Boarding Pass: PSP
Palm Springs photo map. Click image for interactive map.
L.L. and Biggie had a divergence of opinion on the merits of a return to California, but it seemed like a good idea to me. My recent trip to San Francisco left me wanting more, so we planned a trip to Palm Springs for one night, to be followed by two nights in San Francisco to photograph parts of the city I hadn’t covered in November. It was January, a perfect time to visit Palm Springs, so we added it to our West Coast swing. I packed my 14mm Rokinon lens for this; I had a feeling.
The weather was perfect when we landed, sunny in the low 70s. A short ride from the airport delivered us to the Del Marcos Hotel, which I had chosen for its midcentury style and proximity to the main drag. Bags were dropped, snacks were had, and the shooting started. The first objective was the house with all the robots. Obviously. This took us north of the action, but gave us a nice lay of the land for later.
I was right to pack the 14mm lens. The palms trees were plentiful, tall, and close. When you are that close to tall things, be they trees, buildings, or art, you’re going to need that coverage. It’s not a light lens, but some added weight to carry was a very small price to pay to avoid the absolute frustration that would have resulted from being unable to get my whole shot in frame. My standby 40mm pancake still got its usual workout, but Big Daddy spent a lot of time out of the bag.
Bring wide eyes and an even wider lens.
Palm Springs is colorful, and its residents even moreso. So friendly and welcoming. You get the sense that they are there because it is exactly where they want to be. One very nice surprise I’ve found in photography is that people like to talk to you about it. If they live there, they want give you tips on places to shoot. If they are photographers too, they want to talk about your gear. And who doesn’t love a general exchange of pleasantries while you’re traveling? It’s nice. People are proud of the cities where they live, and it always elevates my shoot when they share what they love about their home turf with me.
When we got back to the hotel after an afternoon of shooting, we learned that a snowstorm was predicted back at home. Out of concern for our cats, and not wanting to be unable to make it home if we waited too long, we decided to cut our trip short and head back around noon the next day instead of continuing on to San Francisco. I made it an early night, and was able to get out before dark in the morning for some early shooting. As the sun came up, we headed up the side of the San Jacinto mountains to get some exercise and those sweet sunrise views. After a quick lens swap back at the hotel, I went out one more time for some backlit and lens flare shots before the sun got too high.
View to the east from the North Lykken Trailhead at sunrise.
We hopped on an eastbound plane and beat the snow home. Thanks to the compact layout of Palm Springs, I felt that I had done plenty of shooting during my brief desert drop-in. I came back with plenty of colorful keepers, some of which are hanging on my gallery wall right now. Some would say it was a long walk for a short drink of water, but what else would I have done with that time if I’d stayed home? Not everything makes sense on a balance sheet. And not many places are as fabulous as Palm Springs.
