La Villita Family Photo Tips

La Villita is one of my go-to locations in downtown San Antonio for photo shoots of all types. The historic village is brimming with quaint charm, plus it’s just a stone’s throw from the River Walk. But, there are challenges. In today’s blog post, I’ll be presenting you with my La Villita family photo tips to help you look your best when you step in front of the camera. From where to go and the problems to avoid, I’ve got all the hacks you need before your photo session begins. And yes, I’ll even tell you where to park.

La Villita Family Photo Tips: Before Your Photo Shoot

Check the events calendar. La Villita is especially popular for events on the weekends, so you absolutely need to check the La Villita events calendar to see if any events are planned. Nothing ruins a shoot quicker than realizing your family portrait session is scheduled during the middle of Octoberfest. Oh, and in case you are new to San Antonio, avoid La Villita at all costs during Fiesta.

Preview the foliage. One of my bigger complaints about La Villita is that the landscaping in the village is not great. I would love for there to be more consistent gardening, especially to fill in some ‘holes’ along the wall of the main patio. Also, the architecture of the village calls out for an abundance of more colorful plants. I think that overall, more effort could be made to make La Villita look much more inviting to visitors.

You may be lucky and have a grand bloom of bougainvillea greet you during your photo shoot, or it may have been trimmed back to nothing but a stem. My advice is that you preview the village ahead of time to make sure that the shrubs have not been irrevocably trimmed before you schedule your session.

La Villita Family Photo Tips: A Few Things to Know

Make sure you know the opening/closing hours. The hours for La Villita are 10:00 am. To 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, but Sunday the hours are 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. These are misleading times, however. La Villita says it opens at 10:00 a.m. and closes at 6:00 p.m., but because the restaurant inside the village opens at 8:00 a.m. the gates open earlier. Likewise, the restaurants around La Villita mean that the gates stay open until around 10:00 p.m. But all of that changes on Sunday when the gates really do closes at 4:00 p.m. The early closing on Sunday surprises a lot of people, so make sure you aren’t one of them.

No photo permits are necessary. I mentioned this in a previous La Villita post, but you do not need to have a photo permit to schedule a session at La Villita. Furthermore, I have personally found the security guards at La Villita to be super friendly and helpful with news about events at La Villita.

The sun is very bright at La Villita and there is precious little shade. Your best bet is to schedule your session very early in the morning at 8:00 a.m. when the gates open, or very late in the afternoon at 6:00 p.m. to make best use of ‘golden hour.’ Any in between times and you will find your highlights completely blown out.

La Villita Family Photo Tips: Might Be Changing…

The fountain is more of a dribble right now. There is a cute little fountain in the main patio. I’m not sure if it was dismantled during NIOSA because drunk people were swimming in it, but I found it dismantled on a Friday, and then put together again for my shoot with Falena and her mother on Saturday. However, the water flow is nothing compared to what it once was. You have been warned.

La Villita is very slow to take down decorations. I always – always – schedule a venue check before any photo shoot because you never know what may surprise you. Case in point: on the Friday before my photo shoot with Falena, I walked through La Villita and found all of NIOSA construction detritus still strewn around the village. Why it was still there a week after Fiesta was beyond my comprehension, but there it was.

Just know that the cleanup crews can be slow, so if you have a portrait session scheduled immediately after a big celebration, you may still find the decorations up loud and proud in the background. That could be a plus, or a minus, depending on your taste level. In this case, I took advantage of the lone doorway still decorated with Fiesta ribbons.

La Villita Family Photo Tips: Photo Locations

My new favorite photo locations. I used to focus on the main patio at the end of King Philip and Nueva Streets, but since there is no landscaping or shade, I am instead focusing on the cobblestone pathway by Sifuentes Metalsmith. There is also a gated, side pathway leading to Villita Street which I have been using quite a bit since it has some shade and it is not quite as crowded.

Personally, the tiled staircase is overrated. Yeah, that’s a hot take, but the stairs need to be pressure washed – badly. It could also use some potted plants to make it look a bit more inviting.

Don’t forget that Hemisfair Park is right next door. Hemisfair Park is perfect, especially is you need space for larger group photos or just want a new location. All you have to do is step over the incessant construction that is South Alamo Street.

And Finally, Parking

I used to always tell people to park in the lot at St. John’s Lutheran Church because it was so conveniently located. But the church is apparently charging $20, and there are $8 lots on Presa Street and Arciniega. So, go there instead.

Meet Falena and her mother, Cindy

It was an absolute joy spending Saturday morning with Falena and her mother, Cindy. It is not often that someone actually says ‘yes,’ when I say we should schedule the shoot early in the morning. But Falena is an early bird thanks to being in the Air Force, so she said, ‘8am? How about 7:30?’ That was too early for me, however…

Falena just graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word and will be moving to the great state of Illinois. I wish her and her family the best.

Enjoy the images and I will have more photo adventures for you next week!

______________________________________________________________________

If you found this article on ‘La Villita Family Photo Tips’ useful, then check out my other family portrait articles here:

Are you interested in scheduling a family portrait in San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you. I have hourly rates, and all photo shoots include editing and high-resolution files.

To view more images from my family photography portfolio, please visit my website – KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com