Finding the beauty of Virtual America. A trip that I took to San Andreas.

If there is one place that you should probably visit it is of course "San Andreas and Los Santos City." For they are both truly strange and yet quirky places within virtual America, do not know what I am on about, well it was last year that I decided to take a trip to a place that guidebooks refer to as being a slightly alternative and hippy location, yes San Andreas and subsequently the city of Los Santos do have their issues, but in terms of a place that is on the usual tourist trail, this place is certainly not on the usual tourist trail - that being said it is a place that has a certain something about it - but of course I was here for the sake of capturing the beauty of San Andreas and the city of Los Santos, however I was going to do things differently, I was travelling light and with that the camera that I decided to use; well I would end up purchasing that when I had arrived at Los Santos International Airport, the camera that in the end I decided to use was just an ordinary smartphone, and yes over the years smartphone cameras really have come along way, for they are truly capable of capturing some fantastic photographs! But I really was wanting to see what San Andreas and the city of Los Santos had to offer, so with my smartphone camera ready and subsequently with my hire car, and the hotel that I was staying in, off I went, checked in, had dinner and then had a relatively early night, for I was going to be up the next morning to discover what this place had to offer, for the contrasts between the city and the surrounding countryside and landscape, yet little would prepare me for the beauty that I was going to end up finding. 

Finally though after a delightful sleep at my city hotel in Los Santos, it was then time to head out and take a trip around San Andreas, and I knew that I wanted to immerse myself in this delightful and beautiful world, it was not that long before I had found a location that had something else about it, not that far away from Los Santos city itself and yet it felt a million miles away and it was a glorious canyon called Raton Canyon, I had to stop and take in the scenery and capture a couple of photographs of this rugged and amazing landscape in front of me.

"Through the beauty I see." And the photograph on the left was one of the first photographs from a week of exploration and photography in San Andreas and subsequently within Los Santos City, but I just loved the rugged landscape and the leading line of the water ahead of me. Yet with my camera, in this case a smartphone that I had with me I wanted to get another photo of Raton Canyon, and after a little bit of moving around I finally zoomed in with the camera, yes the smartphone camera and managed to get another photograph of this truly amazing and glorious place that I had discovered in this world that I had read about but never had visited, and I also knew that more delights would come my way. 

"Adventure and Curiosities." The second composition from the first day in San Andreas, I had zoomed in slightly and again I had found another composition of beauty, the trees up ahead and the rugged beauty - the light just perfect and the scale of this glorious and delightful world that was awaiting to be explored in more detail. Still though even on the journey from the city of Los Santos to Raton Canyon I had passed by some amazing places and seen some glorious coastline, but again the lure of Raton Canyon just lured me in even more, this time though I decided to take the time and explore some more of Raton Canyon and I was also on the look out for a waterfall to capture! Yes, a waterfall and thankfully San Andreas is home to some interesting waterfalls. But after exploring Raton Canyon, I then needed to find a waterfall, and by the late afternoon I had managed to find a waterfall. 

"San Andreas and Los Santos City, a place that I had read about before, but really remains a secret place, yes it is off the major tourist trail, but when you arrive at this location you are taken away by its beauty and its landscape and how they merge into each other, for if you are wanting a place for landscape photography then maybe you should visit."

Now of course my day was pretty much coming to an end, and this time I had to find a waterfall, I had come across waterfalls in Raton Canyon when I was exploring, but then the opportunity for some roadside photography occurred and this time around I was heading back into Los Santos, tired from exploring Raton Canyon, yet on Tonga Drive in Tonga Valley, I had found a waterfall, I parked up and made my way down to the cascade and managed to capture the final photo for this day, or was it going to be the final photo?

"Going with the San Andreas Flow." Yes, it might be niche, but there is something about waterfalls and this one had just screamed out to me that it needed its photo taking, I did not really want to opt for a long exposure shot, just one of natural beauty and that is what I had managed to capture in the end, for it was just truly delightful to see and that was all that mattered, now though it was time to head back towards Los Santos, time to get something to eat and maybe soak up the evening, surely enough I did that, but the final photograph from the first day was yet to come and it was just stunning, the architecture of Los Santos city, and the sun rays was just something else but it was one of those "fluke shots" that in the end I had captured. Still always if you do not have a camera on you - at least use the smartphone camera!

"Los Santos Glow." The sun was setting and somehow I had found a photo spot, a fluke maybe this photo is but I just loved the cityscape ahead of me not to mention the landscape in the background and that is one of the joys of San Andreas and Los Santos City, for they are close together and exist together in a rather strange way - but the way in which architecture meets the landscape, well that left me in awe on this first evening in San Andreas, for what did I want to do on the second day? Well that was anyone's guess, but I did delve on a trip up the eastern coast, but then what delights would that bring with it? Still at least I managed to eat a glorious dinner and get some sleep. Finally I had awoken again and it was now my second day in San Andreas and Los Santos city, but the eastern side was calling and so was the chance to do some coastal photography

I had read briefly in my tourist guide to this part of the world that the eastern coast of San Andreas was a lot more "relaxed, under developed and perhaps living in the past." But that did not stop me, the second full day had arrived and with that I knew that I wanted to explore the coastline, still I managed to get in the hire car and head out of the metropolis of Los Santos; to find another landscape and a glorious coastline - and after a while of driving I decided to turn off the highway, finally I was now on a more rural road, less traffic and more beauty was ahead, a sign I then followed which lead me to a tiny headland, the view from here was just stunning although on my way up this coastline I had called in at a photography store and managed to invest in a drone, and sure enough that drone would come in handy as the first photograph that I managed to capture was of a glorious lighthouse and the ever changing weather that the east side of San Andreas is famed for - apparently.

"The Glare and The Gold." The drone had gone up, yes it was relatively early in the morning and the sea fret had moved in, but the photograph from the drone that I had purchased was just glorious. Either way though my plan for this day, the second day in San Andreas now had changed slightly, I was going to explore this headland and do some walking, maybe even I was going to head out to an island with not a lot on it, but one in which I could also do some more photography. Still as the morning progressed the light became a lot better and it was not long before I could send the drone up again in order to get another photograph of this amazing lighthouse - the sea fret had gone, and finally I had come across another composition for the drone to capture.

"A Sense of Scale." The sea fret had gone, and the drone was up, this time I was now looking at a glorious if simple photo to capture of a landscape that somehow seemed that little more rustic, me though I was on dry land and the drone was over the water, thank goodness though that San Andreas has some laxed drone rules to say the least. Either way I just loved the sense of scale, the lighthouse small and the mountain peaks of Mount Gordo in the foreground and in the background Mount Chiliad were something else to see! Still a trip to the mountains was on the card, but as for me, I returned the drone back home, and I had also managed to pick up some food and drink from a little shop that I had found, and with that I knew what I was going to do in the afternoon and it began with Boat and Island.

Thankfully I managed to find someone who operated a ferry service across to an Island that does get visited by people wanting to seek wildlife, not a big island but it provided me with time to relax and soak up the beauty of this stretch of coastline - and it was here that I probably managed to capture my favourite photograph from my holiday, my break to San Andreas.

"The Perfect Frame." Here I was on this tiny remote island, the ferry had taken me across and I was looking back towards the San Andreas mainland, but I just loved the opportunity to capture and frame the lighthouse and the subsequent landscape in the background - it was just glorious, still though what else was I going to do? Well I wanted to perhaps see what the city looked like at night, finally I managed to get the small ferry back to the mainland and headed back into Los Santos, but by now the light was beginning to fade, I arrived back at the hotel, and then I went to have a walk around Los Santos, a city that has a reputation, but one in which beauty can be found and it was not long before I managed to get some photographs. 

"City Glow." I had managed to find myself this evening when the night had drawn in underneath a highway flyover, and immediately I had stopped and looked up above me, for yes I did feel small but the way the city was glowing was just magical and magnificent to see, me being small and the highway and the city towering above me, well I was left in complete awe, but I walked around, then I wanted to head to another viewpoint that I had read about, one in which the city could be seen and again this time around I knew that the photo that I was going to try to capture could go either two ways, it was either going to end up being fantastic because of the smartphone that I was using or it was going to end up awful, but only time would tell and it was worth a risk, but the view was the other thing that I wanted to see, I flagged a taxi and a short while later I was at the viewpoint. I decided to bite the metaphorical bullet and in the end I walked away with the following photograph. 

"When the night brings a city to be delightful." And the the photograph on the left is the one that  in the end I had captured, when I looked back at it I was left in awe, yes it was something of a fluke and really I did not know if my smartphone was going to get a decent photo, but in the end it had done and I was blown away by the cityscape of Los Santos, still it was time to return to the hotel and see what my third day in San Andreas and Los Santos city would bring with it, more surprises certainly! But I had a plan on what I wanted to do and that was to head to the mountains, at least I thought that was going to be the plan and sure enough it was but I was aware that I would have to wake up early in order to head off towards Mount Chiliad.

Before long the next morning had arrived, and with that a new day, it was early morning, breakfast was going to have to be en-route and I had managed to find a supermarket to stock up on things to eat during my third day, it was not long before I had found myself another photograph and this time everything was so still, as I left the city behind me and headed on a road towards the dessert of Blaine County, what could I see in front of me but a delightful view, one of calm, one with mist in the valley and here I was at a viewpoint looking down, it was just glorious to see and I had to pause to capture the photo.

"Misty Mornings of Calm." And here I was looking across at a view like no other, the world seemingly so still and it was ethereal. 

"If there is one thing about San Andreas, it is that the landscape changes all the time, the weather affects the landscape and it just makes this place even more appealing to the landscape photographer, and yet it seems to be ignored by many landscape photographers which is such a shame as it really should be up there with the likes of Iceland and other places around the world to photograph." 

But of course after capturing that photo, Mount Chiliad beckoned and it was back on the road, finally I managed to skirt by to use a metaphor, Fort Zancuddo and head back up the west side of the San Andreas Coastline, and before long I had found myself in another coastal town, the weather had changed again but I had arrived and found some glorious woodlands, and I could not resist a photo of the woodlands, niche perhaps but it was just glorious.

"From shore to Mountain." a niche shot maybe, but the weather had changed and I just loved the scale of seeing Mount Chiliad rise up above in front of me, the trees providing some form of interest and again the landscape making me feel small - but was I going to walk up this mountain, cycle? I ended up walking into the coastal town on the west coast of San Andreas that I was now in, and managed to find a small heliport that was offering scenic flights over Mount Chiliad, with the option of landing for an extra fee and that was perfect, for it also would allow me to see this area from another perspective and from a helicopter well that was a no brainer for sure. After a bit of a wait, the weather had changed and it was then time to board the helicopter and take the flight towards Mount Chiliad and the top of this magical and mystical mountain. 

"The bay and the clouds." The helicopter flight to the top of Mount Chiliad was fun to say the least, and when I had arrived and got out the helicopter and started to explore, I was just left in awe at the views, and the view on the right was one of the first that I captured looking back down towards Raton Canyon and the rugged coastline which seemed busier than the east side of San Andreas, perhaps it was because it seemed more commercialised, either way though more compositions were beginning to be found, and before long I had managed to find a final photo from the top of this beautiful and delightful peak. For I was then going to capture the final photograph before heading back down the mountain again to terra firma.

"The beauty of being above." Here I was, the final photograph from the top of Mount Chiliad, and the inland lake below just looked so serene from being so high up, in the distance the city of Los Santos and here I was just taking in the view, before long it was time to head back down the mountain in the helicopter and explore the coastal town that I had arrived in, I got in the hire car, parked up in the small town and explored for the rest of the afternoon. Either way I was also wanting to capture a sunset and the sun going down would bring colour, I could tell and I had found a viewpoint not too far from the town that I was in, and surely enough the sunset was truly spectacular to say the least.

"When the San Andreas Sunset Gives." Yes, I remember this scene as if it was yesterday, it was not it was back in 2022, but the sun was setting and the sunset was just glorious, the coastline magical and I knew that somehow San Andreas had at least for me had an impact like no other, yes it has got a reputation, yes it is in tourist guides but it remains off the major tourist trail but either way it has many secrets to it, and those secrets are just awaiting to be discovered, for this was the end of the third day that I had, tomorrow of course was going to be the penultimate day and when I got back to the hotel, time for dinner and sleep, for what was I going to do on the fourth day, no plans are what I had and that was going to come into its own, for plans are good sometimes but even having no plans, magic can happen.

The penultimate day had finally arrived, I had no plan, the hire car was still downstairs in the underneath car park and what did I want to do? Something different and with that I decided to awake slightly later and then I headed out, this time walking and of course using the interesting public transport of Los Santos city, I had remembered seeing something that said "Los Santos Helicopter Tours" when I had first arrived into San Andreas, it was by the marina and sure enough I decided maybe today I would take a helicopter flight over Los Santos city, I mean it was not like I had anything really to do apart from exploring this city, and to see it in a helicopter, well that had to be done!

"North Side Los Santos." And from the helicopter I had managed to take this photo looking in a northerly direction, the city here looking dreamy almost and down below life ticking away, it was magical to see, the helicopter I was in flew around some more of the city, and then finally a change in direction, before long I was now overlooking the more industrial parts of the city, the slightly poorer side, the slightly more hippy area of this city that had captured my heart in a strange way and that was something else to see. A contrast maybe but that is what the city of Los Santos is, it is a city of contrasts and magic with something rushing through its veins.

"South Side Los Santos." The view this time seemed more raw, more on edge and equally beautiful, and after a lovely flight in a helicopter over the city, it was back to the heliport, for now I had time to wander around and explore, but then I wanted to head up to a reservoir, and get the drone up again, for sunset was on the way and from a reservoir in the hills above Los Santos I knew that I was going to find some more interesting compositions, after wandering and exploring I headed back to the hotel, and drove a short distance outside of Los Santos to the outskirts to be ready for what would surely become an evening of surprise.

Thankfully by the time I had arrived at the reservoir the light was just beginning to fade, and I got out the car and looked behind me, it was magic, the city with a golden glow and the light beginning to fade, and eventually I had found the perfect photograph.

"City and a Golden Sunset Glow." The photograph on the left is one that I just loved, yes I zoomed in with my smartphone camera and this photo is one that I just loved, perhaps it was the best photo that I had taken either way to me it was, but I still had to take the drone up into the skies, again the sun began to set and it was not long before the drone went up, and I directed the drone in the direction of the city ahead of me, the sun had gone down and now the sky had truly come alive, but before long I had found the perfect place for the drone to hover and in that fleeting moment I had managed to capture another photo, this time the city just looked stunning, magical and mystical. 

"Los Santos and the magical city glows." The photo on the right is the one from the drone, I had flown it over the dam, the light had all but gone and by now I was looking at a cityscape that just had something else about it, the ribbon of pink hues and the dark and deep purple above it, really it left me in awe and after capturing this photo, this one turned out to be one of the best that I had captured. Still it was the perfect end to a perfect holiday and yes five days in San Andreas and Los Santos city had been enough, but really it had not been enough, I had barely scratched below the surface of this magical place but what I had come across was a place of beauty, contrasts and one that is incredibly photogenic, and that is what makes San Andreas that little bit more unique, it is a place where the city and the countryside, nature collide and it is a place that I shall return to in the future, when that will be I do not know, but when I do, what else will I manage to find and discover? Who knows. 

And yet what I had found was a virtual world, a virtual landscape, yes these were captured on a smartphone, but even that smartphone is fake, for this is virtual America and this of course is San Andreas and Los Santos city, a location that does not exist, yet is based on parody and some parts of real life locations are reflected within this game and that game is Grand Theft Auto 5, yes it is an open world game, but despite Grand Theft Auto 5 being some eleven years old, it does have one of the most unique landscapes that I have ever seen and if you are into landscape photography, then train yourself in this virtual world before heading outside, or if you are into virtual photography, then why not take a trip to San Andreas and Los Santos city and find the glorious beauty, for who knows what you might find.

Is "Virtual Photography" really Photography?

 "Subjective." Is quite possibly the best way in which to describe Art as, and of course if you were to mention or ask someone the following question, "What is art?" Well the answers would be returned as nothing more than hypothesis - why might that be? Well anything really can be classed as art, from an object placed in a room or a gallery that gets minds talking, to a piece of composed music to get the brain and moods active or an emotion to respond and come out, all the way to a photograph that reminds us of a time or a place or a historical moment. Really though there is no answer to what art is, apart from everything is art. But what happens if you are a photographer and you delve into something else? Yes that is correct, my main style of photography is landscape photography, but then again do you have to visit a location or a place to take fantastic photographs? In the minds of most people and other landscape photographers the answer to getting a good landscape photo is to visit a certain location or place at a certain time in order to get that perfect shot, but that is something that is rather wrong. You see landscapes can exist in many places, okay taking a walk through a city that is full of concrete and you will see various elements of landscapes - they might not seem obvious at first but they are certainly there and exist. And yet somehow a lot of photographers tend to forget that landscapes can be found from the comfort of your own home. Sounds strange at first but it really is not. Remember when The UK found itself in the first Covid Lockdown, we were told to simply, 

Stay at home and protect the NHS

For various Draconian laws had been bought in with "Orwellian emergency powers." and for a lot of landscape photographers - the ability to go out and about was curtailed in a way never seen or observed before, it was alien. Even for someone who takes landscape photography. But then I started noticing on YouTube various well known photographers who changed the way they captured content, and below are a few examples of this new kind of photography. But is it really that new? 

Even photographer "Tim Day." A photographer from The UK - who prefers to capture waterfalls with just a smartphone delved into the world of photography from a different world, from a virtual world. Whilst his video of GTA 5 Landscape Photography is no longer on his channel, it certainly did open my eyes and got me to ask the following question, 

Is Virtual Photography in video games really Photography?

And when you delve into the world of virtual photography you eventually find certain things, for a start a lot of games development companies will implement some form of "photography mode" into them meaning that the raw beauty of in-game worlds can be captured with relative east, what is more is that game development companies will also tend to give the player the ability to control ISO, Shutter Speed etc that you would also get from a full camera setup, thus meaning that it is possible to capture some truly amazing photographs from within a game, that subsequently have as much detail and complexation to them as photographs taken from the real world. 

And yet again we find ourselves asking, is it really photography, is Virtual Photography really classed as Photography - and yes it very much is, that of course might ruffle feathers in a metaphorical way from the more conservative of photographer who chooses to capture the landscape outside, but that does not mean that even the most detailed of virtual worlds is full of glorious landscapes to capture using the in-game capture or camera tools available to the player. And games such as Horizon Zero Dawn, Far Cry.... (Others are also available) have some truly stunning detailed worlds within them that could easily be classed as "photo realistic." Meaning that it is possible to capture some truly amazing photography and for that photography when viewed or displayed to look as good as any photographs taken on a real camera. The simple truth remains though that Virtual Photography really is Photography and when you delve into virtual photography you will see that it is a type of photography that offers so much and is also often ignored. Maybe because it is Niche in some ways and that is what makes it so magical. But maybe it is also time that more people explored the beauty of pixels and the virtual world within a video game.