http://ricksammon.com/blog2/2013/11/21/announcing-international-winter-solstice-photography-day
I thought this was an awesome excuse to go out and find the best place to take a sunset photo. I made a whole day of it. The winter solstice being just 2 days after my birthday, I thought I would just make a day with the family. We spent the day in San Francisco, doing cool things at Golden Gate Park. We ended the day at Treasure Island. Treasure Island is a small island in the bay about halfway between Oakland and San Francisco. You get to it via the Bay Bridge. I think it's technically part of San Francisco. It used to be a naval base, but was closed many years ago. It's now very rundown and reminiscent of a ghost town. We drove around the island checking it out. There are some wine tasting rooms, a marina, an RV storage, a small residential community, and a couple small parks. And a lot of rusty old buildings.
it was a little weird being there. I could only imagine what it must've been like when it was an active base (if you ask my uncle, he could tell you. Apparently he was there for a month in 1967 when he was in the Navy).
From Treasure Island there is a very awesome view of the San Francisco skyline. The bay bridge. On a clear day you can see the Golden Gate Bridge and the Richmond Bridge too. And Alcatraz looks like a hop, skip and jump from the island.
There's a fantastic sculpture on the island. From photos it looks to be about 15 ft tall. But in reality it has to be 4 or 5 stories tall. This thing is phenomenal. It's huge. I was absolutely in awe.
Anyway .... My plan/goal was to get a photo of the skyline with the setting sun. Hoping for a decent silhouette of the skyline.
I took several (20 or so). I took lots with a starburst effect due to a closed aperture. I took some with an open aperture for a softer look. Ultimately I liked the starburst effect better.
My favorite was one with some rocks from the Treasure Island shore in the foreground and the skyline in the background with a starburst sun behind a couple buildings (was hoping it would be behind Coit Tower, but it didn't happen).
I was really pleased with this photo. Textbook silhouette landscape photo. Almost panoramic, but wasn't really.
I am pleased to say that it won second place in the contest. :D
Posts
