Summer in Palm Springs runs hot, but that doesn’t rule out a great outdoor session — it just means picking your spots and your hours carefully. Moorten Botanical Garden is one of our favorites for exactly this reason: a lush, shaded pocket of cactus and desert flora that stays noticeably cooler than the open valley floor, with textures and colors you won’t find anywhere else in town.
For an air-conditioned option with real style, the Palm Springs Art Museum pairs striking mid-century architecture with rotating exhibits, giving a session an artistic, sophisticated backdrop without ever stepping into direct sun. Indian Canyons offers a different kind of relief — shaded palm oases and streams just outside downtown that feel like a different climate entirely once you’re under the canopy.
If a poolside, retro-chic mood is more the goal, the Ace Hotel & Swim Club and the boldly colorful Saguaro Palm Springs both deliver in late afternoon light, when the heat starts to soften and the color in the sky picks up. And for anyone willing to go a bit further, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway climbs into the cool pine forest of San Jacinto Mountain, while Joshua Tree National Park offers otherworldly rock formations that are worth the early start.
The common thread across all of these spots is timing — early morning and late afternoon give the best light and the most tolerable temperatures, no matter which location you choose. Plan around that, and summer in Palm Springs can produce some of the most striking images of the year.