It’s quite common to see iconic photos of San Francisco with the spans of the Golden Gate Bridge emerging from the fog, but here is a view of just the fog at sunset. On this particular evening I had no time to get in place to photograph the bridge in the fog. Instead, much closer to home, I caught a view I’ve yet to see of the fog partially covering the western portion of the city “San Francisco Sunset“. Shortly after that photo was taken the fog and lighting became much more intense. Watching the fog roll in while the light of sunset danced over the rapidly transforming cloudscape was quite a treat. On this evening I’m glad there wasn’t a bridge to ruin it.
Easily one of the three most recognizable landmarks in San Francisco, Coit Tower is often lit beautifully by artificial and natural lighting. At the right time of day you can use both of these lighting types to capture dramatic photographs of this commonly photographed subject.
One thing I’m quite embarrassed about is the fact that I’ve yet to visit Coit Tower and enjoy the view from the top of the tower. After living in San Francisco for nearly 10 years you’d think I’d have visited all the classic locations. One of these days I’ll make it to Coit Tower and to Alcatraz too.
Recently I’ve been reading a lot of news stories demonizing Coyotes coming into suburban environments. It wasn’t that long ago that two coyotes were killed here in San Francisco and I thought I would post a photo of a typical Coyote encounter.
This Coyote like most others was very shy and was waiting to come down from the hillside early one morning only when it saw no one else around. Very skiddish it was only interested in hunting small rodents and birds in a near by meadow. As soon as I became visible this Coyote was quick to run off back into the safety of the dense foliage in the near by hills.
The problem I have with the demonization of Coyotes or other predators by the press is that they portray human-animal interaction in a very one-dimensional fashion. Seldom is there any note of how humans impact and condition animals to become acclimatized to us. The build up of our trash, people feeding wild animals, etc. all contribute to these animals losing their innate fear of us. Unlike Raccoons, Skunks, Possums or other common urban wildlife that we often ignore, if not accept as denizens of our neighborhoods, Coyotes like many other larger predators, get the short end of the stick and pay the price of such acclimatization to humans with their lives. There aren’t too many advocates for these animals, but one day I hope to see that we hold people accountable on some level for their part in these common and increasing human-animal conflicts.
In the case of Coyotes they get a double whammy when it comes to conflict with humans. The lack of predators in our neighborhoods results in a booming population of prey that initially draw Coyotes into our neighborhoods. When not hunting natural prey they become acclimatized to foraging in our trash or hunting small pets. it’s a tough balance for Coyote and humans, but sometime in the future I hope better civic and state policies are identified and put in place to minimize the killing of these predators and increasing public respect for local wildlife.
One of the most amazing things about nature is how it so easily dwarfs even the largest man made structures. I’ve taken my fair share of Golden Gate Bridge photos over the past 10 years, but my favorites are those that put this impressive structure in context to the natural world. A recent favorite is the following “San Francisco Starry Night”. Conditions were optimal on this evening to photograph fog rolling over the bridge. The warm air above the fog layer kept the skies super clear and enabled me to capture the stars over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
One of the more interesting features off the San Francisco coastline is a small cluster of off shore rock formations near Sutro Baths. Under the right conditions they can take on an ethereal form for someone creatively inclined. For the thousands of birds that reside here nightly it’s just home.
Today’s Bring Your Own Big Wheel event in San Francisco was in a different location than last years BYOBW on Lombard Street, but it was just as fun. The crowd is always a blast to photograph. Below are a few favorites and more of my photos from the event can be seen in this Flash slideshow BYOBW Photo Highlights. Enjoy!
Check out the LaughingSquid site for more pics and a video (with a brief cameo with me in action). Scott (aka LaughingSquid) was next to me during most of the runs. Great guy and a great site.
I was tipped off recently that something had changed in the Marin Headlands impacting future photographs of the Golden Gate Bridge. The change…
a missing tree.
Not just any tree… the ONLY tree in the Marin Headlands in plain view from most lookouts in San Francisco. Regularly this small tree is in frame for most if not all Golden Gate Bridge photos that have been taken over the past couple of decades. I’m not sure if this tree was officially removed or if someone went out of their way to remove it illegally. Either way I’m curious if anyone has heard anything about this. I’ve done some basic research and have not come up with any news on this.
(Left) Golden Gate Bridge As Seen From The Marin Headlands in Sept. ‘07
(Right) Golden Gate Bridge As Seen From The Marin Headlands in Mar. ‘08 ‘07
Word is that this likely happened in late 2007. In January and February I had been in the area photographing the Golden Gate Bridge, but at night. I thought the tree was missing, but I chalked it up to being dark and didn’t think anything of it.
In this episode “Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography” is discussed. Topics covered include an introduction to the technique, best practices, pitfalls, alternative methods, computer & software tips, and creative vision. This information packed episode will put you on track to master this challenging photographic technique in roughly (30) thirty minutes.
Featured Panoramic Photos in this Episode of EXIF and Beyond:
click to enlarge
“4 Corners - Welcome to Colorado”
made From (16) Sixteen Vertical Images (1×16)
click to enlarge
“Last Light On Delicate Arch, Arches National Park”
Made From (6) Six Vertical Images
click to enlarge
“The Beauty of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge”
Made From (10) Ten Vertical Images
click to enlarge
“Bryce Canyon Sunset, Bryce Canyon National Park”
Made from (5) Five Vertical Images
click to enlarge
“100 Caribou”
Made from (21) Twenty One Vertical Images
click to enlarge
“Caribou Pass View To The South Panoramic ” - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Made From (35) Thirty Five Vertical Images
click to enlarge
“Caribou Pass and Kongakut River Panoramic” - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Made From (50) Fifty Vertical Images
click to enlarge
“Cable View Panoramic, Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco”
Made From (3) Three Horizontal Images via Tilt Shift Lens
Between the cables is Alcatraz and in the distance is San Francisco more…
“Golden Gate Bridge Panoramic Sunset”
Made From (3) Three Vertical Images via Tilt Shift Lens more…
click to enlarge
“Yosemite Trees”
made From (11) Eleven Vertical Images (1×11)
Jim Goldstein is an independent photographer specializing in landscape, travel, environments, nature and event photography for advertising and editorial use.
A member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Jim produces the highest quality photography for both commercial clients and fine art photography collectors. Jim's photography has been featured in the Washington Post, Sierra Club, Future Snowboarding magazine, Surfmag.com, SFGate.com, and a variety of other publications
