SAN FRANCISCO
A Photographer's Tour

Text and Photography Copyright Tom Guffey - All Rights Reserved.

San Francisco! The name inspires the imagination and anticipation of seeing such marvels as The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, North beach, The Castro, China Town, Painted ladies, and the list goes on and on. You are quickly overloaded as you try to figure out what to do first! This is one of the most photographed and visited cities in the world, so come prepared. The tourists are everywhere, all the time. There are shots around every corner, in every neighborhood, any time of day, so always have your gear ready to go!

Editor's Note: Thumbnails are links to larger images

There are wonderful scents everywhere that get your senses going: coffee at Caffe Trieste or Caffe Greco first thing in the morning down in North beach; lunch in Chinatown with all the aromas in the air; or a meal in one of the ethnic neighborhoods cooking up the local fare. San Francisco has something for everyone.

The city is also a walker’s town. It’s not that large to see on foot, if you properly plan out your daytrips. Park that rental car and take the cable cars, the old streetcars, public transportation, or a taxi. If you drive around you’ll soon find out that parking is extremely expense, and there is a real shortage of spaces throughout the city. If you do have a rental car, you’ll also see the real parking problem the first time you try to find an empty meter, or a lot - $$$$$

The weather is always interesting. June, July and August are the foggiest and coolest months of the year. October is usually the best month of the year. The weather will always be on the cool side, so pack a light jacket or sweatshirt when you start out for the day. I’d recommend taking along a water bottle too. As you hike throughout the city, there are hills everywhere.

Its going to be impossible to shoot everything, so make a list before you go, and also take some time to study the city maps. SFO has got it all.

Here’s a typical day’s list:

It’s touristy, but start at Fisherman’s wharf. Do it early morning to catch the activities as the local vendors are setting up for the day. There are always a number of interesting “faces” to shoot in this area. It’s not what is used to be, but it’s different every day. Some of the local vendors will pose for you if you ask. A mid range zoom should allow you to separate out their interesting faces from the busy backgrounds.

From there I’d catch the Powell & Hyde cable car for a ride. Hang on to a pole with one hand, and firmly grip the camera in the other. A wide-angle lens will get everything in the shot. Also get one of you and your “new friends” on the cable car! (Insider’s tip: When you get on the cable cars, don’t pick them up at the turnarounds. Those areas are always packed. Walk up the line a stop of two, and then get on!)

This will take you up to Lombard Street. Get off there for a great view of the Hyde Street Pier, with Alcatraz and San Francisco bay as the backdrop. I’d also make a point of getting a “post card” shot of the next cable car coming up Hyde.

Your next logical stop would be Chinatown. You can take BUS #30, from Fisherman’s Wharf, or a taxi. At the corner of Grant and California you can catch a shot of a cable car in front of the wonderful architecture in this neighborhood. I’d also wander up Grant or Sacramento, until you find Waverly Place. This area is known as the “Street of the Painted Balconies”. Kind of a Chinese version of New Orleans balconies –loaded with great colors. Also make sure you get to the corner of Grant and Bush to get a shot of the green-tiled Gateway in Chinatown.

For the classic “Icon” shot, head over to the Alamo Square. It’s a small park surrounded by Painted Ladies and superb Victorian Architecture. The streets are: Golden Gate Ave. on the north, Fell Street on the south, Webster on the east, and Divisadero on the west. Take a little time to view some of these wonderful homes. (Insider’s tip: A word to the wise: the adjacent neighborhood is the Western Addition, which is a large public housing project. So take a friend if you’re shooting the views at night.)

The best setup is to have the” ladies” in the foreground and the city, with the Transamerica Building in the background. The Transamerica building is usually placed on the left side of the shot. If you don’t have all of this in the viewfinder, move to higher ground in the park. You should be facing due east. Adjust accordingly, but you should have a wonderful view of the city. Catch the late afternoon shot here, and then wait until the afternoon sky goes from blue, to a deep royal blue. Setup for the same basic shot but now the interior lights in these homes will be on, giving you a wonderful evening shot. . You can also stand at the corner of Steiner and Hayes and get a great shot. Spend some time here and get that mandatory “postcard” shot. It’s worth it!

If you travel around the city there are also a number of painted ladies near Liberty Street, between 20th and 21st. The Mission District also has a number of wonderful homes on Guerrero Street. If you go west of VanNess, the Haight and the Noe Valley also have a number of wonderful examples of these grand old ladies.

Another great view is a shot of the city skyline framed by the suspension towers of the Golden Gate Bridge. This shot is good just about anytime of day, but as the evening comes on, it is a great image. The late afternoon sun will highlight the bridge’s “orangey” color. To get there, this location is across the bridge going north toward Marin Country. As soon as you’re across the bridge, take the first exit –Alexander Ave. Then take another hard left, which will take you back under the freeway –like you were going back across the bridge to the city. There’s a very steep, angled road on your right, by the “Golden Gate Recreational Area” sign. This will be Conzelman Road. It will take you up above the bridge. There are many turnoffs and spots to pull over, so just find a “room with a view”. With a little walking around, you can find the proper location so you can frame the Transamerica building in between the suspension towers of the bridge. This again is another “postcard” shot. You’re going to need mid to long-range telephoto to pull this one off.

A great vista awaits you, if you take Market Street to the top of the hill and follow the signs to “Twin Peaks”. Turn around and look back toward the city, locating the Ferry Building –what a view!! This is also a late afternoon, to sunset shot. A long telephoto, in the range of 200 to 400mm will work the best. There are also great views of the city from just about anywhere in the twin peaks area. If the skies are really clear –it’s a great spot!

All the cable car routes are great for views of the city. They take you to some of the best views and destinations in the city. The best route for photos are the Powell-Hyde, and keep in mind, it’s always going to be “packed” with tourists. You travel up Powell to Nob Hill, past Union Square then north on Hyde and up and over Russian Hill. A good jump off point is Lombard Street. A short walk down Chestnut will give you another view of the bay and Alcatraz. A medium zoom should give you the ability to take in just about all the views.

One walk to save for your morning workout is a trip up the Greenwich or Filbert Steps. They are on the east side of telegraph hill. Starts at the Levi Strauss Square, and about 400 steps later, you’re up by the Coit Tower. It has wonderful, lush gardens planted along the stairs. This is also one of the last places where the sidewalks are wooden boardwalks, with 100-year-old little cottages lining Napier Lane. At the end of this boardwalk are the Grace Marchant Gardens. Once you get to the top, Coit tower is there for you enjoyment. The view from the top is breathtaking.

Other areas that you want to include:

• Golden Gate Park – a 3-mile Long Park stretching to the Pacific Ocean. There are little lakes, a waterfalls and the Strybling Arboretum to take in. There still is one of the original windmills that use to pump water into the park, on the far west end. The Tulips bloom around the windmill in April. Most things in the park are best photographed in the morning light.
• Coit Tower- Wonderful photo subject and the view of the bay from this elevated location are superb. The best view of the tower is from the Embarcadero area, at the Levi Strauss Plaza. You can also get a good shot from the pedestrian bridge at pier 39, or the top of Lombard, at Hyde Street. The best time to get this landmark is with the warm glow at sunrise, and in the evening when it’s lighted. You need a mid range telephoto to get the shots.
• Alcatraz - Take the morning ferry from pier 41 to the “Rock”. The Park system has done a wonderful job of walking tours to cover the highlights and history of this infamous prison. You can photograph the interiors of the cellblocks and the solitary confinement cell. There’s a lot of climbing and walking, so come prepared, as the island is pretty windy and cold, even in the middle of summer. Make sure you have a wide angle, to take in all the interior shots on this great stop.
• Golden Gate Bridge Walk – to get a wonderful view of the city and the bay. Your trip would not be complete without a walk across the bridge. You can take in the sweeping vista of the bay and the skyline of the city. It ‘s always windy, so if your taking photos, keep a firm grip on your camera. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to get shots from this vista. Don’t set up a tripod here, as the volume of tourists will surely hit you and your gear.

There are just too many wonderful things to take in, and I just have just scratched the surface. You’ve got Haight-Ashbury, Union Square, City Lights Bookstore, Washington Square, The Palace of Fine Arts, The Presidio, and many more. Take the time to do some planning before you go, as one could spend a month in the city and still not see it all.

There are a number of good photography shops throughout the city, so film and batteries shouldn’t be an issue. If you don’t want to pack a lot of gear, there a few spots in town that rent, but remember –most of that rental gear is heavily used and if your not really familiar with it, you sure don’t want to “learn” how things work on your trip.

• Must haves to take: a hat, sunscreen, a light coat or sweatshirt and a water bottle. The “city” hiking will require plenty of liquids throughout the day.
• • Gear: tripod, cable release, extreme wide angle, normal wide angle, and a medium telephoto with a 1.4 or 2x extender. Polarizing filter and ND filter(s).
• • Film and batteries should not be an issue, unless you run out at one of the” tourist” stops, or out on Alcatraz. You’ll pay a bit of a premium, and the selection will be very limited.

My food spots: For morning coffee in North beach, try Caffe Trieste. Other spots for good “Joe” are Jammin Java in the upper Haight, or if you’re on the other end of town try Muddy Waters in the Mission District. Dinner at Buca Giovanni at the corner of Columbia and Greenwich.. MoMo’s for late afternoon grazing, and Harrington’s Bar & Grill for a hearty drink!

About the Author

Tom is a west coast published photographer whose work includes cards, calendars, and large format landscapes. His work can be seen at the Artist's Gallery of Seattle and in a number of major hospitals and medical centers across the Pacific Northwest. Tom is a member of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), International Association of Panoramic Photographers (IAPP), North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA) and the Royal Photographic Society, Great Britain (RPS).

Tom Guffey is a TPN Staff Member . More of Tom's work can be found on his website , and his online portfolio can be viewed at photoportfolios.net .

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