It's a real achievement for me to go to San Francisco and not take a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge -- usually I end up with about three memory cards worth!
Still, this seemed like an excellent opportunity for me to get a photograph of San Francisco's other major bridge, the Bay Bridge.
I've wanted to get this photo ever since I saw it on Flickr about 5 years ago, but unlike the Golden Gate Bridge, where there are multiple easily accessible viewpoints on public land, this one is a lot more dodgy. The only place where you can get a shot looking along the bridge, like this, is from Treasure Island, large amounts of which (including anywhere with a good view) are owned by the US Coastguard.
As such, getting this shot involves ignoring multiple 'private property' and 'no trespassing' signs and hoping you don't meet anyone official. It's also extremely difficult to park, as all the spaces are resident parking (understandably since it's private!) The only option is a very small pull-off down the single-track road this viewpoint is on, which is only large enough for one vehicle.
Because of this, I've put off taking this shot for several trips, but I've always wanted to get it, so this time I figured I'd give it a go, despite some fog coming in from the sea. Apart from some difficulty in finding the correct road, it all went fairly well, and I parked as quietly as possible, employing my ninja skills to silently close the door.
Even when you get here, it's not particularly easy -- there's a very high fence to look over, so you need a tall tripod, and the area is quite overgrown. However, the view is most definitely worth it!
There's another spot you can get to that's actually under the bridge, but that requires clambering down a steep incline and there's absolutely nowhere to park, so you need someone to drop you off and pick you up -- maybe next time!
I suspect this won't be the only photo I post from my photoshoot here!
I'm a British software developer and photographer living in Vancouver, BC. I mainly photograph landscapes, cityscapes, night scenes, and water.
If you're interested in any...
@rmkgreene Thank you! Always happy to share locations, the green pointer is the exact spot, and you can just about make out the fence in satellite view: http://goo.gl/maps/9tje
The only parking I'm aware of (the pull-off mentioned above) is about 50 yards to the east on Forest Road. If you have a CA-plated car you could probably get away with parking in one of the resident spaces for a few minutes, but I figured my BC-plated car might stand out ;)
Love the light trails and the dead-on PoV.
Ninja skills - lol ;)
http://goo.gl/maps/9tje
The only parking I'm aware of (the pull-off mentioned above) is about 50 yards to the east on Forest Road. If you have a CA-plated car you could probably get away with parking in one of the resident spaces for a few minutes, but I figured my BC-plated car might stand out ;)
I grew up in the Bay Area and this brings back so many memories. Thank you for posting this!!!