience surpassed my expectations!

She inspired us to shoot creative shots that had interesting angles and artistic composition. I was impressed at how she was able to answer everybody’s gear-related and technical questions even though we all had different kinds of cameras and different skill levels —even me, a more advanced photographer than the others, learned some wonderful, new techniques; and I watched her adeptly teach some of the “novice” level participants how to comfortably shoot outside automatic mode.

I have lived in the area for 23 years and was unaware of the history of our great city. Julie's enthusiastic recounting of how San Diego was founded and the story behind each of the historical buildings that we photographed was fascinating. I have already recommend her tours to my local friends and out-of-town family and I plan to do a private tour with her in the future to further hone my photography skills and discover some lesser-known photogenic areas of San Diego. If you have even the slightest interest in photography or just want to learn more about San Diego, I encourage you to embark on a fun and informative tour with Julie Kremen of San Diego...

Julie Kremen was awesome! I hired her for 9 private hours to take me out and take photos. Julie made sure to send me in advance of my trip a guide of where we were going, what equipment to bring, as well as photo tips. She picked me up at my hotel and took me to several places in San Diego to get some great photos. And she dropped me off at my hotel at the end of the session. Julie's enthusiasm for photography, the city and her clients seems boundless. She was full of facts about the history of different areas and points of interest. She pointed out different ways to take a photo and gave me tips on how to expose; she showed me examples on her camera and she'd step out of the way so I could take my photos. I highly recommend Julie and San Diego Photo Tours for anyone wanting to see San Diego. My only regret is running out of time and my limited budget to do more. I will be back for another tour...