Photographing San Francisco and the GGB

Old Sep 13th, 2006, 07:18 AM
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Photographing San Francisco and the GGB

I'm visiting San Francisco next week for the first time. I'm a bit of a photography buff, although very amatuer! I won't have as much time as I'd like to scout of locations, so I have a few questions.

First, I obviously have to get some good shots of the Golden Gate Bridge. I'd really like to take some early morning shots as the sun is just coming up. The problem is that I won't have a car. It looks like I can get to the south side of the bridge on the bus, but for the morning light I'd rather shoot from the north side, esp the Marin Headlands...is there a way to get there without have to walk across? I would like to walk across, but I'd rather walk from the north to the south after the sun is up.

I will have a car driving into the city from Sonoma, so I might just have to be happy with some afternoon shots of the bridge.

Any suggestions for places that have good skyline views? I think I read somewhere that Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower had some nice views.

Any other tips?
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 09:37 AM
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Ok, certainly I'm not the only person taking pictures in San Francisco. Doesn't anyone have any tips to share?
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 01:09 PM
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Hi yellowj,

I bought a book, at Borders maybe, named PhotoSecrets ~ San Francisco & Northern California by Andrew Hudson. Excellent for what you're looking for... see if you can get it before you leave. We didn't spend much time in San Francisco, so I can't help w/ the bridge shots... except to say the book will point out at least a dozen places to shoot it, as well as the details.

Have fun!
mak
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 02:18 PM
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OK, I will try.

Go to Fort Mason and/or the Marina Green and/r Chrissy Field. Go to Lincoln Park, where the Legion of Honor is. There are trails there which are on the ocean side of the Bridge, for a different view. Take a ferry ride. Take an Alcatraz tour and photograph the bridge from there. Go up into the Berkeley Hills and get both bridges, the bay and the city.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 02:29 PM
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I assume that you realize that there will be no sunrise over the bridge, but hopefully some glorious sunsets.
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Old Sep 13th, 2006, 03:22 PM
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Take a cab to the Marin Headlands if you don't want to walk across or the bus won't get you there.

I don't think that taking the Alcatraz ferry and tour will get you as close as you'd like to be, and it can be a little hazy from that distance (I just got back 2 weeks ago, and the pictures from the Ferry and Alcatraz Island were pretty rough - you'd need a tripod and a good zoom and Mother Nature would have to help you with the haze).

The Marin Headlands provided a wonderful set of vantage points for taking pictures. We took ours at the end of the day, though, AFTER the fog burned off, but we could see more rolling in.

You should realize that there's often fog around the bridge, so you may not have much luck in the morning. Of course, you may not have much luck in the afternoon either. My previous trip to SF, the Bridge was surround by fog for 3.5 of my 4 day stay...
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Old Sep 15th, 2006, 07:51 AM
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Are you going to the Legion of Honor during your visit? I hope you will, for the "Monet in Normandy" exhibit. Anyway, the grounds around the Legion are stunning and offer great views of the Bridge and the headlands. There is an area directly to the north of the main building, abutting a corner of the golf course, where you can wander down into a field and get a great view of the GG Bridge looking to the east. If there is a freighter passing under the bridge at the time, so much the better! And of course the views of the headlands looking directly across the strait are grand too. I don't think you'll regret the effort to get out to the Legion of Honor.
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Old Sep 15th, 2006, 08:16 AM
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he most amazing photos I ever took was of the GGB from the top of Coit Tower at dusk, as the fog was rolling in.
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Old Sep 15th, 2006, 01:46 PM
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Thanks so much everyone for the tips! I just went out and bought that book, makai1, and it looks great!

As far as the Monet exhibit goes, it closes before we'll be there! I can't tell you how disappointed I am about that. I absolutely love Monet and have even been to his home in Giverney! But despite that the Legion of Honor looks like a great place to visit anyways.

I would like to visit Alcatraz as well. We do have limited time though, and I'm debating whether we should go there or wait until another visit. How long would we need to plan for a visit to Alcatraz?

Coit Tower at dusk seems like a great idea. And it sounds like there's always a good chance of fog, so I might get that same shot, zootsi!

Thanks so much everyone!!!

I do have a tripod and multiple lenses including a good zoom. So I'm just crossing my fingers that the whether cooperates!!! Will the weather on the tv or in the paper mention fog in the weather report?? That might help in planning where to go to take pictures.
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Old Sep 15th, 2006, 02:56 PM
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The local weather reports do usually mention how much fog and which areas will be affected. However, don't by any means think that some fog will "ruin" you efforts. Some of the most atmospheric photographs ever taken of San Francisco have incorporated the fog and its characteristics. For instance, if you were standing at the corner of Castro and Market when the evening fog comes cascading down like a moving mountain range over Twin Peaks - catch that moment and you'll capture a real S.F. vibe.
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Old Sep 15th, 2006, 04:28 PM
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Hi there yellowjacket, I sure agree with Dovima regarding photographs when the fog is rolling into SF. My Godfather was a professional photography and some of the most awesome photos that he took in SF was when the fog came rolling in, or when the fog covered all but not the top of the GG Bridge. So do experiment. I hope that you will be able to post your photos here on Fodor's after your visit to SF. They would be wonderful to see. Enjoy every moment in SF, eat well and best wishes with your photography!!
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