San Francisco Walk About

Sam · February 22, 2007

The weather in San Francisco was cool, and overcast, so much for the good light. Andy showed up with two of the Smugmug developers in tow, or was it the other way around?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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Thomas Hawk, and his group were there at the appointed time as well.<o:p></o:p>
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The group seemed to disintegrate fairly rapidly with everyone going off in different directions, and traveling at different speeds.<o:p></o:p>
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To continue, I was able to meet Liquid Air, and aktse. Always good to put a face with a name.<o:p></o:p>
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I absolutely hate driving into cities! It’s always a nightmare to try and locate your destination, find parking, (very expensive), and it’s easier to find your way home in blinding snow storm during a moonless night, then get out of an unfamiliar city in the dark at rush hour. <o:p></o:p>
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Once there however photo opportunities abound. This isn’t the kind of photography I do very often, and my skills in this area are definitely weak, but I always have fun, and need to do this type of shooting more often.<o:p></o:p>
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The following are a few of the photos I took yesterday.<o:p></o:p>
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Sam

<o:p>Would you believe this is Smugmugs very own rainmaker?</o:p>
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Sam · February 22, 2007

He also plays in traffic.

Sam · February 22, 2007

The group at the appointed time waiting for Liquid Air April, and myself.

Sam · February 22, 2007

Liquid Air

Sam · February 22, 2007

I wasn't able to get a nice shoot of April, AKA aktse, but here's one with her hard at work.

Sam · February 22, 2007

One just for Cody!

Sam · February 22, 2007

Another one with April hard at work. This time in a playground.

Sam · February 22, 2007

This is Thomas Hawk.

Sam · February 22, 2007

This is the entrance to the Trans America building.

Sam · February 22, 2007

Almost forgot the Smugmug crew!

Sam · February 22, 2007

Chinatown Street

Sam · February 22, 2007

Some of the locals hanging out and gossiping.

Sam · February 22, 2007

I don't know who this guy was but he followed us around for awhile taking vido, and talking to us.

Sam · February 22, 2007

Home made lanters.

Sam · February 22, 2007

The last one, whew!!!

DavidTO · February 22, 2007

Sam, nice to see some of the walk about. Is there some reason you don't put your images inline, but that you attach them instead?

TylerW · February 22, 2007

Wish I'd seen the original thread about this one, I'dve shown up!

Sam · February 22, 2007

DavidTO wrote:

Sam, nice to see some of the walk about. Is there some reason you don't put your images inline, but that you attach them instead?

David,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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Although I am a Digital Grin / Smugmug supporter I don't have a Smugmug account.<o:p></o:p>
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Yes, yes Andy always looks at me like got snot dripping off my nose when I say that, but I just don't see a personal use or need.<o:p></o:p>
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It would be one more thing to maintain.<o:p></o:p>
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I am working towards a point where I can actually earn some money from this photography stuff, and at that time I am sure I will be forced to have an online presence just from an image, and credibility standpoint, but in the meantime why would I want one?<o:p></o:p>
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Sam<o:p></o:p>
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wxwax · February 22, 2007

Kinda funny that the group gathers, then splits up again.

Andy · February 22, 2007

Sam, that's hideous photo of that Andy guy.

windoze · February 22, 2007

Andy wrote:

Sam, that's hideous photo of that Andy guy.

Umm, Iris and I just saw your pic - are you feeling ok?

j/k

troy

Andy · February 22, 2007

windoze wrote:

Umm, Iris and I just saw your pic - are you feeling ok?

j/k

troy

Seriously. That's the worst photo of me, ever. :puke

DavidTO · February 22, 2007

Andy wrote:

Seriously. That's the worst photo of me, ever. :puke

That sounds like a challenge. Harry?

wxwax · February 22, 2007

DavidTO wrote:

That sounds like a challenge. Harry?

Dee · February 22, 2007

Hey Sam...
Great posts, loved your photos. I'm surprised everyone took off in different directions. The video guy was probably filming for Thomas Hawk's photowalking movies.

Oddly, I thought the light might be good for photos, not too contrasty....

I don't go on walks like this because I can't walk that far without needing to sit down and rest due to back pain, or else I would have been there.

Ed (hubby) and I hate the parking situation in "the city" too so we rarely plan to go into the city unless it's to Crissy Field (lots of free parking).

I look forward to seeing everyone's photos.

Andy · February 22, 2007

Dee wrote:

Great posts, loved your photos. I'm surprised everyone took off in different directions.

That's not really how it was. There were lots of people and some were ahead, and some behind. Kinda natural.

Sam · February 22, 2007

Andy wrote:

Seriously. That's the worst photo of me, ever. :puke

I know. I thought long, and hard before I posted it, but then I thought, it's so baaad it's good. Besides Andy's a big boy he can take it. I only hope I can take future photos of myself surley to be posted by Andy.

Sam

Andy · February 22, 2007

Sam wrote:

I know. I thought long, and hard before I posted it, but then I thought, it's so baaad it's good. Besides Andy's a big boy he can take it. I only hope I can take future photos of myself surley to be posted by Andy.

Sam

aktse · February 22, 2007

Actually, I really wouldn't call it a walk; it was more like a photo crawl... a very slow photo crawl. I think the Zooomr people were going about a hour an block. The plan was to head from the old Chinatown to North Beach, but they weren't going to make it with the pace of the main group. I think they only went about four blocks up the street. I broke off with Sam and met up with Andy, etc. up the street. We later backtracked and met up with the rest on the way back to the entrance.

* The start of the photowalk. We even picked up some tourist that were in the area; he saw the group and just decided to follow us. Everyone had the latest gear and I had glass envy.

* We stood out quite a bit. Even the cars driving up the street even took pictures of us!

It was great meeting everyone and well worth the drive up to the city on a cloudy Wedneday afternoon. For some reason, orange was the color of the day for the smugmug people and fans! And yes, the red smugmug baseball caps are really that cool.

* Sam and devbobo (david)-- take note: he's wearing shorts! Burr! He'll learn that it's winter in the bay area!

*LiquidAir checking out his shot, but you kept seeing everyone looking down at their cameras!

* Smugmug and the Zooomr people being interview -- the great Andy Williams of Smugmug, Kristopher Tate (founder? one of the main guys Zooomr) and Thomas Hawk (CEO Zooomr) + dude with a HD video camera.

* This area is mainly for tourist... very, very kitschy

* I love the city streets

* But watch out for cars!
-- bigwebguy (lee): At least he can see if a car is going to hit him!

-devbobo (david): something caught his eye

-- Sam: at least he waited for a red light!

* The smugmug guys had to leave early due to a *very* demanding boss (Don). Sam and I continued and broke away from the group and went exploring by ourselves until the light (what little we had) was almost gone. We first found a really nice urban park in one of the side streets.
- Sam's on the walkway shooting away. And the kids just kept on playing while we were shooting.

* We saw the Transamerica building and had to walk over there

* On the way back to the starting point, we ended up seeing this enclosed space. It turned out to be an entrace to an apartment building! Since space is always a premium, I was surprised to find this here.

I had a wonderful time, but I think I enjoyed meeting the people of smugmug & dgrin the most. I don't have any pictures of this exact moment, but I do have one lasting memory that happened on this street corner on the way back where both groups met up and said their good-byes.

An old chinese lady was moving two boxes of frozen fishes for a restaurant stacked on a handtrack. It was very difficult to move and there are about 15 photogs standing on that corner which made maneuvering even more difficult. Somehow, the handtruck tipped over and out flew the fishes, ice and water all over the street corner. And what do people do???? Help her??? No! A large number of people just start shooting away as she struggles to save the food! I'm happy to say that people did help her, but only after they got their shots. It was sad and amusing at the same time, but I guess it's the photographer's instinct to take advantage of the moment to get the shot.

My question? When can we do it again?

Dee · February 22, 2007

Great photo additions...
Half a block an hour? I could have managed with a portable folding chair

I'll have to plan to visit the area sometime midweek and hope for cloudy weather. I thought the light was nice... but then that's me

firedancing4life · February 22, 2007

Dang...wish I could have made that! I should hang out more in the gatherings forum. Cool pictures!

San Francisco Walk About

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