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Thread: photographing in California's Missions

  1. #1

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    photographing in California's Missions

    Hello everyone

    I wonder if anybody has some experience photographing Missions of California. What is allowed? Tripods and the LF camera are OK? How about the interiors? Are the grounds accessible during certain hours or is it possible to arrive very early or stay late?

    Did anybody need a permit from superiors?

    Do you have any preferred places and are willing to share the info? I am kind of scared to find them being very tourist oriented, I've read some have cinemas showing movies of their history. Is it another Disneyland or will I find them as quiet places? I hope for some solitude while photographing. Are there any fees to enter?

    Which ones did you find as having unique architecture? Well it's likely all of them are unique, but I want to hear your opinions. Are there any other churches/places of worship than the Catholic Missions worth visiting - that you know of?

    Mark C

  2. #2
    Jack Flesher's Avatar
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    Re: photographing in California's Missions

    I don't have all your answers, but here is some information to get you started...

    First off, all the missions I have been to have regular visiting hours, usually 8 or 9 in the morning to 5 or so at night. However, some are not fenced in, so you can conceivably hang out on the grounds all day. San Juan Bautista is one like this. Carmel OTOH closes at the end of the day and there's not much to see from the outside. Others have whole tourist cities built up around them like Mission San Diego.

    I have used tripods (carefully) on several occasions and never been asked or bothered about them, but never set them up in the way of anything either.


    Here is one of San uan Bautista cloisters from a few years ago, but please excuse the poor web jpeg:




    Cheers and be sure to share some images!
    Jack Flesher

    www.getdpi.com

  3. #3
    Louie Powell's Avatar
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    Re: photographing in California's Missions

    I photographed in the Carmel mission back in February.

    I took the approach of simply walking in with the camera. No one seemed to be concerned about what I was doing. There is not a hard fee for entry, but there is a "voluntary donation".

    No, it's not Disneyland, but Carmel wasn't totally empty. We were there just before noon, and there were probably 15-20 other people wandering around. There were also a couple of guys in the balcony tuning the organ, so it wasn't totally silent.

    Rule #1 in a situation like that is to be respectful.
    Rule #2 is to recognize that you don't own the place, and others have just as much right to be there. Be considerate and don't push any attitude.

    I did a couple of exposures in the Basillica itself. Naturally, I screwed up one sheet (hate it when I do that), but the other negative is pretty good. But the exposure was very long (minutes), and there were people walking around and through the scene. Fortunately, they generally didn't dwell anywhere long enough to register on the film. But at a couple of points I chose to close the shutter as people paused to look at something, and then resume the exposure when they moved on. I set up the tripod between a couple of pews adjacent to the center aisle, and then used a little shift to compensate for being off center.

    I have also been in the Santa Clara Mission, and while it was a fine example of mission architecture, it wasn't as interesting photographically. And it was much darker. There was no fee at Santa Clara - which also serves as the Chapel for the University of Santa Clara.

    I'm sure that there are other churches that are photographically interesting, but the Missions have the advantage of being promoted as tourist destinations, and there is no issue with walking in with a camera. In other instances, you might want to call or write ahead.

    I really like LF photographs of architectural interiors, and I have found that the world is pretty much divided into two camps - the places where photography is fully accepted, and the places where it is totally forbidden. Spousal unit and I are going to Boston in a couple of weeks, and one of the places we plan to visit is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. I took the precaution of sending them an e-mail, and they replied that they don't allow photography at all. I know that both Fort Ticonderoga and the Hancock Shaker Museum allow photography, but forbid tripods (for crowd safety in the former, and out of concern for the wooden floors in the latter). On the other hand, Fort Knox in Bucksport, ME welcomes photography.

  4. #4
    Moderator Ralph Barker's Avatar
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    Re: photographing in California's Missions

    My experience has been somewhat mixed. Most of the missions I've visited were very open to photography, even with a tripod. Only one, I can't remember which, was totally commercialized (perhaps to pay for the restoration), and a huge turn-off. Some still hold services, so you have to figure out the schedule for the particular spot, and work around that. Non-vacation-time week days may work out best.


  5. #5

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    Re: photographing in California's Missions

    There is one outside of Paso Robles that is off the beaten path. I think it is called San Antonio de Padua or something very close to that name. It may be the most rustic and least restored af any mission in CA.

    steve simmons

  6. #6

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    Re: photographing in California's Missions

    Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside went out of their way to inform me commercial photography was not allowed without prior approval, and all I was carrying was a Canon 10D.

  7. #7

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    Re: photographing in California's Missions

    A few are State Parks, many are still active parishes. The California coast in tourist season is a nightmare of tour busses, so I strongly recommed shooting in the early morning, before the tourist mobs invade. I always go to the information desk and ask for permission first as a common courtesy. The Mission that Ralph was referring to is probably the one in Carmel---a beatiful building with a famous fountain in the courtyard but like Ralph says, its a turn-off. The Mission Steve is referring to is San Antonio de Padua and is in the middle of Fort Hunter Liggett. It is quite a place, off the beaten path and very rustic. There is also a retreat house there where you can get a room if you want to really experience what a rustic mission but you'll need reservations. I think at least one other missioin down SanDiego way offers rooms as well.

    The mission itself is only a fragment of the original property and I've been trying to get permission to photograph structures "on the Fort" for some time now. It can be done, but you'll need to know exactly which structures you want to request. There is so much stuff here a study was done on making it into a National Park a few years back. The result of the study IIRC, was that the mission was at least secured, being within an active military base, and thats how it will stay until funding is available to enable the NPS to take over security.

    As a practical matter, don't plan on photographing the interior of the shurch when the mass, funerals, or the sacrament of reconciliation are being celebrated---the times are usually posted & most missions which are active churches have websites that will inform you of times and other info you might find useful---especially points of contact and significant or historic art & architecture. My favorites are San Juan Bautista, Santa Ynez, San Miguel and San Antonio de Padua. San Miguel was damaged by an earthquake a while back and I don't know to what extent its been re-opened. Santa Ynez sits at the base of a road that winds up the mountains past a lot of wineries (in case you're thirsty) the photogenic little village of Ballard (a neat B&B if you're looking for a place for the night) to Los Olivos where Mattei's Tavern serves some great food (in case you're hungry!) Consider that these are basically built of mud and straw 200-300 years ago (on earthquake faults no less!) as temporary buildings by people who had never even seen the great cathedrals of europe and meld the simplicity of simple adobe structures with a unique mix of spanish and native art and they really are quite interesting. One of my favorite places to visit are the adjoining cemetaries. A mission-oid I really like is the old royal chapel of the Presidio(the spanish one) in Montery. It is a little church in downtown Montery the locals can steer you to---its very old and very beautiful and delightfully ignored by the tourist mob, as is the mission in Santa Cruz (I think!) For a unique prespective of the Santa Cruz mission, take a ride on the Beach Train to Felton---it goes through a tunnel dug underneath the mission cemetary--- ----bring a flash

    These buildings are very expensive to maintain and repair and a few dollars left in the jar I've found are always appreciated.
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  8. #8

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    Re: photographing in California's Missions

    Oh man, if you go to Santa Cruz--the prawn burrito at the Palomar!
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  9. #9

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    Re: photographing in California's Missions

    I have a story I'd like to share with the group about California Missions.

    I had the pleasure to stay for 6 months in the Bay Area in 1990 and I had in mind the famous movie "Vertigo" by Alfred Hitchcock, so it was inevitable for me, coming from Europe, to go for a pilgrimage where some famous scenes of the movie had taken place. Also (should I dare to say this here ? probably not ! ) in my childhood I never missed any episode of Walt Disney's "Zorro" TV series (in B&W, not colorized, of course !) , so I had a certain idea of California that I needed to compare with reality

    A Californian friend mentioned that the relevant mission for the movie was San Juan Bautista, so I drove there from San Francisco ( a very short drive according to Northern American standards )and was dissapointed : no "Vertigo" tower in San San Juan Bautista !! A nice bell tower, of course, but no tower and no spiral stairs !!

    After seeing the movie again, I realized that the very few images of the "mission" in its whole are displayed for a very short time and are probably re-built.. in Hollywood. Or is-it a mixture with another real mission, where there is a real tower ?

    So if you go to San Juan Bautista, forget about Vertigo's tower and enjoy the place !

    Not kidding, I must confess that for a European, touring California (without GPS and no Internet route planner at the time, only the AAA maps ) to find the different missions is an unforgettable experience.

  10. #10

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    Re: photographing in California's Missions

    Get the Vertigo DVD - either the commentary or the "Making of" documentary explains that the tower shots are matte shots.
    juan

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