Pool of the Hotel del Coronado

The Hotel del Coronado, a wooden Victorian beach resort, is a national historic landmark. The luxury resort spreads over 28 acres, featuring everything the spoiled guests expect. The large, wooden hotel played host to 14 US Presidents, Hollywood celebrities, significant foreign personalities, and allegedly even ghosts. Touted as a romantic getaway, I wonder if the prices, which can easily exceed $600 for a weekend night in summer, are any indication of the expected romantic pleasure a guest will derive from a stay. Apparently, that is the case, considering the full parking lots and hotel availability statistics.

For those of us working for a living, a brief visit to “The Del” is nonetheless rewarding. The beachside location, grandiose architecture and rich history should put the hotel on your list of places to see if you happen to visit Coronado Island.

How to get there

Coronado Map

Take the San Diego / Coronado Bridge from San Diego. Follow it along Pomona Avenue and turn left on Orange Avenue. Follow Orange Avenue all the way to the main entrance of the Hotel.

Metered parking is available on the streets.

GPS position

32°40′52.90″N 117°10′41.41″W

How to photograph the Hotel del Coronado

Lobby with Chandelier

A hotel stay will give you the location advantage. Unless your client is willing to foot the tab, stay at a cheaper room in one of the nearby ugly concrete towers that also belong to the hotel. Even if you are not a hotel guest, you can still explore the property, but you will encounter some restrictions using the side doors and gaining access to upper level floors. Unless you have the overwhelming desire to feel like royalty for one day, making up for it the rest of your vacation exchanging steak for burgers, I recommend a short visit instead and to stay in an only moderately overpriced hotel in Downtown San Diego.

The giant chandelier that graces the opulent lobby of the hotel and the dark wooden stairs and front desk are in stark contrast to the bright colored sun lit exterior of the hotel. Don’t use the camera flash and turn up the ISO sensitivity instead. The natural light will create an even illumination and bring out distant detail in this photograph, where flash creates unnaturally flat looking images. Use a wide-angle lens or image stabilized lens to allow handheld shooting.

Hotel del Coronad

Exit toward the courtyard and hunt for good compositions in the expertly designed garden.

Continue through the courtyard and exit in the direction of the beach! Most classic photographs were taken from the beach, including a famous photo of Marilyn Monroe, shot during the filming of her unforgettable movie “Some Like it Hot.” Use a wide-angle lens and stand up, to include the entire hotel without introducing distortion. Pay attention to your foreground and shift position to avoid cutting people in half and to place spectators where you want them in your frame.

From the beach, walk up to the pool patio and down to the pool area (image at the top of the article). Make sure you do not offend the hotel guest with long photography sessions. Most people are very sensitive about photographs taken of them in bathing suits. Keep your time here to a minimum and exit the way you came, unless you are a hotel guest with a key card to any of the doors leading back into the hotel.

Use a circular polarizing filter on your outdoor photographs! This cuts glare from the water, the windows, and the palm leaves. Don’t always use the filter at its full strength! CP filters can lead to unnatural looking skies, especially when you try to boost contrast in the editing process.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Afternoon provides better light from the beach and pool area, while morning light is better for the front entrance.

Time required

This location is a perfect time filler location. If you happen to find yourself in the neighborhood with spare time, fill it with a visit to the historic Hotel del Cornodao!

Equipment

Use only the necessary equipment on your way through the hotel. Less is more, especially when you photograph around people who may feel uncomfortable in the presence of cameras.

• Wide-angle lens
• Normal Lens
• CP filter

Close Locations

• Coronado Island
• A night tour of San Diego
• Santa Fe Depot
• San Diego Maritime Museum
• Aircraft Carrier USS Midway
• Balboa Park
• Seaport Village
• Old Town
• Shelter Island
• Harbor Island
• Point Loma and Cabrillo NM
• Mission Bay and Mission Beach

Useful Resources

Frommers opinion on the hotel

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Santa Fe Depot

Located between the glitzy glass-facades of Downtown’s high-rise buildings, the elegant Mission-Revival style Santa Fe Depot grants San Diego’s business district the grandeur of an era long gone. The Depot witnessed the rapid development and yet resisted change and persists to delight the traveler with its chic.

The Santa Fe Railroad constructed the original terminal during the great western railroad expansion of the second half of the 19th century. The current Depot is the second incarnation, capable of handling the increased traffic volume of the first decades of the 20th century. Today, the Santa Fe Depot still serves as the largest transportation hub of San Diego.

Obviously, such an iconic and history laden building invites photography. Visit this remarkable station at the heart of Downtown San Diego.

How to get there

San Diego Santa Fe Depot Map (click to enlarge)

The Santa Fe Depot is located on 1050 Kettner Boulevard.

The San Diego Trolley, Amtrak, the San Diego Metro Busses, and the San Diego Coast Express Rail all stop at the Santa Fe Depot, making public transportation a good alternative, especially considering the parking situation in Downtown.

GPS position

32°42′57.99″N 117°10′10.40″W

How to photograph the Santa Fe Depot

Santa Fe Depot Fountain

Using a wide-angle lens is your only viable option to photograph the entire façade of the Santa Fe Depot. Surrounded by tall buildings, it is impossible to step back further.

The small plaza with the fountain in front of the building is the best spot for outdoor shots. Step back as far as possible and try to keep the angle of your camera straight to avoid converging vertical, the effect where buildings narrow toward the top of the frame. The image above does not have this problem, while the image below required perspective correction.

If you need to step closer to a tall object while using a wide-angle lens, leave some cropping margin around your subject for corrections.

Palms at the Santa Fe Depot

The outside area offers other interesting angles (picture at the top of the article).

Don’t miss the exclusive waiting room with its bronze chandeliers, tile decorations and classic wooden benches. Complete your session with an inside tour and photograph the fine details of the architecture. Don’t let the presence of people deter you. You do not need anyone’s permission to take their photograph, but some usage restrictions do apply if they are recognizable.

Take detail photographs as well, to round off your portfolio.

High Rise and Palm Tree

If you have the time, take a stroll along Broadway. The reflective façades of the high-rise buildings, the typical Southern California palm trees and the predominantly friendly people of San Diego offer many good opportunities for photography.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Late afternoon and night are best.

Time required

About 30 minutes should suffice if there is little foot traffic.

Equipment

• Wide-Angle lens
• Tripod
• Cable Release
• Zoom lens if you plan to take a stroll through downtown

Close Locations

• San Diego Night Tour
• Aircraft Carrier USS Midway
• San Diego Maritime Museum
• Harbor Island
• Seaport Village
• Coronado Island
• Hotel del Coronado
• Balboa Park
• Old Town
• San Diego Mission
• Pt. Cabrillo
• Mission Bay and Mission Beach

Useful Resources

San Diego Pictures

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Star of India steering wheel and engraving

The San Diego Maritime Museum captivates mariners, photographers, and casual visitors alike. The impressive collection of historic vessels, the fabulous exhibits, and the premier downtown location make the museum a fantastic lifetime experience.

The museum preserves the ships in a seaworthy state and even offers the occasional cruise. You can book a harbor cruise or explore the moored ships with your camera. The excellent weather and the fantastic shooting opportunities make a trip to the museum a guaranteed success for your next shooting adventure.

Step aboard the old ships and replicas and discover the age of sail, the age of steam, and the silent submarine service era of the Cold War!

How to get there

San Diego Maritime Museum Map (click to enlarge)

The San Diego Maritime Museum is conveniently located in Downtown San Diego at 1492 North Harbor Drive. Please find parking information in the resource section below.

GPS position

N 32° 43.248’ W 117° 10.404’

How to photograph the San Diego Maritime Museum

The Star of India

Star of India mess hall

The Star of India is the undisputed star of the museum. She is the oldest active sailing ship and dominates the pier, stretching her masts 7 meters into the sky. She started her life in 1863 as Euterpe, and later became the Star of India.

On board the Star of India, you can experience the age of sail first hand and photograph the classic ship up close.

Climb below deck to discover exhibits detailing the life on sailing vessels like the Star of India. The exhibits are interesting and educational, but they take up all space worth photographing below deck. The stern living quarters on the other hand contain the passenger quarters and the captain’s space (image above) which are preserved in their original state and very photogenic.

The best place to photograph the entire ship is from the bow area of the HMS Surprise. From there, you can position the Star of India in front of the San Diego Skyline, which looks especially spectacular during the late afternoon or early night. .

HMS Surprise

HMS Surprise Cannons

The HMS Surprise is a replica of an 18^th century Royal Navy frigate. 20^th Century Fox used the ship to film the movie “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” and then sold it to the San Diego Maritime Museum.

Below deck, you have a chance to see the expertly arranged display of cannons and the captain’s quarters. Use high ISO settings and keep from using flash to avoid unnaturally flat looking images. Crouch down beneath the canons for a better-looking perspective (image above).

Above deck, it is hard to make sense of the confusing ropes and countless props. Additionally, you have to deal with busy backgrounds. You can only isolate the ship from the pier, right in front of the bow. Place the ship to the right in your frame to keep other ships out of the picture and avoid cutting them in half at the edge of the frame.

B-39 Russian Attack Submarine

B-39 torpedo tubes

An original Soviet attack submarine, the B-39 saw active military duty for over 20 years in the North Atlantic. The crude but effective Foxtrot class ships constituted the bulk of the Soviet submarine fleet. The Russians sold the boat after the cold war and the San Diego Maritime Museum eventually acquired it, adding it to its fleet of exhibits.

The best outside view of the B-39 is from the stern of the HMS Surprise.

The inside tour is claustrophobic, but worth the hassle. Torpedo tubes, cramped living quarters, bulkhead doors, hydraulic machinery, and an astonishing amount of levers, knobs and dials paint a grim picture of submarine life and provide you with exceptional shooting opportunities.

Sometimes I did wedge into a corner to let people behind me pass by. Staying patient, in the face of potential anxiety below the water line, is worth it to get good shots.

The red battle illumination in one area of the boat helps to create the right mood in your pictures.

Steam Ferry Berkeley

Engine room of the steam ferry Berkeley

The ferry, once operating in the San Francisco Bay, now houses the Maritime Museum headquarters and museum. The restored steam engine in the bowels of the ship is the most interesting. The lighting of the huge machine is superb for photography.

Simplify your compositions! It is easy to create confusing images in this giant room filled with metal, but it is just as easy to look for simple forms, symmetries, and unusual lighting to create pleasing photographs.

Climb up to the bridge to gain an overview of the San Diego Bay, before heading over to the USS Dolphin!

USS Dolphin Deep Dive Submarine

USS Dolphin deep dive submarine

The Dolphin holds several submarine records and firsts. The most significant is the deepest submarine dive ever recorded. Although decommissioned fairly recently, the Dolphin and the B-39 Soviet submarine both were in service during the same period of the Cold War, yet the Dolphin’s crew quarters appear much more livable than those of the Soviet boat.

True to her nature as a research submarine, the Dolphin is packed with equipment.

Don’t forget to try out the periscope, it works and turns!

Smaller Boats

Californian

The Californian is the only ship to hold the title “official tall ship of the State of California.” She is a replica of a mid 19^th century cutter, a sailing ship, and was launched during the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.

The ship is cramped and hard to photograph. With a wide-angle lens, you can take a couple of decent shots under deck.

Steam Yacht Medea

The Medea is a sleek yacht built in Scotland at the turn of the last century. The stylish upscale interior and the engine are the most attractive areas on the boat.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Fortunately, extreme heat and rain are rare in San Diego, making a visit to the museum pleasurable throughout most of the year.

During the Festival of Sail, held every three years, all sailing vessels are sailing the bay. The star of India sails each November. A good overview location for these events is Point Loma in the southwest (see map above and photograph below). You will need a telephoto lens.

Star of India sailing

Time required

You need at least two hours to see most of the ships and skip over most of the exhibits of the museum (inside the Berkeley). Since your ticket is valid for the entire day, I recommend a morning tour and another stop just before sunset. This allows you to take advantage of the best light in all directions.

Equipment

• Wide-Angle lens
• Image Stabilized Zoom Lens

Fees

Tickets cost $14 for adults, $11 for seniors and active military personnel, and $8 for children older than 6 years.

Close Locations

• San Diego Night Tour
• Aircraft Carrier USS Midway
• Seaport Village
• Coronado Island
• Hotel del Coronado
• Santa Fe Depot
• Balboa Park
• San Diego Zoo
• Old Town
• San Diego Mission
• Pt. Loma and Cabrillo NM
• Mission Bay and Mission Beach

Useful Resources

Official Website

San Diego Downtown Parking Spaces

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Read this blog on your Kindle or Kindle DX and stay updated on the road.

Amazon’s Kindle currently dominates the e-book reader market. With superior battery life, free wireless content delivery, and the electronic ink display, it clearly defines the standard of simple reading joy. Last Christmas, I sprang for a Kindle and cannot put it out of my hands anymore. That is when I decided to add this blog to the illustrious list of blogs for Kindle.

Now you can subscribe to this blog on your Kindle via its Amazon website:

California Photo Scout on Amazon

The monthly fee includes free wireless delivery to your Kindle. You get a 14-day free trial, so there is absolutely no harm in trying it out to see how you like it.

Some of you have already discovered this blog on Amazon. I appreciate your commitment and I promise to put as much and even more effort into building this database.

Learn more about the Kindle and its larger brother, the Kindle DX, on these Amazon pages:

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Kindle DX

The kind folks at Amazon will share a tiny portion of their profits with me, should you buy anything using these links. This will in turn help me pay for the coffee I consume during the long nights when I write for you. The price for you won’t change, but I appreciate the coffee. Thanks!

USS Midway Flight Control Deck

In active duty for nearly 50 years, the aircraft carrier USS Midway sailed to conflicts and participated in countless maneuvers around the world. Construction started in 1943. Upon completion in 1945, the USS Midway was the most advanced aircraft carrier in the fleet. She served until her decommissioning in 1992 and became a public museum in 2004. The USS Midway now anchors at the Navy Pier in San Diego, where you can visit and photograph the imposing ship.

With the superstructure towering nearly 70m above the port, and a crew of 4500, the USS Midway is a fully self-sufficient city at sea. She is the largest naval aviation museum, dominating the Navy Pier in Downtown San Diego.

Discovering and photographing this historic ship is a thrill. Step on board this giant and discover the amazing life at sea and the countless options to photograph the warship.

How to get there

San Diego map of USS Midway Aircraft Carrier (click to enlarge)

The USS Midway is located at the Navy Pier in Downtown San Diego.

On I-5 southbound, follow the signs to Downtown. Take the Airport Exit and merge onto Kettner Blvd. After about 1.1 miles, turn right on W. Hawthorn St. Follow it to N. Harbor Drive where you take a left. Drive south on N. Harbor Dr. for about 0.7 miles to get to the Navy Pier.

You can park on the Navy Pier.

Rates: 0-1 hour: $5, 1-4 hours: $7, 4-10 hours: $10, 10-12 hours: $12

You can also take the train or San Diego trolley. The walking distance to the Santa Fe Depot is less than ½ mile.

GPS position

32° 42.825’N 117° 10.48’W

How to photograph the USS Midway in San Diego

Bridge Island Superstructure

Bridge of the USS Midway

Overlooking the Flight Deck and San Diego Harbor, the Bridge and Flight Deck Control Tower superstructure is a must see. Since you can only take a guided tour up here, you need to plan your time accordingly. The last tour usually leaves at 4:30. A waiting line tends to get longer near the end of the day. You cannot bring small children up, since the tour-guides enforce a height limit. You need to climb steep stairs through very narrow tunnels.

If these hurdles do not deter you, exceptional views and interesting stories await you. Squeezing through the narrow path, the groups follow each other closely. This means you need to be quick on the trigger if you want to achieve anything at all photographically. I usually try to be the last in a group, giving me some time to shoot while the group moves on. This is complicated here, since the next group follows closely. Being the first works too.

First, you will get to the Flight Deck Control (first picture of this article). Try to move toward the two seats and stay there. Most of the group squeezes around the corner to a less interesting space. The map room has some interesting instruments, but is not as exciting for photography. You can snap through the bull’s eye windows and get some details of the instruments.

Then the group moves to the bridge. You only have a few seconds between a group coming and a group leaving to get a photograph (B/W photo above).

If you trail the group, you will have more time to pre-set your camera at every location and photograph when the group moves on. If you lead the group, you do not have this luxury. Preset your camera to aperture priority and pre-focus your camera to minimize setup time.

Flight Deck

busy flight deck

People buzz and hum around the flight deck like a swarm of excited bees. This makes photography difficult. It requires patience.

Concentrate on details instead of larger views if you wish to keep people out of your composition. Including people, that randomly pass through, lessens the impact of your pictures. On the other hand, including a veteran studying a feature or a child in awe enhances the impact. Use a zoom lens and crop tighter around the planes and people. Anticipate how the swarm moves and be quick with your camera. A perfect shot may come together and disappear in less than one second.

F14 Tomcat on USS Midway Flight Deck

Hangar Deck and Forecastle

Wires

When you come onboard the USS Midway, you will enter the giant Hangar Deck. Here you will find some planes on exhibit, flight simulators, and a café and gift shop, but not much of interest photographically.

The tour of the Forecastle reveals living quarters, narrow hallways and the giant anchor chain. Use a wide-angle lens, since it is nearly impossible to get a photograph without people. This way, you can emphasize the chain in the foreground while the people recede to the background.

The tour to the Engineering Deck reveals a giant control panel. Use your camera at high ISO and turn down your flash exposure to add just a hint of fill flash. This will avoid glaring reflections from the metals and glass, which preserves color.

Lower Decks (2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th)

Jet Briefing Room - USS Midway

Among the countless exhibits of the lower decks are the briefing rooms for the Jets (picture above) and Helicopters, the Sick Bay, Mess Deck, Chapel and Officers Mess and Quarters. You can spend an eternity exploring the bowels of the ship. Going everywhere is exhausting.

The USS Midway is a city in its own right. These decks contain everything necessary to provide basic living accommodations to the 4500 people that made up the crew. Laundry, postal service and even a small convenience store made life more comfortable on this ship.

Set your camera to a high ISO setting and use a short focal length to avoid blurry shots. You can reduce noise in post-processing, but you cannot fix blurry photographs. With a little patience and the help of a friend, you can time other visitors efficiently, keeping them out of your photographs.

Outside Views

V-J-Day Couple

Don’t forget the splendid outside views. The pier to the north, boardwalk to the east and park to the south of the Midway all present unique views of this ship. Additionally, the park in the south provides several attractions. The V-J Day statue “Unconditional Surrender” (above) replicates a famous photograph of a kissing couple, taken at the end of WWII on Times Square. East of the statue, you will find a memorial commemorating other warships and admirals. Further west, a bronze statue of Bob Hope gives a funny speech to the troops. The USS Midway provides the backdrop to all these sights.

You get a better view of the ship’s superstructure from the parking lot on the north pier. Step as far back as possible and zoom in, to avoid converging verticals, a common problem in wide-angle compositions that causes tall structures to become narrow toward the top.

Night Views

USS Midway at Night from the Pier

Night offers a completely different experience. If you have the chance, I highly recommend that you come back at night. You will have the surrounding piers to yourself. Places such as the Bob Hope memorial that were impossible to photograph during the day are now all yours.

For wide-angle compositions (above), including the ship, you can safely select a very long exposure time. Set your camera to ISO 100 and select an aperture that gives you a large depth of field (f/11, f/16). The resulting exposure time will be very long.

You need to use a shorter exposure time for longer focal lengths. The movement of the water will cause motion blur in compositions such as the one below. A higher ISO speed and smaller aperture will help you decrease exposure time. With a ship this size, an exposure time of 10s is the limit on a calm day. Review your picture (zoom in all the way) and re-shoot if necessary, while decreasing your exposure time even more.

Plane Tails at Night - USS Midway

Ship movements of a few inches that can ruin a telephoto composition will not be visible in a wide-angle shot, where this movement is below the pixel size of your final image.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The upper decks seem to get warmer than the lower decks on hot days, despite the efforts to air-condition the ship as best as possible.

Time required

You need at least three hours to see most of the aircraft carrier. Rest and eat before you come. The ship is so large that you will tire eventually.

Equipment

When you go on the ship, you should travel light. You don’t need filters or very long lenses and no tripods.

• Camera ISO 6400 capable
• External flash unit
• Wide-angle lens
• Medium zoom lens

When you return for your outside shooting, you should also try not to bog down too much. The pier area doubles as sleeping quarters to homeless. Attract as little attention as possible! Keep all equipment close and always shoulder all your bags to avoid theft! I believe we deterred an attack in the last second by picking everything up and just keeping it close.

• Camera
• Tripod
• Cable release
• Wide-angle lens
• Telephoto Lens

Fees

The ticket costs $18 for adults, $15 for seniors (62+) and students (ID). Retired military personnel (ID) and youth between 6 and 17 years pay only $10. Children 5 and younger enter free.

Difficulty Photographing

I did not encounter any limitations. I did not bring a tripod, which would have hindered me more than helped.

Close Locations

• A night tour of San Diego
• San Diego Maritime Museum
• Harbor Island
• Seaport Village
• Santa Fe Depot
• Coronado Island
• Hotel del Coronado
• Balboa Park
• Old Town
• San Diego Mission
• Pt. Loma and Cabrillo NM
• Mission Bay and Mission Beach

Useful Resources

Official Website

Midway Site

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Millers Point, Pt Reyes

The rugged, windswept peninsula of Pt. Reyes protrudes into the Pacific Ocean just north of San Francisco. The elements have shaped the unprotected cape into a delightfully beautiful landscape. Rocky and sandy beaches, grasslands and a fantastic seascape make this a favorite getaway for Bay Area residents. Most of the weekenders concentrate on the beaches close to the main parking lots. Trail traffic can be quite low, considering the amount of visitors who enjoy this wonderful place.

In this article, I will take you on a long trail along the coast of Drakes Bay, to Arch Rock, a sea arch. We will follow the longer and more scenic route as opposed to the shorter Bear Valley Trail. The journey is the real destination, as you will hike along a beach, through forests and follow the rugged steep coast.

How to get there

Olema is a small city located on Highway 1. In Olema, turn west on Bear Valley Road from Highway 1. The exit is hidden behind some brush and easy to miss, despite the road sign indicating the Point Reyes turnoff (Google Street View).

After the turnoff, drive 1.8 miles and turn left onto Limantour Spit Rd. Follow this road for 7.5 miles until the last road leading to the left. Follow this road to the end to a small parking lot. This is the starting point of our tour.

Pt Reyes Trail Map (click to enlarge)

This is a 13 miles round trip hike, but you can turn around at any time, since it is not a loop trail.

Shortly after the turnoff in Olema, you will pass the visitor center on your left. Stop for a map!

Download the gpx file to study the trail in detail.

GPS position

Parking Lot (start your trail): 38° 1′33.96″N 122°52′36.12″W

37°59′13.08″N 122°48′47.70″W

How to photograph Pt. Reyes Coastal Trail

We left our car in good spirits, but without enough water and too late. With the sun still high in the sky, I underestimated the distance, despite sophisticated charting methods (topo map).

Drakes Bay, Pt Reyes

The coast trail starts further north-east on Limantour Spit Rd. However, driving down to the parking lot will save you some distance and also keep you from having to hike uphill on your way back.

From the parking lot, head towards the beachto get past the inland water hole. As you hike across the dunes, you can catch a glimpse of the terrain ahead. This is also a good spot to photograph the dune grass and the beach (photo above). You can greatly improve the feeling of this image if you return in time for sunset. The dune grass will have a golden hue and the cliffs will glow in the light of the fading day.

Follow the beach for about 0.4 miles and then turn left to get back on Coast Road. Follow Coast Road for another three quarters of a mile until it turns left, following a small ravine. Take the Woodward Fire Rd toward Coast Campground. The trail leads through the camp and slightly uphill, following the coastline.

Deer behind bushes

Follow the trail and in case of doubt, always pick the trail leading back to the water and along the coast. As you pass through the brush, keep an eye open for deer. The shy animals peek through the bushes.

Brush

The brown background vegetation blends with the deer and is very distracting in your images. It is very difficult to get a depth that is shallow enough to blur the background sufficiently. Some post processing may be necessary to obtain the results you like. There are also scores of little comical birds running around, but they are very hard to photograph.

I saw an egret in one of the small rivers, shortly before the wooden bridge, but the shy animal knew how to keep brush between itself and me. Maybe you have more luck than I did. I took a few photographs of the brush instead.

Follow the trail until you get to Millers Point (photograph at the top of the article). From here, you can take a short trail down to the beach to see Arch Rock, a natural stone arch in the ocean. From Millers Point, you have a superb view of Drakes bay to the north, the windswept rocks and the crashing waves. The Sea blows ice-cold winds into unprotected Millers Point, making our early October visit feel like an arctic adventure.

On our rush back home, I took a few more photographs of the warm sunlight hitting the trail at various locations.

Trail Sunset

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Any time of the day, as long as you don’t leave too late. Late spring will have the most color.

Time required

Depending on your pace, you should plan between 4 to 6 hours hiking time. We left too late and I took my time taking photographs. We left Arch Rock about one hour to sunset and despite our grueling pace (we made it back in 90 minutes), we had to find our way back in the dark. Bring a flashlight, even if you think you have enough time.

Equipment

• Flashlight (I got stuck in the dark)
• GPS and extra batteries (stuck in the dark and no batteries)
• Water
• Dress in layers (sweater + wind jacket)
• Zoom Lens
• CP filter

Fees

No fee is required for Point Reyes.

Close Locations

• Pt Reyes Lighthouse
• Inverness and Earthquake Trail
• Fort Ross
• Bodega Bay and Bodega Head
• Bodega Dunes
• Bodega Cliffs
• Mt Tamalpais
• Muir Woods
• Point Bonita Lighthouse
• Secret Views of Marin Headlands
• Marin Headlands Bay Views

Useful Resources

Point Reyes National Seashore Website

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Calico Bottle House

History turned amusement park at Calico, where a circus of actors reenact gunfights for the amusement of tourists and where shopping, gold panning and train riding have displaced the ghosts who probably desperately try to cross over to escape the charade.

I am sure most visitors to Calico will leave with a happy smile on their faces, having had a wonderful time filled with activity. I have no doubt about that, but the Calico Regional Park is clearly mislabeled as ghost town. It is a Wild West Show on the grounds of a former mining town.  You need a vivid imagination to see anything authentic behind the glitter, the decorations and the air-conditions on the roofs of the buildings.

If you are traveling with your family and if you are not expecting an authentic ghost town, you may even get a few decent photographs while keeping your family members occupied. If you are a photographer wanting to experience a real ghost town, visit Bodie or Cerro Gordo instead.

How to get there

Take exit 191 (Ghost Town Road) from I-15, about 7 miles east of the I-15 and I-40 junction and follow the signs to Calico. It is really easy to find.

GPS position

N34° 56.937’ W116° 51.906’

How to photograph Calico Ghost Town

Christmas in Calico

Unfortunately, I visited Calico just after Christmas, when literally every detail of the city was covered with decoration. The funny fact is that the original residents of Calico used native desert plants for decoration, yet the management of the city prefers kitsch to authenticity, plastering all buildings, except the school, with fake Christmas ornaments. What a shame, I would have enjoyed a real Western display of Christmas decorations.

Calico School

I attribute much of my dismay to wrong expectations though. Let’s face it, most visitors probably consider Santa Clause’s grimace everywhere tasteful. I usually prefer authenticity and preservation of heritage over earnings potential. The employees went out of their way to set up a climbing wall, bull riding and whatnot to amuse the crowds. Calico is a family friendly ghost town; it is not a photographer’s ghost town.

If you come with the right expectations, you can still find some decent photography here. The street lamps, farming tools and old wagons all would make wonderful photography subjects, but nearly all were covered with Christmas decorations. The bottle house (picture at the start of the article) provides interesting studies of shapes and light. You can create a few abstracts here.

Nobody can tell from the picture, that the school replica is almost to full scale, but still not the real thing and some of the old buildings in the distance, along the train track almost look real with a  telephoto lens.

Reset your photography compass, buckle on a smaller lens and take a few street shots of children having fun at the wall or listening to the cock-and-bull stories of the actors. I don’t think you have to drive to Calico for that, as you can just visit a local carnival instead.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Avoid the hot summer months and come early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

Time required

If you come with family, you can spend an entire day here. There are many things to do and explore, especially with children. For a quick shoot, you won’t need more than 90 minutes.

Equipment

• wide-angle lens
• normal lens
• circular polarizing filter
• iPod

Fees

The entrance fee is $6 for adults and $3 for children on normal days and higher during special events.

Close Locations

• Trona Pinnacles
• Randsburgh Ghost Town
• Red Rock Canyon State Recreation Area
• Ballarat Ghost Town
• Rainbow Basin NP
• Silver City Ghost Town
• Cerro Gordo Ghost Town
• Mojave NP: Kelso Dunes
• Mojave Midd Hills scenic detour
• Mojave NP: Lava Beds
• Mitchell Caverns NP
• Joshua Tree NP

Useful Resources

Calico official website

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Cholla Tree, Mojave National Preserve

One of the least visited parks in California, the Mojave National Preserve offers great value for photographers and outdoor enthusiasts. The desert landscape is especially interesting for purists who love to explore shapes, light and color free from distractions.

Desert landscapes look barren only at first glance. Upon closer inspection, they reveal an immense beauty. Drive through this landscape with open eyes and you will want to pull over constantly to jump out of your car.

How to get there

Mojave Map (click to enlarge)

Take Essex Road from I-40 (south) to Black Canyon Road. Head to the Hole in the Wall Visitor Center and pick up a free map. Back trace on Black Canyon Road, for a few hundred yards, and turn west on a dirt road. You will drive over a cattle guard at a fence shortly after leaving the main road.

From I-15 (north), take Cima Road. After about 18 miles, turn right onto Kelso Cima Road and after another 5 miles left on Cedar Canyon Road. After about 6 miles (half of it unpaved), turn right onto Black Canyon Road. After another 3 miles, turn right onto the loop or go straight for another 7 miles to the visitor center.

You should be able to drive this dirt road with a 2WD passenger car, unless it just rained or is raining. Rain is a rare occurrence here, but in some years it gets wet enough to cause trouble.

The spur to the mid hills viewpoint requires a high clearance vehicle.

Gas up before you head into the Mojave National Preserve. There is no gas station inside the desert and gasoline is very expensive in cities bordering the Mojave. Fill up when you are still 50 miles away and top off before going into the desert.

GPS position

South Turnoff: N35° 02.309′ W115° 23.409′

North Turnoff: N35° 08.182′ W115° 24.1565tr4′

High Clearance Spur: N35° 07.079′ W115° 26.670′

How to photograph the Hole in the Wall scenic detour

This description starts at the entrance near the Hole-in-the-wall visitor center.

Burned Tree

When you enter the scenic detour from the south, stop near the cattle guard. This is where I shot the picture of the Cholla Tree at the start of the article. Right after the cattle guard, a dirt trail leads to the right, towards the lonely butte. This is also a great place to photograph some big leaf cacti and yucca trees. Get out of your car and go for a short walk around the butte. You should be able to get some good photographs.

The first few miles lead past jagged rocks, sparsely populated with cacti. Depending on the light, the rocks and the shadows can create interesting looking pictures. Further down the road, you will enter a fire-devastated area. The fire created a ghostly atmosphere. The trees stretch their tentacles towards the sky like a bizarre otherworldly being (see above). I did not spend a lot of time here.

After a while, I came to a high clearance road leading left off the main road. I had spotted a large, promising looking granite rock protruding ahead of me. I took the drive (high clearance required) that lead to an overview / dispersed campsite. This place offered superb views towards Cima Dome, Kelso Wash and Marl Mountains. I also had a better view of the granite rocks whose tip I had seen earlier (below).

Back on the main road, you will pass a field of granite spires and marbles that reminded me a lot of the rocks in Joshua Tree National Park.

Mid Hills Granite Rocks

I should also mention that you will find a number of trails in this area. The visitor center newspaper will list them with a short description.

The Hole-in-the-Wall nature trail is the easiest and probably only interesting to botanists. The Rings Loop Trail sounds technically difficult but interesting. The Mid Hills to Hole-in-the-wall trail is long but sounds good. It would be best if you could arrange for pickup at the opposite side, so that you don’t have to backtrack the entire 8 miles. The Barber Peak Loop Trail is a 6-mile interesting sounding trail.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

You will have the best light during late afternoon or early morning hours. If you don’t plan on staying several days, it may not be possible to be here during these times. I visited during the early afternoon, to be at Kelso Dunes for sunset pictures.

The Hole-in-the-wall campground and the Mid-hills campground at either end of the loop offer a chance to stay a little longer and experience more.

Plan a visit around the wildflower season from late February to early May for some extra color.

Time required

You can drive the distance in less than one hour. Two hours is plenty of time for photography.

Equipment

• Since you don’t need to go on a long hike, I recommend to bring all your photography equipment.
• water
• GPS

Fees

Visiting the Mojave National Preserve is free.

Close Locations – Mojave NP

• Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve
• Kelso Dunes
• Cinder Cone, Lava Beds, Lava Tube
• Evening Star Mine
• Cima
• Ivanpah (Ghost Town)
• Clark Mountain

Close Locations – outside Mojave NP

• Calico (Ghost Town)
• Rainbow Basin NP
• Red Rock Canyon State Park
• Randsburg (Ghost Town)
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Death Valley National Park
• Calico Ghost Town

Useful Resources

More of my Desert photos

Mojave NP official site

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View from Aguereberry Point

Aguereberry Point is located high above Death Valley in the Panamint Mountains. It is the western cousin of Dante’s view, which is located in the Black Mountains on the opposite side of Death Valley. Agueberry Point thus is the best place to photograph the valley in the late afternoon with the sun in your back. Despite its unrivaled views of Death Valley to the east, Aguereberry Point does not see much tourist traffic.

On a visit in early January 2010, we were completely alone and could enjoy the peacefulness this remote location offers. The only sound came from my camera shutter, as I captured the fleeting light.

Your mind takes a while to grasp the vastness of this place and the distance you can see. The spectacular scenery of Aguereberry Point should put this location on your short list of places to see in Death Valley.

How to get there

A sign clearly marks the turnoff from Highway 178 (Emigrant Canyon Road), one of the roads leading into Death Valley. The dirt road leading to Aguereberry Point from here is 6 miles long. You will find the Eureka Mine turnoff after about 2 miles. Keep to the left and follow the road all the way to Aguereberry Point.

The road is passable with a 2WD passenger car. The first half to one mile has nasty washboarding that will rattle your car. I found that it is much easier on you and your car if you keep the speed above 35 mph. If you are bold enough to push your car faster, the ride will actually become smoother.

Further down the canyon, this is more difficult, since you cannot see around the curves and have to expect oncoming traffic. Slow down towards the end of the road, after about 5.5 miles, at N36° 21.238’’ W117° 02.890’. As you climb the hill, you will drive straight towards a cliff. At the top of the hill, the road turns sharply to the left to climb the final 0.3 miles to Aguereberry Point.

Get out of your car and walk around the cliff to the northeast for another 600 feet to get a good view toward Stovepipe Wells, Zabriskie Point and Furnace Creek.

GPS position

Aguereberry Point: N36° 21.48’’ W117° 02.876’

Highway 178 turnoff: N36° 21.308’ W117° 08.057’

How to photograph from Aguereberry Point

Two things really work well at Aguereberry Point, telephoto compositions and grand scenic landscapes with foreground elements. When you arrive 90 minutes to 60 minutes before sunset, some of the brush in the foreground will still be sunlit. This is a good time to set up a couple of near-far compositions.

The picture at the top of the article is an example. The shadow at the bottom is not my oversized head, but the shadow of the ridge behind me, in this case unavoidable. Indeed, I had to reposition myself a few times to find pleasing compositions that kept my shadow out. Smart people will use Photoshop to remove their shadows and even smarter people save themselves a lot of time by taking a few seconds in the field to reposition properly.

Death Valley Wavy Hill

Obviously, the second best thing to do is hunting for telephoto landscape shots. I was able to obtain a few very good photographs this way. The landscape is in a state of flux, as the shadow of the Panamint Range slowly creeps over the valley floor. The lighting conditions on the dunes and the surrounding mountains change within minutes.

I simply took a telephoto lens and framed the interplay of light and shadow. The wavy hill picture above is an example of this. The picture captivates with its simplicity and elegance.

The sun will light up the rock spire to your right until it finally becomes just a glowing top on the ridge and the dunes at the valley floor will cast fantastic shadows. You need to use a tripod, yet stay flexible and look all around, including behind you, to hunt for light.

Zabriskie Point seen from Aguereberry Point

Use a telephoto lens and isolate some of the most prominent features. In the picture above you can see Zabriskie Point at the far right corner of the picture, just below the darker brown streak.

Aguereberry point offers more choices than Dantes View for captivating overviews of Death Valley and better light for sunset photography.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

You should arrive 90 minutes prior to sunset, when the sun can still reach the valley and bathe it in warm light. All seasons are good, but I prefer winter and spring. The unpaved road may become impassable for 2WD cars after a hard rain.

Time required

You can find the best light at Aguereberry Point from 90 minutes prior to sunset to 30 minutes after sunset. Add to that the driving time (15 minutes each way on the dirt road and an appropriate time to get to the turnoff). In Death Valley I consistently underestimate the driving times. It is huge. The driving time from Furnace Creek to the turnoff is about 80 minutes!

Equipment

• Telephoto lens
• normal lens
• circular polarizing filter
• tripod for sunset shots
• water
• sun cream

Fees

The entrance fee to Death Valley is $20 per passenger vehicle. You can find the nearest pay station at Stovepipe Wells. You can show your national parks pass at the visitor center. Place it visibly on your dashboard when you go hiking and haven’t had time to go to the visitor center yet. Unlike most other national parks, there are no entrance booths.

Close Locations in Death Valley

• Harrisburg (Aguereberry Camp) Ghost Town
• Skidoo
• Charcoal Kilns
• Darwin Falls
• Father Crowley Viewpoint
• Mosaic Canyon
• Mesquite Flat Dunes (near Stovepipe Wells)

Close Locations outside Death Valley

• Trona Pinnacles
• Ballarat Ghost Town
• Randsburgh Ghost Town
• Red Rock Canyon State Recreation Area
• Alabama Hills

Useful Resources

Pete Aguereberry Information

Death Valley National Park Official Website

My Death Valley Photographs

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Ballarat through the window of Charles Manson's family car

Located at the foot of the beautiful Panamint Mountains, Ballarat Ghost Town consists of the remains of a former supply station for the nearby mines. As the gold rush ended, Ballarat quickly declined. Residents left everything behind in pursuit of new dreams. The old fossils in the wonderful setting of Panamint Valley create uniquely photogenic ruins that many people miss in their rush from or to Death Valley National Park.

Ballarat is a small gem that nicely completes a portfolio of Death Valley, don’t miss it!

How to get there

At N36° 02.020’ W117° 16.897’ you will see a pullout with a large stone marker with some background information regarding Ballarat. A dirt road leads east towards the Panamint Mountains. A radar station is located close to Highway 178 on the dirt road. Follow this dirt road for about 3.5 miles into town.

Here is a glimpse of Google Street View of the pullout.

GPS position

N36° 02.855’ W117° 13.453’

How to photograph Ballarat Ghost Town

Ballarat Jail and Morgue

Take your time to walk around town and explore the setting, compositions and light. Most visitors rush through the city, barely getting out of their cars. Been there, seen that, is the motto of the binge travel crowd, an unfortunate side effect of our overworked and overstressed society.

Take your time to explore Ballarat at your leisure and you will discover the creepy charm of this city. Charles Manson’s family truck (picture at the top of the article) is a sinister reminder of his nearby hideout, but also makes a superb foreground for pictures.

The two residents and two temporary residents don’t take the ghost town status too seriously. Ballarat features an RV campground and many newly discarded items. The morgue/jail building (photo above) doubled as a storage room for bikes during my visit and according to Wikipedia is inhabited during the summer.

To preserve the ghost town feel of your pictures, you don’t want any modern items showing up in your photographs. Sometimes you have to assume a slightly less compelling composition to keep an RV in the background from ruining a photograph.

Old cars in Ballarat

Despite the earliest remnants of exploration and prospecting, you will also find a heap of trash of somewhat old stuff here that can lead to interesting pictures like these three old trucks.

Ballarat is an amazing find, if you love to photograph details, textures and abstract forms but even for scenic landscape artists it offers valuable shooting opportunities.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

I usually avoid the entire area during the hot summer months when it is painful just getting out of the car.

Time required

A 5 minute detour from Highway 178 and less than one hour for photographs is all you need.

Equipment

• wide-angle lens
• normal lens
• circular polarizing filter
• water
• sun cream

Fees

You can see Ballarat free of charge.

Close Locations outside Death Valley

• Trona Pinnacles
• Randsburgh Ghost Town
• Red Rock Canyon State Recreation Area
• Cerro Gordo Ghost Town
• Alabama Hills
• Calico Ghost Town
• Saline Valley Desert
• Bristlecone Pine Forest
• Silver City Ghost Town
• Barker Ranch (Charles Manson hideout)

Close Locations in Death Valley

• Harrisburg (Aguereberry Camp) Ghost Town
• Aguereberry Point
• Skidoo
• Charcoal Kilns
• Darwin Falls

Useful Resources

Historic Information on Desert USA (with video)

Ghost Town Photos

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