A Day in the Valley of Ojai

Looking out over the Ojai Valley, Ventura County, California
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A Day in the Valley of Ojai, California.

Earlier this spring I had the unique privilege of being invited to lead a very select group of people for a photo workshop at an event held in the beautiful Ojai Valley, California.  The event was the 2022 MARS Conference, an invitation-only gathering put on by a guy who owns a company named after a Brazilian rainforest. To be invited to this conference, you’d have to be among the innovative minds in Machine learning, Automation, Robotics, and Space sectors, brought together to share new ideas and highlight the possibilities for the future.

I’d previously been to Ojai once before while shooting for one of my book projects, including staying at and photographing the host venue for this event, the beautiful and famed Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. When you visit Ojai, one of the things you’ll most likely hear about is the celebrated “Pink Moment,” — a reference to the soft pastel alpenglow light that settles onto the surrounding mountains during the last moments of sunset; something most of us landscape and travel photographers are keenly aware of.

This event was also unique for me as I was under an NDA/contract to not mention my participation prior to the event, no taking or using photos of the attendees – they would all be turned over at the end of the event, and few other items; all legit concerning the attendees and security concerns. The only photos I have from the event are a few cellphone shots taken while we were in the nearby city of Ventura.

I’ll admit it was a little intimidating knowing I’d be presenting to some of these incredibly brilliant folks. However, given the nature of the attendees, I really enjoyed talking about the aspects of photography that involve things like the genetic evolution of how we see light and perceive visual cues, how our brains react when communicating visually, problem-solving, looking at subjects in fresh new ways, finding and using new perspectives, etc. These are the same topics I discuss in almost all of my presentations or workshops, but for this group, it was like taking a deep dive into the biophysiological and psychological aspects which made this a really fun experience.

Even though Ojai is 15 miles from the coast and surrounded by hills and mountains, it still gets its share of coastal fog that gets funneled through the nearby valleys.  That was the case on the morning of my workshop, but by the time we arrived in Ventura the fog had happily burned off. The few images I have are a limited number of cellphone shots I took at the Serra Cross, the Spanish Mission, and along the Ventura Pier. This worked out well since one of the workshop experiences I enjoy sharing the most is the idea that the camera is actually the least important tool in photography. When I am able to show my students a shot I’ve just taken right in front of them on my cellphone, they suddenly get the idea that this (good photography) is something they *can* do themselves.

Following the event, I wanted to get some scenic shots overlooking the Ojai Valley and the surrounding mountains with my new Sony camera. Fortunately, being the good photographic researcher I am, I discovered there’s actually a place called the Ojai Valley Overlook.

So on with the photos…  I hope you enjoy them! Do let me know if you have a favorite image or two.  🙂

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Picture #02: Looking out over the Ojai Valley, Ventura County, California
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Picture #03: Demonstrating perspective and selective timing on the Ventura Pier, Ventura, California 

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Picture #04: “Not everything needs to be photographed at the same angle.” American Flag on the Ventura Pier, Ventura, California

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Picture #05: Panorama of the Santa Ynez Mountains near Ojai, Ventura County, California
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Picture #06: Morning light on fog above the Ojai Valley, Ventura County, California
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Picture #07: Looking out over the Ojai Valley at sunset, Ventura County, California
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Picture #08: Watching the sunset from the Ojai Valley Overlook, Ventura County, California
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Picture #09: Looking out over the Ojai Valley, Ventura County, California
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Picture #10: Sunlight on the Santa Ynez Mountains near Ojai, Ventura County, California
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Picture #11: Sunset light on clouds above Ojai, Ventura County, California
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Picture #12: Sunlight on Topa Topa Mountain near Ojai, Ventura County, California
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Picture #13: The Pink Moment – Sunset light on clouds above Ojai, Ventura County, California
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As always, thank you so much for looking, and again, I hope you enjoy these photos. I’d love to hear if you have a favorite image or two in the comments below.

Cheers,
~ Gary.

PS: I’m dating myself a bit here, but growing up as a kid on the East Coast in the mid-1970’s, the only thing I’d ever known about Ojai wasn’t its famous “Pink Moment,” but rather, it was the town where the fictional TV character, the Bionic Woman, Jamie Sommers lived.   🙂

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Gary Crabbe is an award-winning commercial and editorial outdoor travel photographer and author based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, California. He has seven published books on California to his credit, including “Photographing California; v1-North”, which won the prestigious 2013 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Gold Medal Award as Best Regional title. His client and publication credits include the National Geographic Society, the New York Times, Forbes Magazine, TIME, The North Face, Subaru, L.L. Bean, Victoria’s Secret, Sunset Magazine, The Nature Conservancy, and many more. In 2018, The USPS selected a nearly-unprecedented seven of Gary’s photographs to become U.S. Postage ‘Forever’ Stamps as part of the O Beautiful collection. Gary is also a photography instructor and consultant, offering both public and private photo workshops, as well as being a professional Photo Editor and Content Creator.

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