One of my favorite things to do when I travel is find amazing backdrops for photos. I spend time researching locations before I travel so I can find the best places to capture our vacation moments!

It’s no secret that LA is one of the most picture worthy cities to visit, there is no shortage of photo ops in this town! I find it so funny when driving around that there is line ups of people at some of these locations, it just goes to show you how Instagram and social media has changed the world as we know it!

Planning a trip to LA? Let me save you some time with your photos! Check out some of the best pic worthy places in LA:

Melrose Ave

This street is FILLED with amazing walls for photos AND It is also filled with people taking photos! Be prepared to wait in line at some of these locations

Paul Smith – this iconic wall has been a hot spot for years! This was one of my very first instagramed walls back in 2014. Today you can still see a lineup, outfit changes in cars and pose after pose in front of this store. Such a great marketing idea! Find it at 8221 Melrose Ave

Upside Down LA – this was one of my favorites because it’s different then the typical wall I’ve seen! You can flip the pic upside down as seen here for a fun twist! Find it at 7977 Melrose ave

Rainbow Wall – one of the most unique walls I have ever seen! When you get up close this wall is made entirely of yarn, now how cool is that! Find it at 8050 Melrose ave

Star wall – I stumbled across this one by accident and yelled stop the car! I love stars so much it was a must stop for me. Find it at 8417 Melrose ave

Venice Beach

This surfer town is filled with pic worthy places that have that beach vibe going on. You could spend an entire day here just people watching! We’ve rented bikes and rode between Santa Monica and Venice, I highly recommend it!

Rainbow lifeguard tower – this tower has been painted a bright rainbow color to celebrate pride. You will spot it from a mile away when visiting the Venice Beach boardwalk

Heart wall – you will find these heart walls scattered throughout the LA area but this one is my favorite of them all. Find it at 408 Santa Clara Ave, right at the end of the street where the beach starts

Venice sign – this iconic landmark is best captured when the sun is setting. You’ll have to wait with the traffic lights to be able to capture it at just the right moment. Find it at the corner of Pacific ave + Winward ave

Abbot Kinney

A total hipster street with adorable shops and delicious eats. Check out Lemonade for lunch and save room for ice cream at the Salt and Straw.

Heart Wall – bright, colourful and oh so cute! Find it on the side of the building at 1239 Abbot Kinney Blvd.

Striped Wall – this bright primary colored wall is located on the side of the Aviator Nation store. Find it at 1224 Abbot Kinney Blvd.

Shark wall – this one was for my son who is obsessed with Sharks! Very fitting for a California mural. Find it at 576 Milwood ave

Santa Monica

One of my favorite places to visit in LA, I love that they have the beach and a bunch of shopping all in one stop! We discovered Bird scooters while in the area, you have to rent one if you plan on visiting!

Santa Monica Pier – probably the most pic worthy spot in LA, all you will see is people snapping photos here! It’s bright, colorful and right on the beach. This exact spot is the most pic worthy of them all because it captures the ocean, the pier and the rides all in one! Find it out on the pier once you walk past the rides

Color Brick Wall – this fun brick wall features a mix of turquoise and yellows. We grabbed a bird scooter and ventured over to it from the pier. Find it at 302 Pico blvd

Dripping paint wall – I loved the colors of this one and the dripping paint too! Find it at 740 Strand ave. The flower wall (pictured above) is located across the street from here so you can capture two shots in one stop

Word Wall – I spotted this one while driving and I fell in love with it. I love sharing quotes and words of wisdom so this one was a great wall to snap a pic at. Find it at 3009 Lincoln blvd on the side of the Cardio Barre studio

Pink Stairs – I spotted these stairs while scooting in the area and had to stop for a photo, I loved the pink and green combo so much! Find them at 2640 Main st

Downtown LA

We ventured downtown this trip to check out the Broad. While waiting, we walked around the area to check out the sights and found some great pic worthy places and of course shopping!

Broad Museum – the most interesting experience ever to capture a photo. First of all you need to go online and order your free admission tickets weeks in advance. Second you need to go right to the iPad kiosk (by the long line) on the main floor to sign up to even get near the room to capture this photo when you arrive. Be prepared to wait a couple of hours, thankfully they text you when it’s time to get into the giant line up. The most important tip I can share is that you only have 45 seconds in this room, and the lights go on and off so be prepared to stand there and just snap pics in hopes of getting a good one!

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner – the famous Dirty Dancing line painted on a wall, I love it! Find it at The Bloc, along with other pic worthy quote walls

Rainbow People Wall – if you look close, real close you’ll see this wall is constructed of thousands of little people holding each other up. These rainbow colored walls can be found in the lobby of the Intercontinental hotel downtown

Other Pic Worthy Places

These pic worthy places are also worth a stop while visiting the LA area. I told you, so many places to snap a great photo!

Love Wall – captured on a visit in 2014, this wall has now become iconic in photos online. Find it at the Smashbox studios in the LA area

Silverlake Stairs – the Silverlake neighbourhood is the up and coming place to check out. Similar to Abbot Kinney it is filled with cute little restaurants and shops.  Find the stairs at 3324 Sunset blvd. They are tucked away so keep your eyes peeled

Skull Wall – I love skulls, especially ones on cell phones! Find it at Dinette, located at 1608 1/2 Sunset blvd. We stopped by after the restaurant closed, it is easier to capture then as this also doubles as their patio area

Griffith Observatory – located high in the hills of Los Angeles, with sweeping views of the city. This location is loaded with tourists so it’s tricky to get a shot without a bunch of people in the background! This was by far the best angle to capture the city and the observatory all in one shot. Be sure to check the schedule at the Greek Theatre before you go, it is in the same park and the traffic is insane when there is a event happening

RETNA wall – Captured in 2014 and still a popular stop today.  Find it at 625 N San Vicente Blvd

LACMA – we visited this area in 2014 before it became as popular as it is today. This particular evening it was filled with people taking photos which made it extra hard to capture a shot without others in the background. A great place for people watching, we saw grad photos, engagement photos and more, all at 11 pm! Find it at 5905 Wilshire blvd, this one needs to be visited after dark to get the full effect for the photo

Malibu beach – there is so many cute beach areas to stop at along the Pacific Coast Hwy! We decided to visit Paradise Cove, which was a picturesque beach area for families. It had a restaurant and beach and looked to be straight out of the movies, it kind of reminded me of the town in the movie Jaws. Be sure to park on the highway and walk in, the cost of parking is $50 us if you pull in to the beach area

LA Wall – The perfect photo to capture on an LA vacation! Find it at Westfield Century City mall on the 2nd floor by Nordstrom

A big thank you to my friend Colin for capturing these moments for me on our vacation. That’s what best friends are for!