Almost Night
This is a thirty second, lens-wide-open photo of the Golden Gate with night fast approaching, taken on New Years Eve, 2007 from upper Panormic in the Berkeley-Oakland hills.
Winter nights in the Bay area can be marvelously clear, even when (as in this photo) fog is rising off the water. In this photo, you can clearly see the silhouette of the Farallon Islands behind the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as the warning light on the Farallons.
I’ve been photographing the Golden Gate steadily for years for my book 100 Views of the Golden Gate. The photos for the book were all selected at the beginning of December–and I thought I needed a break from Golden Gate photography. But I can’t stay away. The truth is that the Golden Gate’s combination of topography, weather, and engineering produces an infinite variety. Whatever my mood, there’s a satisfying and interesting way to photograph the Golden Gate.
[Nikon D300, 70-200VR Zoom lens with 2X teleconverter at 140mm (210mm in 35mm equivalent terms), 30 seconds at f/5.6 and ISO 100, tripod mounted.]
