Bay Area Editorial Photographer — Historic Haven for Hikers
A Visit to West Point Inn on Mount Tamalpais
Secluded among the trees with a sweeping view stretching from the East Bay to San Francisco, the West Point Inn was once a stopover for passengers who rode the "Crookedest Railroad in the World" up from Mill Valley to the top of Mt. Tamalpais. The railroad is long gone, but the Inn remains — a haven for hikers and a wonderful destination for day visits or weekend getaways.
The members of the Inn work hard to restore and preserve its historic heritage, and it shows. There's a real community here, and the variety of faces you find within it are guaranteed to make you smile. They definitely made my work more enjoyable.
This is exactly the kind of shoot that reminds you why working on location matters. No studio can manufacture what you find in a place like this — the light through the trees, the views, the people who genuinely love being there and have dedicated real time to keeping it alive. The portraits reflect all of that.
Editorial and Lifestyle Photography in the Bay Area Outdoors
The Bay Area has some of the best hiking terrain in North America, and some of the most photogenic. The combination of coastal light, varied topography, and proximity to the city creates a visual environment that rewards an editorial photographer willing to leave the studio. Mount Tamalpais in particular has a quality of light and landscape that's difficult to replicate anywhere else in the region.
Editorial lifestyle photography in an outdoor setting requires a different set of instincts than studio or interior work. The light changes faster, the subjects are more mobile, and the environment is both the context and the challenge. At West Point Inn, the Inn's members were relaxed, engaged, and completely at home in the landscape — which is exactly the condition that produces the best portraits. When the subject isn't thinking about the camera, the camera gets something real.
As a Bay Area editorial photographer, Marc Olivier Le Blanc works regularly in the natural environments surrounding San Francisco — the Marin Headlands, Mount Tamalpais, Point Reyes, the hills of the East Bay. These locations provide a counterpoint to the urban portrait work that makes up much of his editorial practice: open air, variable light, and subjects focused on the terrain rather than the lens.
Bay Area Editorial Photographer — Studio and Outdoors
Some of the most memorable portraits come from places like this — historic, community-driven, off the beaten path in the best possible sense. West Point Inn is a gem, and if you haven't made the hike up, it's worth the trip regardless of whether a photographer is tagging along.
Marc Olivier Le Blanc is an editorial photographer and lifestyle photographer based in San Francisco, available for outdoor editorial commissions, on-location portrait sessions, and lifestyle photography throughout the Bay Area. For editorial photography in the Bay Area, contact Marc through the website.
