Skipjack Joe - 3-30-2007 at 01:45 PM
The road winds through a canyon slowly gaining elevation.
From the canyon walls looking down:
From the road looking up
Skipjack Joe - 3-30-2007 at 01:46 PM
A stinker, admittedly, but it's part of the story
Nightfall comes to the canyon with the light fading
Skipjack Joe - 3-30-2007 at 01:47 PM
You've seen this one
Mission interior
Skipjack Joe - 3-30-2007 at 01:48 PM
It shows it's age:
Natalie Ann - 3-30-2007 at 02:10 PM
Ah Igor... What wonderful photos, including the one you say is "stinky"! Thank you for posting them.
I've never been to San Javier, but it looks like a place one could spend some good time both enjoying the scenery, the mission, and also shooting
photos. Appears you traveled a good ways up those canyon walls.
Your shot looking upward from the depth of the rocks has always been a favorite of mine. But I do think this time my favorite is the last image -
timeless! Is that film? And did you color tone it, or is it as originally shot?
(And yeah, I do realize that if one is film... then likely they all are. The "stinky one looks like film, also... to my not-so-well-trained eye.)
If ya got anymore of these to share, I sure would enjoy seeing them.
Skipjack Joe - 3-30-2007 at 02:35 PM
Thank you for your kind comments, Natalie.
Well, I thought it was a stinker because I find it boring. I wanted to show how the fig trees grow on the sides of the canyon.
Anyway, I'm more inspired by nature than buildings but enough people have liked the last image that I figured it has some appeal. I remember it being
dark in there and required a long exposure (shooting with Kodachrome 64). That made the color shift to magenta. I like the mood that the color gives
the building.
Paula - 3-30-2007 at 02:44 PM
I also think the mission shot is beautiful, and it is mystifying to me because the light coming into the window makes it appear to be above ground
level. Have you been upstairs in San Javier?
Fig trees
Skipjack Joe - 3-30-2007 at 03:03 PM
Yes, Paula, I think that was an upstairs shot as I remember. Anyway, I have a shot of the stairway so I must have been upstairs. I thought the square
outside had a real open, peaceful sense to it also but the light was wrong so I didn't shoot.
I thought I might add a bit regarding the fig trees. I became fascinated with the way they grew on the canyon walls, their roots clinging to the
rocks. So I climbed way up, tripod and all, moving from one plant to another, trying to satisfy my curiosity. My van on the road looked like a speck
below. While I was doing this a Mexican truck came by and to my surprise they were able to spot me. They waved their hats at me and I waved my tripod
back to let them know that I saw them.
... and that's the end of that episode.
[Edited on 3-30-2007 by Skipjack Joe]
tripledigitken - 3-30-2007 at 03:12 PM
Skipjack Joe,
Are all your pictures taken with film? What scanner are you using?
Very nice photo's as usual. San Javier is on our to do list.
Ken
vgabndo - 3-30-2007 at 03:19 PM
Started in 1699! In my home inspection business I have a surcharge for buildings over 50 years of age. How would I invoice for THAT inspection.
Skipjack Joe - 3-30-2007 at 03:41 PM
Ken, go there before they pave the road all the way. The difference in the feel between the town square at San Javier and San Ignacio (which I like a
lot for those shade trees) is enormous.
I have a lot of slides from the past which I've been showing recently. I was told that the best affordable scanner is the Nikon Coolscan, but I felt
that I was still losing too much with that scanner. Currently I am having my stuff scanned by Ritz cameras here in Irvine. It's a Fuji scanner of some
sort that they told me ran them $500,000. The sharpness you see is pretty much the way I get it from them. And the color rendition matches the slides
real well.
tripledigitken - 3-30-2007 at 04:13 PM
We are going down at Thanksgiving and will try to fit it in. I gather from your answer that you are now shooting in digital?
It just lends itself so well to sharing online.
I will remember the Ritz info if I need to scan. My printer, fax, copy, scan unit at home is just ok.
thanks for the tip
driley - 3-30-2007 at 09:44 PM
We just went to San Javier yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed the drive. The mission and its setting are wonderful.
I would rate the drive as one of the most scenic desert drives that I have ever been on.
A rock bent a brake rotor cover on the way out though and I had to jack the Jeep up and bend it back in the dark on the way home. At least it was not
something more serious.
[Edited on 3-31-2007 by driley]
David K - 3-30-2007 at 09:48 PM
A brand new JK Wrangler!
DianaT - 3-31-2007 at 08:23 AM
I so want to get back to San Javier---before the road is paved. Did not stay as long as we wanted---helping another person with two flat tires. We
also want to explore the palm canyon.
It was threatening rain that day, a very cloudy and hazy day. The mission is great, the town VERY nice, and the views wonderful.
I want to take this picture again, with a better sky. We just loved this view---can see the road down below, and the sea, albeit in this picture not
so well.
Phil S - 3-31-2007 at 01:56 PM
I've lost track of the number of times I've traveled that road over the past 16 winters I've been here. Always a must show when friends come to
visit. Each visit is more money for the church. Anyone that "only" visits the church is missing out on the trail behind the church up the canyon (or
is it down the the canyon?) Goes into the vegetable gardens of the village, and a small water canal that runs alongside for irrigation, and eventually
ends at a corral with horses. Great easy walk. Everyone should do it!!!!!
Got to do it before we leave, as I'm told the pavement continues to creep closer & closer to the mountain top. Wonder if the rumors are true that
it's about 4 miles of blacktop so far?????????