Boarding Pass: SFO
Photo map of San Francisco. Click image for interactive map.
My trip to San Francisco started as a trip to Medellín. I was all pumped to go, and then I saw the weather report. Thunderstorms every single day of the trip. San Francisco had been in the back of my mind for a while, so I looked at the weather there. Sunny and highs in the 60’s F. Add a direct flight from home to SFO, and I was sold. Colombia would have to wait.
As this was my first time in San Francisco, I obviously wanted to be Golden Gate Bridge adjacent. If not, what are we even doing here, right? I knew Fisherman’s Wharf was considered a “touristy” area, but that’s what I was, and there is a lot to see and photograph in that area of the city. Streetcars and sea lions. Across from Alcatraz and edgewise to the Embarcadero. Not bad for a rookie.
Jay and I arrived about 9:30 am and jumped on the BART to downtown. A transfer to a cable car took us straight to the Argonaut Hotel, where we walked in and made a reservation on the spot. Treated to an early check-in, my first photograph of the trip was of Alcatraz through the hotel room window. I packed my go-bag, and we headed toward Pier 39 in search of lunch and interesting shots.
After we ate, we walked around the corner straight into the Pier 39 carousel. The carousel area was fairly close quarters, so I needed the widest lens I had (at that time my 24mm pancake). When we rounded the corner and saw the dozens of sea lions out back, I found a spot sheltered from the wind and sea spray and swapped for my 70-300mm to get some close-ups of these characters. They were splashing, sunning, and barking at each other. Fortunately, the sun was out and I was able to maintain fast enough shutter speeds to freeze the action. High on these early wins, we set out for the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Sea lions soak up the sun at Pier 39.
Like a lot of really big things, the bridge was farther away than it looked. We walked through the Presidio, so there was plenty to see and shoot along the way. Turns out, San Franciscans love to do interesting and photogenic things near the Golden Gate Bridge. I walked through the park firing at will with my 24mm lens. When we reached the near side of the bridge, Fort Point was covered over with a film crew. However, there were a couple of guys surfing next to the south foot of the bridge. I pulled out my long lens to catch them catching waves. Then I turned around to face back toward the city, and there was a man fishing, with the city skyline perfectly framing his silhouette. Suddenly, I was no longer tired. I was wired.
A little fish in a big pond.
Cooler heads prevailed, and we took a bus back over to our hotel to clean up for dinner. Another cable car ride deposited us at the edge of Chinatown. As Chinatown at night was one of my primary targets for this trip, I snapped away as we walked toward the restaurant. We had a fantastic dinner at Enjoy Vegetarian, then headed back (uphill this time) to catch the cable car and call it a night.
Going down to Chinatown.
Employing our beloved Time Zone Denial technique, we turned in early and were up well before sunrise. Here’s the thing about San Francisco: everything is on a hill. Corollary to that thing: there are incredible views everywhere you look. Skyline, Alcatraz, Bay Bridge, Golden Gate. Pick your poison. I had scoped out some prime vistas on our cable car rides the night before, I so had a walking route in mind: up to the top of Lombard Street, then weaving down toward the city, shooting the skyline with the sunrise behind it over San Francisco Bay. As we approached Russian Hill just before sunrise, a kind passerby noticed me with my camera and suggested we go up to the top of Vallejo Street. For me, this was a quintessential travel shoot moment: advice from a local, resulting in some of the very best photos of the trip. As I stood in Ina Coolbrith Park taking unobstructed photos of the iconic San Francisco sunrise, my planetary coordinates aligned with my vision. This was the spot.
Would you believe she woke up looking like this?
Making our way downhill toward downtown, we passed Caffe Trieste. It had just opened and a small line was forming, so we were intrigued. Coffee, pastries, and a streetside seat in the outdoor shelter served up breakfast views and fuel to finish the morning. Some sunny shots of the Bay Bridge, the Ferry Building, and the colorful streetcars of the Embarcadero, and it was time to ride one of those streetcars back to the hotel to pack up.
The afternoon was spent lunching and relaxing in preparation for the evening flight home. Just a couple of tourists enjoying San Francisco and basking in the glow of a very productive 24 hours, with time left in our trip to spare. With a plan, an achievable exploration radius, and a city that would offer more mind-blowing views than I could have imagined, another quick excursion went into the books as one of my most enjoyable and high-yield photo trips. I knew I had only scratched the surface of this weird, gorgeous, and infinitely interesting city. Turns out, I wasn’t done with San Francisco. Watch this space.
