Mural Room in the Santa Barbara County Courthouse

This image was taken in the Mural Room, which is inside the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. The best way to get to this location is by parking your car next to the building along any of the surrounding streets. Then, walk into the courthouse and reference the GPS coordinates to find the Mural Room. Before visiting, make sure you arrive to the courthouse when there are Mural Room tours (2PM every day (excluding Sat-Sun) and 10:30AM Mon-Tues, Fri). You won't need to book the tour in advance, you can just walk in at the tour times and join in. Address: Santa Barbara County Courthouse, 1100 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Year round, you'll be able to photograph the Mural Room in the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

To capture shadows from the windows (like I have in my photo), I recommend shooting here in the late afternoon. I also suggest visiting on an overcast day for less harsh shadows.

I used an iPhone to capture this shot. If you're shooting with the most recent iPhone, make sure to use the widest angle. Since the Mural Room is an indoor space, a wider lens will allow you to capture more details in the room.

I tried to keep as much symmetry as possible by guiding the viewer toward the chandelier and the back mural of the room.

It can be interesting to play around with the angle to shoot the intricacies of the ceiling. Spend time in the room and don't limit yourself to just one perspective.

While you're at the courthouse, make sure to explore the other indoor areas, as well as the gardens. The clock tower, which offers 360-degree views of Santa Barbara, is a must-see!