Whirlwind trip - looking for tips

dlscott56 · July 18, 2011

In a couple of weeks we're going on a vacation and covering a lot of territory. I'll have two sunsets and sunrises in Yosemite, and probably the same in both San Fransisco and the Big Sur area. There won't be a lot of 'scouting' time on the trip so I was hoping to get some tips on what best to try and capture while we're away. I know a lot will be missed. Wish we had more time.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Zaui · July 19, 2011

A couple good sunset points:

1) Sentinel Bridge in the Yosemite Valley - google "yosemite sentinel bridge sunset" to see the shots you can get

2) Glacier Point - nice overview of Half Dome and the various waterfalls in the valley.

dlscott56 · July 20, 2011

Thanks Scott. Googled both and am excited to visit both spots.

Bruce.B · July 20, 2011

dlscott56 wrote: »

In a couple of weeks we're going on a vacation and covering a lot of territory. I'll have two sunsets and sunrises in Yosemite, and probably the same in both San Fransisco and the Big Sur area. There won't be a lot of 'scouting' time on the trip so I was hoping to get some tips on what best to try and capture while we're away. I know a lot will be missed. Wish we had more time.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

In San Francisco-
- Golden Gate Park; wander some of the smaller paths; look for the windmills near the beach;
- Fisherman's Wharf (every tourist goes there, but there's some nice shots)
- Get out near Fort Point for shots of the bridge, especially as the fog lifts around 1:00PM or so; nearby is Marina Green and Gas House Cove marina
- China town; you might want to find a restaurant serving dim sum at mid-day.
- Take a cable car and hang out the side with the camera for some interesting shots of daily life; works especially well if you can do that during commute time (you need a really good grip as the crowd is *aggressive*!); and use your audio recording feature to get the cable car driver's bell ringing (they love to show off!)
- Sunset shots are unlikely as it's usually foggy at that time, but if you have dinner across the bay in Berkley you might do OK. As I recall there's a restaurant a the Berkley Marina called Solomon Grundy's with a good view, but I haven't been there in decades.
- The boat trip to Alcatraz might be worth your time for shots inside the building... ???
- A harbor tour on the Red & White Fleet tour boat will give you access to the waterfront.

Dress in layers so you can handle low 40s (F) to high 70s (F): when it's foggy it's cold, but it can get warm when the fog lifts depending on the wind. Whatever you do, get a tour book (Frommer's, Lonely Planet, whatever) for more ideas!

dlscott56 · July 20, 2011

Thanks Bruce! All are great suggestions. I'll be mapping out some of the areas you've mentioned so I can plan ahead. I just bought tickets last night for the Alcatraz tour since a friend told me they sell out frequently. So we'll have fog for both sunset and sunrise? Is there anyplace to shoot at those times?

Bruce.B · July 21, 2011

dlscott56 wrote: »

Thanks Bruce! All are great suggestions. I'll be mapping out some of the areas you've mentioned so I can plan ahead. I just bought tickets last night for the Alcatraz tour since a friend told me they sell out frequently. So we'll have fog for both sunset and sunrise? Is there anyplace to shoot at those times?

Emphatically YES. Down town is always good, so is Golden Gate Park. And the fog makes an interesting back drop. San Francisco fog is a little different than what you run into elsewhere. By definition, fog is a cloud that's within 600 feet of the ground. In San Francisco you will often (but not always!) have fog that is a few hundred feet above the ground but still meets the criteria. So don't waste time at the motel/hotel just because it's foggy! I recall the quote from John Perriment's signature (fourthirds-user.com) which says "if you can't see a picture you're not looking hard enough".

With a guide book you can find the Palace of Fine Arts which is left over from the 1938 Pan-Pacific Exposition. And the Palace of the Legion of Honor built by the French out of gratitude for service during WWI. IIRC, that's where a Rodin bronze named The Thinker is located (one of 20+).

re: Big Sur... frankly I'd go for more time in Monterey, Carmel and Pacific Grove, but it's not a long drive down so you should be able to do both easily. Once there you may see what I mean. Big Sur is gorgeous, but for wandering around and taking photos, you might find more in town. The problem with Big Sur is that Hwy 1 is very narrow so you are restricted to stopping at the turnouts. A few thoughts...

- Take a walk out at Pt. Lobos State Park (have a ranger point out what poison oak looks like so you can avoid it!).
- Pay the toll and drive out on 17-Mile Dr. That will give you a chance to get a photo of the lone cypress at Pebble Beach Gold Club... very, very difficult hole over the water.
- And there are great restaurants in Monterey & Carmel. The harbor & pier at Monterey is a great place for photos. Again, use the guide book.

Monterey Bay Aquarium is spectacular and worth a visit. Photos inside the aquarium are very do-able but the lighting is subdued for the fish. The guy that created the initial design for the Packard family (David Powell) is a friend of my wife. He'd been retired for quite awhile but still took us on a back-room tour and let me walk out on the feeding platform over the main tank... my pucker string was at maximum tightness. A 1,000,000+ gallon tank is amazing! I doubt you will be able to do what I did, but if there's a tour available (I think there is), go for it. Just don't drop your camera!

Be sure to make stops on the way to the Monterey area from San Francisco. All the little towns are interesting, e.g. Castroville which claims to be the Artichoke Capital of the World. And you may be able to stop for some strawberries along the way to or from Watsonville (there season may be over by now... ??). One possible route from San Francisco would be to take Skyline Blvd (basically a 2-lane mountain road once out of SF; it takes you past locally famous Alice's Restaurant named for the Arlo Guthrie song... not the other way around) till you come to Hwy 4, then turn right and go south thru Big Basin to Santa Cruz, then follow the signs to Monterey. It would take a lot longer than the major highways but it avoids the congestion of San Jose and is a spectacular drive thru the redwoods.

Btw, when you go to Yosemite, be sure to include a visit to the Ahwahnee Hotel. It's one of those amazing artifacts from the 1930s. The ground floor including the dining room is open to visitors and the views of the surrounding mountains are spectacular. Great place for photos inside and out, or to just hang out. I'm sure you're aware but I'd be remiss if I didn't remind you that young Ansel Adams used to hang out at the Ahwahnee in the afternoon where he'd play the piano for guests (and himself!).

Way too much info. Mea culpa! I'm sure you'll have a great time and fill up several cards with really great memories.

Bruce

dlscott56 · July 21, 2011

Bruce, this is fantastic! Exactly the kind of info I was hoping for and lots more. Thank you.

Angelo · July 21, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_68ytOYnTvs

dlscott56 · July 21, 2011

Angelo wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_68ytOYnTvs

Thanks Angelo, I just spent quite a while watching various Yosemite videos in this series. Fascinating, wish I had a week or two just at Yosemite. Thanks again.

a110p0 · July 31, 2011

I've been compiling a map of Bay Area photo locations. I hope it's
helpful.

Alvin

dlscott56 wrote: »

In a couple of weeks we're going on a vacation and covering a lot of territory. I'll have two sunsets and sunrises in Yosemite, and probably the same in both San Fransisco and the Big Sur area. There won't be a lot of 'scouting' time on the trip so I was hoping to get some tips on what best to try and capture while we're away. I know a lot will be missed. Wish we had more time.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

dlscott56 · August 1, 2011

a110p0 wrote: »

I've been compiling a map of Bay Area photo locations. I hope it's
helpful.

Alvin

Alvin, the map is awesome. Thanks!

BradfordBenn · August 4, 2011

The one thing I would add, don't forget to just see the things around you. I travel quite a bit for work and have gotten some nice pics just from the area I was in. Some times being off the beaten path gives you new opportunities.

dlscott56 · August 5, 2011

BradfordBenn wrote: »

The one thing I would add, don't forget to just see the things around you. I travel quite a bit for work and have gotten some nice pics just from the area I was in. Some times being off the beaten path gives you new opportunities.

Thanks Brad. I will definitely be doing that. It's a family vacation and so we will be spending a lot of time doing things not dedicated to photography. I'll have my camera with me and ready. No matter what I'm sure it's going to be lots of fun and will enjoy lots of time with my kids. Both sons are in their 20's now and family vacations like this aren't as common as they used to be. Really looking forward to it and hope to get a few good shots as well.

Thanks for all the info everyone (not leaving until Sunday so please feel free to add something if you have it).

dlscott56 · August 24, 2011

Just wanted to say thanks to all that offered some suggestions. As it turns out I had very little control over where I would be and when. It was, however, a great trip. Lots of fun and got to see at least a small part of a very beautiful state that I've never been to.

Here are a couple of shots from the trip:

Somewhere in Yosemite:

In the valley

Some SF shots:

And some from the coast

Thanks again!

Whirlwind trip - looking for tips

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