Need Photo Tips in San Francisco

[John Trogdon]

My wife and I are going to SF next month, primarily for the purpose of photography. I would like to know if anyone has any tips or suggestions that would help us avoid the normal tourist shots. We will be dependent on public transportation, and are planning on traveling as light as possible. We expect to do a lot of walking, but want to make it worth our while. Any secret spots, shooting angles, places to avoid? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[beautifulimpressions]

there are some "tourist" areas that are probably still worth visiting and you can take pics of the area in your own "style"

you might consider the Fisherman's Wharf area (and you can shoot the GG Bridge from there)
Chinatown
Golden Gate Park
Fort Point at the base of GG Bridge

word of advice: becareful not to attract too much attention with your equipment when taking buses, especially at night. and of course the same goes for when walking around at night. like any big city SF has it's share of predators and tourists make good targets.

I hope you enjoy your trip and get lots of great pics

[Candid Bandit]

Go to Market St and Powell St. Its the Cable Car turning point. Lots of interesting things happening there. Alot of cops around also so you will be safe. The Embarcadero at the end of Market St. is a big ben looking clock tower. You can see th Bay Bridge which is just as beautiful as the Golden Gate. It connects to Treasure Island and to Oakland! Very Very nice shooting spot. Take the trolleys to Castro Street. Alot of stuff going on there also. Twin Peaks will give you an almost panoramic shot of San Francisco. Not as popular as Coit Tower but it is a secret make out spot for me and wife when we were younger. Kekeee.. Very romantic. You have to go to Twin Peaks at night. Very very nice. Chinatown is always very colorful. Thats about all I can think of so far..

[Belmondo]

SF is also a great place for candids. There are a lot of very colorful people hanging around, and they're well accustomed to people with cameras.

[John Trogdon]

Thanks Beautifulimpressions........ dang, you have a long name. I will take your advice about using the buses and walking around at night. I had heard that there were a lot of street people there, and I will keep that in mind. Thanks for your input. I hope we get lots of good shots, and hopefully I will have something to share here. Just kidding about your name. It's just difficult to type after having a couple (ha ha) glasses of wine.

[John Trogdon]

Candid, It is our anniversary and I do like your Twin Peaks suggestion. Thanks for your other tips too. This is the stuff I was looking for. Thanks so much.

[John Trogdon]

SF is also a great place for candids. There are a lot of very colorful people hanging around, and they're well accustomed to people with cameras.
Belmondo,
I was tossing around the idea of just using my 24-70 as a walkaround lens. Now, your talk about candids makes me want to lug my 300mm around as well. Maybe my wife will carry it for me. She is accustomed to being my pack mule. Anyhow, I enjoy shooting candids of people, and am looking forward to the trip. Thanks for the help.

[Belmondo]

Maybe my wife will carry it for me. She is accustomed to being my pack mule.


What else could you use a wife for, anyway? :lol:

There are lots of street entertainers, 'colorful' locals, indigent people, and pigeons.

[ssim]

I feel that your 70-200 would be better suited for candids that the 300 unless you are timid and want to stay further back. When I do walk around in cities like that looking for candid shots I take two lenses, the 24-70 and the 70-200.

Be very cautious of older gentlemen bearing a halo thoughhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gifhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

[John Trogdon]

Hmmmm. . . . I'll have to get back with you on that one. It's pretty late here to have to start thinking. You guys on the west coast still have several hours. It's almost our bed time here in Florida. Do you have an easier question?

[John Trogdon]

I feel that your 70-200 would be better suited for candids that the 300 unless you are timid and want to stay further back. When I do walk around in cities like that looking for candid shots I take two lenses, the 24-70 and the 70-200.

Be very cautious of older gentlemen bearing a halo thoughhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gifhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
Sheldon, I don't have a 70-200. Actually the 300 F4.0L IS is great for candids. And... I will watch out for older gentlemen bearing halos. My wife does both pack mule and security. You guys are scaring me. . . . I can hardly handle Disney World... ha ha.

[ssim]

Duh... I thought I saw that lens in your sig. My mistake. I guess you'll just have to buy one.

[V6GTO]

I don't know how long you'll be in SF but the best advice I could give is take a trip to Yosemite. It's the most awe inspiring, breath taking place on earth, alongside the Grand Canyon.(And I'm not biased, I'm from England!)

Martin.

[Candid Bandit]

Candid, It is our anniversary and I do like your Twin Peaks suggestion. Thanks for your other tips too. This is the stuff I was looking for. Thanks so much.

Yeah... Shoot some candids... I love to see others candids of my city. Sometimes we might even picked up the same subject!! There are lots and lots of folks in the streets and no body cares if you are pointing a camera at them so you don't need a hubble telescope 300mm to shoot them. It would be way too crowded for that lens. You will find yourself waiting and waiting for people to pass before you can get a clear shot. I just use the 85mm and its just perfect. No tripod needed and still very crisp shots.

PS..
DRESS WARM!!!

[John Trogdon]

V6GTO,
We will be there for about five days. We had considered renting a car and possibly seeing the wine country or the Grand Canyon. I guess we'll see how it goes. I'm sure the Grand Canyon is awesome, and we will certainly consider the idea of going there. Thanks for your suggestion from the other side of the pond.

[John Trogdon]

Yeah... Shoot some candids... I love to see others candids of my city. Sometimes we might even picked up the same subject!! There are lots and lots of folks in the streets and no body cares if you are pointing a camera at them so you don't need a hubble telescope 300mm to shoot them. It would be way too crowded for that lens. You will find yourself waiting and waiting for people to pass before you can get a clear shot. I just use the 85mm and its just perfect. No tripod needed and still very crisp shots.

PS..
DRESS WARM!!!

Ok, so maybe the wife won't have to tote my 300mm around. She will be happy to hear that. We are preparing for some cool weather. I think SF is similar right now to our weather in Central Florida. I love cooler temps, but my wife will probably freeze. Thanks again for your help. I'm looking forward to visiting your city, and hopefully sharing some of our best shots with you guys on this forum.

[ayotnoms]

From the Ferry Building (at the end of Market Street mentioned earlier) you can take a ferry to Sausalito;which offers some nice photo opportunities itself. If it's a nice weekend day, there will be a lot of sailboats and other watercraft in the bay, it that's your cup of tea. Also, the trip takes you right past Alcatraz which might yield some good images.

Lastly, don't forget that there are places in the surrounding areas that are great for landscape images. The ridge along Grizzly Peak in Berkeley offers great views of the entire bay.

Yerba Buena Gardens (4th St and Mission) is another place where you might be able to snag a few good shots; architectural (SF Museum of Modern Art, for instance) and people.

Now that I have a good camera I intend to do a little more scouting myself since I live in the area.

I hope you enjoy your stay. 8-D

[JustDontDie]

I just moved to the bay area yesterday from Mobile, AL. I haven't made it out to SF yet, but I plan to soon.

[blackviolet]

hey bandit... can you grab some shots of 'new funk generation'? i listened to them across from old navy, but i didn't have my camera with me :o and the next day they were going to play, i left sfo...

[Candid Bandit]

hey bandit... can you grab some shots of 'new funk generation'? i listened to them across from old navy, but i didn't have my camera with me :o and the next day they were going to play, i left sfo...

HAhaha.. I got them!!!! Let me go find it!! I shot one of the drummer licking his drumstick.. It was on fire!!!