Golden Gate in 24 Hours

The Golden Gate Bridge is perhaps the most iconic shot to take while in San Francisco.  I am sure you have seen shots of the towers peeking through early morning fog. Or, perhaps you have seen an evening shot with the bridge all lit.  These were the images dancing in my head when planning the early morning shoot at Crissy Field. 

Here is a shot when we arrived, the sun far from rising. I like the deep blue (almost purple) sky along with the reflections of the lit towers on the beach. The semi-long exposure of 20 seconds smoothed the waters which provides an almost surreal feel to the photo.

Golden Gate Bridge just before sunrise. The long exposure and purple sky provides a surreal feeling.

Then a little while later – just 50 minutes – the entire scene changed.  The lights went out on the bridge, the cloud moved (or burned) off, and a companion joined the show. The sun was just peeking over the city providing a lot warmth to the old red bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge just after sunrise.

Excited by our early morning shoot we decided to return to the Golden Gate for sunset.  We chose to shoot from Baker Beach, known to be a great spot for sunset.  The scene was beautiful with one big problem.  People.  Not many people, other than avid photographers, would rise super early to hang out at a beach.  But late afternoon on a sunny, warm day is a completely different story.  There were distractions everywhere: from swimmers in the frigid waters and dancers on the beach, to nude male volleyball players. Come on now, what happens when one of these guys has to dive for a ball? Volleyball is meant for the clothed – trust me on this – as it was hard to keep your eyes on the ball.

Golden Gate Bridge at sunset. Took awhile to line up a people-free shot with the waves crashing.

Waiting for just the right moment when the waves were crashing and people-free, I got this shot.

Thanks for stopping by.  Remember, it’s all about the light.