fstopandsee

Apparently it is a thing to put a lock on a public structure to profess your love. NYC is officially not in favor of the practice of people putting stuff on their structures, but I believe it makes for an interesting photo.

The Millennium Bridge crosses the River Thames in London, and is an excellent contrast to the iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral in the background. Many people pass here everyday as their typical commute, but I had to stop and admire the new architecture in front of the old classics.

The San Francisco Bay as seen from 757 feet above sea level. Starting at Ayala Cove, first by bike and then by foot, I made my way to this point for a view of Tiburon and all that lies beyond. The view toward San Francisco was foggy, but this view toward Tiburon was very clear.

My original plan was to go to the top of Rockefeller Center to catch the sunset. Then it started raining, and then it started pouring. I was sure sunset was not going to happen. When the storm cleared right before sunset we were with our gracious hosts on Roosevelt Island and rushed to the roof. The sunset was super bright, and the leftover storm clouds were dramatic. Since it was just a few days past Manhattanhenge, where the direction of the sunset lines up with the corridors of the city, I was able to get the sun between two buildings right before it disappeared. Sometimes missed plans work out after all.

Shooting this bridge has been on my list for awhile, and I finally decided there was no time like the present. The sunset cooperated, but the lights did not. I waited until long after sunset for the bright lights to turn on that illuminate the towers but they never came on. That will be a photo for yet another day. Enjoy the sunset!

I almost expected to see a ghost train while on this spooky old set of railroad tracks, but I did not. Instead I saw where trains used to cross the San Francisco Bay, but not much else happens today.

I wasn’t around back then, but this bridge has been working hard since that year to collect moss.

A friend asked me to check out his 8-16mm lens and see what I could do with it, claiming I was some type of “wide-angle expert.” I decided to try shooting Sacramento’s Tower Bridge. In a perfect world, there would be a safe place in the middle to stand, but there is not, so I settled for the sidewalk. I learned a couple things. First, 8mm versus 10mm isn’t as much of a difference as I thought. Second, I shouldn’t be so lazy and need to bring my tripod next time.

In addition to experimenting with 8mm, I took the opportunity to try out DNG files. I’m not sure I’m sold on the benefits yet, but the space saving is going to come in handy pretty soon!

The view of the train bridge converted to a bike path from the Boston University Bridge almost gives you too much to take in at once. Graffiti, boats, skyline, all very different elements in one place. While I was standing here a sailboat slowly crashed into the bridge, and was quickly pulled away by another boat. These rental boats must get some good abuse!

When I saw this bridge I knew I had to stop. I like the way the old train bridge is reaching up into the cloudy sky, while the tracks run off in different directions below.