November 2021

Cloudscape at the Reservoir

By |2021-11-03T19:28:58+00:00November 3rd, 2021|Uncategorized|

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 [...]

September 2021

The Carson Mansion

By |2021-09-28T00:01:32+00:00September 28th, 2021|Uncategorized|

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 [...]

Better Than Posed

By |2021-09-04T20:10:54+00:00September 4th, 2021|Uncategorized|

I like the defocused background that comes with shooting at wide apertures, but the shallow depth of field means it's tricky to get the exact plane you want in focus to be in focus. That's especially true when shooting with a short telephoto—which, for me, is 75mm—at a wide aperture—f/2—with the subject a few feet [...]

June 2021

Portraits of a Tailor

By |2021-06-28T01:15:20+00:00June 28th, 2021|Uncategorized|

Carlos has been my tailor for years, and we see each other often. When he told me he was planning a website for his business, I volunteered to take some photos of him in his workshop. We agreed that the light coming into his shop from a big picture window was best in the late [...]

May 2021

Four Street Portraits in North Beach

By |2021-05-19T18:58:34+00:00May 19th, 2021|Uncategorized|

Along with the Embarcadero, North Beach in San Francisco is at the top of my list of places to go in the city for street photography. This past Sunday, I walked around for a few hours, and came across several people I had short conversations with before asking if I could take their photo—my standard [...]

Roaming the Tenderloin

By |2021-05-14T22:50:14+00:00May 14th, 2021|Uncategorized|

I know the Tenderloin isn't the most photogenic, or safest, neighborhood in San Francisco. But it borders Civic Center, where I often go to photograph the government buildings and walk up and down Market Street. This past Sunday, instead of heading "down" to Market St., I headed "up" from Civic Center into the Tenderloin. I [...]

April 2021

Sunday Afternoon in Martinez

By |2021-04-28T17:52:52+00:00April 28th, 2021|Uncategorized|

I've visited Martinez many times because it's close, the downtown is picturesque and uncrowded (especially on a Sunday afternoon), and all the picture-worthy sites are within walking distance of each other. Incorporated in 1876 (!), the town has lots of history (birthplace of Joe DiMaggio) and well-preserved historic buildings, like the John Muir National Historic [...]

March 2021

Weather Makes the Difference

By |2021-03-30T22:13:12+00:00March 30th, 2021|Uncategorized|

Before heading out early last Sunday morning, I listened to the local news. The weather report said it would be a warm day, but the Golden Gate Bridge was very foggy. I've photographed the bridge many times, in all kinds of weather, but fog is always promising, and very San Francisco. So even though [...]

One Environmental Portrait

By |2021-03-20T19:59:41+00:00March 20th, 2021|Uncategorized|

Very early last Sunday morning, I walked to the end of Pier 14 in San Francisco. It's a good spot for capturing the city skyline, and I've done that many times. On that day, I found this young man with his guitar looking out at the bay. I liked the composition from behind, so I [...]

Dog Shows How to Pose

By |2021-03-09T22:36:04+00:00March 9th, 2021|Uncategorized|

Walking along the Embarcadero last Sunday morning, I came to a small grassy area near the Cupid's Span sculpture. Dogs were playing on the grass, and one, a Vizsla, whose name, I found out later, is Lyra, was scouting for birds to chase. At the end of a low concrete wall, she was posing perfectly [...]

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