Golden Gate at Night - Another Interpretation

Have i mentioned I love my hometown? People are "interesting," but the city is nothing short of beautiful

This is my personal favorite of the pictures I took last Saturday. I grayscaled it to give it that, dare I say it, Ansel Adams feel. Everything just came together in this image for me. Never thought I'd get a night shot to work like this. I learned some lessons.

I might try a smaller aperture next time to reduce the flaring around the lights, but that would mean an even longer exposure than the 20 seconds this one took. It might be worth a try though.

San Francisco Late Night

Here's another interpretation of this scene. Not entirely sure what I did here, but I kind of like it. In the full version of this image, i.e. not compressed to a 72 dpi jpg, you can even see stars. I fiddled around with the image, tweeking color, contrast, fill light, lights, darks, shadows etc until I hit this surreal mood and stopped.

Saturday night on my way back from Sacramento, I stopped on Treasure Island which is the island in the middle of the Bay between Oakland and San Francisco. It’s a bit of an adventure to get to during the day as it is a left exit off the middle of The Bay Bridge. But at night it is pretty easy so long as you remember the sharp turn in the exit and don’t plow into the Jersey barriers. You then wind your way down the rocky tree covered hills to the old Navy base at the bottom which faces downtown San Francisco.

There I set up my tripod and started shooting.

I met a guy from the Czech Republic, and like all insane shooters at 11:30 PM on a Saturday night, we struck up a conversation and shared ideas and experiences.

When I finished, I headed over to Cressy Field in the Presidio, the closed Army base which is now a park, on the other side of town and shot views of the Golden Gate. Now you have to recall this is the city of the Zodiac Killer, who was never caught, to appreciate how I felt being down there at 1:00 in the morning all by myself. What we do in the name of our “art.” And I don’t even drink.

Well, it was fun and kind of thrilling.

Golden Gate Bridge at Night

Just shot this tonight. I'm rather pleased with it.

The City - Getting the Itch for a Fall Day in San Francisco

This is the time of year the fog begins to not be a problem in The Bay at sunset and I am wanting to capture some sunsets and nighttime citiscapes. Time to plan a trip.

If You Come to San Francisco

I shot this from Treasure Island some time ago. I was never pleased with it as the lights all seemed to bleed together and the sky was noisy. But now, with Lightroom and DFine noise reduction, welllllllll, shazaaaaaam! This is one where the computer monitor does not do it justice.

A San Francisco Montage

More from the hardcopy portfolio.

Lord, What a Sight

This picture is no work of art, but the view was just so stunning I had to put it up. This shot was taken from near the ferry pier in Sausalito. No wonder hearts get left here. I never take this town for granted.















And another one just for the heck of it.

Some Scenes from Around San Francisco

Walking around San Francisco has it usual/fabulous rewards...

I have always loved the view from the Heights on Broadway high above the bay. Then along came this pretty girl, and well... my mind went blank. Oh yeh, now I remember... shoot the Bay. Well, maybe later. This artistic discipline thing can be SO hard to live up to.

In Washington Square Park we saw this scene. You could read the dog's mind, "Mmmmm, sandwich! Maybe if she just keeps talking and looking the other way..."

Bus stop on Washington Street. There is something poignant and sad there. It looks like the world has gotten on this guy's last nerve.

A Fine Day in the City

Friday was a great day to be in San Francisco, but then what day isn't a great day to be in San Francisco? But this day was especially good being there with friend Paul Lester, my son Will and Paul's friend Richard. It was a guys' day out. The women folk were all doing their thing and the men had a fine time shooting pictures and exploring The City By The Bay together.

A Day in San Francisco

I had such a great time in San Francisco with Will, I'm going to put up several posts and leave them up for awhile. Scroll down for the whole show if you like.

(I'll post this one just to annoy Manu at San Francisco Daily Photo as it is "pretty." :)





For larger image click on picture.

Downtown San Francisco

Will and I were in San Francisco for a Hot Tuna concert at the Fillmore and had some time to kill. We went downtown to watch the crowds at the iPhone rollout and to just wander around. It was a glorious day, bright and crisp.

I had not been in the Union Square area in several years. The park has been extensively updated. The homeless are not there in profusion which was a pleasant sureprise. Artists display their wares. It was delightful experience.

Will got in a good shot or two that can be seen at WJW Photography.

The Hot Tuna concert was just great.

Many thanks to Manu at SF Daily Photo for the kind invitation.





For larger image click on picture.

The Palace Hotel, San Francisco - An Edwardian Gem

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Racing the Fog

For larger image click on picture.

iPhone Release Madness in San Francisco

For larger image click on picture.

People camped out in lines wrapping around the block, TV camera crews, cops, this humble historian... yep it was the evening of the release of Apple's new iPhone in San Francisco.

There Goes the Neighborhood...

Union Square, San Francisco

World famous bookstore on Union Square, Cody's, bites the dust and is replaced by... groan.

For larger image click on picture.

San Francisco - Just Another Day in Paradise

Another video ftom the archive.

"The Other" San Francisco Bridge

For larger image click on picture.

The San Francisco Bay Bridge. though less famed than its colorful sister, The Golden Gate Bridge, is a spectacular structure. The span from the city to Treasure Island in the middle of the bay is a double suspension bridge with a huge concrete structure in the middle that anchors the two halves.

The span from Treasure Island to Oakland is a soon to be replaced cantilever.

This image is shot from a hilltop on Treasure Island.

Memorial Day

Tens of thousands left for war on ships like this between 1942 and 1945. Let us never forget them and all the fallen men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and in defense of freedom. What we have we owe to them.

Holy Cow, This is Great!

For larger image click on picture.

Many thanks to Polly at a funk diddy for her great help in making this change.

I can not believe Blogger could be made to look like this. It is 1:30 AM PDT and I'm still messing with this, rearranging panels and resizing images. I could not be more pleased.

In Memoriam for My 100-300mm Lens

For larger image click on picture.

Last week Will and I were climbing through WWII bombers. I had a belly pack on that had my long lens in it. I was shooting with my wide angle inside the planes. Well, I am 6'6" tall. The planes were not designed for someone my size. As I was contorting my way from the navigator's position in the B24 to the bomb bay catwalk, big guy popped out of the belly pack and did its best impression of a bomb as it sailed out the open bomb bay doors. Splat!

Sigh.

So I pulled up this image of a lovely church I took with the departed lens from Buena Vista Park in the Haight in San Francisco. The church was a mile or more distant from the hilltop park. Big Guy did a respectable job. I'll miss him.

Farewell dear friend.

Rest in peace (pieces?).