San Jose Mission Church: interior view
Founded in 1797, Mission San Jose quickly became one of the most prosperous. Nearly 2,000 Indians lived here, tending the land and animals.
The Mission is named after St. Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather, who also lent his name to nearby San Jose, the unofficial capital of the Silicon Valley.
The Mission as you see it today is a reconstruction. Unfortunately, the original structure was destroyed in an earthquake in 1868. In its place, a wooden gothic-style church stood for 100+ years, until the reconstruction of the original architecture was completed in 1985.
How to get there
The Mission San Jose is located in Fremont at 43300 Mission Boulevard.
Take the Mission Boulevard exit from Highway 680 and turn south onto Mission Blvd (right turn when you head north on 680, left turn when you head south). After about ½ mile you will see the Mission on your left.
You can always find parking on Mission Boulevard or any of the parallel streets.
GPS position
How to photograph Mission San Jose
Mission San Jose is not an easy subject. Many views are obstructed, the lighting is difficult, and people are constantly in your way. The most obvious compositions are the inside of the church, as you can see at the start of this article, and the full church view from across the street. Unfortunately, cars and pedestrians block a full view of the Mission and so you need a lot of patience to take the picture. Do not bother, since the shot will not win you any prize. There is very little to do except crop tightly around the building, creating an ordinary photo.
The interior leaves some room for creativity. Shoot with a wide-angle or fisheye lens to show the entire church or use a longer lens to isolate some of the artwork. Do not use flash. It will damage the artwork and makes your pictures look flat. I prefer to increase my ISO sensitivity to using a tripod. This gives me more flexibility to take advantage of an opening between people.
Fountain and roses
The garden and patio area contains a fountain, rosebushes, and the statue of Father Junipero Serra. Unfortunately, the surroundings are barren and none of the features line up nicely for photographs. The statue by itself does not look very photogenic, but you will not find a good background. The fountain would look better if the pool beneath it contained more water. Cropping tightly and using the roses as your background (image above) works well.
Graveyard
The cemetery also has a lot of wasted photographic potential. You need to stay on the paved trail, from where I could not find many good views. The trees and the disarray of the stones create cluttered images.
If you find yourself in the East Bay with a few hours to pass, the Mission is your best bet. There is not enough to photograph here to warrant a long detour, unless you love to learn more about history and life in the Mission itself. The Mission’s museum holds pieces from the last two centuries and paints a picture of early settlement in California.
Best Time of the Day and Best Season
Avoid the mass on Sundays and holidays, since the church will be off-limits. On weekends a wedding party often occupies the church. Ask at the cashier how long the wedding will take. You can safely assume that the wedding photographer will take at least 30 minutes longer.
Late afternoon offers the best light.
Time required
Depending on the time of day, you have to account for the time waiting for people to clear your frame. You can finish up in less than one hour if nobody else is here or spend up to 3 hours.
Equipment
- Wide-angle lens
- Fisheye lens
- Image Stabilized Zoom Lens
- Tripod
- Small Camera bag
Although a sign at the entrance states that you should not bring backpacks, large purses or camera bags, nobody questioned my small camera bag that can hold a camera and two lenses.
Fees
The admission is $3 per person, $2 for students.
Close Locations
- Winchester Mystery House
- USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier
- Mt Diablo State Park
- Berkeley Views
- Treasure Island
- Lick Observatory
- Skyline Boulevard
- San Francisco
- Filoli
- San Juan Bautista Mission
Useful Resources
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2 Comments
Wonderful church, I love churches with characteristic roofs of dark wood. I prefer them above more decorated ceilings. Great place to find peace!
The interior is really lovely. I love missions.