The New Road

Another early morning

I decided to get up a little early this morning to get some more panoramic photos. First stop was Paddy's:

Paddy liked the last set of panorama but we agreed that it would be better if I got a little more of the door and less of the surrounds. Plus if it were a little sharper. This one does that, but it's way too early so the light is wrong. The last time I got this shot the sky, which is actually in this shot, was a deep blue as opposed to the pitch black it is here.

So having gotten some coffee and a muffin I headed west across the 92 and up to skyline boulevard. Where I took this image looking back towards the bay:

Still really really early, so I decided to go into the city. I took 280 through the Presidio and turned off towards the marina:

Why this one came out so light is beyond me. I thought the sun had already risen but it hadn't. I think the dawn is a little brighter than sunrise. I was going for a forrest of little sailboat masts but it wasn't to be had. I think I was a little too close, but there is something in this shot. Next time I'll get it.

Next I turned north again and went into nearby Crissy field, where Andy Baker had done wetlands restoration work. I hadn't see the results, but it was amazing:

And then the bridge a little closer up:

Then the sun really started to rise. You can see that in this picture. The little hump to the right is the Palace of Fine Arts.

So I went a little east and took a long shot of the bay:

The golden gate is on the left, Alcatraz is about three-quarters of the way across to the right, and the sun is on the far right.

I figured that would pretty much be the end of it, but it turns out that there was one more shot left in the morning:

This is the shot that I really didn't get right the first time I did this. This time I was back a little ways from the bridge, which lessens the parallax effect. I was also lucky enough to get the sun right as it intercepted the shaft of the arrow and the span of the bridge.

I think the next time I will go north up 880 to the Marin headlands and stake out just at the north end of the golden gate. I think the sun will rise and shine through the cityscape. Should be very cool. Once I am done with that I could come back south over the bridge and pick up a couple more shots of the marina and the pier complex.