Snow fell last Thursday on Mt. Diablo in Contra Costa County—not an everyday occurrence. The day after, I hiked up a steep, muddy trail near my house to reach an overlook on the Lafayette Reservoir Rim Trail. These photos were taken with my monochrome camera. I used 35, 50 and 75mm prime lenses, all with [...]
Pier 7 is a popular spot for tourists, couples taking selfies, wedding photographers, and me. I've been there at all times of day and in a wide range of weather conditions. The pier provides a perfect example of single-point perspective toward a vanishing point, at which sits the Transamerica Pyramid. Recently, I arrived there before [...]
Up Your Alley (also known as Dore Alley) is an annual leather and fetish event in San Francisco, known as the little brother to the much-larger Folsom Street Fair. This is the second time I've gone there to photograph the day. The attendees are friendly, and without exception, happy to pose for portraits. This year, [...]
The MIRA building, at the corner of Spear and Folsom streets in San Francisco, is pretty irresistible for photographers—even if they're not into architecture. The twisty-turny facades make for striking images, whether you're photographing the entire structure (which isn't easy, given that you can't back up very far) or details. Here's the whole building: I [...]
When I have my monochrome camera with me, I'm always on the lookout for good black and white subjects. Heading to a meeting in Marin County, I passed the Larkspur Ferry Terminal and thought, well, there's one. These photos were taken about 9 in the morning. I put an orange filter on my camera [...]
I see this topic discussed on photo forums from time to time: Can one make good portraits with a 28mm lens? The most open-minded respondents always say that you can make a good portrait with any focal length, and I agree. Maybe 85mm is perfect for head and shoulders shots, but, depending on the subject [...]
I have several antique clocks inherited from my father. Some work, some don't. I decided to get one repaired, but finding someone who repairs clocks that are over a hundred years old isn't easy. From my watchmaker, I got the name of Dorian Clair Antique Clock Repair in San Francisco. I called Dorian and made [...]
I got to Treasure Island about 7:30 last Sunday morning. Because I knew the sky would be overcast that morning, my plan was to take some long exposures with a compressed dynamic range. I also planned to take the new ferry from Treasure Island to the Ferry Building. But its first departure was at [...]
Whenever we get a rainstorm, and the skies begin clearing the next day, I head to the reservoir near my home. I put a red filter on my black and white camera to darken the skies and increase the contrast with the clouds. Here are three photos from yesterday, when there were lots of complex [...]
On a recent trip north, I photographed the Carson Mansion in Eureka, California. I'd been wanting to shoot it for years, having seen photos of it on the web. Built in 1885 by lumber baron William Carson, it's a Victorian in the Queen Anne style, and, according to Wikipedia, is "one of the most written-about [...]