Depends on what you value most. A free public spot wins on cost and can deliver knockout scenery, but you trade away control. You're sharing the space with crowds, chasing the light, and navigating permit rules that shift by season. For example, the
City of Laguna Beach suspends commercial permits from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and limits summer still-photo hours to early morning or evening.
A private space flips that. You get privacy, reliable power and restrooms, controlled lighting, and a booked window that's yours. If you want that kind of consistency,
daylight studios in Orange are a good place to start.
That reliability matters.
Jaclyn Campobasso of In The Details points out that private spaces often stumble on power access, capacity, restrooms, and above all permitting. Her takeaway: peace of mind comes from spaces that are already insured and permitted.
Pro tip: Booking a private space means you're shooting on private property, so you sidestep the public-park and beach permit process along with its weekend and seasonal restrictions.