Revisiting Sacramento (Blog #25)

I'm flying to Sacramento very soon. I am looking forward to grabbing some great street/urban photography, but I thought for this return trip I'd set myself some little photography projects, giving my photography some aims and purpose, rather than just randomly snapping away with my smartphone. The thing that's going to prevent me getting out solely to take photographs is that my wife and will be babysitting our latest grandchild. There might be a lot of baby photography, I think.

The only photographic gear I will be taking with me will be my smartphone (obviously!) a lightweight selfie stick will be coming along, not for selfies, but to get low and high shots, and a power pack. I have a plethora of other smartphone camera gear, including a selection of tripods and lens, but they will all be staying at home.

I did a similar trip a year ago, which was a great event that produced plenty of good photographs. I dipped into my archive of that trip, some of the images which I am sharing below. I will give you a little bit of information about each image.

Here's a brief history of Sacramento. Sacramento, the capital city of California, has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1848. Originally inhabited by the Nisenan people, it became a hub during the California Gold Rush, with prospectors flocking to the area in search of riches. The city grew rapidly, becoming a vital trading center and the western terminus of the Pony Express and the First Transcontinental Railroad. Over the years, Sacramento has evolved into a diverse cultural and economic center, known for its role in agriculture, government, and transportation. Today, it's a vibrant city with a blend of historic landmarks, modern amenities, and a thriving arts scene. (Source: ChatGPT.)

The Capitol Building is an imposing building.

Not far from the Capitol there are buildings that could make you believe you're in New York. 

Also not a million miles from the Capitol is this imposing family house that once belonged to the wealthy Stanford family. Think Stanford University, which isn't named after the father, but a son who died prematurely. The house is now a museum and is worth a visit.

After visiting the Capitol, my wife and strolled back to where we were staying, through Midtown, past a very varied mixture of residential properties. This is a typical building. You might ask, 'Why have trees lining the streets, doesn't it block out the sunshine?' That's the point, to provide shade from the seating summer sun. When it's hot, you are glad the trees are there.

I arrived in Sacramento last year not long the city had been subjected to a violent storm, the result of which is visible in this photograph below.

Sacramento started life as a 'Wild West' town, the product of the 1849 gold rush and the development of the railroad. The Old Town, or at least some of it, still stands down by the river. It's an interesting place to visit, and together with the Railroad Museum that is located within the Old Town, gives you a great history of Sacramento in its early days.

Not far from where I was staying is the Historic District, the history of which I don't know a great deal about, but from the physical evidence would appear to have at one time been a district of factories. The area is, I think, undergoing redevelopment.

There's plenty of street art scattered around Sacramento, three pieces of which are shown below.

One photography project I have in mind is under the theme of 'Coffee shops'. Temple is my favourite and may well feature several times.

I cannot leave out the State Indian Museum, which is situated near Sutter Fort. As a historian brought up very much with a Euro-centric focus, this museum (I was surprised by its name as I thought 'Indian' had been replaced by 'Native Americans' or 'First Nation') was an eye-opener, seeing some beautiful craft work and a culture I had never been aware of other than through the Westerns on TV of my childhood. TV gave a very poor account of First Nation heritage.

© Mike Young 2024.