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Golden Gate Bridge at Dawn



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View from Lands End

View from Lands End
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7331

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Awards

Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Contest Finalist in Enchanting Landscapes Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Inspiring Landscapes Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Water And Rocks Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Bridges In The Night Photo Contest
People's Choice in Spectacular Bridges Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Spectacular Bridges Photo Contest
Runner Up in A Low Vantage Point Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in A Low Vantage Point Photo Contest
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Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
cavazbe andysmith_3221 Karl-Heinz vivianlutter eirikhalvorsen jodibrown_3994 Piyusha +93
Superb Composition
tinavessar angiebaran kiwidragonfly stefanseidlitz JamesHarmon SueBry cheeesan +81
Top Choice
honchar Trilli billshafer_4184 Stesmith_66 karalauren ashleighdavid goldensydney +45
Magnificent Capture
LeeHuang AnotherDayisNOW jdmarks64 Ricardo_MGF DWOZ doubleplay photonut +32
Outstanding Creativity
Reds69purple Keanureeves.Jw barbaraberrysmyers meanqueen aasanov sherwinnankoo chelseatandoorilassbutters +26
All Star
staceygensel RHRatcliffe jevgenijscolokov Frozen_Time roblawrence paularms Pril +5
Superior Skill
ChristinS vstdenis viewcat verity Sunshinesherry Chanwi
Genius
harryplatcow mcampi being_annie_01 Kyutani
Virtuoso
grahamgall yelojakt akphotographystudio

Emotions

Impressed
toml721 annmor Dotti jfrid aliceblue laszlogabris alexandrianicolemoses_6037 +11

Top Ranks

Exposure Explorers Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Exposure Explorers Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
An American Journey Photo ContestTop 10 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol15Top 30 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol15Top 10 rank week 1
The Ultimate Travel Photo ContestTop 30 rank
The Ultimate Travel Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Everything Bridges Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Everything Bridges Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Capture The Blue Hour Photo ContestTop 30 rank
Capture The Blue Hour Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1
Inspired By The World Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Inspired By The World Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Enchanting Landscapes Photo ContestTop 10 rank
This Is My City Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Enchanting Landscapes Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
This Is My City Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
A Purple World Photo ContestTop 30 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol11Top 10 rank
A Purple World Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol11Top 20 rank week 1
City Nights Photo ContestTop 20 rank
City Nights Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Creative Captures Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Creative Captures Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
My Country Photo ContestTop 10 rank
My Country Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Wish I Was There Photo ContestTop 30 rank
Earth Day Every Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Architecture And The Night ProjectTop 10 rank
Architecture And The Night ProjectTop 10 rank week 2
Architecture And The Night ProjectTop 10 rank week 1
photographyawards2019Top 10 rank
photographyawards2019Top 10 rank week 2
photographyawards2019Top 10 rank week 1
Inspiring Landscapes Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Travel Photo Contest 2019Top 20 rank
Travel Photo Contest 2019Top 30 rank week 5
Travel Photo Contest 2019Top 20 rank month 1
Travel Photo Contest 2019Top 20 rank week 3
Travel Photo Contest 2019Top 20 rank week 2
Travel Photo Contest 2019Top 20 rank week 1
Exposures Marketplace ProjectTop 10 rank
Exposures Marketplace ProjectTop 10 rank week 1
Colors In The City Photo Contest 2019Top 10 rank
Colors In The City Photo Contest 2019Top 10 rank week 1
All About Water Photo ContestTop 10 rank
World Photography Day Photo Contest Speed SeriesTop 10 rank
Beautiful Sunrises Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Favorite Travel Memory Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Beautiful Sunrises Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Favorite Travel Memory Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
Favorite Travel Memory Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Change Of Seasons Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Change Of Seasons Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Architecture Photo Contest Speed SeriesTop 10 rank
Shooting The Blue Hour Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Shooting The Blue Hour Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
Shooting The Blue Hour Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
The Wonders of the World Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Wonders of the World Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Water And Rocks Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Water And Rocks Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
Water And Rocks Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 6Top 10 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 6Top 10 rank week 1
World Photography Day Photo Contest 2018Top 10 rank
Bridges In The Night Photo ContestTop 10 rank
World Photography Day Photo Contest 2018Top 10 rank week 2
Bridges In The Night Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
World Photography Day Photo Contest 2018Top 10 rank week 1
Bridges In The Night Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Shutter Speed Experiments Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Shutter Speed Experiments Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Spectacular Bridges Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Spectacular Bridges Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
My City Photo ContestTop 10 rank
My City Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
A Low Vantage Point Photo ContestTop 10 rank
A Low Vantage Point Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Monthly Pro Vol 39 Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Monthly Pro Vol 39 Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 14Top 10 rank
Covers Photo Contest Vol 44Top 30 rank
Long Exposure Experiments Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1

Categories


20 Comments | Report
tomingramphotography Ultimate
 
tomingramphotography February 25, 2018
Live in the Bay Area and have never seen GGB taken from this view. Love the originality!
ConorEgan PRO+
ConorEgan May 28, 2018
Thanks, it was exiting to find.
speterson6
 
speterson6 May 28, 2018
Wonderful capture of this iconic bridge. Great framing.
ConorEgan PRO+
ConorEgan May 28, 2018
Thanks, had to wade out to find it, but was well worth it when it appeared
RamyDelariarte
 
RamyDelariarte May 28, 2018
Stunning
paulatchinson PRO+
 
paulatchinson May 30, 2018
Hi there - this image is great and would make a super entry in the latest challenge I have created - “YOUR TRAVEL DESTINATIONS”
Click on my avatar to take you to my Viewbug page and then click on ‘Challenges’. Select ‘Created’ and then “Your Travel Destinations”. Thanks - Paul
HaliSowle
 
HaliSowle July 12, 2018
Congratulations on being a finalist!
CG
 
CG July 21, 2018
Love the framing of this shot.Would make a great poster
sweetpea72
 
sweetpea72 July 24, 2018
This is a awesome shot, the bay hella rocks! 😍
DavyQuo Platinum
 
DavyQuo July 25, 2018
Love the angle ... great composition ... congrats on awards ... well deserved
SimpleShots412
 
SimpleShots412 July 26, 2018
Beautiful shot of the bay!
johnmichaellancaster
 
johnmichaellancaster August 09, 2018
Great composition well done
PhillipJGordonPhotography
 
PhillipJGordonPhotography September 20, 2018
Superb!
Byronfairphotography PRO+
 
Byronfairphotography July 29, 2019
Beautiful light.
RSeanC Platinum
 
RSeanC August 20, 2019
I love this picture
JamesMancusi
 
JamesMancusi August 24, 2019
Wonderful frame! I shoot down there often enough, that I wish there were an elevator to get back up!
jacquibilodeaunye
 
jacquibilodeaunye October 16, 2019
Have never seen this angle. Thank you
jjhardingsac
 
jjhardingsac January 17, 2020
Congrats on finding a very special view of this special bridge. It is a beautiful capture.
MaryAnne306 PRO+
 
MaryAnne306 October 26, 2020
Absolutely spectacular and such a delightfully unusual view of the Golden Gate! Congratulations on all your challenge and contest wins.
Eugeniogarrido
 
Eugeniogarrido November 07, 2020
Love this composition
JoEldred PRO
 
JoEldred November 09, 2020
Great capture!
Andrea_Ferrari92
 
Andrea_Ferrari92 February 28, 2021
Wow!
See all

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo is from a small beach called Mile Rock Beach in the "Lands End" area of San Francisco. I think I got lucky tides-wise as I was able to take off my shoes and wade out a bit into the water. I scoped out the area with Google Maps before leaving, but I had no idea if I would be able to see the bridge from the beach. I was stunned when I turned the corner and the bridge revealed itself.

Time

It was early, pre-dawn. I had to hike to the beach in pitch black. I almost stepped right on a skunk, which would have made for a great day at work later.

Lighting

It was still pretty dark, hence the 30-second exposure. Luckily, I was able to still preserve some detail in the foreground while not blowing out the highlights. This was a single exposure.

Equipment

I used a Nikon D7200 on a tripod with a Nikon 18mm-140mm lens.

Inspiration

Well the scene was obviously gorgeous, but also the rocks provided a nice frame to the image. I love long exposure shots of the ocean so I was able to take something iconic, the Golden Gate Bridge, and combine it with an interesting frame and the water effects of a long exposure, that I love.

Editing

I did do a bit of post processing. For one my horizon was very crooked as I was shooting in the water on a slanted beach in the dark. Second, the original shot was very dark to protect the brightest parts of the image so I had to bring the shadows up to bring detail back into the rocks and foreground. I did not want to do much with color in the image as the color of the bridge is so iconic.

In my camera bag

I have a small Thinktank backpack that fits what I would call my "photo walk kit". This gives me confidence that I can capture any thing I find on a walk: Nikon D7200 Tokina 11mm-16mm f2.8 Tamron 24-70mm V2 f2.8 Nikon 70-300 f4.5-f5.6 Lee Filter Kit with a regular ND, soft grad ND, hard Grad ND, and circular polarizer. Mefoto Q1 tripod

Feedback

1) Try to find new angles to capture iconic landmarks. Go where the crowds are not or find unique perspectives. 2) Get up early. Some of the most unique light can be captured right before dawn but you need plenty of time to get to your location and set up. 3) Move your tripod. I tried probably 4-5 different locations so I had many choices when I got home. It can be easy to think you got it right first try and let your tripod grow roots! 4) Be careful of your highlights and shoot raw. Modern cameras can do a lot to recover light in your shadows but can't do anything if your highlights are so bright that they are lost. Shooting in raw format allows you to do this. You have to be especially careful when shooting towards artificial lights at night or into the sun. 5) BE CAREFUL WHEN SHOOTING AROUND WAVES. Later on this walk I was perched on a rock with my eye buried in the viewfinder and got hit by a freak wave that doused my equipment, and almost pulled me in to the water. Lesson learned. Be very aware of your surroundings and make sure you always have a safe route back to shore if the tide is coming in.

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