So I’ve been going to San Francisco for years, and don’t have any trouble finding my way to restaurants and jazz venues, but recently I’ve been ramping up my photography and thought it would be fun to make my next trip about pictures.
Sooo, live there, been there, a little or a lot, give me your ideas. The obvious, the obscure, the obvious from an obscure perspective, go wild.
I’m from San Francisco, but I’m having a hard time coming up with good ideas. What kind of stuff do you like photographing? Urban scenes, people, nature things?
Where’s TroyMcClureSF? I guarantee you he’ll have some ideas.
If you’re interested in scenic vistas, how about the Golden Gate Bridge from different angles? One of the best views of the bridge is from the Marin headlands, which you can get to by taking the first exit after crossing the bridge from the San Francisco end and crossing under the highway, which leads you up into the hills. There are also interesting views from Fort Point, which is under the south end of the bridge.
Another good place to take pictures is the Filbert Steps, a steep stairway that starts at Filbert Street at the base of Telegraph Hill and leads up to Coit Tower. You can see many beautiful homes and gardens along the way, and if you’re lucky you’ll see some parrots (as in the documentary The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill).
The Palace of Fine Arts is another good place for photography. This beautiful building, which was originally created for the 1915 Pan-American Exposition, now houses the Exploratorium.
Aquatic Park (AKA San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park) has several historic ships that should make good photographic subjects.
The ruins of the old Sutro Baths are an interesting photographic subject.
Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County has some really nice trails that lead out to the ocean. Muir Woods is the closest place where you can see some old-growth redwoods.
Golden Gate Park has some nice spots for photgraphy, including Strybing Arboretum, the Conservatory of Flowers and the windmills near the western (ocean) end of the park.
I’ll post more ideas later.
IMO the problem with the typical postcard shots is that they are typical postcard shots. Follow the pros suggestions and go for the details.
Look up at intersections and appreciate the crisscrossing of the wires. Or look down at the slots of the cable cars. Or go out to Golden Gate Park and focus on the small details. Or part of the Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Point. Or front doors (or just the doorbells) from a series of Victorians.
If your timing is right, the rising of the full moon from under the Bay Bridge is a beautiful, if standard, shot.
Whatever attracts you, focus on the details.
Rion Nakaya has a wonderful photography blogthat I love. Most of her photos were taken in NYC, London and Paris, but she has a few entries on San Francisco too. Here’s an example.
I’m here and I often wander the streets with my camera. For me, it is the occasional odd bit of public art (did you know that Grace Cathedral has both an indoor and outdoor labyrinth?), architecture (we have some great old buildings), and nature. Both the Presidio and Golden Gate Park can provide endless photographic possibilities including some aforementioned public art (we have an Andrew Goldsworthy in progress at the entrance of the Presidio near the golf course as well as a handful of site-specific pieces worth exploring).
Then there are the people – you could just wander the neighborhoods and shoot people. I love this town because for me, it is extremely walkable. The whole city is only six miles from end to end and I’ve been known to just put on walking shoes and explore. You will see way more that way than trying to bus here or taxi there. Needless to say, you will spy more characters in the Castro and on Upper Haight than probably anywhere else in the city.
I’m also a big foodie so I enjoy shooting photographs at the various Farmers Markets (Saturday morning at the Ferry Plaza is a bounty of gorgeous shots and people and celebrities and scenic beauty).
Hope this spurs your imagination!
Point Reyes is one of my favorite places on earth. The variety of ecosystems, animals, plants…I think I shot 30 rolls of film there in one week long ago.
I think even many locals don’t have any idea of the beautiful vistas and scenes throughout the park.
I love Mt. Tamalpais as well; many things to shoot while hiking there.
The architecture and decorations of Chinatown and other neighborhoods are always interesting to me. I always look for different angles to shoot.
Just wander & have fun!
Excellent! I’m thinking about taking my bike and just working my way around town, the marina, GGate park, chinatown. It’s easy to replicate post card shots, but I’m more interested in the nooks and crannies, so to speak.
I’ve visited San Francisco several times, taking pictures – the last time involuntarily, since I missed my plane to Australia, so had to spend Independence Day in SF. This is a collection of my pictures, including a few taken by my father about 40 years ago, and some by me on visits in 2005, 2008 and 2010. There really is a lot to take pictures of, and I’d like to spend more time there with my camera.
What a wonderful city!
One suggestion: The Mission Dolores. It’s the older building next to the Basilica. The cemetary has some fascinating monuments. It’s been years: Are there still murals in the Mission District? Apparently so.
Really–just get your camera & start walking! From the Texas Flatlands, where highs are close to 100 every day, it’s hard not to be envious.
Yeah, this is the important question.
If you’re looking for nooks & crannies, you can go, well, anywhere, really. There are very few areas in SF where there’s nothing eye-catching in some way.
Personally, I’m into similar stuff as Sandra Battye. The little details. Caliber SF is a local photo site that you might like to thumb through… most of the photos have a location added, so you might get a sense of where you might want to go.
I don’t know how well you walk, but these would bring you through a lot of different neighborhoods: http://goo.gl/maps/uzE2 Blue is wholly walkable and would bring you through Lower Haight, and the red would bring you through the Mission and to BART, which you could take back to Market St. I explain further if there’s interest.
ETA: Bike? No problem. Either of these routes would be great for you (aside from Dolores Park, which is a big hill, but only for its two blocks).
Also, when will you be here? There’s a decent chance the aforementioned Caliber or someone else might be doing a photowalk. I’ve been on a few and they’d be happy to have you.
Since you’re more interested in the “nooks and crannies”:
Chinatown is almost all nooks and crannies. There are interesting details almost everywhere you look, especially if you get off of Grant Avenue and go up the side streets and alleys.
I’ll stick with my recommendation of the Filbert Steps. This walkway takes you by many beautiful gardens and homes, with lots of opportunities for “small” shots.
The Mission District has many interesting street scenes, especially around 24th and Mission, and 16th and Valencia (both intersections easily reachable by BART).
Including my LOLcat!
But even besides our LOLcat masterpiece, I wholeheartedly agree with Chinatown & North Beach.
Added a Chinatown route in green: http://goo.gl/maps/89gQ, but like Jeff said, you can wander all over Chinatown & North Beach and not be bored.