California Photo Scout

Mission San Carlos Del Rio Carmelo is a quaint and well-maintained Mission located in one of the most beautiful little cities at the California coast.  With so many places all around it, the Mission does not get the traffic I would expect which is good news for photography.

The Carmel Mission is not big enough to make it a day trip destination in its own right. You can spend the morning or the afternoon roaming around the grounds having a good time with your camera and be on your way to Big Sur, Point Lobos or San Juan Bautista Mission. Spend an early afternoon here before heading to the Carmel Beach for the sunset.

How to get there

From Highway 1 turn west on Rio Road and drive for about 0.6 miles until you can see the Mission on your left at the intersection of Rio Road and Lasuen Road.

The address of Carmel Mission is 3080 Rio Road, Carmel, CA 93923.

How to photograph Carmel Mission

Depending on your photography style, you will probably go at this location in your own way. Those of you who enjoy macro photography of flowers and insects will be equally pleased with the beautiful courtyard as those of you who are interested in a larger scale.

The old stone walls and the unique architecture of the Mission provide excellent photographic value and offer you many pleasing and unique angles. Do not forget to take close-up photographs of the walls, the doors and the flowerpots to tell a complete story with your photographs. Detail shots are often overlooked by other photographers and tend to be sought after more.

There is so much to see here, that it is easy to clutter the photographs while trying to squeeze everything into the picture. Try isolating your subject by tighter cropping around the single most important thing that drew your attention in the first place.

My favorite spot is the colonnade in the huge backyard. I like framing my photographs with the pillars and plants that grow here.

I find the statue of Father Serra less interesting as a subject and I do not particularly care for the staged living quarters in the museum.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The Mission opens from 9:30 at 4:30 between September to May and from 9:30 to 7:15 between June to August. Sundays it opens later.

If you require sunset photographs, I would recommend visiting either early in December, early in June or late in August. The façade from the garden (looking west) or the bell tower from the courtyard (looking north to northwest) has better light during the morning hours. Morning to early afternoon is the best time for photography.

Time required

If you carefully examine all the exhibits and take your time to enjoy the grounds while waiting for your photographs to be free of people, you can spend 2 – 3 hours here. You can get away with a 1h visit to get a quick overview if you are in a rush.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens
• Normal lens
• Macro Lens for Flower and Insect Photography
• Image Stabilization or High ISO capable camera for indoor shots
• Patience as people will constantly walk through your photographs

GPS position

• 36°32’33.95″N 121°55’10.83″W

Fees

Adults: $5 , Seniors: $4, Children: $1 at the time of this writing (01/2009)

Close Locations

• Carmel by the Sea
• Point Lobos State Reserve
• Old Coast Road – Big Sur
• Andrew Molera State Park
• Pacific Grove with Point Pinos Lighthouse
• 17-mile drive with the famous Lone Cypress Tree
• Monterey Fishermans Wharf
• San Juan Bautista
• Butterfly Town USA
• Big Sur Wildflowers
• Soledad Mission

Useful Resources

• Carmel Mission on Flickr
• Carmel Mission Website

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