The Bay Bridge

Ann McRae

Was in the Bay area again :wink this week. April, sweetie that she is, picked me up from the airport Sunday afternoon and took me shooting at her secret location. I didn't bring a tripod (carry on only) so borrowed hers, sans head.

Learned a few things this time:

1. my sensor is really dirty
2. I can't shoot worth a hoot with my glasses on - progressives, and I just can't figure out focusing.
3. despite it being February, there are still biting insects on the Bay area, and I am still allergic!

4. April is a real doll - actually, we all already knew that! :clap :clap

5. climbing back up over the fence is WAY harder than getting down


So, I will share a few images from my Sunday adventure:







and a 3 shot pano:


If there are still dust bunnies, my apologies. I have a st00pid head cold and my eyes are watering like crazy!

ann

ian408

Looks like you did pretty well Ann!

Abiciriderback

Very nice series really like #3 and #4 very nicely composed

Ray Still

Scott_Quier

I love that pano - WOW!

And, you're right about April! A real doll!

jeffmeyers

A great series. Very nice work! Love them all.

grimace

Beautiful looking shots Ann!!

bryanj87

Those are all very well done. It's nice to see a different composition on the bridge.

torags

Nice Ann.

Because of your last series I'm scheduled to shot the moonrise on Mon 2/9. I'll have to search the Island for a good shooting site

Ann McRae

ian408 wrote:

Looks like you did pretty well Ann!

Thanks Ian - it is hard to go wrong when you have great subject matter. Really beautiful sunset that night.

ann

Ann McRae

Abiciriderback wrote:

Very nice series really like #3 and #4 very nicely composed

Ray Still

Thanks, Ray.

The third one was with April's amazing 120 - 300 - boy that is some nice glass!

ann

Ann McRae

I love that pano - WOW!

Thanks!

And, you're right about April! A real doll!

Ann McRae

jeffmeyers wrote:

A great series. Very nice work! Love them all.

Thanks, Jeff.

ann

Ann McRae

grimace wrote:

Beautiful looking shots Ann!!

Thank you Adam, ... but they aren't eagles! Boy you guys got fantastic shots!

ann

Ann McRae

bryanj87 wrote:

Those are all very well done. It's nice to see a different composition on the bridge.

Thanks Bryan!

ann

Ann McRae

torags wrote:

Nice Ann.

Because of your last series I'm scheduled to shot the moonrise on Mon 2/9. I'll have to search the Island for a good shooting site

Hi Rags

April challenged me: "will you remember where this spot is?" Well, I am pretty good with maps and directions and stuff, so here is my hint:
Yerba Buena Island, Forest Road->at a point perpendicular to the Bay Bridge, there is a clearing above a fence but there is also a hole cut in the fence near a dumpster that allows a bit better view......


Moonrise is like sunrise tho, right? so the pier 7 spot that we shot sunrise from in December might be better?

torags

Ann you're a sweetheart (but you knew that ).

As per moonrise. Each month the rise moves laterally & I haven't got the shooting sites worked out yet, cause I never know where its going to break on the horizon.

In the spring I got a good shot from the headlands thru the suspension wires of the GG. But last month & the 3 months before it rose over Oakland.

I'm hoping I can get the moon and the bridge in one frame. First time for the Island for me & seeing your shots, I'm getting very enthusiastic.

Thanks for the tips

Rags

Dee

torags wrote:

Ann you're a sweetheart (but you knew that ).

As per moonrise. Each month the rise moves laterally & I haven't got the shooting sites worked out yet, cause I never know where its going to break on the horizon.

In the spring I got a good shot from the headlands thru the suspension wires of the GG. But last month & the 3 months before it rose over Oakland.

I'm hoping I can get the moon and the bridge in one frame. First time for the Island for me & seeing your shots, I'm getting very enthusiastic.

Thanks for the tips

Rags

If you figure out the "where the moon will rise" information be sure to let us all know.

I was at the beach one day, about to drive off, when I saw a photographer climb down to the beach with tripod, he proceeded to set up facing south. I thought he was totally nuts, the sun had been down for awhile. As we drove away I saw a thin sliver of the moon over the bluff, and instantly knew what he was photographing.

So where did he get his information?

As for the secret spot, I'm not likely to visit it, I'll have to enjoy everyone else's photographs. I love the traffic on the bridge.

There's more to the island than the secret spot, lots of lovely old wood frame buildings with peeling paint and such, better photograph them before they are torn down.

Ann, how strange you got a break in traffic and all the 50s in each lane are clear! You probably couldn't do that again if you tried, unless it was like 3 a.m. or something.

torags

I get my info from here

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php

I like to get it the day the moonrise is at the end of civil twilight or dark. Sometimes it's too bright and it looks washed out. IMHO

Here's one two months ago (over Oakland). The horizon moon has such rich colors due to the atmosphere



Rags

Ann McRae

Ann you're a sweetheart (but you knew that ).

I'm hoping I can get the moon and the bridge in one frame. First time for the Island for me & seeing your shots, I'm getting very enthusiastic.

Thanks for the tips

Thank you - my pleasure and good luck!

torags wrote:

Here's one two months ago (over Oakland). The horizon moon has such rich colors due to the atmosphere

Rags

Great shot - I love those low moons that look like they are massive. In December we were running errands, driving along and suddenly the massive moon was no longer obscured by buildings. Took my breath away.

ann

Ann McRae

There's more to the island than the secret spot, lots of lovely old wood frame buildings with peeling paint and such, better photograph them before they are torn down.

It does look very interesting, but it seemed to me that the homes were inhabited?

Ann, how strange you got a break in traffic and all the 50s in each lane are clear! You probably couldn't do that again if you tried, unless it was like 3 a.m. or something.

Dee, April and I were laughing about this - these shots were right in the middle of the Superbowl, so no one was on the road!

pillman

Pics are nice. Yet enjoyed your humor more...

Ann McRae

pillman wrote:

Pics are nice. Yet enjoyed your humor more...

Well, thank you, Bill!

ann

aktse

It was so good seeing you again! I just can't believe I was able to find you at SFO without the aid of a cell phone! And for once, traffic was actually decent since it was superbowl sunday!

My heart stopped when I didn't see your lens and kicked it down the hill! Time stood still as I watch it roll downward!

Ann McRae wrote:

1. my sensor is really dirty

Your sensor wasn't the only one....

I'm still getting rid of bunnies and worms out of this one:


And the bunnies are winning...

Ann McRae wrote:

I just love the tones in the sky for this one. clapclap

Come back soon! I have other places to show you!!!!!

schmoo

Fantastic captures, both of you!

This area seems to have no end of good places to shoot. Looks like the weather and the traffic were cooperating.

torags

Hey Ann...

I found the road, I found the dumpster & I found the BIG step down. I didn't get the moonrise, it's on the other side of the hill "gettable" from the marina (w bridge in one frame)

That was my first time & I'll go back, thanks again for the tip.

Ann McRae

I

t was so good seeing you again! I just can't believe I was able to find you at SFO without the aid of a cell phone! And for once, traffic was actually decent since it was superbowl sunday!

Yeah, me no cell phone OR change for the pay phone! D'oh! Thanks for finding me!

My heart stopped when I didn't see your lens and kicked it down the hill! Time stood still as I watch it roll downward!

Oh, that was totally on me - I mean who leaves a lens lying around on a dark cramped hillside! No worries, everything worked out fine!

Come back soon! I have other places to show you!!!!

And I want to see them all!

Thanks April

When will you post your shots? I wanna look at your 120 - 300 shots for sure!

Ann McRae

schmoo wrote:

Fantastic captures, both of you!

This area seems to have no end of good places to shoot. Looks like the weather and the traffic were cooperating.

Thanks Steph - I just don't know how one can go wrong shooting in San Fran area. Absolutely the most gorgeous city I've been to.

ann

Ann McRae

torags wrote:

Hey Ann...

I found the road, I found the dumpster & I found the BIG step down. I didn't get the moonrise, it's on the other side of the hill "gettable" from the marina (w bridge in one frame)

That was my first time & I'll go back, thanks again for the tip.

Oh, excellent!!!!

Great stuff, let us see the result of the other trips!

ann

aktse

torags wrote:

I found the road, I found the dumpster & I found the BIG step down. I didn't get the moonrise, it's on the other side of the hill "gettable" from the marina (w bridge in one frame)

That was my first time & I'll go back, thanks again for the tip.

I'm glad that you found this place. For the shot that you want, I think south of the bridge works better.

Like this -- photo by stargazer95050's on flickr

tsk1979

I think while you were shooting bay bridge, I was shooting the Golden gate...

torags

aktse wrote:

I'm glad that you found this place. For the shot that you want, I think south of the bridge works better.

Like this -- photo by stargazer95050's on flickr

That is the one I want. I won't get the next moonrise on 3/10; I'll be in southern Utah shooting slots. But April.....

thanks for the link, I'll try to figure the shoot site from that.

edit: The shoot site was from Alameda and it was a moonset. Hmmm... the last time I wanted to spend a night in Oakland was... well.... never.

I'll work on the moon rises. But that shot was awesome