Tag Archives: bay

Transamerica Pyramid at Night

Transamerica Pyramid at Night

Transamerica Pyramid at Night. San Francisco, California. December 21, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Just before Christmas I had the chance to loop out to Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay (on the return drive from winter solstice at Muir Woods) and photograph the night skyline of San Francisco.

The parking lot near the entrance to the old Treasure Island base is always a great spot from which to photograph the waterfront and skyline of San Francisco – but it is especially good during the holiday season when many downtown buildings are lit up by holiday lights.

keywords: transamerica, pyramid, building, tower, san francisco, california, usa, night, photography, urban, downtown, skyline, city, lights, travel, bay, lights, reflections, treasure island, yerba buena, island, stock, scenic

Holiday Lights, San Francisco Waterfront

Holiday Lights, San Francisco Waterfront

Holiday Lights, San Francisco Waterfront. San Francisco, California. December 21, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

This photograph was made from the east side of Treasure Island, in the middle of San Francisco Bay. This is a classic location for night shots of the San Francisco skyline, and on this night I stopped as I headed back from a winter solstice event at Muir Woods knowing that the holiday lighting would make the view special.

While I was there I also shot a multi-exposure panoramic stitch of the scene:

San Francisco at Night: Bay Bridge, The Embarcadero, and Transamerica Pyramid

San Francisco at Night: Bay Bridge, The Embarcadero, and Transamerica Pyramid. San Francisco, California. December 21, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

This is perhaps my favorite San Francisco photograph. Even though the scene is well known, this image was created it a way that permits rather large prints. I currently have one that is about 3 feet wide and it could go much larger.

keywords: san francisco,downtown, skyline, waterfront, embarcadero, bay, treasure island, holiday, christmas, lights, transamerica, building, night photography, color, california, usa, travel, urban, city, skyscrapers, boat, water

Mission Peak: First Light on Mount Diablo

DiabloFirstLight2006|11|23: First Light on Mount Diablo. Mission Peak, California. November 23, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.

First Light on Mount Diablo. Mission Peak, California. November 23, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The story: This photograph was made just before sunrise at the top of Mission Peak, on the ridge above Fremont in the southeast San Francsico Bay Area. Here the sun is already striking distant Mt. Diablo, a landmark peak in the East Bay and Delta area. A group of us had climbed Mission Peak for the sunrise onn this Thanksgiving Day morning.

keywords: mount, diablo, park, dawn, sunrise, first, light, mission, peak, fog, hills, san francisco, bay, area, fremont, california, usa, color, photograph, landscape, scenic, east, regional, hike, climb, trail, stock, rock, valley

Three Ships at Anchor, San Francisco Bay (Black and White)

Three Ships at Anchor, San Francisco Bay - Black and white photograph of three ships anchored beyond old dock pilings in luminous morning light on San Francisco Bay
Black and white photograph of three ships anchored beyond old dock pilings in luminous morning light on San Francisco Bay

Three Ships at Anchor. San Francisco, California. July 17, 2006. © Copyright 2006 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Three ships anchored beyond old dock pilings in luminous morning light on San Francisco Bay.

I frequently ride the Caltrain up to San Francisco on summer mornings and photograph along the Embarcadero waterfront (and other locations). I have been shooting this particular scene for several years now, and I never cease to be amazed when I find such a peaceful and serene subject… standing next to old concrete barriers as commuter traffic whizzes by a few feet away.

These ships are frequently moored out in the bay a bit south of San Francisco, presumably while waiting to go into port or perhaps leave the bay? They seem to drift and turn a bit as the tides flow, so their alignment and positions can change in interesting ways. On this morning I was lucky to spot three of them lined up so nicely!

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | FacebookGoogle+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.