photographing in California's Missions

[Ralph Barker]

. . . The Mission that Ralph was referring to is probably the one in Carmel . . .

It wasn't Carmel, which was open and cooperative when I went there. A grounds keeper even opened the rustic wooden gate for me, so I could get a shot of the basilica through the open gate.

The one I referred to earlier was one in Southern CA, perhaps San Juan Capistrano. You were required to buy a ticket ($10 or so, as I recall) to enter, and there was a narrow steel turnstile gate that was too small for my rolling camera case.

[shmoo]

Others have whole tourist cities built up around them like Mission San Diego.

There are 2 missions in San Diego. There's the "new" one that you speak of and the original which is in Mission Valley off of Friars Road on Rancho Mission Rd.

[John Kasaian]

It wasn't Carmel, which was open and cooperative when I went there. A grounds keeper even opened the rustic wooden gate for me, so I could get a shot of the basilica through the open gate.

The one I referred to earlier was one in Southern CA, perhaps San Juan Capistrano. You were required to buy a ticket ($10 or so, as I recall) to enter, and there was a narrow steel turnstile gate that was too small for my rolling camera case.

I'm glad to hear that it wasn't Carmel. I've heard bad things from visitors about Carmel about being goughed for $$. I haven't been to San Juan Capistrano but La Purisma near Lompoc is a State Park which I would expect would charge a fee--(but I don't know how much!)

[Turner Reich]

Just approach as if you were going into someones home. I have been in many missions and I make a donation if I see a box, talk to people there as a point of contact, acted careful, deliberate, and friendly. Misson Santa Barbara is beautiful.

[Curt Palm]

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.

The 101 freeway has been built since the movie was made and the gate to San Jaun Bautista that Jimmy Stewart's car drives through now sits unused in the freeway right-of-way. Also the big Eucalyptus grove they drive through on the way to the mission is south of the San Juan Bautista trun-off, so you don't drive through it to get to the mission.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Thanks to Juan and Curt to feed my passion for the famous Hitchcock movie !

[Jeffrey Sipress]

I live a half mile from the Santa Barbara Mission, considered the mother of all missions. It is the most photographed structure in this town. No restictions, except perhaps for the interior. Nearby me is the La Purisima Mission in Lompoc. I've walked all over that place with LF gear with no problems, often two of us with twice the gear. Here's one of my favs from there:

[Robert Oliver]

IMO, San Juan Bautista is the toughest to shoot. I got ran for shooting LF with a tripod, even though they let the 30D crowd shoot with their tripods.

Oceanside has always been easy to shoot, along with San Diego.

The Best two in my opinion are La Purisima and San Antonio because they are both in remote settings. You can even take a dog with you to La Purisima as long as it's on a leash. Mission San Miguel was also a good shoot.

Santa Barbara is used to the Brookies so they seemed pretty relaxed.

I didn't pull the camera out at Ventura.

San Luis Obispo is easy to shoot from the outside, but inside they seemed to control tripod access.

I'm still working on getting to the rest of them.

With all, I'm sure it depends on who is working and how busy it is.

[Greg Coates]

I've been to the Carmel mission. I asked if I could shoot with a tripod and was told that I could. Just don't show up during mass as the mission is an active worship center.

[BrianShaw]

For the missions that are still active parish churches, I've had good luck showing up just after morning Mass - before they open for the tourists. Several times there has been a nice "church lady" or sacristan that has given me the run-of-the-house during that quiet time. I typically shoot MF at the missions to make life easier on myself, but haven't yet run into a problem with tripod use or fees other than admission.