Venice Canals Engagement Photos: A Complete Guide

Los Angeles is a magical city. This land of dreams has always been designed to evoke another world, both on the screen and here on the ground. Hidden behind Venice Beach lies the quiet neighborhood of the Venice Canals. Built in 1905, this stretch of marshland redesigned into a network of canals is an exquisite display of old school Los Angeles architecture that makes for a fantastic photo backdrop. In today’s blog post, I’ll give you everything you need to know to get the best Venice Canals engagement photos as you walk these winding streets. From where to park to the best places to take photos both along the canals and farther afield in Venice proper, this guide has got it all. So, grab your sweetheart and get ready for a tour that’s second only to the best that Venice (Italy) has to offer.

The History of the Venice Canals

The Beginning

What you see today as the Venice Canals is a far cry from what once stood when the canals were created as the ‘Venice of America’ by Abbot Kinney on July 4, 1905. Kinney created the canals as an homage to the Venice, Italy canal originals. The California namesake included a boardwalk, pier, shops, and even had gondolas helmed by gondoliers from Italy.

The Decline and the Renovation

Unfortunately, the resort’s allure fell out of favor with the public by the 1920s when the automobile became popular and the canals gradually deteriorated. Several of the canals were drained and paved over to make way roads. It was not until 1991 that the City of Los Angeles began a major renovation project to restore the remaining six canals that you see today.

Photo Permit Requirements

Do You Need a Photo Permit for the Venice Canals?

The Venice Canals comprise the public sidewalks and footbridges of a residential neighborhood. As such, the pathways you are walking on are not city park land and thus not subject to the whims of FilmLA permits. You do not need a non-commercial photo permit for a wedding, engagement, or family portrait session while you are walking the sidewalks of the Venice Canals. Only commercial shoots involving large equipment set ups (i.e., motion picture) require the usual permits.

Photo Permits are Necessary for Venice Beach

However, this permit dispensation only applies to walking the streets of the Venice Canals and Venice proper. Once you step foot on Venice Beach (i.e., the beach itself), then you will need to apply for a FilmLA permit even if you are photographing just a wedding or engagement session. The beach is a city park, and the Department of Recreation and Parks issues permits for this property through FilmLA.

Venice Canals Rules and Neighborhood Etiquette

There are some basic rules to follow when you are taking engagement photos in the Venice Canals area.

Rule #1: Courtesy is always rule #1. This is a residential neighborhood first and foremost, so common rules of courtesy apply. Treat this neighborhood as if you lived here yourself. Your camera should be aimed towards the canals, not inside people’s homes.

It also goes without saying that if you do find street parking in the Venice Canals, please do not block anyone’s driveway. Likewise, you enter the canals by way of public alleyways, which are not well marked, but are somewhat obvious. Please do not try to access the canals through anyone’s backyard.

Rule #2: Keep the pathways clear. Remember that this is a public space, and the pathways should always remain clear. The sidewalks are quite narrow, so just be aware of people behind you who might need to pass.

Rule #3: Say no to dock jumping. While it may be tempting to jump across a fence and take photos in one of the many docks that line the canals, know that if you do, you are stepping onto private property. These docks are someone’s backyard. You can certainly take photos from the sidewalk, but resist the urge to jump any fence.

Best Locations for Venice Canals Engagement Photos

Prepare yourself for a lot of strolling, posing over various footbridges and taking photos alongside lovely landscaping. There are no stand out canals, as they are all equally beautiful. My advice is to start at one end of the canals – either Court A or Court E – and simply walk your way slowly towards the other end.

Make sure you take full advantage of the gorgeous architecture on display as well. The houses are every bit as much a feast for the eyes as are the canals.

Finally, the note that the ducks will always be out in full force around Linnie Canal Park, which is also where you will find the Venice Canals Duck Sanctuary.

Best Venice Beach Engagement Photo Locations

Once you’re done with the canals, you might as well hit Venice Beach. It’s quite a different vibe over at the beach, but it’s an interesting contrast. Here is a list of my top photo opportunities in Venice.

Classic Venice Beach

Muscle Beach. Muscle Beach is not going to fit the mood of every photo shoot, but can you say you’ve been to Venice Beach if you haven’t been where Arnold has been? You should know that it cost $10 to use the gym, and you have to purchase a day pass or a membership in order to enter the weight pen.

While a gym membership may be a tall order for one photo, the good news is that you can play around with the gymnastics equipment in the sand pit behind the weight pen. For the sake of a photo, you can punch a punching bag or try to do a pull-up. You can also bring along your pup and let them dig in the sand.

The Beach. I mean, they don’t call it Venice Beach for nothing. It’s a fairly long walk to the water, but it’s worth it. Dip your feet in the water and splash around. Prove that you actually saw the Pacific Ocean and have your own Baywatch moment. My recommendation is to visit the ocean at the end of your photo shoot and just go for it – take a final dip and find out how cold the water really is.

Venice Marketplace

Venice Beach Mart. The Venice Beach Mart, located at Market Street and Ocean Front Walk, is definitely not what it once was. Most of the stores are closed up. The main building, with its beautiful columns, is covered in tacky logos making a decent photo difficult. But that’s Venice, baby.

Venice String Letter Sign. You’ll find this emblematic sign at the corner of Windward and Pacific Avenues. It’s best lit up at night. Take advantage of the dual crosswalks and go for a kiss in the street shot photographed from the crosswalk opposite.

Venice Market Columns. For my money, you will get the best photos of the classic Venice columns along Windward Avenue at Pacific Avenue. Here you’ll find less tacky logos and crowds.

If you’re looking for some very cool ambience, there is a Mollusk Surf Shop with colorful surfboards in the window on Windward Avenue just at Pacific Avenue.

Venice Boardwalk

Attaway Art Exhibits. I’m not sure what to make of these. These are public art exhibits on the bottom level of a house along Ocean Front Walk at Thornton Avenue. They are exhibited by Attaway Art, but I’m not sure for what purpose other than they look cool. They make for an interesting background, but there’s also an ugly black fence in front of the exhibit so the effect is limited.

Cactus Row. Thornton Avenue between Speedway and the beach is lined with rows of beautiful cacti. If you’re looking for some interesting landscaping to add to your shoot, this is just the place to take photos.

A word about Gingerbread Court. For those of you thinking the historic Gingerbread Court might be a good option for photos, let me tell you that it is not. I’m not sure what this place once was, but it’s now become a junky retail marketplace. Also, this is a private retailer, so you technically can’t take photos here without the permission of the retail owners.

Main Street and Rose Avenue

Dudley Avenue. Dudley Avenue is a sweet little hidden street by Main Avenue. There are some mirrored, brightly colored murals along the wall of a building closest to the beach. This shaded street is great for portraits.

Ballerina Clown at the Corner of Main and Rose Avenue. This, shall we say, attention-grabbing public art display is located the farthest from the canals. You’ll probably want to drive here, and you can only take photos from the street. Still, this legendary piece of public art truly says something about Venice in a way nothing else really can. For the record, the piece is called ‘Ballerina Clown,’ and it was created in 1989 by artist Jonathan Borofsky.

Challenges for Taking Venice Canals Engagement Photos Challenges

Crowds

I visited the Venice Canals on a Monday afternoon at about 3:00 p.m., and there were a surprisingly large number of people visiting the canals that day. While I believe the canals used to be an undiscovered attraction, the word is now out. The tour groups were there in droves (I counted three during my visit), and with the pathways being so narrow, it was easy to feel overwhelmed taking a stroll along the banks.

In addition, the homeless have found their way to the Venice Canals, and you are likely to find one or two of them taking a nap on the sidewalk.

My advice is that you try to schedule your photo shoot at off-peak times, which would mean a weekday morning. The sidewalks are very narrow. Because there is very little room, there is no way to avoid having people in the background of your shot if you are faced with crowds.

Parking

It’s LA, so as you might expect, there is precious little street parking along the canals. I was able to find a street spot on a Monday, but you can kiss that good luck goodbye on the weekends.

There is a public parking lot at the corner of South Venice and Pacific Avenue. The lot has an attendant on duty, and you pay through the Park Smarter app.

Bathrooms

There are no public restrooms alongside the Venice Canals, but you have several public restrooms dotted along Venice Beach. How clean they are is another thing entirely. A few words of advice: bring your own hand sanitizer and soap, and don’t touch anything.

Weather Issues

No Shade

There is precious little shade down by the canals, and you will mostly be shooting in open sun. Any community, no matter how cute, is going to look worse in glaring sunlight. Do yourself a favor and schedule your session as close to ‘golden hour’ as possible, meaning close to sunrise or sunset. The idea is that you do not want the sun directly overhead casting shadows under your eyes.

No Rain Backup Locations

Going along with the effects of no shade, the Venice Canals are at the full mercy of the weather. Not that rain is normally a factor here in Los Angeles, but note that there is no covered location in case of inclement weather.

June Gloom

Ah, June gloom: when the marine layer sets in and blocks the sun for about two months here in California. If you just moved to the area, then it might come as a surprise that LA is not always sunny. During this time the sun often will come out by the afternoon, but if you are looking for sunny skies in the background, then it is better to schedule your session for spring or fall.

The ‘Tides’

The water levels in the Venice Canals are controlled by a series of gates which let seawater in from the Ballona Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. These gates are opened and the canals are flushed at least twice a week, normally on Mondays and Fridays. Water levels during the summer tend to be much lower. As evidenced during my trip, you can actually see the bottom of the canal. This is not altogether unpleasant, but if it matters to you whether the bottom of the canal is showing or not, then I would avoid the canals during the summer months.

Final Thoughts

The Venice Canals offer a brief respite from reality where you can stroll along quaint canals and dream of a world where you don’t need photo permits. This romantic backdrop has a history that harkens back to the very beginning of the city of Los Angeles itself when it was (and still is) a destination for dreamers. There are some challenges for taking photos here – parking, crowds, June gloom, and the like. But each of these can be overcome with a little planning, and most of all, a little faith that good photos come to those who never stop exploring.

Enjoy the images, and I’ll have more photo adventures for you next week!

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If you found this article on Venice Canals engagement photos useful, then check out these related posts:

• Huntington Gardens Photo Shoot Guide: Permits, Best Locations, and Tips

• Where to Propose at the Griffith Observatory
• Hollywood Forever Cemetery Engagement Portrait Session

Looking for a Los Angeles photographer for your proposal, engagement shoot, or wedding? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how we can creatively collaborate.

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