San Francisco Skyline
Dec, 2015Views
866
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Awards
Action Award
People's Choice in California Landscapes Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
All Star
Top Choice
Superior Skill
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Behind The Lens
Location
Vista Point, north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin County, CaliforniaTime
This is one of the best locations to take photographs of the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. During the day it is socked full of tourists and there is never anywhere to park. My favorite time to take photographs there is in the evenings. There are just a few cars and when the fog isn't rolling in the shots are amazing. I took this at 8:51 pm and was just waiting for the ferries to launch.Lighting
There are hardly any lights in the Vista Point parking lot. There are some strategically placed lighting for "The Lone Sailor Sculpture" and the Golden Gate. It is the perfect spot to use a slow shutter speed to capture the illuminated San Francisco skyline.Equipment
I used a Canon EOS Rebel SL1 with a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens, remote control and a Pro-Master XC525 tripod.Inspiration
I was actually looking at the location north west of the Golden Gate bridge on the mountain to take photographs of San Francisco in the background of the Golden Gate but the fog was so thick there was no way to accomplish this. So we headed down the hill and parked in the lot located on the west side of the bridge and walked under the bridge to the east side lot and to my surprise it was beautiful there. You could see the planes coming and going from SFO and the ferries coming and going form SF to Marin County. I really didn't have much time because the fog was "rolling" in over the bay and was ecstatic that I was able to obtain such lovely shots.Editing
I did have to level out the shot because the location where the tripod was placed was a bit uneven. I shot this at f/2.8, 1 sec exposure, ISO 800, Focal length 70mm with Center Weighted Average metering mode. I used the Exposure program "Shutter Priority and my white balance in Auto.In my camera bag
I still have my Panasonic but I mostly use a Canon ESO Rebel SL1, Canon 18-55mm Promaster, Canon 28-135mm Ultrasonic, Tamron 70-200mm F/2.8, monopod, tripod and remote control.Feedback
Never give up! Between the wind, fog and cold I almost didn't take the time to shoot this photograph. My first choice for a location was a bust. Taking the time to hike over to the vista point was well worth it. I was able to obtain different vantage points of the Golden Gate and get clear shots all over the San Francisco bay area. Sometimes it is too easy to pack up and go home rather than looking for another angle. Take the hike, walk or trek on over to another spot. You could surprise yourself with the outcome. Don't ever worry if someone else has shot from there before and it may be repetitive. Your angle, spin or even edit could take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. Remember to play with the settings on your camera. You can read the manual all day and fallow all the suggestions but you will never really know your camera gear until you explore it. See what you like and find out what you don't like. When view your work in the editing process you may be happy with the results and want to mimic them again in other situations. Most importantly, Have Fun!
