My Favorite Photos of Mission Trails Regional Park

I was tasked to get footage of the restoration work being done at Kumeyaay Lake. Invasive Primrose had been growing like a carpet over the lake, causing negative impact on the environment that included a decline in native bird species, aquatic life, and water quality. I met with the restoration team, learned more about the process of this restoration project, and got onto the lake with the crew.

At first, I was taken out on the water to tour a side of the lake that had most of the work close to being finished. That boat that we rode in was small like the ones families would rent out for a day at the lake. After capturing footage that highlighted the cleaner parts, as well as getting a full clip of Juan (one of the leads of the removal crew) casually taking out a 12+ foot long plant, we returned to land. I was asked if I wanted to get a closer look at the work that was being done at that moment. Without hesitation, I said yes, though they told me to proceed with caution because it ment boarding a raft that was less secure than the little fishing boat that we had the luxury of taking out at first. I got suited up in a white coverall to prevent getting too dirty and wet, and was told to sit tight until they paddelled out to the point where they were going to work.

This brings me to the picture above. We had come to a steady stop, which meant that I could start moving around. I am behind the crew on the raft, balancing my way up and down, and left and right. The raft bobbed around with all of our movements. All this movement made me think twice about struggling to get steady footage, so I decided to spend that time seeing if I could get any photographs. With the limited amount of room, and time to coordinate, composing the image was all about seeing everything as it was right then and there. After snapping away at some safer images, I put the camera down and leaned back as far as I can to see the whole scene. I thought about composing it all in a way that captured the motion of the work, the volume of primrose, and the landscape they were working in.

What resulted was my all-time favorite photo that I took last year.

This story left a strong impression on me. It was an exhilarating experience that made me excited to be working in such an environment.

Ascending Cowles Mountain (2/19/2025)

On-top Cowles Mountain on a Hazy Day (12/18/2026)

ATOP COWLES MOUNTAIN

Cowles Mountain stands as the tallest of the peaks that surround San Diego, and is often categorized as the hardest hike in the city since it involves hiking up over 900 feet in less than 1.5 miles.

It was not the first place I visited in Mission Trails Regional Park, but it was the first time I took notice of its 8,000 acres and 60 miles of trails. I have been up this mountain a handful of times now, and have taken countless photos. I like these photos the most because of what I chose to show.

The first photo was taken while on assignment to capture the story of new interpretive panels that were installed at the peak. I took this while waiting for Ranger Steven (the partnering ranger I was working with). The haze created a layer that made the light seem as if it had a clean cut across the horizon. It is hard for me to describe, but it was as if San Diego was encased in a bubble that day.

The second photo is one that I am particularly fond of because of the compression--notice the neighborhood and how it appears to exist above this peak. It is an ironic composition because that point of the trail looms over the neighborhood around 1,200-1,300 feet. It is a great perspective to show off the environmental relationship between the mountain and the neighborhood of San Carlos.

View from the Visitor Center (11/18/2025)

MISSION GORGE

This is my office

I have been working at Mission Trails Regional Park since May 2025. This opportunity came to me through the Park's partnering Non-profit, Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation. I originally came on board as one of the lead Summer Camp Counselors, and was later offered a full time position as the Education and Outreach Coordinator. I was told that my background as an educator was certainly a reason why I was offered the position, though it was also mentioned that that the way I worked paired with my charisma was a major factor as well (I may be paraphrasing that part).

Before accepting the job, I mentioned that I was working three jobs, one of them included my freelance work as a photographer and filmmaker. It was important to share that background because the genre I worked in was natural history and adventure sports, two niches that align with the environmental work largely being done at Mission Trails. Though the job I was offered already came with two roles, I thought it would be in my best interest to include my willingness to do media work because it has been the longest standing line of work that I have been able to maintain.

There have been many times where my work as a cameraperson has saved me from financial troubles, afforded my financial freedom, and has given me unique opportunites. That is to say as nice as the work can be, the demands of the work, the instability, and the inscrutable fight for pay often outweigh the desire for me to pursue it as a full time career. I'll take security of this over the instability of the job juggle I was doing this time last year.

In writing this section, I think about how what I've signed up for may be stretching myself out. Though I am skilled, and experienced in the three facets of my job, I'm not particularly focused on any of them in a way that I could dig as deep as I would like. There are days that are difficult because I can't seem to manage my time effectively, may have said the wrong thing in a conversation, or may not possess the experience needed to be efficient. I call all those problems, "growing pains." That said, I'm still young, healthy, and in a position where the mistakes I make can still be moved on from regardless of its consequence.

Above all, those days come and go, especially when at the end of the day I get to clock out to a view like this. I see my opportunity working at the park as a place to grow. Whether I continue growing long term here, or it is a place where I grow as a professional, all that I am sure of is that I'm happy to be there.

Pacific Chorus Frog on a Trail Camera (8/28/2025)

Insert Trail Camera Image

In every skill I've acquired, I always try to see how it complements another skill that I have.

As mentioned, my main roles as an employee of the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation is Education and Outreach Coordinator, however; I've been tasked with a project that I believe falls out of bounds from my typical job description.

Before continuing, I most note, I don't make that statement with any sort of negative connotation, I'm simply stating what seems obvious to me.

The mentioned project is maintaining our trail cameras, and this is honestly one of my favorite parts of my job.

I think it's interesting that the park had set out to have this project be in place with no prior employee having experience with setting up the cameras in appropriate locations, trekking off trail, managing the data, working with image recognition software to cull images, selecting images, and organizing a group of volunteers.

All that said, the photography and filmmaking skills I possess have made this task feel familiar. Yet, managing the trail cameras has beem a compleltely new venture. There are many aspects of the work that's been an education.

For one, I've learned that the camera is triggered based on not just motion, but a heat reading of subjects that are picked up on the infrared sensor. It may seem obvious, but with all the motion of foliage, weather, and random projectile objects, there has to be another factor that helps with minimizing false triggers related to these issues.

Another aspect I've taken from this experience is that anticipating the frame goes a long way for capturing a compelling image with a trail camera. It's one thing to get a good, clean image for identification purposes, but angling the camera a certain way to show scale, or environment can provide a lot more information for research purposes.

Lastly, these cameras have the potential to capture over hundreds of thousands of images across several months. I cannot possibly cull through those images within the time I'm given to work on this project, let alone the 8 hours of my regular work day. To overcome the mountain of media, I've been working within an AI platform that helps with the identification, verification, and organization process. It's a tool that was quite cumbersome at first, especially since I have no prior experience with working with AI at large. Though, I was recommended it by a professor from Point Loma Nazarene University that is currently conducting research at the park using the same platform, I've engaged on the AddaxAI community forums, and have spent months learning through trial and error. I may not be completely proficient with the program, and I certainly have a lot more to learn, but I'm happy with the new framework I've been introduced to.

Here's to another skill that I look forward to implementing across the many other skills I possess.

Original Restoration Site for San Diego Thornmint (4/6/2026)

Thriving Restoration Site for San Diego Thornmint (4/6/2026)

San Diego Thornmint, Acanthomintha Ilicifolia (4/6/2026)

THE SAN DIEGO THORNMINT

How am I supposed to care about a plant when it's not the "prettiest," and when its presence seems to make little to no apparent impact on my life?

I was assigned to document the restoration progress of the threatened plant species, San Diego Thornmint. It's hard to photograph a plant in an exciting way, especially when it's aesthetics may not be ideal or appealing. It's also hard enough to care about a plant when I'm not so interested in them in general. How does one care about a plant when it's not the prettiest, and when its presence seems to make little to no apparent impact on my life? Well, for one, being open and willingly curious helps me a lot when it comes to figuring out why anything at all matters.

A retired biologist works on this project, and they were on site to supervise my pressence at the restoration area. I had free range to walk around and capture images as I pleased, but the work truly started when I began striking up a conservation with them. I asked questions about them such as why are they involved, and why the plant matters to them. In return, all the answers they gave me were insight into how I could photograph the plant, what I need to focus on to help tell the story of restoration, and why the work and the plants existence matters.

Here's the story: 46 plants were counted throughout Mission Trails Regional park several years ago. The first photograph in this series is of a fenced off area, and at the center of it is a small patch of white flowers. That is the site of the original plant that was used as the main source for seeds for this entire restoration project. Of the 46 plants, this patch was healthy enough to begin what has now been the cause of growth for over 2,000 thronmint plants throughout the park. The second photograph is one of the more newer, and healthier sites. It highlights the type of habitat it needs in order to grow successfully--loose soil with lots of exposure to direct sunlight. The third photograph is a portrait of a lone San Diego Thornmint. It stands tall from the dirt, poised with its thorns, yet elegant with its pale flowers.

Saving this native plant species alone is only part of a whole--the point of saving native plant species at large is to promote a halthy ecosystem, one that is biodiverse, and full of plant and animal species that have adapted to their respective, native resources. A problem native plant species experiences is competiting against non-native species that are invasive--the type of plants that grow fast and in ways that choke, shade, or consume resources at a dominating rate. Once this San Diego Thornmint experiences growth that removes the threatened status, the ideal outcome is that more species will begin to thrive. Next to these plants, (insert plant) was found, which could very well be the next plant to help restore. And soon enough, the environment these plants continue to populate will be a feasting ground for insects and animals to survive and thrive in.

Chapter 2: The Changing Perspective of a Frequent Visitor

VISIONS OF THE PARK

Sometimes I just let these visions sit in my mind.

Sometimes I chase after these visions with my camera.

Being outside is an experience where I feel that I'm constantly bombarded with stimuli. On one hand, the body moves across the landscape expending energy with every step. On the other hand, mentally processing nature is an exhaustive experience that makes it even more tiring no matter the difficulty.

The process comes in irregular waves of thought: the mind focuses on the shapes of the environment, the way nature frames itself as an object, the colors of plants, the textures of every surface, the various sizes of pebbles and mountains, and even the factual details of the infinite species themselves.

Those thoughts develop meaning: a trail meanders because the trail builders thought it made sense for the landscape, flowers grow in a pagoda-like fashion to reach high and capture as much sunlight as possible, a fallen tree has grown gills made of fungi giving life even after death, bulbous rocks stack until it seems as if time had to make abrupt changes to its schedule, water on a mallards feather bead into a tiny liquid ball that streams back into the river.

What allows me to see these thoughts is light. It isn't so much the light that's interesting, but rather what it illuminates. This can be literal, like a subject being lit, but also figurative like how rays of light give off an ethereal sense of spirituality. The lack of light is also something to acknowledge, as a silhouette produces perceivable shapes recognizable and influential to our psyche.

Above all, this is the meditative work of visualization.

Sometimes I just let these visions sit in my mind. Sometimes I chase after these visions with my camera.

The first image of the Coast Live Oak was one that I had visualized ever since I first stepped foot in the park. The second was taken on my very first visit to that same location. It was a rainy day, and I was there on a guided hike. Going back t othe first image, conditions were as I imagined it, and the light was shining similiarly to what I had visualized leading up to it. I'm honestly not too happy with the image because it feels like everyone else has seen it in some way, and the way I've captured it feels like it doesn't do justice to the feeling I got the first time I stepped underneath that canopy.

Moments after snapping the image of the Coast Live Oak, I turned to the east and saw Kwaay Paay perfectly framed between the trees and nearby bushes. I spent just a few minutes taking this photo, attempting to keep the mountain face clear of any branch, while revealing just enough of the base to illicit a sense of scale, and letting time pass so I could capture it as it glimmered gold against the setting sun.

30 mintues later, I continue my hiked to capture Kwaay Paay again, this time in it's glorious red Alpenglow against a tree with it's bare branches reaching for the sky. I had no idea that the light was going to change this way, and I was absolutely stunned by it. Had I waited 30 minutes at the previous spot, I think it may have been the better shot. I think about going to that spot and redoing the photograph, but I also haven't given the time to it.

For now, I’ll let that sit in my mind, and meditate on the vision.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

My fascination by these photos are in two parts: a curiosity of the species I'm photographing, and the significance of how I've photographed them.

California Quail

I love the silhoutted shot of the California Quail, atop a Laurel Sumac bush, against the backdrop of South Fortuna Mountain. It's a layered photo both in it's depth, composition, and intention. I wanted to be able to expose for both the mountain and quail, but it would have been impossible with how bright it was. Since I figured that this shot would do just fine as a silhoutte, I waited for a moment where the quail's tufts were big enough to help distinguish it.

Horned Lizard

A horned lizard is a rare find. It was right off the trail, close to the beginning of the Pyles Peak trailhead. The lizard was one of the biggest that I've seen in all of the park, and little did I know that it's actually a rare sighting that most frequent visitors of many years have yet to see it. That day, I was taking my sweet time with my hike, and seeing what I could photograph since I was also making a video to document that first-time experience going up to Pyles Peak.

Western Fence Lizard

Though I think this photograph could have a little bit more visual interest, I like it's pose. Anthropomorphically speaking, the pose of this Western Fence Lizard looks as if it has its head held up high as a display of strength, while having it slightly tilted suggesting a hint of curiosity. I managed to capture so much detail of it due to the hand held high resolution (HHHR) mode of my OM-5, which resulted in a 40 megapixel RAW file that I could edit. I've been quite amused with the HHHR mode, and at time see it as a challenge to capture an image with it, especially one that involves moving subjects like this lizard. Another fun thing about this photo is that I took it during one of our Spring 2026 camp. It was a show for the kids as they watched me get down on the ground, laying belly flat much like this lizard, trying to get a photograph. Once I showed it to them, they all went "Ooooooo, Mr. J is a photographer!!!"

White Crowned Sparrow

This is another one of those photos where the depth, composotion, and intention speak to me. I think this to be a more classic shot without needing too much explanation to help describe what's being seen. The real interesting point of this photo is that it was the first time where I brought out my newly acquired 75-300mm f4.8-6.7. It was short shooting session, but being able to handhold that 600mm focal length without issue was certainly a treat. The biggest joy of that experience is seeing the result come from a lens that was sub $400, a price tag that finally made the focal range accessible to me. I look forward to its continued usage, and testing its limits.

Southern Pacific Rattle Snake

There's no better way to view a snake in person, than to have it be shown to you by a professional. Doubly so, there's absolutely no better way to view a rattlesnake as close as is pictured than to have it be shown to you by a research team that specializes in snake behavior. I've had a long time fear of snakes. Ever since I started working at the park, that fear has become diminished considerably. I've learned quite a bit from trail guides, nature lovers, and especially from this San Diego State University research time every time I've had the pleasure of working with them. One of my favorite behaviors I've learned is that snakes coil up like a spring, giving them a bodoliy position that allows them to quickly strike it's prey or out of defense. One other favorite facto about snakes is that they don't have ears, so screaming at the sight of one would practically do nothing at all to it. Vibrations, on the other hand, do give them alarm. All this said, though I've become more aware of snakes innocence towards humans, I of course still I maintain a healthy amount of fear due to being an outdoor guide concerned with the safety of whatever group I'm leading.

Buckwheat Bee

This photograph was taken while on a quick assignment to obtain reference images for our interpretive panel project. For a while, we were looking for stock images that could work since most of the buckwheat in areas that I knew of seemed to have yet reach maturity. We stumbled upon one that was certainly beautiful, but reaching out the owner of the photograph for permissions was a waiting game. Once I took notice that the buckwheat was starting to bloom right at the Visitor Center, I brought my camera in one day and took no more than 15 minutes to get a few photographs for us to choose from for the project. This one wasn't selected since we wanted to highlight a different species of bug (a Hermes Copper Butterfly) sitting atop the flower. Though I absolutely love it because for its colors, its layering, and its clarity. Maybe I'm overthinking this quality of the OM-5, but I love the small size, and even more so when it's paired with the 12-45 F4 pro lens. Handholding this at arms length causes zero fatigue, which can certainly happen when you're already on the ground positioned at weird angles just to get the shot. This lens set up is incredibly sharp with a great close focusing distance. I surprisingly got away with cropping quite a bit in this image, and even though it looked sharp enough, I did a bit of post AI sharpening on the RAW file to see how it turned out. It turned out great, I'd say. It's a photograph that reaffirms my decision to switch to Micro Four Thirds despite a lot of the stigmas surrounding it's image quality.

OVERNIGHT CHANGE

These photos were taken during a nighttime bat walk along the Grasslands Loop in the north eastern part of the park. I'm not entirely partial to the quality of them, but I do like the memory they serve me.

This was my first time on an outting while on the clock in my new position as Education and Outreach Coordinator. I was there to of course see bats, also to learn a little more about the park at large, and to gain some insight as to how the Trail Guides lead their hikes. I had never been to the park at night as well, which was a real treat. I saw my first big eared wood rat, a tarantula hawk carrying away a tarantula, and a few scorpions. I'm not entirely sure if I had actually seen any bats, but they were certainly deteced. Above all, it was nice to be taking that stroll in the park at night with a group and a couple of guides

Regarding the quality of these two images, a closer look reveals a lot of technical imperfections. The image is grainy, blurry, and also lacking in detaily. Next to me was another hiker taking photos with their twice as large set camera setup. Likely more expensive, and higher quality, I wondered if their photos were turning out any better. I don't often compare camera systems, especially when it involves a focus on sensor size, but I couldn't help but imagine what was going on in their mind, "This camera is so huge, I have to back up a bunch just to get a photo. I also can't hold still because this is so heavy. Whatd does the images from this guy and his smaller camera looking like?"

I'll be upfront and say that the thought of changing equipment is a vicious cycle with no end, at least for me. Cameras and lenses are tools after all, and each tool may have an advantage over the other when it means getting the job done efficiently. I wish I could be a single focal length, prime lens shooter with a full frame sensor. But my style isn't suited for that sort of limitation. I could get creative with that limitation, sure, but that wouldn't suit my my style and it's sustained creation.

So, this experience made me think about how I could either have a lens with a brighter apeture, or a camera with a bigger sensor. Both options would require me to spend more money than I could afford. Enter a Micro Four Thirds camera, and the curiosity for how it would have performed in this scenario. It's obvious to me that bumping up the ISO on a smaller sensor would have poor results, but I started thinking about the effectiveness of their IBIS units, and how I could have left my shutter open for one or two full seconds, and dropped my ISO from 6400 to 1600. I imagined how a similar focal length might come with a smaller, micro four thirds footprint, allowing me to get even closer without being encumbered.

CHASING THE GEAR

I spend a lot of time at the park, even when I'm not working.

Climbers loop is my all time favorite hike in the park. The incline is a decent challenge, there's some scrambling involved, and the view is awesome at any time of the day. The hike sits at the base of Kwaay Paay, and noting the geology while walking along the nearly 100 foot rock faces puts me into a moody mindset that grounds me back to my rock climbing roots.

This photo was taken on Climbers Loop Trail, southbound, and on the descent. I took my friend, Rey, to hike my favorite trail in the park for his first time. I've even taken children up during our kid camps, and teens during our Eco Ambassadors program. Sharing this hike with people is one of the great joys of working at the park.

Though it may not be my best photo in this mix, the sentiment is there. The elements I'd change in this photo is largely the subtle motion blur in the top left corner. I shot at slower shutter speed here to keep my ISO low, especially since I was already shooting at f4 because of the 16-80 lens I took with me (from my Fujifilm days). I was hoping that the image would come out clear if I held the camera steady enough, but alas my arms failed me, and the IBIS unit didn't suffice. It was another one of those moments that I looked back at and thought about how I was pushing my camera to it's limits. On one hand, I could have cranked that ISO higher and made my shutter speed faster. But then I'd have a noisy image!

On the other, I thought about how a Micro Four Thirds camera might broaden my experience in making these in-the-field decisions. With this being a second instance where I encountered a shutter speed/ISO dilemma, the curiosity to switch systems continued to grow.

THE ZONE TONE

This is my Ansel Adams photo.

I'm not saying I'm Ansel Adams, but what I am saying is that I feel as if this photo could have been taken by him. The tones of this image remind me of his Zone System technique. From pure black to pure white, you could see range of all the grey in between:

From the dramatic shadows casted onto the mountain from clouds not seen, to the grey clouds appearing above the range.

The illuminated trail that leads the eye towards the face of a cliff being blasted by a shaft of sunlight.

And every piece of foliage from foreground to background, and the tiny details of nature dotted in mass sprinkles of white.

It's all simply just pleasing to my eye.

What's more is that I took it with my point and shoot camera, the Panasonic LX3, which was released back in 2008! It's an image I can look at all day, and one that quiets my gear acquisition syndrome.

I see this specific view at least two or three times a week during the school season, so seeing it in this light is a great reminder that no matter how familiar I become with a landscape, there can always be a moment where it takes my breath away with its beauty.

FLOAT ON

This is the beginning of my photography, again.

This may not be a glorious looking image, but I see glorious potential.

It was taken in the morning light, and on the way back to my car from filmming more of the ongoing invaisave aquatic primrose removal. I took a moment to quickly try the live composite mode of my camera, and snapped this photograph after a few tries. It's a mode that is more than simple long exposure photography because the process is different than using an ND filter to limit the available light hitting the sensor. Yet it is producing similiar results by stacking multiple exposures that uses new sources of light. This allows a relatively still scene to remain frozen in time, while anything moving in it appears with motion blur. This photographic process allows for the water in an image like this to look smooth, and to my surprise clear enough to see in to. That latter part may be because of the way the light was hitting.

Nonethless, the smooth water outcome was certainly the visually appealing part of this process, but the fact I took it handheld and without any ND filter was an exciting affordance. This type of photography rarely appeals to me to begin with, especially since it requires extra pieces of equipment. But since I was able to do it so easily, I've now bee exposed to how creatively stimulting it could be.

For the past 5 to 6 years, I've had a fascination for the modern applications of computational photography. For me, it started with the iPhone XR, and not entirely postively. Over time, I've seen the improvements it's made, yet remained skeptical of how it's impacting the way photogoraphy is percieved. Seeing that type of technology in a proper camera like the one I have now is helping me recontextualize my relationship with the feature.

The views expressed here are solely my own and do not reflect the positions, opinions, or policies of my employer or any affiliated organizations.

A note on AI usage. 99% of the images in this post are not enhanced with AI. If any AI is applied, it's for purposes of increasing sharpness, or decreasing visual noise. Before this sort of a effect was labeled as AI, it was simply called a sharpening and denoising tool. Digital photography has undergone this process since its inclusion in editing software like Adobe's Lightroom and Apple's Aperture, a post-processing practice that evolved from working analogously in a dark room. Additionally, In my transition to shooting with a micro four thirds camera, I have found that AI is EXTREMELY effective at removing digital noise produced by increased ISO values, and enhancing sharpness of the overall image. Addmittedly I do not know how these processes work on a finer level, though I don't think this detracts from my application of it as a tool. A tool to enhance the photographs I've personally taken, and is not being used as a medium itself to make an entirely new or different photograph.

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