Friday, January 4, 2019
Carmel Mission Bell Tower

One of my favorie spots in California, the Carmel Mission, with Bougainvillea in full bloom. No matter how many times I vist these beautiful architecural gems I always find a new detail or angle on a familliar spot.

Thursday, March 17, 2016
Courthouse Arch and Tower Panorama

An amazing angle on the beautiful Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

Thursday, September 17, 2015
Courthouse Tower

A beautiful angle on an amazing local architectural wonder.

Monday, August 24, 2015
Mission Evening

The Santa Barbara Mission, after a long and busy day. Only a few of us wander the grounds this late in the evening, but there are always people marveling at its beauty. The white light in the middle of the photo is from the cell phone that another pair of evening explorers were using as a flash light to find their way. Over the long exposure the people all but vanish, leaving the light as their only trace. And I can almost feel the cool breeze again looking at the way the tree's branches were swinging.

Monday, July 27, 2015
Evening Arches in the Clock Tower

Evening view from the Santa Barbara County Courthouse clock tower. One of the most amazing views in the city, even more magical at twilight.

Sunday, July 26, 2015
Clocktower Reopens

The beautiful view from the Santa Barbra County Courthouse Clock Tower officially reopened Friday after many months of work. Now the view is easily accessible by all with the elevator opening right out on the observation deck. The only drawback is, newcomers might not notice the beautiful clock gallery below that you had to walk past to get to that last flight of steps to the tower. The elevator still stops at the Clock Gallery though, so you can still enjoy every part of this local treasure!

Friday, June 19, 2015
Evening Walk at the Mission

It's been a few weeks since I Madonnari, but the faint images of the beautiful artwork still persists on the ground in front of the mission. It's a perfet time for a cool evening walk around the mission grounds.

Sunday, May 31, 2015
Twilight Over Santa Barbara

Evening view from the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Clock Tower where construction continues to make the tower more accessible. In the very near future everyone will be able to easily enjoy the view from the top. In the mean time, however, the trek to the top for this shot was even more of a walk than normal. With no elevator at all you start to appreciate really how tall the clock tower is. Currently the tower is still closed to the public, but the major elevator work is nearing an end with the opening at the top already complete.

Friday, August 22, 2014
Courthouse Anacapa Angle Square

A wide view of the Santa Barabara County Courthouse from Anacapa Street near Anapamu Street.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Courthouse Clocktower Looking Up

Looking up at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Clocktower

Thursday, May 22, 2014
Courthouse Bell Morning Light Close

Another closer shot of the beautiful details of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse

Monday, May 5, 2014
Carmel Mission Twilight

Sometimes the show is just starting when the crowds leave. This weekend I saw some of the biggest crowds I've ever seen at the Carmel Mission ( Mission San Carlos Borroméo del río Carmelo ) in Carmel by the Sea. From weddings to tourists and even the occasional church service this beautiful gem of Spanish and Moorish architecture is well loved and often visited. But this evening after the sun set and the last people were leaving the parking lot, I stopped by with my camera. Only the faintest color of the sunset remained on the horizon, and the stars were clearly visible overhead. But a slightly longer than usual exposure revealed all the beauty of the misson at rest in its faint lights after a long day of festivities and worship.

Sunday, May 4, 2014
La Purisima Mission Bells

This week I visited La Purisima mission. If you havent been there in a while it's a great place to visit. They are always working on some creative example of how life must have been for the inhabitants of the mission. If you wander behind the main building of the mission, where this shot was taken you'll actually find some displays of the mission store, a spot where people working and visiting the mission could trade their goods. And a mill where you can get up close to a mill stone that looks like it's ready to grind flour. All it needs are the burros. Of course don't ask the guys out front, them and their beautiful Ox friend are retired. They just spend time entertaining the visitors and absorbing as much love as they can.

Friday, March 21, 2014
Courthouse Bell Morning Light Wide

Morning light on the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Bell

Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Santa Barbara County Courthouse Anacapa Panorama

A wide view of the Santa Barabara County Courthouse from Anacapa Street near Anapamu Street.

Monday, January 20, 2014
Queen of the Missions Sunset

The end to another beautiful day, yesterday at the Santa Barbara Mission. The sunset this evening was absolutely amazing. The clouds were putting on a beautiful show long before the sun neared the horizon. It promised to be another amazing show, and when the colors really started it did not disappoint. The brightest glow like this only lasted for a few moments, but it was a fitting backdrop for such a beautiful example of historic architecture.

Monday, October 21, 2013
El Presidio

I recently spent some time at one of our local gems. Every once in a while it's good to go play tourist a bit in your own backyard. Although I do enjoy the views of the Presidio from the outside like this, it had been a while since I took the full tour. It was quite apparent the caretakers have been working dilligently to bring this piece of history back to life. It makes for a wonderful walk back in time on a beautiful Santa Barbara afternoon.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Carmel Mission Garden Sunset

The gardens at the Carmel Mission. The mission just underwent a major restoration and only recently shrugged off the massive scaffolding around the main sanctuary. It's looking even more beautiful than ever thanks to the dedicated people who are preserving this beautiful landmark!

Thursday, May 23, 2013
Rose Garden Panorama Sunset

An amazing sunset at the Santa Barbara Mission rose garden. The Roses are in full bloom this time of year, it's a wonderful time to visit the Mission and wander around the grounds. If you have really good timing you can experience a spectacular spiring evening with amazing beauty in every direction.

Monday, May 20, 2013
Santa Barbara Mission Cross at Night

One evening when we were at the Santa Barbara Mission we noticed someone playing ball with their dog in the field by the mission rose garden. The really interesting thing for my camera is they were playing with a ball that had a light in it. It was a lot of fun watching the ball move back and forth, it was too dark to really see the dog, but it was obvious where he was. In the end, there were too many cars to get an interesting shot of the ball, although it is in there bouncing under the big tree at the left. The fun thing is the shot came out beautifully anyway.

Monday, May 13, 2013
Santa Barbara Courthouse Anapamu Garden

A panoramic view of one of the most beautiful buildings in Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. The sunken garden in the center is used for a wide range of creative things throughout the year. It's an amazing spot right in the middle of the city.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Courthouse Sunken Garden Clouds

The sunken gardens at the Santa Barbara County Court House is the location of many community events and festivals. There are few places more recognizable as a local Santa Barbara landmark.

Thursday, February 21, 2013
Casa de la Guerra

Perched high above Santa Barbara gives a different perspective. The beautiful red tile rooves giving way to the amazing mountains and Pacific in the distance. In the foreground I was fortunate enough catch an event at Casa de la Guerra. the colored lights and people haveing a great time were the perfect foreground for this amazing view.