Drakes Ranch is a private ranch located in Petaluma, California, offering a beautiful countryside setting for photography sessions, curated ranch experiences, and thoughtfully designed merchandise that allows guests to take home a piece of the ranch lifestyle. Shop here!

Yes! Guests are welcome to bring their own photographer or use a photographer of their choice. You may also visit our ranch without a photographer if your intention is for fun content with use of your own personal devices (call phone, digital camera, etc).

Drakes Ranch is perfect for family portraits, maternity sessions, engagements, branding photos, lifestyle photography, seasonal mini sessions, and special occasions.

Depending on availability and the selected experience, guests may have the opportunity to incorporate our ranch animals into their session. Animal interactions are always supervised by ranch managers. Please refer to our packages for more info.

Session lengths vary based on the package selected at booking. Please refer to our individual Ranch Access Packages for details.

Photography sessions are intended for small groups. If you are planning a larger gathering or event, please contact us directly.

We recommend taking or bringing allergy medicine of your choice depending on the time of year and how severe your allergies may be. We also recommend bringing close-toed shoes, a jacket, sunglasses, and any other items necessary for your shoot.

For your session, Drakes Ranch happily supplies water bottles (2), hand sanitizer, bug/tick spray, handheld mirror, pop-up changing tent, hair brush, and a blanket to sit on.

In the event of unsafe weather conditions, sessions may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed-upon date.

No. Drakes Ranch is private property and is accessible by reservation only.

Absolutely! Children are welcome but must remain under the supervision of a parent or guardian at all times.

Please contact us prior to booking if you would like to include your pet in your photoshoot. Approval is required to ensure the safety of all animals on the property.

Simply visit our booking page to select your preferred date and time. Once your reservation is confirmed, we'll provide additional details to help you prepare for your visit including our emailed contract and liability waiver.

Yes. All sessions are by reservation only to ensure privacy and availability. You as the photographer may book the session or have your client book the session, either is fine.

Weekends and golden hour sessions tend to book quickly, so we recommend reserving 2–4 weeks ahead.

Absolutely! You might also be interested in our Preferred Photographer Program, offering discounted session rates. Message us to learn more!

While it's not required, we absolutely love seeing the beautiful work created at the ranch! We kindly ask that photographers share a selection of edited images from each session for us to use on our website, social media, and marketing materials. We always credit the photographer whenever images are shared. As well as we will tag you in our posts.

Once your booking is confirmed, you'll receive a follow-up email with everything you need to prepare for your visit. This includes arrival instructions, what to expect when you arrive, ranch guidelines, a few helpful tips to ensure your session goes as smoothly as possible, and our liability waiver, which must be completed prior to your session. Our goal is to make your experience at Drake's Ranch easy, enjoyable, and stress-free from start to finish.