Spanish missions of San Antonio, Texas

gma · Mar 10, 2004

San Antonio, Texas has five unique Spanish colonial mission churches built in the early 1700's. Each is a real architectural jewel in its own way. The interiors are dark, but some have original decorative wall painting. They are located within a few miles of each other along the San Antonio river. An aquaduct connected the missions and parts of the aquaduct remain intact. There also is a mill at one of the sites. You can find out many more details on the internet. Don't be confused by some of the websites. The local baseball team is called the "San Antonio Missions"! There is a fundraising campaign underway to restore the missions over the next 5 or 6 years. Hopefully the restorations will not take away the character.

Donald Miller · Mar 10, 2004

Lee Carmichael has done a portfolio of images of these missions. These are very nice images. While I haven't visited San Antonio yet, I can certainly appreciate the historical and emotional significance. Thanks for sharing.

Jeremy · Mar 10, 2004

Don actually beat me to it, but Lee has a portfolio on these old missions that is beautiful. Hopefully I can talk him into parting with a copy of the portfolio so that I can scan them and maybe he can do an article on the them or submit them to be the featured member.

photomc · Mar 11, 2004

Would love to see Lee's protfolio..hint, hint Lee. These are really nice places, four are part of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (http://www.nps.gov/saan/). Restoration can be good, but depends on who at the NPS is running things.

lee · Mar 11, 2004

thanks guys, they will be up in June (that is the latest change from the gallery) in San Antonio at a gallery on Broadway near the Loop 410. The gallery is Vantana. I think that is how it is spelled. More later when closer to the show.

lee\c

missionphoto · Apr 8, 2004

Hi,

We are a photogrpahy business in SATX, but you can certainly browse our galleries free of charge in full "original" detail if you'd just like to see the beauty of these gorgeous old buildings.

Hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy photographing them... www.missionphoto.biz

.

photomc · Apr 8, 2004

Speaking of the wonderful images by Lee, I had the chance to see these a couple of weeks ago and must say they were very nice. If you ever get a chance to meet Lee, have him show them to you. Besides being a fine gentleman, he's a heck of a good photographer to boot...

Ed Sukach · Apr 9, 2004

missionphoto said:
Hi,
We are a photogrpahy business in SATX, but you can certainly browse our galleries free of charge in full "original" detail if you'd just like to see the beauty of these gorgeous old buildings.
Hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy photographing them... www.missionphoto.biz

I *LOVE*!! the opening lines from this site, following "About Our Photography":

"Our photographs are developed using Fuji Crystal Archive paper via a genuine photographic emulsion process. These are not surface prints ..."

A harbinger of things to come in the Galleries? - I hope.

*Excellent* work here... WELL worth the visit.

lee · Apr 9, 2004

These are certainly nice images. Nice work. Can you tell us more about your process?

lee\c

scootermm · Jun 29, 2004

I was lucky enough to manage a trip down to the missions in San Antonio just a couple weeks ago.

one the better printed images.

Jim Chinn · Jun 30, 2004

I have also had the pleasure to see Lee's portfolio in person and the work is excellent. He also has compiled quite a collection of work from others in his home.

David Brown · Jul 4, 2004

These missions are one of those "well kept secrets". I had lived most of my life in San Antonio until 15 years ago when I moved to Dallas. Since then, I have returned to SA to "do" the missions since we never did while we lived there. Go figure.

Just FYI, (Texans know this, but it hasn't been mentioned in this thread) one of those missions is the Alamo!

Do, if you can, visit these sites and take your cameras. However, don't go to take pix on Sunday mornings, some of them are still parish churches!

Also, FYI, there are 3 missions on the USA side in El Paso, and I understand 2 or three more on the Mexican side.

Cheers!

Adios!

Jorge · Jul 4, 2004

jorde said:
These missions are one of those "well kept secrets". I had lived most of my life in San Antonio until 15 years ago when I moved to Dallas. Since then, I have returned to SA to "do" the missions since we never did while we lived there. Go figure.

Just FYI, (Texans know this, but it hasn't been mentioned in this thread) one of those missions is the Alamo!

Do, if you can, visit these sites and take your cameras. However, don't go to take pix on Sunday mornings, some of them are still parish churches!

Also, FYI, there are 3 missions on the USA side in El Paso, and I understand 2 or three more on the Mexican side.

Cheers!

Adios!

I went to UTSA and the Missions were always some of my favorite places, sadly this was when I was starting photography and all my pics were crap...

lee · Jul 5, 2004

the missions in san antonio are part of the national park service and if anyone tells you that you need a permit thank them and continue what you are doing. I spent about 3 years off and on at the san antonio missions and did inquire about a permit. I was told by the head smokey the bear that only if I had a wedding party or a some big event would I need a permit. Now at the Alamo, this is a horse of a different color. The Daughters of the Republic run this as a shrine to the Independence of Texas. No photographs inside. The front outside is fair game but you need to be there early and the light is really on the wrong side for morning. Then it is hot like hell in the summer. There are 5 missions in all. San Francisco de Espada is the south most and the Alamo is the north most. Espada is a nice little area and there is an aqueduct about a half mile away also. The missions are open 8a to 5p. There has been some gang activity in the past in the evenings so a special wary eye is always good. You might not want to go alone. I did but I am crazy and they know it.

lee\c

Jim Moore · Jul 16, 2004

This looks like it would be a great place to visit. I think it would be just a little over 15hrs driving time for me.

Are there any special considerations to take into account when photographing with Large Format there?

I would love to make this trip.

Jim

lee · Jul 16, 2004

Just show up. Look for the Missions Trails signs on the Interstate and follow them. Once you find Mission Conceptsion they have a ranger station there and you can see a map for the rest of them. They are not too far apart. They (the interiors are open 8a to 5p 6 days a week and a few are open on Sunday as a parish church. Good luck, call me when you pass through town. Just take I35 south to Denton and then take I35 w south thru fort worth. It is just a 300 mile jaunt to San Antonio from here.

lee\c

Jim Moore · Jul 16, 2004

I have started a list of places that I would like to go and photograph within the next year and this is going on it.

Thanks for the info Lee.

Jim

Spanish missions of San Antonio, Texas

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