Point Bonita Lighthouse
Meta information: Nikon D70 Raw capture, AF-S VR-Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED at 82mm (appx 123mm 35mm equivalence); handheld using VR (vibration reduction).
Exif: ISO 200, 1/80 second, f/9.
Focus: Automatic, at infinity.
Post: Considerable post-processing in Photoshop; see below.
For 150 years the Point Bonita Lighthouse has been helping mariners navigate the recalcitrant currents, dangerous shoals, and incessant clinging fog outside the Golden Gate. This lighthouse marks the entrance to the channel into the San Francisco Bay, and is still in operation.
What I like about this picture is that you can see the lighthouse beacon if you look closely. Once you see the beacon, there’s a moment of sensory adjustment when the scale of the photo–which is of an immense seascape–becomes clear.
I took this picture from the forts of the Marin Headlands the other day when I was clambering around and exploring with Nicky.
The Raw file for the photo was processed three times (once for the ocean, once for the fog and cloud zone, and once for the sky above the clouds) and combined using layer masks and gradients. Essentially, the exposure for each of these three areas was quite different, ranging from the dark ocean to the mid tones of the fog and cloud belt, to a bright sun-filled sky.
I also added a little to the lighthouse beacon with the Clone Tool, added a flare to the sun with the Lens Flare Filter, and used a dark blue gradient overlay used to enhance the sky.
The last step was to perform routine level adjustments and sharpening.
November 28th, 2005 at 6:35 pm
[...] re from the forts of the Marin Headlands this evening when I was exploring the area around Point Bonita Lighthouse with Julian. The Raw file for the photo was processed three times (once for th [...]
November 30th, 2005 at 12:05 am
[...] lear and wonderful weather that preceded the rain. This photo is from the bluffs near the Point Bonita lighthouse, taken only a couple of days ago. It’s one of the photos in the set with [...]
December 1st, 2005 at 7:22 pm
[...] Point Bonitas Light, photo by Harold Davis. View this photo larger. This photo shows another view of the Point Bonitas Lighthouse. The viewpoint is the same as the one from which I took th [...]
April 30th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
[...] sible to our naked eyes. If you look closely at the photo, you can see the light from the Point Bonita lighthouse, as well as some of the lights of South San Francisco. A little footsore, we t [...]
May 14th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
[...] e moon was coming up and the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge were coming on as I explored Point Bonita with Julian and Nicky. How lucky to find these small daffodils (or narcissus in the Latin [...]
September 30th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
[...] /a> Golden Gate from Point Bonita, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger. From Point Bonita, the Golden Gate and the city twinkled around the bend. What was the mystery boat in the m [...]