Fog over Golden Gate Bridge. What else can describe better San Francisco bay area?
Fog over Golden Gate Bridge. What else can describe better San Francisco bay area?
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Contest Finalist in Fog In The City Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Adore Noir Volume 3 Photo Contest
Peer Award
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Pjerry
November 05, 2014
The Golden Gate Bridge always works on this kind of weather conditions.
Very well done.
Very well done.
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken from a vantage point north of Golden Gate Bridge along Conzelman Rd in Sausalito, CA.Time
This is probably one of my favorite images from my trip to the West Coast. San Francisco was one of our stops during our voyage and although it was a short one I knew I want to experience first hand the morning fog rolling into the bay area at the Golden Gate Bridge.Rolled off the bed very early, left my family still sound asleep and drove up to the vantage point just before the sunrise. I wasn't the only photographer there as you can imagine. Talking to one of them I was told that this was my lucky day as they were chasing the fog for quite a while with no luck up until that day.Lighting
When I planned this shot I had no idea on how the fog will play in the frame but I knew I want to capture the morning sun rays filtered through the fog and by the bridge structure. I did checked two other places that morning but the set up and the results were not what I was looking for. Once I got up at this vantage point I loved the way the hill to my left was containing the light and the sun was creating this mysterious view as the light was filtered by the fog that was slowly breaking apart.Equipment
This was shot on a Canon 7D with a EF16-35mm f/2.8L II at 25mm focal lens, f8, 1/500s, ISO 160 on a tripod.Inspiration
When we had our trip planed and I knew we will visit San Francisco I start reading about the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge most likely has been photographed million of times and it will continue to be. But the other thing that San Francisco and the Bay area is known about is the fog. The fog is not not ground fog like many people know, but rather a high blanket of coastal low clouds called stratus. It is most pronounced in San Francisco and the coast in the summer months, peaking in July and August. Our trip was in late March but I had to take my chance. I wanted to bring the two things that are on everyone lips when we talk about San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge and the fog, together. I hope I was successful in doing that.Editing
In this particular shot I had to take two separate frames, one exposed for the fog, foreground and bridge and another one for the sky. The sky was a very bright blue at that hour, at least two stops over the fog. I processed the RAW files separate in Lightroom and then using luminosity masks I balanced them in a final file in Photoshop. Color correction and contrast before I exported the final color version into SilverEfex 2 where I finalized the B&W conversion, local adjustments and grain was applied.In my camera bag
When I go long trips I pack for that. From my favorite landscape lens, the EF16-35mm 2.8L II (used in this capture) to super zoom telephoto lenses. My bag will have the EF24-70mm 2.8L first generation that I love using it for the day to day shooting. The EF70-200mm 2.8L II IS is my to go lens, from portraits to sport shots and is not leaving my bag, never. I will also bag a macro lens, the EF150mm 2.8L as well as the canon prime zoom lenses, 300mm f4 and the 400mm f5.6. Various Hitech ND filters, the GPS, a small 430EX flash just in case, extra batteries as well as a 7 inch Android tablet that I use exclusively to control my Canon bodies, a 5D Mark III and a 7D first generation. Using the 'DSLR Controler' app from the market place I can take full control on the camera making any landscape or night shots to become a breeze.Feedback
A good planning is of success in any photograph that I personally take. Of course there might be some unforeseen factors that might ruin everything but through good planning that risk gets minimized. Plan your shoot is my first advice. Go out and scout the area prior, check compositions, different angles and when ready check the weather and plan the day shoot. In this particular case fog starts to be present in the Bay area during the summer days peaking over the months of July and August. Check the sunrise time and plan to be there at least 30 min prior to set up your gear and maybe get some city light peaking through the fog at dusk. When the sun is up on the sky you should be ready to shoot.