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San Francisco Bay area

aboudd

New member
Hi Gang, I am bringing the family to the West coast next week. Our agenda for the week is set but I am thinking of extending my stay for an extra week. I would like suggestions of some great areas in which to shoot. I will have a rental car so areas within an hour or two of SF would be fine.

Thanks for your help,

Aboud

[email protected]
 

Lisa

New member
Point Lobos State Reserve, on the coast a little south of Monterey & Carmel, is a favorite of bay area photographers. A google search should turn up useful info about it.

Lisa
 

Terry

New member
It is also worth continuing south from there along the coast towards Big Sur where it is fun to photo around the Bixby Bridge, Julia Pfeiffer State Park.

Going North you have Muir Woods

In the city inside Fort Point is always fun.
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
Just south of Carmel is Garrapata State Beach. If headed further south, there are many opportunities in Big Sur, including iconic McWay Falls and Pfeiffer State Beach. The Monterey-Carmel area is a touristy place, so good options are still available for the family if photo opportunities don't present themselves well...

ken
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
San Francisco itself is such a photogenic place it's hard to imagine having to go far to do some great photography. I don't know what kind of photography you like to do.

For landscape, check out:

- The Presidio
- Twin Peaks
- the north coastal area to the west of the GG Bridge
- GG Park

Just those four places alone could consume a month of photographic endeavor.

For people, urban settings:

- the Tenderloin
- Mission Ave and the Mission District
- downtown
- the tourist areas of Pier 49 and vicinity
- Japan Town
- The Sunset District in the vicinity of 9th and Irving
- Noe Valley
- The Castro

There's so much there ... I've been wandering those places for years and never get enough.

For architecture and such, almost everywhere in the city is worthy.

Around the Bay Area is a lifetime's worth of photography. More than.
 

aboudd

New member
Update from the West Coast. Went down to Carmel and Monterey, all cloud cove and fog for two days. Tried some shooting at Point Lobos and 17 mile drive, took a quick look at the images and threw in the towel. Got into SF today, so far the weather is a bust in spite of the weather report of crystal clear skies. On the flip side, nice air, 60 degrees, great places to eat and a wonderful escape from D.C's heat and humidity. Hoping for some decent light tomorrow and a trip to Muir Woods. The Presidio and Twin Peaks.
 

jlm

Workshop Member
bay area weather is predictable, to the extent that sf and coastal can be 60 and foggy, but Berkeley can be 75 and sunny.

Berkeley botanical gardens, skyline drive, wlidcat canyon, windmils at Livermore, etc
 

Terry

New member
It took a while today but the fog pretty much cleared out this afternoon around the ballpark/bay bridge area. Tomorrow will be much like today but improving as the week goes on. This is pretty normal for August.
 

aboudd

New member
Hi Terry,

I've only got tomorrow and Tuesday then I head back to D.C. I figure I'll wait until mid afternoon before I venture out if I am shooting around the bridge or the Presidio. Jim, thanks for the suggestions, I'll look them up. By the way, a great dinner tonight at the Grand Cafe on Geary. try the Cassoulet - simply wonderful.
 

Terry

New member
Even if it his foggy in the AM there are some nice shots around the bridge and throughout the Presidio in the fog.

Here are a few fog shots:

Legion of Honor


From the parking area by fort point


Just by the bridge heading towards Baker Beach
 

aboudd

New member
This was the best I got in the 3 days I was here in SF. This morning there was actually a strange bright yellowish orb in the sky. The hotel's doorman said he didn't recognize it either. Unfortunately, this is our day to fly back to the East coast. Next time out here I will make sure it is in October. Thanks everyone for the location suggestions - in spite of the weather gods.
 
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gero

New member
I was in this area with my family for a few days: impressed not only with the place but also with the people. I think that they have reached a level of living in community that a lot of the world (and the rest of the USA) can learn from.

Here are a few pictures of the trip:

Ema in Point Lobos
 
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