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San Francisco
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Can anyone recommend some good photo ops in SF (apart from the obvious :) ). I’m heading across for a short trip and trying to decide whether it’s worth extending the trip and bringing my camera.
I was there before I started up this crazy game, but if memory serves you must go to a place called Twin Peaks. Its make out point in SF and you’ll smell more than tobacco in the air, but you’re right over the city and bay. You’re also above the almost resident fog in the bay and there’s a stunning view up there. You can see how the city is divided by streets and can even see the big neon sign marking Castro street.
The Sea Lions at Pier 39 are worth a visit. It’s also worth working across the Golden Gate bridge.
Aedan
I have shot a couple of travel television shows out there…there are tons of stuff to do/shoot etc.. if you have a chance run up to napa…..wine country…..good items up there as well and not that far….take a balloon ride at dawn over the vineyards……
safe travels
I was in San Francisco for 4 months in 1999/2000; was therefore the millenium countdown which was quite cool. Perhaps it has changed since, but I wouldn’t think so, apart from the normal cafes opening, closing etc.
Anyway, some thoughts would be…..
I didn’t particularly like the city the first few days, but I really got to love it by the time I left.
For me, the no.1 places where people go there were a little disappointing, those being Haight Ashbury (not much to see) and Fishermans Wharf….(Golden Gate Bridge didn;t disappoint though).
The places I really loved though were (i) The Mission District, a mish mash of Latinos and studenty types btn 16th and 23rd on Mission and Valencia (ii) Little Italy and (iii) Chinatown.
Great opps for street photography in all of these areas, also you will find very nice bars/cafes there.
The Castro also interesting, especially if you can be there for the Halloween festival, that was something to see.
For architecture, there are really lovely houses in the streets of Haight Ashbury, with nice hills ….
Out of town, Golden Gate Bridge is impressive, Bay Bridge is also impressive, I wouldn’t bother with Berkeley…..a nice side trip that is only a half hour away is Stinson Beach, really lovely and a nice opp to swim in the Pacific Ocean.
For a bit of honest to goodness squalor, try 6th St between Market and Folsom.
I would love to go back there……
If you like classic rock and roll
listen to kfog104.5just a side bar
Try getting the Sausilito ferry – very enjoyable and a beautiful little town!
“You’re gonna meet some gentle people there
Gentle people with flowers in their hair” 8)nfl-fan wrote:
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.
only IF he’s going
This is a cheeky book, but if you only have a day or so in SF, it’ll let you know where to get all the nice, known shots of the city, and when to go there for the best light. Wandering around to get places, you’ll see other things.
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780965308717/Photosecrets-San-Francisco-and-Northern-CaliforniaThe Golden Gate Bridge as seen from the Marin Headlands may be a little cliched but is worth checking out.
As far as I can tell, the only reason tourists go to Fisherman’s Warf is because other tourists go there. But a walk from there meandering through North Beach, past Lombard street and into Chinatown should be interesting. In China Town, there is one street that has all the tourist shops (can’t remember the name) but if you walk through the other streets you can see a lot of great looking shops selling all sorts of fascinating stuff – this is where the locals of China Town shop.
Highly recommended is a visit to the SFMOMA http://www.sfmoma.org/. On right now until August 23rd is a brilliant exhibition about Robert Frank’s “The Americans”. Each photo from the book is in the exhibition but also on display are his proofs, contact sheets and other older photographs. There is also an exhibition which combines painter Georgia O’Keeffe with Ansel Adams and a small exhibition called “Picturing Modernity: The Photography Collection” which is pretty good.
Alcatraz is another good spot and you can get great city sky line shots but you need to buy tickets in advance.
If you have a car, there are a few day trips you could do such as a drive down the coast to Santa Cruz or a trip into wine country. If you were on for a 4 hour drive (one way), Yosemite National Park or Lake Tahoe have ample vistas to fill up your CF card.
Thanks for all the tips guys… Dave in particular. Much appreciated. I spotted that the MOMA had that exhibition and already had it on my must to do list :)
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