Bremerton is OK if you are using a telephoto lens. You will not be allowed to set up a camera on the Navy property, let alone be allowed on the ships. I was over there when the Missouri was opened to the public a few times, and they were strict about when (yes, when!) you could start photographing. Otherwise, stay off their property with a camera, and photograph from some other vantage point.
Yakima is where Seattlites go when they need to remember what the sun looks like
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
There's ample chances for photos here, and there are a few sunny parts of days this time of year. But generally it is pretty low light whereever you go, and the days are short.
The bad drivers are just as likely from Bejing, Delhi, Nairobi, or Mexico City, or other hot climates where you probably don't get to learn to drive on snow. Nobody has snow tires, and they don't understand that a SUV is not the solution because they can't stop very well on ice, and since they often have a short wheelbase they can spin and roll easily. Fortunately our snow days are limited to single digits per year and chances are that you won't experience any.
There are a lot of good photographers here. When I go out with film rigs I always get into conversations with other film people from way back.
When I lived in Oregon, it was a harsh transition from driving with blissed-out stoners cruising along under the speed limit and stopping at yellows to... those money-grubbing Washingtoners hurtling themselves down the highway to, ugh, "work"!
Rather like Vermont and New Hampshire....
I'd go native and get a good raincoat, umbrellas, and plastic bags. Take simple gear, one or two lenses, and shoot. Rain looks lovely in B&W, it makes boring stuff more photogenic.
I feel so bad that I live here in Seattle, and yet I can't think of anything to really point you too. The last time I was out shooting was (sadly) October, before the snows began to make things really difficult in the mountains. It's wet and unpleasant most of the winter... sorry to say. Gasworks Park, as mentioned, is an interesting place to visit and photograph. Kerry Park in Queen Anne is the spot you want to go for your postcard shot of the Seattle skyline with the Space Needle (just diving directions here, not necessarily advocating). My best suggestion would be to return in summer.
As for drivers... I've lived in the snowy frigid prairies as well as the San Francisco Bay Area ... I'd say Seattle drivers are just generally a little blissfully ignorant of what's going on around them, and that's generally in stark contrast to California drivers which may drive aggressively, but mostly play by the same rules. As for snow, it's just a bad city for it. It doesn't get that cold, so it tends to hover around that thaw/freeze point and that means ice. Ice + Hills = scary, no matter what your background is.
As it happens I tend to bring the bad weather with me. I've been up there on two thanksgivings ( this year was the latest ) and there was snow on both. This latest one was a bad situation - took my son 4 or 5 hours to get home on the bus ( 1.4 miles in straight line distance ). Youtube had some scary/entertaining videos of the locals dealing ( improperly ) with icy streets.
I will probably take Frank's suggestions and just dress for success in the climate. I do prefer to shoot on overcast days - just not in active rain ...
There is one sector of burnt-out Industry in the Seattle area- it happens to be in a forgotten second-city 30 miles south. Yes Tacoma. The Port of Tacoma has some real Industrial photo potential that I am embarrassed to say I haven't explored enough. There is also the historic 11th street bridge, that has lots of potiential, and is now closed to car traffic, but open to foot traffic. The bridge closed due to lack of funds and the state generally not caring about anything outside King County.
There are also plently of unique abadoned buildings that you won't be able to enter, like the Elks Building. If you do manage to enter an abadoned building around here I shutter at what you might find..
My impression of Seattle drivers and snow comes from watching the news when visiting my sister in Spokane, WA at this time of year (often driving from Portland to Spokane on snow-covered highways). The Spokane TV stations love to show footage of Seattle drivers dealing with snow (including fish-tailing buses wiping out cars right and left as it tries to go make its way up a hill.) I think it makes Spokanians feel smug -- they so often feel like the poor relations to the folks on the other side of the Cascades. We in northern CA (north of Santa Rosa) often feel the same way about the southern half of the state.Originally Posted by MumbleyJoe
Seattlelites like to blame the municipality for street maintenance during and after our infrequent snow and ice storms but we think little of personal responsibility. If you lived in snow country you'd have proper "all season plus" or studded tires on your vehicle, but here few are willing to make the investment. Even people who properly equip their vehicle get stuck in six-hour cl.-fu. commutes because they're surrounded by spinning rubber, jack-knifed buses and SDOT plows busily scraping lane reflectors from Seattle streets. It's a three-season city...most of the time.
Growing up in a wintry Canadian climate we were similarly smug about the west coast (Vancouver and Victoria) struggling with 'a little snow'. I'm reformed now.When you only need winter tires 1 day every two years, it's more forgivable to me now that people get caught off guard. As it was at Thanksgiving, conditions weren't bad when people commuted in to work, but it was a whole different story by late afternoon. So it's true that people here aren't well-equipped for wintry conditions (in terms of proper tires, or experience) and it's kind of laughable, but I find it more forgivable now too. Despite a personal history of winter driving, even I decided to leave my car safely in the driveway and just stay out of it this year.
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