Hi, I’m Josh

Hi, my name is Josh and I have been running this website with the help of my wife (and now twin babies) for over ten years. In that time, it has been viewed more than 20 million times from countries all over the world and has been written about or mentioned in places like the LA Times and Good Morning America. I have an immense love for the outdoors and photography, so I created the site as a way to document my adventures and encourage others to do the same.

Contact

Feel free to reach out to me with questions and feedback via email (Josh at CaliforniaThroughMyLens.com). Thanks again for supporting the site, if you are new check out the spots below for where to start.

Some of my favorite:

Road Trips

  • Pacific Coast Highway
  • Highway 395
  • LA to Las Vegas
  • El Camino Real
  • Route 66

Hikes

  • Mist Trail
  • Rubicon Trail
  • Little Lakes Valley
  • Lassen Peak
  • Lands End

Cities

  • San Francisco
  • Santa Barbara
  • San Diego
  • Santa Cruz
  • Los Angeles

Unique Spots

  • Salvation Mountain
  • Cabazon Dinosaurs
  • Victoria Beach
  • Forestiere Underground Gardens
  • Trees of Mystery

Here are some of my Frequently Asked Questions:

This video shows some of the most asked questions, or you can continue reading them below as well.

How did you learn photography?

I am completely self-taught, and I have only been doing it seriously for about five years. Every day I spend doing photography, I learn more about the camera while exploring more of California. Hopefully, as my posts and writing progress, my photography will as well. If you are interested in what I am shooting with now, check out these products.

Can you come check out my event/restaurant/business and write about it?

I would be honored to be invited to check out your event/business/restaurant; however, since I get a lot of requests, there is always a chance that I will not be able to come or that it may take me a while to get there. That being said I am always looking for fresh new places to check out and love being tipped off to them by my readers. Feel free to contact me (Josh at CaliforniaThroughMyLens.com), and I will be sure to get back to you.

Can I use your photos for my blog/site/social media page/ etc.?

Unless otherwise stated, all photos on the site are copyright Josh McNair; however, I am generally okay with you using the images on your site or blog as long as you follow the steps laid out here.

Can I write for you?

I am not currently looking for guest contributions, but if you think you have a fantastic California experience you have to share then feel free to contact me regarding it.

Disclosure

 This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog may accept forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.  This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion, and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. The owner(s) of this blog may be compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.  This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

California Through My Lens is a researching resource for its readers. Due to many unforeseen conditions such as US Forest Service Policies, State and Local Park policies, construction and other natural changes to trails and activities, California Through My Lens does not assume any liability for the accuracy of posts, trail conditions and directions. California Through My Lens always attempts to document all of the posts as accurately as possible, but many external circumstances like trails and locations tend to change over time. Please be safe and respectful when following any of the documented hikes and posts on this blog.