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Yerba Buena Island, San Francisco, Ca

aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
edited December 27, 2008 in Landscapes
Yerba Buena Island is right off the bay bridge and is connected to Treasure Island.

I was taken to a new spot by someone that I met on flickr and I must say that I will be back again. This is a very well known location in the bay area that is actually off limits, but someone cut through the fence years ago and the path is so used that it looks paved. I always wondered where people took these images….

1. San Francisco Skyline; similar to the big pano that Baldy is attempting, but I’m higher up and to the left and this isn't a pano.
440269115_WwJWv-L.jpg

2. Western Span of the Bay Bridge – This is a cliché shot, but it’s something that I wanted in my collection.
440878838_fFNMG-L.jpg

3. Bay Bridge – It curves! I walked about ten feet to the right and got a side view of the bridge.
440302336_GpNYH-L.jpg

4. Traffic Patterns
440869186_sB2Uu-L.jpg
I keep on looking at the tail lights and wonder what type of cars are on the bridge, and what they doing! There is someone that actually uses their turn signal! And some cars don't drive straight!

I was later speaking with a friend (engineer) about this image and I will never look at it the same way again. Now, when I see this, I see an eye-diagram and think of signal-to-noise, clock timing, jitter and skew. So... Bay Bridge traffic has very bad jitter. And it looks like RJ (random jitter) rather than DJ (deterministic jitter)

C&C welcomed and appreciated.
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    Ann McRaeAnn McRae Registered Users Posts: 4,584 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    1. clap.gifclap.gifclap.gifbowdown.gif
    2. Absolutely nothing wrong with that cliche!
    3. thumb.gif but would a longer exposure have brought out more of the top of the bridge??
    4. I just love 'engineer'! Like its whole own language!
    mwink.gif

    Great stuff, April and I am so glad you are out there shooting! (and if I ever get to SF again, will you take me there?)


    ann
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    Tenacious BTenacious B Registered Users Posts: 11 Big grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Great looking shots, #1 takes the cake though.clap.gif
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    tisuntisun Registered Users Posts: 435 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    All are beautiful, but #4 is quite interesting indeed. April, I have to take me here the next time(s) you go.
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    TravisTravis Registered Users Posts: 1,472 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    #1 bowdown.gif is a wall hanger for sure! thumb.gif The rest are nice except I'm not to found of the sky in #3.
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    ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,910 moderator
    edited December 22, 2008
    aktse wrote:
    I was later speaking with a friend (engineer) about this image and I will never look at it the same way again. Now, when I see this, I see an eye-diagram and think of signal-to-noise, clock timing, jitter and skew. So... Bay Bridge traffic has very bad jitter. And it looks like RJ (random jitter) rather than DJ (deterministic jitter)

    Dork :D

    Some very lovely images. Especially the cityscape.
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
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    AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    So um, didya climb to the top of a certain tower there? :uhoh
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    Awais YaqubAwais Yaqub Registered Users Posts: 10,572 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Oh my God i never saw bridge from this perspective ! wow amazing. eek7.gifhuheek7.gif
    Great photos
    Thine is the beauty of light; mine is the song of fire. Thy beauty exalts the heart; my song inspires the soul. Allama Iqbal

    My Gallery
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    Tee WhyTee Why Registered Users Posts: 2,390 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Nice shots.
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    DeeDee Registered Users Posts: 2,981 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    #1 is fantastic, for sure a wall hanger!

    But I got the biggest chuckle out of #2 with the lane changes, what a hoot! I loved the engineer speak too, although I don't understand a word of it. Laughing.gif

    Gotta watch those Flickr people they can get you into trouble!

    But a Flickr person I asked shared a great spot for sea glass with me and I'm forever grateful. He even took the time to show up, and lead me right to it, and help me pick up some sea glass for my collection. It sure beat driving up to Mendocino.
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    TangoTango Registered Users Posts: 4,592 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    :ivar i would be very excited if i had anything like these....
    very cool... lov #2 btw
    Aaron Nelson
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Ann McRae wrote:
    Great stuff, April and I am so glad you are out there shooting! (and if I ever get to SF again, will you take me there?)
    I have bunch of places to take you!

    The flickr guys are good for me because they're changing my approach to photography. I shoot like a sports shooter --- I have one chance to get the shot. And when I do shootouts, I treat it the same way -- once chance.

    I just never realized that I could photograph the bay area even though I always knew that I lived in one of the most photographic regions in the world. And, I can wait for the right weather conditions....

    Now, I'm going to try to photograph the bay area. Wish me luck!
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Great looking shots, #1 takes the cake though.clap.gif
    #1 is my favorite and it's a shot that I nearly didn't get because I was so focused on the bay bridge.
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    tisun wrote:
    All are beautiful, but #4 is quite interesting indeed. April, I have to take me here the next time(s) you go.
    I like #4 because it's a different view and it's something most people don't focus on.

    And yes, I will be back! Let me know when you'll be free...
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Travis wrote:
    #1 bowdown.gif is a wall hanger for sure! thumb.gif The rest are nice except I'm not to found of the sky in #3.
    I want to see #1 in metallic print! Thanks for the feedback about #3. I'll see what I can do and what other frames I have....
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    ian408 wrote:
    Dork :D

    Some very lovely images. Especially the cityscape.
    Dork! That's not dorky!

    You can call me a dork the next time that I go back there and try a longer exposure so that I can really get a clean eye! I seriously think I can get a clean eye-diagram! :D I just need to find a time when people do a lot of lane changes!
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Andy wrote:
    So um, didya climb to the top of a certain tower there? :uhoh
    Nope. And I can't figure out where you took your version of the bay bridge and where you had to climb.

    We parked illegally (many people do), and there's a fence opening with a three/four foot drop. It was one of those times in which I wished I was taller. rolleyes1.gif Longer legs help, but it felt like I was climbing over my hockey boards when were leaving.

    And once you drop down, there's a well used path (found tons of old beer cans) that takes you along the rim and gives you great access to various viewpoints. I heard that there was a poison oak there before, but I think someone removed it because we didn't see it. And there are tree around you so you have some shelter from the elements.

    I can just imagine you taking a big narrow pano of the bridge at that location....
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Oh my God i never saw bridge from this perspective ! wow amazing. eek7.gifhuheek7.gif
    Great photos

    I think Andy has a similar view of the bridge in this thread.

    I've seen other people with this view, but I never shot it before from this angle and really wanted to take it!
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Tee Why wrote:
    Nice shots.
    Thanks! :D I was lucky that I meet the correct person and had good weather conditions (between storms).
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Dee wrote:
    But I got the biggest chuckle out of #2 with the lane changes, what a hoot! I loved the engineer speak too, although I don't understand a word of it. Laughing.gif

    Gotta watch those Flickr people they can get you into trouble!

    But a Flickr person I asked shared a great spot for sea glass with me and I'm forever grateful. He even took the time to show up, and lead me right to it, and help me pick up some sea glass for my collection. It sure beat driving up to Mendocino.
    I was laughing at the traffic patterns and watched the cars backed up! And only one person used their signal lights when changing lanes!

    And yes, those flickr guys can get me trouble and I can't wait to go out with them again! I hope they ask me! :D They do some amazing work!

    And what's sea glass?
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    :ivar i would be very excited if i had anything like these....
    very cool... lov #2 btw
    I spent most of my time shooting #2.

    And this was taken a few minutes earlier with a 90s exposure.
    440868957_Cwi6k-L.jpg
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    Awais YaqubAwais Yaqub Registered Users Posts: 10,572 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    aktse wrote:

    440878838_fFNMG-L.jpg

    This seems unique never saw image from this perspective. headscratch.gif

    mwink.gif
    Thine is the beauty of light; mine is the song of fire. Thy beauty exalts the heart; my song inspires the soul. Allama Iqbal

    My Gallery
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    BrendanBrendan Registered Users Posts: 223 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    These are all very nice, aktse. My favorite is the first. The star of light really makes the photograph great.

    I would definitely welcome some insider tips as to how to get to this location. I'm in the Bay Area as well, and would love to try some of my own photographs out.

    --Brendan
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    coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Holy crap those are great! I'm a big fan of skyline shots and these are excellent, really like the first but they're all strong photos.
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Travis wrote:
    #1 bowdown.gif is a wall hanger for sure! thumb.gif The rest are nice except I'm not to found of the sky in #3.
    I just looked that #3 again on my calibrated monitor. Crap! That photo post job turned a nice photo into an ugly mess of darkness! I lost all detail... :-(

    I kept on focusing on the lights on Market Street and kept on trying to tone it down that I forgot about the other parts of the photo. Thank you for your honest opinion.

    Is this one better? It might be too bright...ne_nau.gif
    441378349_Niu3L-L.jpg

    Or, how should I fix and crop? I just don't like market street (the bright street), but I the reflections in the water.
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    Biarien wrote:
    These are all very nice, aktse. My favorite is the first. The star of light really makes the photograph great.

    I would definitely welcome some insider tips as to how to get to this location. I'm in the Bay Area as well, and would love to try some of my own photographs out.
    That first photo can be taken easily, but you have to take around this time of year. The buildings are lit up like this only for the holiday season and I just recommend you head to treasure island and shoot near the Ave. of Palms or walk up the off ramp to treasure island.

    And I just went up to Yerba Buena Island and went through the fence opening. Good luck!
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    aktseaktse Registered Users Posts: 1,928 Major grins
    edited December 22, 2008
    coscorrosa wrote:
    Holy crap those are great! I'm a big fan of skyline shots and these are excellent, really like the first but they're all strong photos.
    Thank you. I call it luck and timing -- December. Little Wind. No rain. Between Storms. Clouds. Color.

    I couldn't have asked for anything more.... :D

    Well, maybe a pano shot, but that's just greedy. rolleyes1.gif
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    BrendanBrendan Registered Users Posts: 223 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    aktse wrote:
    That first photo can be taken easily, but you have to take around this time of year. The buildings are lit up like this only for the holiday season and I just recommend you head to treasure island and shoot near the Ave. of Palms or walk up the off ramp to treasure island.

    And I just went up to Yerba Buena Island and went through the fence opening. Good luck!

    Yeah, I really like the building outlines they do. I took a photograph of the East Bay last year, and you can see the same outlines in the distance: linked so as to not clutter your thread.

    I will have to explore Treasure Island more. I have only ever stopped there once and did not stay for very long. I've never been to Yerba Buena Island, but you make it sound like this fence opening is easy to find, so I'll have to go searching for that as well. :)

    --Brendan
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    BrendanBrendan Registered Users Posts: 223 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    aktse wrote:
    I just looked that #3 again on my calibrated monitor. Crap! That photo post job turned a nice photo into an ugly mess of darkness! I lost all detail... :-(

    I kept on focusing on the lights on Market Street and kept on trying to tone it down that I forgot about the other parts of the photo. Thank you for your honest opinion.

    Is this one better? It might be too bright...ne_nau.gif

    [picture removed to keep post small]

    Or, how should I fix and crop? I just don't like market street (the bright street), but I the reflections in the water.

    I think this one is much better, and don't mind the brightness of Market Street. If you really wanted to tone it down, I would process the image twice -- once for 98% of the image, and once for just Market Street. Then you could blend the two exposures using a layer mask in Photoshop. Depending on how bright it was in the first place though, it might look out of place or just not work as well.

    The brighter version really shows the good composition, so I would stick with it despite the brightness of Market Street.

    —Brendan
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    QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2008
    lol..eye diagram..jitter..what semiconductor company do you work for?
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
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    kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,680 moderator
    edited December 23, 2008
    Fabulous set, April. These are just wonderful. thumb.gifthumb

    Cheers,
    -joel
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