San Francisco Bay Area

[Tony Lee]

Hi I will be traveling to the bay area from the UK in Febuary 11. Can anyone suggest locations apart from the obvious ones:)
Tony

[Louie Powell]

Not sure what you consider obvious, but my favorites include:

Golden Gate Park, Japanese Garden, Strybling Arboretum
Land's End, Sutro Bath ruins
Fort Point, China Beach, Palace of the Legion of Honor
Marin Headlands, various fortifications (especially Battery 129 complex), Battery Spencer
Muir Woods
The Ferry Building
Cantor Gallery at Stanford University
Hakone Gardens, Filoli
Alviso Marina

[Scott Davis]

if you're driving while you're there, I'd recommend taking a trip down the coast as far as you can manage. For an easy day trip, head down highway 1 to Half Moon Bay, and take your time to stop wherever you see something interesting. Continue on down to San Gregorio State Beach, and then take Route 84 back up over the mountain to Woodside. Head on in to Palo Alto, visit the Stanford University campus, wander around the downtown and have a great dinner at Il Fornaio. If you have time and are so inclined, stop by Keeble & Schuchat and get your fill of camera gear.

Throughout the peninsula there are a series of parks called "open space preserves". They're a series of parks which encompass a wide range of terrains from redwood forest to grassland. They're quite low on the radar screens of most people, so there's a good chance you'll be the only person in the park while you're there.

For a longer trek taking the entire day, you can drive down to Carmel and visit Point Lobos State Nature Reserve. Although it's a bit of a cliche for photographers to visit Point Lobos (it was Edward Weston's stomping ground), it is ABSOLUTELY worth it.

Also, in San Francisco, stop by the Gallery building at 49 Geary. There are some amazing galleries in the building (5 floors of art galleries).

[Preston]

February can also be a nice time to visit Point Reyes Nat'l Seashore and Tomales Bay. The food at the Station House in the town of Point Reyes Station is excellent. Also, LF photographer Marty Knapp has a nice gallery there in town.

--P

[Mike Anderson]

If you're going to spend a day in SF, park the car and get a clipper card (http://www.clippercard.com) and use public transportation to bum around. If you have an iPhone there's apps to help navigate.

If it's a sunny weekend day: Market St. & Powell (SF on top Powell St. BART station) and see the "street" scene, the street performers and such.

Mission district: colorful Latino region - it's warmer there than the rest of the city. Go to Mission and 24th (24th St. BART station) and walk east on 24th. Eat Mexican food.

For a cliche shot of SF go to Alamo Square (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alamo_Square,_San_Francisco) around sunset, look east and find the Painted Ladies (famous Victorian houses) and get a picture of them with city skyline in the background.

...Mike

[John Kasaian]

Not your typical bay area fare:

Mare Island Naval Shipyard. If you like old industrial stuff this is pretty cool---granite dry dock, old cemetary, 50's air raid shelters overgrown with shrubbery.

Night photography along the waterfront (be careful of baddies. Take a BIG friend along)

The Delta.

The huge cemetary town (Colfax? Colma? My memory fades!) The population of this necropolis outnumber the living by like a million to one(or something like that)

If you're a hunter try tracking down and photographing any remaining little nieghborhood arab markets---they used to be plentiful (but now you've got to hunt for 'em)

I've always wanted to explore the municipal staircases with a 4x5. There is a good one going down (or up if you're in better shape than I) Telegraph Hill---you can see it from the base of Coit Tower---it feels rather like being a voyeur, descending through people's back yards.

The statuary in Golden Gate Park. Yeah GG Park is "typical SF" but no one seems to pay attention the statues.

[srbphoto]

The cemetary town is Colma. It is just south of San Francisco. If you are going to eat Italian in Palo Alto I recommend Osteria.

The problem with Feb. is it could be warm and sunny or cold and rainy. Not sure what you are interested in but there are some great redwood forests south of San Francisco. The open spaces were mentioned earlier. The Mid Peninsula Open Space District (http://www.openspace.org/) manages huge variety of areas along the Peninsula.

The biggest problem with the Bay Area is the incredible number of places to go, no matter what you are interested in shooting.

What are you interested in shooting? Are you going to be in San Francisco or an outlying area? Will you have a car? Are you willing to travel? Let us know and between all of us we can narrow it down to a couple of dozen places :)

[Kirk Fry]

And now for something entirely different, the Brisbane Bayshore Roundhouse Ruin.
Check it out on the internet. 100 year old railroad technology. Actually you can see it pretty well on Google maps. The round thing between the modern railroad tracks and bayshore BLVD. Google it. KFry

[Tony Lee]

Hi all thanks for all the replies. I'm only in SF for 1 week so i've got a limited amount of time. I shoot landscapes, buildings I don't do people in LF. The MOMA building looks interesting also the Japanese Tea Garden and Muir Woods:) keep the suggestions coming
Tony

[MumbleyJoe]

I would second both Muir Woods (ridiculously close to San Francisco for a totally different world), and Point Lobos (if you're up for a few hours drive, it's wonderful). Nearby Garrapata (I can never spell that right) Beach is also great, and just down the road from Point Lobos.

I'm personally biased, and will tell anyone to take a trip out to Yosemite whenever possible (hence the concise message in my signature below). It's about 4 hours from San Francisco, so probably best to do overnight if you were to go at all. Obviously more time is better, but even an overnight trip would be worth it, in my opinion. If you've come this far, you're almost all the way there anyway. That's my best advice, if you can spare the time.

Back in San Francisco, one of my favorite places to shoot the Golden Gate Bridge (cliche or not, I loved shooting the bridge) is from the southwest, along Marshall's Beach. I found it to be a great sunset location.

[Drew Wiley]

How much time do you have? The possibilities are endless. Just be aware that Feb is
generally our wet season, though the coastal wind might or might not pick up.
The hillsides can be wonderfully lush and green, but muddy, and a Goretex parka and
waterproof darkcloth might be needed. No need to go great distances unless you want
to. Pt Reyes Seashore is just across the bridge from SF, as are our many regional parks. If it were me, I'd avoid all the stereotypical tourist spots.

[halberstadt]

John Kasaian's suggestion: Mare Island and Colma I second those

Someone else suggested Stanford Campus I think, very nice but watch out for the tripod gestappo! Also the Marin Headlands, and the former military installations on both sides of the GGB (Fort Point, the Presidio, etc.)

Other places along the Delta including Locke a once exclusively Chinese town still inhabited but in decay

If you go to Monterey and Carmel, you might stop at San Juan Bautista (Mission town with lots of character)

Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland

[Jim Graves]

Here's a link to a great site that has over 60 virtual tours in SF and surrounding area including several of the suggested locations (e.g. Alamo Square, Coit Tower, 8 individual tours in Golden Gate Park and a ton more) ... really helpful for getting an idea of what's really there ... Link (http://www.virtuar.com/ysf2/index.htm).

I'd also recommend Coit Tower ... gets you up high ... the little park around the tower makes a nice setting or frame for city or bay shots ... don't know what they think about tripods up on top of the tower ... and for sure ... do not miss the wonderful murals inside ... they were painted by a large group of very good artists during the depression ... they portray SF street scenes in the 30's and have a very worker-oriented feel to them. They are frescos (painted into fresh plaster) so remain vivid in color and detail.

[halberstadt]

Here's a link to a great site that has over 60 virtual tours in SF and surrounding area including several of the suggested locations (e.g. Alamo Square, Coit Tower, 8 individual tours in Golden Gate Park and a ton more) ... really helpful for getting an idea of what's really there ... Link (http://www.virtuar.com/ysf2/index.htm).

I'd also recommend Coit Tower ... gets you up high ... the little park around the tower makes a nice setting or frame for city or bay shots ... don't know what they think about tripods up on top of the tower ... and for sure ... do not miss the wonderful murals inside ... they were painted by a large group of very good artists during the depression ... they portray SF street scenes in the 30's and have a very worker-oriented feel to them. They are frescos (painted into fresh plaster) so remain vivid in color and detail.

I agree with all your comments re: Coit Tower, but if memory serves, all the openings are glassed in. That part isn't so good for LF photography. I've sold some stock photos of the murals inside (digital and 35mm only.)

Another great from above view is from the Sather Tower (Campanile) in Berkeley. That one only has bars, so you can stick your lens right through with no obstruction.

[Graham Patterson]

Probably the best view of the bay is from the plaza of the Lawrence Hall of Science above the Berkeley campus. If the weather is clear (just after a storm blows though is best) you can see the Farallon Islands. If you like landscapes in the small scale, there are the UC Botanical garden halfway up the hill to LHS, and the Tilden Botanical Garden in Tilden Park. Lots of trails in Tilden. We have had some mountain lion sightings on the west side of the Berkeley hills recently, though they seem to favour the local deer over people.

Point Reyes, Tomales Bay, Marin Headlands, Angel Island perhaps - it is hard to *not* find anything.

[tgtaylor]

Don't forget the colorful murals in the Mission district. There's over 600 murals in the mision district alone and you can purchase a map of the locations for $5 at Placita Eyes on 24th Street.

We had a Photography Meetup event shooting the murals last month that was well attended and lasted until 5 or 6pm when we called it quits and hit the Mission bars. San Francisco abounds in street art and you could easily spend a week or two or three trying to photograph it all.

[brianam]

it's "Precita Eyes". you were close! (10-years Mission rezzie here. :-)
and yes, the murals in the neighborhood are wonderful, and a number of fabulous new ones have gone up in the just the past couple years.

[Mike Anderson]

Don't forget the colorful murals in the Mission district. There's over 600 murals in the mision district alone and you can purchase a map of the locations for $5 at Placita Eyes on 24th Street.

We had a Photography Meetup event shooting the murals last month that was well attended and lasted until 5 or 6pm when we called it quits and hit the Mission bars. San Francisco abounds in street art and you could easily spend a week or two or three trying to photograph it all.

I'm a Mission mural fan:

http://rectangularimage.com/galleries/mission-murals/gal-mission-murals.html

Those are are all digital. I didn't record locations (DOH!). They're mostly on or around 24th st. I tried to get a massive stitched panorama of all of one side of Balmy street but it didn't work out.

I need to go back and get the street locations. And try again for a massive stitched Balmy street image. It's so rich.

...Mike

[jss]

Sorry, straying off topic a little. I've lived in the Misison for almost two years now and already have seen it change quite a bit. I heard the big Giant Value building was about to fold so I did a 4x5 of it, but it remains still. I should document more of the mission in LF.

http://schlachet.net/images/giant-value-640-s.jpg
(blog post (http://schlachet.net/2009/03/giant-value-in-san-francisco/))

[halberstadt]

And now for something entirely different, the Brisbane Bayshore Roundhouse Ruin.
Check it out on the internet. 100 year old railroad technology. Actually you can see it pretty well on Google maps. The round thing between the modern railroad tracks and bayshore BLVD. Google it. KFry

Is this open to the public? I get stopped so frequently by security and police when I'm clearly in the right, I'd like to avoid getting into any trouble when actually trespassing.

[tgtaylor]

Is this open to the public? I get stopped so frequently by security and police when I'm clearly in the right, I'd like to avoid getting into any trouble when actually trespassing.

I took Kirk's suggestion and called and E-mailed the CEO of the Roundhouse restoration project. he gave me permission to come and photograph it on a weekend when they were working on the trains. Three of us (2LF and 1 DSLR) spent 1/2 day photographing the ruins.

[Merg Ross]

I took Kirk's suggestion and called and E-mailed the CEO of the Roundhouse restoration project. he gave me permission to come and photograph it on a weekend when they were working on the trains. Three of us (2LF and 1 DSLR) spent 1/2 day photographing the ruins.

Lucky you, wish I had the opportunity to join you!

Last Sunday, I was approached at Alameda Point (the abandoned Alameda Naval Air Station) by security and told that photography was prohibited. I have been photographing there for several years. The bloke was pleasant enough, and didn't have any explanation other than following his orders. I understood, and headed home. However, I do find a bit of misplaced suspicion these days, all in the name of security. Just as well I wasn't set up with my 8x10, the favorite tool of terrorists.

[ric_kb]

[QUOTE=Merg Ross;646558

Last Sunday, I was approached at Alameda Point (the abandoned Alameda Naval Air Station) by security and told that photography was prohibited. [/QUOTE]

too bad those pesky googler's didn't get the notice...
http://tinyurl.com/2cq7qa2
google maps

[Scott Davis]

too bad those pesky googler's didn't get the notice...
http://tinyurl.com/2cq7qa2
google maps

Especially when you can see THIS - Ships at dock (http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en&q=Alameda+Point&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Alameda+Point,+Alameda,+CA+94501&gl=us&ei=8OnWTNrbHsP_lgfm_PGCCQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQ8gEwAA)

[Jack Dahlgren]

Especially when you can see THIS - Ships at dock (http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en&q=Alameda+Point&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Alameda+Point,+Alameda,+CA+94501&gl=us&ei=8OnWTNrbHsP_lgfm_PGCCQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQ8gEwAA)

Hey! Loose lips sink ships! That is the USS Hornet docked there. Top Secret.

http://www.uss-hornet.org/groups/kids/index.shtml

[Merg Ross]

Photography is allowed on the USS Hornet. However, photographing the surrounding warehouses and buildings is currently prohibited, according to security. The actual wording is "no photo shoots", which leaves the intent of the message open to interpretation.

Anyway, no problem with photographing at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, a far more interesting place than Alameda Point, in my opinion.

[Drew Wiley]

I hope to spend a little time on Mare Island myself soon. And I used to love the way
some of the old steelyard stuff down around Emeryville looked prior to big-box redevelopment, but was always wary of the crime in the area. One problem with Govt
old mititary sites is not security but liability and/or distinct hazard from lead, cadmium,
PCB's etc. It's a big deal, and I'm keenly aware of what's going on because I'm supplying a lot of gear to the respective agencies, and even hold an EPA license myself just to keep informed. I don't think there's much hazard to photographers per se, but if you factor in access for the general public, it's easy for young kids to get
poisoned. There are also structural hazards. For example, the top of Wolf Ridge was
sectioned off to remove some of the steel WWII guard-tower apparatus which was
in danger of collapsing (and actually did collapse before they got to it). I have photographs of this in various interesting stages of failure. I can just picture some
teenager swinging on one of the cable Tarzan-like, and getting crushed. If these
kinds of sites are going to kept open for us, we all need to be responsible how we
use them.

[tgtaylor]

The annual lighting of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse on the San Mateo coast will take place this Saturday, 13 November. Once lighted, the fresnel remains stationary for 5 minutes before it begins to rotate allowing a time exposure to capture the light beams. This event is usually attended by several hundred photographers so arrive early to claim your spot.

[Jack Dahlgren]

Photography is allowed on the USS Hornet. However, photographing the surrounding warehouses and buildings is currently prohibited, according to security. The actual wording is "no photo shoots", which leaves the intent of the message open to interpretation.


Merg,

You might want to try again. Michael Halberstadt posted a link to this article about his experiences at Alameda Point in another thread:

http://alamedasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7785&Itemid=10

[Merg Ross]

Merg,

You might want to try again. Michael Halberstadt posted a link to this article about his experiences at Alameda Point in another thread:

http://alamedasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7785&Itemid=10

Jack,
Thanks for posting this. The guard was new on the beat, only four days. I think he may have been misinformed as he worked for the realty group, not the Navy. I will give it another try.

Merg

[tgtaylor]

If I am certain that I am in the right, I always tell them to call the police - which they never do because they know it's not unlawful activity. It's much quicker and less painless than standing there and arguing with them.

[halberstadt]

Lucky you, wish I had the opportunity to join you!

Last Sunday, I was approached at Alameda Point (the abandoned Alameda Naval Air Station) by security and told that photography was prohibited. I have been photographing there for several years. The bloke was pleasant enough, and didn't have any explanation other than following his orders. I understood, and headed home. However, I do find a bit of misplaced suspicion these days, all in the name of security. Just as well I wasn't set up with my 8x10, the favorite tool of terrorists.

Somebody already mentioned this, but check out this story in our local paper: http://alamedasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7785&Itemid=10

That's me with my Toyo 4x5. Originally I was trying to test a few lenses to post on this forum. In any case, with the help of the paper, we found that the security guard and the property management firm were wrong: "The Navy does not prohibit anyone from taking photographs at Alameda Point," he said. There may be a few restricted areas on the Point, he said, but these would be clearly marked." -Derek Robinson of the Navy's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program management office.

I think the security guard got the memo, because for the photo in the Sun, we were standing around for a while hoping to see the security guard. When we saw the security vehicle passing I waived and he kept on driving. On a frustrating note, I never heard from the City Manager, the City Attorney, or the Alameda PD, all of whom I contacted regarding this problem. I try to keep a copy of Burt Krages Photographers' Rights handy too: http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm. It was his suggestion to contact the media that ultimately worked.

[halberstadt]

Somebody already mentioned this, but check out this story in our local paper: http://alamedasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7785&Itemid=10

That's me with my Toyo 4x5. Originally I was trying to test a few lenses to post on this forum. In any case, with the help of the paper, we found that the security guard and the property management firm were wrong: "The Navy does not prohibit anyone from taking photographs at Alameda Point," he said. There may be a few restricted areas on the Point, he said, but these would be clearly marked." -Derek Robinson of the Navy's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program management office.

I think the security guard got the memo, because for the photo in the Sun, we were standing around for a while hoping to see the security guard. When we saw the security vehicle passing I waived and he kept on driving. On a frustrating note, I never heard from the City Manager, the City Attorney, or the Alameda PD, all of whom I contacted regarding this problem. I try to keep a copy of Burt Krages Photographers' Rights handy too: http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm. It was his suggestion to contact the media that ultimately worked.

And here's another story FYI: http://www.theislandofalameda.com/2010/11/photographer-dog-walker-shooed-off-public-navy-property/

[Merg Ross]

And here's another story FYI: http://www.theislandofalameda.com/2010/11/photographer-dog-walker-shooed-off-public-navy-property/

Michael, thanks for the latest article. My incident at Alameda Point was on 10/31, so this security issue appears to be a recent development. I have been photographing there with and without a tripod for over three years and no security concerns.

Please update if you hear of new developments. Thanks.

Are you related to Milton Halberstadt?

[halberstadt]

Are you related to Milton Halberstadt?

Hey glad you noticed. Yep, I'm his grandson. In fact I still use the Burke and James 8x10 he gave me when I was a teenager.

[Merg Ross]

Hey glad you noticed. Yep, I'm his grandson. In fact I still use the Burke and James 8x10 he gave me when I was a teenager.

I thought you might just be. You are continuing in the tradition of a distinguished photographic family.

In my very first exhibition,1954, Milton was included with a solarized architectural study of a Victorian era home. I recall being intrigued by the process.

Perhaps I will run into you at Alameda Naval Air Station now that security has backed off.

Thanks for the reply.

[Tony Lee]

Thank's for all the reply's guys, Also I'm needing suggestions for camera stores in the bay area
Tony

[dsphotog]

Thank's for all the reply's guys, Also I'm needing suggestions for camera stores in the bay area
Tony
You might like Photographer's Supply for film etc
http://www.photosupply.com

Adolph Gasser http://www.gassersphoto.com

There's also Calumet nearby.

[Merg Ross]

South of San Francisco (Palo Alto) is Keeble & Shuchat. They have a good supply of equipment and materials, plus a rental department.

http://www.kspphoto.com/

[tgtaylor]

And now for something entirely different, the Brisbane Bayshore Roundhouse Ruin.
Check it out on the internet. 100 year old railroad technology. Actually you can see it pretty well on Google maps. The round thing between the modern railroad tracks and bayshore BLVD. Google it. KFry

I took Kirks advise and contacted the sites CEO and received permission to photograph the roundhouse ruins on a Saturday morning. Here is one of the images:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5242/5316658003_4bac1db735_z.jpg

This was taken with a Toyo 45AX with 120mm Nikkor lens on Fuji Provia (home processed).

At one time I lived in Brisbane and South San Francisco and drove or rode the bus past this site for many years without knowing what was behind the fence. Thanks for the tip Kirk!

Thomas

[Scott Davis]

Another plug for Keeble & Schuchat (pronounced shuck-it). Gasser's, the last time I was in, was quite over-priced on most of their gear, and the salespeople had attitudes. But it's an historical relic from the days St. Ansel roamed the streets of San Francisco, so the pilgrimage may be worth it at least from a curiosity standpoint.