Embarcadero Fireworks

A mad fireworks show taken from Treasure Island. Yes, we know its July, but really, who doesn't love a fireworks show? This was New Year's and that's the San Francisco Skyline and the famous lit up Embarcadero Buildings.

Bay Bridge at Night

Here's part two of our evening stroll the other night. This was taken from Telegraph Hill looking down to the bay and Oakland. The evening was not only clear, but very mild for San Francisco. We really never tire of this stunning view. Hope you all enjoy this as we appreciate all of your kind, thoughtful and complimentary comments.

View from Telegraph Hill

We took our dog out on an evening stroll last night. It was one of those rare San Francisco summer nights where it was clear and mild.

This is taken from our secret spot at the end of Union Street on Telegraph Hill.

That's the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge to the left and the Tranamerica Pyramid to the right.

City Night Traffic

This is Kearny Street in San Francisco's North Beach. The Coppola Building is the copper building on the left. We probably have taken at least a thousand photos of that building. This photo was taken about 10:30pm and as you can see, there's still a lot of action on the road.

Grapevines on Hwy 101

I took this while in the passenger seat of the car going about 60 mph. This vineyard is located right next to Hwy 101 in Cotati just south of Santa Rosa. We spend our weekends up north and this is a welcomed sight every Sunday when we head back to the city.

Happy 4th of July America!

This was the fireworks show that we saw off of our deck last summer. It was put on by the Konocti Harbor Resort in Clearlake, California. The show was amazing....Enjoy!

I Can't Get Enough Tomoatos

Went to the Farmer's Market yesterday and couldn't resist purchasing some of these heirloom tomatos! I had once seen a show featuring one of our favorite chefs, Alice Waters (of famed Chez Panisse in Berkeley) and she sliced up some heirloom tomatoes and placed a poached egg on top with a drizzle of olive oil and it has become a favorite breakfast staple in the summertime.

Living Room View at Dusk

This is the view out of our living room in San Francisco. We are blessed to look at Coit Tower everyday as well as St. Peter and Paul Church. This was taken at dusk on a sunny day and the purple hues were fantastic. Imagine, there are many evenings that we can't even see Coit because of dense fog.

Sleeping Cranes

This photo was taken over in Oakland one morning. These cranes are a common sight and an integral part of the shipping industry because they move all the containers to and from the cargo ships. It was nice seeing them all lined up ready for duty.

Dog School at the Beach

It was a beautiful day in San Francisco so I decided to take our dog, Olivia to the beach. This shot is of the San Francisco Bay at Crissy Field. Its a popular beach especially for the dog walkers. Today, I counted 8 dog walkers each responsible for at least 8 dogs. The walkers always take them off leash so they can run and swim. Its funny to see all these different dogs (from labs to pugs and everything in between) and how much fun they are having. Most remarkable though is the control that the walker has over their canines. Its quite a sight to see!

Downtown City View

This was taken during our evening walk with our dog in San Francisco's Russian Hill District. There's a hillside garden along Vallejo street between Mason and Taylor and it even has cozy, little benches that provide the most breathtaking views of the city.

Regatta versus the Shipping Container

During the summertime, the San Francisco Bay is dotted with sailboats. At the same time, we are a pretty big shipping port and these large container ships need to navigate between all the other mariners...or is it the other way around?

Lake Moonrise

This is our Saturday evening view from our lakehouse in Kelseyville, CA in Lake County which is about 2 1/2 hours north of San Francisco. We spent the evening BBQing and photographing the moon rising as well as trying to spot the International Space Station. Really, there's nothing like sipping ice cold Reisling on a warm summer night in California!

The Painted Ladies at Alamo Park

We indulged in an afternoon picnic the other weekend. It was a "sunny", Sunday afternoon at about noon and within an hour the fog started rolling in. This is taken at Alamo Park and is commonly known as the Painted Ladies. I've also heard peeps call it the Seven Sisters, too.
Whatever you want to call it -- it is a sight to see :-)

Hyatt Embarcadero Lobby

Here's a photo of the lobby in the Hyatt Embarcadero in Downtown San Francisco. We took this from the third floor while working on a Time Lapse video project. It's completely open and there's a fun lounge in the lobby. I thought it has a space-age look to it.

The World's at Crissy Field

This is Crissy Field near the Presidio in San Francisco. We go here often on warm sunny days because its a fun place to run, bike and the dogs love it too. A little while ago, there was an Earth Day exhibit and this one really caught my eye. It was alive and growing.

We did a little exploring/wine tasting/photography this past weekend. This is a photo of the entrance to Ceago Winery in Lake County, California. Its located about 120 miles north of San Francisco and has become noted as a prime territory for grape growing (lots of rich, volcanic soil.) It was a lot of fun and you can even drive your boat up to their dock. The architecture is quite stunning; rustic and country and Southern European; lots of ironwork too. They grow lavender and also make wonderful olive oil, in addition to their yummy wine! Good Times!

Dinosaurs in Clarion Alley

A few weeks ago we took an afternoon stroll through Clarion Alley in San Francisco's Mission District. What a treat. It was like walking through an art gallery. This was painted on a fence of about 6ft high by 10 feet wide. There were probably about 50 of these individual murals with any and all themes you can think of.

North Beach from the Air

Here's a shot from the Carnelian Room (when it was open) in the Bank of America Building on California Street in Downtown San Francisco. Although kinda pricey, we would love to go there every once in a while to enjoy a glass of vino. The view from the lounge was fabulous and on this night we attempted a time lapse video. This is of Columbus Avenue and Brodway.

Blooming Bay Windows

If you are visiting San Francisco for the first time, one of the most amazing aspects is all the different types of Architecture. We found this building on Divisidero Blvd while we were driving over to Dolores Park. We had to pull over so I could take some pictures. The blooms were not only exploding, but striking as well. Hope the picture does it justice.

Golden Boy Pizza

Here's a shot of one of our favorite pizza places in North Beach. Yes, there are lots of different types of pizza and we have many favorites. Golden Boy serves pizza that's made on large sheets. They'll usually have three or four types that are placed in the window; cheese, pep, combo and maybe if your lucky a clam and pesto. They sell it by the slice and there's always a line. The place is old and there's only a counter to sit at with a couple of tv's for sports watching. The decor consists of old concert and events posters, loud Indie rock music, and many times a tattoo-covered server with an attitude taking the orders. Seriously, a must try for North Beach!

The Water Cannons at AT&T Park

In honor of the SF Giants weekend sweep of the Oakland A's, I'm posting a shot of the water cannons going off to celebrate a Splash Hit Home Run.
51 Splash Hits have been hit since the ball park opened in 2000. (Barry Bonds has hit 37 of them).

100 games remain in the 2010 Baseball season. SF Giants are currently in third place, 1 1/2 games behind division rivals San Diego Padres and LA Dodgers.

Starbright

Sunday 2AM

This was taken off of our deck at our lakehouse in Clearlake in Northern California. The sky was absolutely clear and we decided to sleep outside under the stars. This is a shot from a series that we did for a time lapse video.

Here come the Heirlooms

I checked out an urban Farmer's Market today located right in the center of downtown SF. I was mesmerized by the bountiful pile of heirloom tomatoes and all the different colors and shapes.

Ferry Building Farmer's Market

Here's a photo of the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building in downtown SF.
A few years back the Ferry Building was completely renovated and it now serves as an amazing destination for gourmet foods, restaurants and bakeries in addition to being the spot where one can hop on a ferry and head to Sausalito and Tiburon.
On Tuesdays and Saturdays there is an unbelieveable Farmer's Market with all the organic fruits and vegetables one can imagine.
This photo was taken from the Ferry Building looking towards downtown and the famous Embarcadero buildings.

Waiting for The Shot

Sometimes photography takes patience.
My husband was waiting for a shot, little did he know---he was my shot.

The Other Bridge

Everyone has heard about the Golden Gate Bridge, but the Oakland Bay Bridge is actually much more impressive in so many ways.
First, it's located right downtown so everyone sees it all the time, it opened six months before the Golden Gate Bridge (in 1936), the total span is 3 times longer than GG (at 4.65 miles), it's a double decker and it carries twice the daily traffic load (270,000 cars).

Here's a view from the corner of Emarcadero and Harrison where the cars turn for the approach to the brigde.

Break of Dawn

Here's an HDR morning shot taken from Russian Hill. We hiked up to one of our favorite urban garden settings at Vallejo and Taylor. Whether its morning, noon or night, the view is breathtaking. This is a shot from our Time Lapse project we put together of the sunrise over the city. It was a fabulous way to enjoy our morning coffee!

Camera Settings:

Canon 50D

Focal length:21mm, f9.0, 1/400, ISO400,

+/- 2 stops and processed in Photomatix for HDR

Dolores Park on a Sunny Sunday Afternoon

It was a sunny 68 degrees yesterday so we decided to drop by Dolores Park for some people-watching. The park is located in the Upper Market district not far from the Castro so there's always an interesting cast of characters here. It is one of the most popular parks in the city for the locals on a Sunny weekend like this.

Sunset over the Pacific

Two things always bring a smile to our faces, sunrises and sunsets! Here's one over the Pacific Ocean. Hope this brings a smile to your face!

A Day at the Zoo

We went to the San Francisco Zoo the other day.
There are a lot of caged animals there, but this little guy was too small to get caught.
It was very happy feeding on the wildflowers.

People have ask about settings so we'll start to include them when necessary.

A Day at the Zoo: 100mm Canon Macro, f2.8, 1/1250. ISO200

Finally, we want to say that we appreciate everyone that leave a comment (positive or negative). Blogging is new to us so we don't alway know how to respond.....but we are learning. You guys have a lot of great blogs that are very inspiring to us.

Golden Gate Bridge II

A View from San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge

A view from Marin

Red Light District

This is taken at the intersection of Broadway and Kearny Streets in San Francisco's North Beach District. It was once known or perhaps still is known as the Red Light District. Evidence is in the neon signs in the rear. This picture is part of a Time Lapse series that we did that captured the moving traffic.

Closing Time

This is one of our favorite restaurants in North Beach. Its called Joe DiMaggio's and its a Steakhouse. They have a really fun and luxurious bar with lots of plasmas so we can cheer for our Niners and Giants. We were walking our dog one night and it had already closed and the normal busy place was eerily quiet.

Got Wind?

Here are a couple of kite surfers launching from Crissy Field. This is the San Francisco Bay which is a playground for sailors, kite surfers and windsurfing.

Kite Surfing Anyone?

How's this for an afternoon activity? This is taken from Crissy Field in the Marina/Presidio area of San Francisco. On a warm, sunny day, there are dozens of kite surfers here. Its really fun to watch and see them take off from the shore and navigate through the bay.

A View to Kill

We took this shot from Twin Peaks in San Francisco. It was such a clear night and there were photogs galore there attempting to capture the moment. The main drag is Market Street and that's the Bay Bridge in the background that takes you over to Berkeley.

After the Rain

It's been an unseasonably cold May in California this year.
It rained again yesterday, but then the sun came out right before it was about to set.
These rainy day sunsets are my favorite. Here's what it looked like yesterday.

Contrast or What?

I see this view everyday and it always brings a smile to my face. That's the Transamerica Pyramid and the Coppola Building. I took this shot on Columbus Ave and Kearny Streets in North Beach.

One of the Hills of San Francisco

This was taken at the bottom of California Street near the Cable Car turnaround. I thought it was a good representation of one of our many hills. For those of you who have never been to San Francisco, we have hills. We have lots of hills. No need for a gym membership, just imagine walking these everyday.

Classic Victorians

Here are some beauties that live on Union Street in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco! They are really everywhere as a lot of the architecture here in San Francisco is of Victorian and Edwardian. They recently painted this one and I thought the powder blue was so elegant. Oh, and those are classic bay windows.

Vibrant City

This is the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Broadway Street in San Francisco's North Beach. That's the Transamerica Pyramid in the background. We were shooting a Time Lapse Video and this is one of the shots in the sequence. I titled it Vibrant City because whenever I'm at this intersection at night, its like its an explosion of energy and excitment. I hope I captured that in the photo.

Ferry Building at Dusk

Here's a photo of the San Francisco Ferry Building. This is where you can take a ferry to Sausalito and Tiburon. They have recently renovated it and inside you'll find wonderful, gourmet wine & cheese stores, restaurants and bakeries and everything else yummy and decadent. And, on Saturdays they have the most amazing Farmer's Market. This is a shot of the evening commuters from Market Street. We were doing a commuter Time Lapse video this evening and we thought the sky and air were quite cooperative that day.

Bansky Fever!

So I've been a fan of Bansky for awhile and he has recently been leaving his mark around San Francisco. Bansky is an anonymous British street artist, AKA Graffiti artist. He has a movie out now that was recently shown at Sundance (to those lucky, willing to wait fans). Its called, "Exit through the Gift Shop." Well, when I heard that there was a sighting, I had to go and check it out. I found the following Peace & Love on Commercial and Grant Avenue in Chinatown. Let me tell you that when I first saw it, it was like finding gold. My heart started pounding and I felt kinda frozen. I noticed that that there was some plastic covering the artwork to preserve it. Apparently, some of his other works in the city have been painted over. I hope not all of them!

Here Comes the Moon

I've been following the moon for years and this was an evening that I was looking forward to. The moon was full and most importantly, the sky was clear. We parked our equipment at Filbert and Hyde streets in Russian Hill, just a few blocks from where we live. We ended up with an amazing Time Lapse video of the moon rising over Coit Tower. This is one of the shots.

Magic Mural Man!

I live in one of the best neighborhoods in SF, North Beach. North Beach is known as the Little Italy of San Francisco and is blessed with many wonderful restaurants, cafes and bakeries. I had been walking my yorkie, Olivia, on one of her daily morning walks and I stumbled upon the mural. This mural is located in one of the restaurants on Vallejo Street. I had known that the place had changed ownership and there was some renovation going on. I remember seeing an outline of the mural a few weeks ago, but had forgotten about it. It was like, presto! Suddenly, this magnificent mural emerged! The picture hardly does it justice; I really tried to capture the vibrancy of the colors.

Tilt Shift Cable Car

Here's a California line Cable Car heading up from downtown San Francisco. I put a tilt-shift effect on it to try to make it look miniature. What do you think?

The Bay Bridge @ Twilight

Here's a photo of the Bay Bridge taken from Treasure Island. To see the Time Lapse video, see below




This is an evening Time Lapse video I made of the Bay Bridge. There are two bridges that feed in and out of San Francisco; The Golden Gate Bridge heads north to Marin and this bridge heads east to Berkeley. It was shot from Treasure Island. I can never get tired of looking at the city from this view, especially on a clear day!

San Francisco Chinatown

This is taken on Grant Avenue in San Francisco's Chinatown. Its always so fun to check out the different types of architecture within varied neighborhoods and Chinatown definitely has its own style. Grant Ave is primarily focused on touristy stores pushing all the typical souvenirs. Its fun though, and on my most recent visit with my little yorkie, I stumbled upon the most charming tea house, Cherry Blossom Tea Company.