Blue Hour at Marshall Beach
This gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge was taken at Marshall Beach, near The Presidio, in San Francisco, California, just after the sun had set.
<...
Read more
This gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge was taken at Marshall Beach, near The Presidio, in San Francisco, California, just after the sun had set.
http:--5-robert-powell.pixels.com-featured-golden-gate-bridge-at-marshall-beach-robert-powell.html
Read less
http:--5-robert-powell.pixels.com-featured-golden-gate-bridge-at-marshall-beach-robert-powell.html
Read less
Aug, 2015Views
6354
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Top Shot Award 21
Contest Finalist in The Blue Hour Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Layers and Rule Of Thirds Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in A World Of Blue Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Getting Dark Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 24
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 30 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in San Francisco, California, along Marshall Beach, not far from the Presidio.Time
This photo was taken right after sunset on June 17th, 2015. This was taken on the last day of my 4-day trip to San Francisco, a very frustrating trip overall due to the famous fog in the San Francisco Bay, which made many of my photo ideas difficult. As a final attempt to get a good shot, only a few hours before my flight out of town, I knew I had to try a shot from Marshall Beach as the sky looked to be shaping up pretty nicely. However, I was stuck in the also famous San Francisco traffic, and the hike down to this spot was longer than I anticipated, so I had to hike as fast as possible to rush off a few shots before it was too late! Luckily, things worked out for me, at least on that one night.Lighting
I knew this was going to be a dramatic photo as the clouds in the sky were moody and moving pretty fast through the Bay. As the sunlight dissipated, the blue skies and the clouds created the drama I was looking for in trying to capture the collision of land and rock and ocean and sky.Equipment
This was shot with a Pentax K-3 II body and a Pentax DA 15mm prime lens on a Gitzo tripod with a Markins ballhead.Inspiration
Before most of my photography trips, I usually put in considerable research into finding the spots that best represent what I'm hoping to photograph during my trip. In this case, there are a large number of locations for shooting the Golden Gate Bridge, and while certain other locations seem to be much more popular for tourists and other photographers, this specific spot really captured my attention and I made it a high priority to visit. I suppose it's the drama created by the large boulders along the shore and the possibility of framing the composition where I could position the bridge behind and between some of these interesting formations that really spoke to me. I could not predict the weather, and was blessed to capture this scene that I had envisioned under such dramatic conditions.Editing
My post-processing always starts in Lightroom and usually ends there too, unless I'm additionally processing HDR images in Photomatix. In this case, I made some basic adjustments to white balance, sharpness, clarity, and contrast in Lightroom, then decided to do some subtle HDR processing in Photomatix only to bring out some more detail in the rocks in the foreground.In my camera bag
My equipment lineup usually varies slightly based on the intent of my photographic outing, but typically if I'm doing landscape work, I will always have my trusty Pentax 15mm prime, Pentax DA 12-24mm wide angle lens, Sigma 17-50, and Pentax DA* 50-135mm zoom. Additionally, I always carry backup batteries and SD cards, polarizing and neutral density filters for all my lenses, a headlamp, remote trigger, cleaning brush, and lens wipes.Feedback
Plan your photography outings as much as possible to gather as much information as possible about the various possibilities you may encounter. However, you need to be flexible enough to change plans as the conditions change. If you're too rigid with your plans, you may miss out on great opportunities and you also may not be doing this for the right reasons. Have fun! Just get out there as often as possible, appreciate the pleasure of what you're doing, and maybe you'll get that great shot you're looking for. It takes patience and sometimes repeated visits to capture a scene just the way you want it. I often am asked why I keep going back to photograph the same thing over and over, and the answer is because the look and feel of a place is constantly changing. I want to capture an emotional experience with my photography, to be able to share with others that connection with the landscape. Good luck!
