Hello 365ers
I am heading to San Francisco as the first leg of my journey back to New Zealand to visit with family and friends.
I will be arriving in San Francisco on March 23rd and was wondering if any one knew of a photography meet up group in the area that I could connect with. I will be traveling on my own for that part of the journey so would like to meet up with others who share my hobby of photography. I would like to know the safe places to go on my own and the areas of town where I should not venture unless I can hire a guide. I want to capture all the tourist type stuff and maybe get a little bit of the not so tourist stuff. I know it's a big ask for the short amount of time I am going to be there but I do tend to get up early and go all day until I crash when there are no more photos to be taken for the day :)
I will only have until March 26th in San Francisco. I have to fly to LA to meet up with my daughter some time on that day so would like to fit in as much as possible in a very short time.
@k1w1 I've been to San Francisco several times and have never felt "unsafe". If you're south of Market Street, you will be heavily into the alternative lifestyle district, but again, I didn't find it to be at all threatening. Certainly the areas along the wharf, up through Lombard Street, and anywhere any of the cable cars go will be extremely tourist friendly. If you're staying at a hotel in the city, the concierge will be able to steer you away from problem districts, if there are any.
Oh the Wharf is exciting, I agree I have never felt unsafe, alcatraz prison might provide an interesting photo shoot. Wish you were heading to Fargo, I am sure I could find all sorts of "no tresspassing" signs to climb over. LOL be safe friend, can't wait to see your photos of NZ!
San Francisco is suer fun. I lived up there for 15 years and there are lots of photo opps.
During the day it is pretty safe almost everywhere. At night you want to stay away from the Tenderloin.
The main tourist spots are for sure the wharf and Alcatraz island Lomabrd street. But depending on what you want to see and photograph, there are photo ops everywhere.
At night it is also fun to shoot the bay bridge from the wharf or the skyline from treasure island. Also shooting the Golden gate from the Marin headlands or from the fort right under the bridge. The bay bridge is also being lit up for by some artist. I think it starts in March. That will be a once in a lifetime event and well worth shooting at night.
There is good street shooting (Street photography) off market street and the surrounding area.
The Palace of Fine Arts is a neat place to shoot too, especially at night.
There is always Golden Gate park too. They have a new the academy of science and the Deyoung museum.
This is kind of a general list, but if there is something specific you like to shoot, let me know and I can maybe guide you further. Hey, I may even be up there then.
I lived in the bay area for 15 years and would walk one end of San Francisco to the other at night. I would say just act like you live there and don't act like a tourist on Market street etc like hold out maps and look lost etc that might flag you but like I said its a pretty great city and as far as your camera gear I would play it safe and just pack what you plan to use and keep your eye on it or strapped to you etc
@emsabh@autumneden Both live near the city and are known to venture in for photos. I walked a fair amount by myself in August and had no problems. I am sure there are bad neighborhoods but I have yet to see any where I felt uncomfortable and I managed to even walk through public housing (Art, I know you are not surprised). I have met up with them twice in the city and have had the best time possible. Also I have taken the bus with no problems.
Wish I was back there again! One of my favorite places to go now and I always felt safe. So many photo ops there! enjoy! Sounds like you have some excellent advise above. ;0)
I think as long as you stay out of the Tenderloin you are good to go. My son lives at the corner of Haight and Ashbury. There are lots of old school hippies left there and some nefarious types. In my experience cabs are hard to find there so you need to have a transportation plan. Otherwise, dress much warmer than you think you'll need and you'll be fine. Wish I was up there!!
@httpgeffed
I wish I was coming to Fargo as well as everywhere in between there and San Fran. I wish I was retired and had pot loads of cash and that's exactly what I would be doing. Going to all those places and finding the best no tresspassing places around. I was caught at a weak moment and made a promise that I would not go into any sketchy parts of town while I'm there.... never should have made that promise cause Tenderloin sounds interesting. A promise is a promise though. I'm going to search for some guided tours maybe. I just wish I had more time to spend there but if I work out a plan I should fit most of it in :)
@k1w1@autumneden I'm game....I'm not yet positive of my work schedule for that day but if I'm open I can take you around. @phillyphotos and @autumneden have been out and can tell you how it goes. Certainly can drag you around the home town until your batteries run dead (literally and figuratively!)
@emsabh@k1w1 I will personally vouch for Art as an awesome, safe, and responsible photo partner. We have met up twice in SF and once in Philly and we are talking about meeting up in DC next month. He also knows the best places to eat in town also.
Some people get nervous about meeting people in other cities, but I have had nothing but luck. Also Autumn is pretty great and willing to go new places.
Finally landed somewhere where I could get you a more meaningful response. The city is too big for one day - really 4-5 days are needed. Think about what you might be more interested in seeing - street? landscape? buildings? people? Will you have a car, or are you OK with mass transit? Daytime? nighttime? all the time?? Others have already mentioned the major parts. I like the tenderloin, and yes you have to be watchful but some amazing gritty night shots are to be had. There's also other parts of the city that people go to less often - the Mission, the zoo, the ocean, Baker beach. I hope to have the day off and if you want to hang we could do some shooting. And @phillyphotos is right, I know where to eat. @autumneden hope you can join!
@k1w1 San Francisco is a marvelous city. Love it here! Agree with others that its best to avoid the Tenderloin area, especially at night. Meh, not so interesting, I think. Just scary. There are photography meetups around but not sure what events they have for that particular day. Most of the ones I know of are in the east or south bay areas.
3 days isn't much time in the city but enough to see all the major sights. San Francisco is a great walking city so wear comfortable shoes. I agree with @stepheesue that you should dress warmer than you think. It's all about micro climates around here so layer, layer, layer. Morning's are cold when the fog rolls in, warmer in the afternoon, cold at night. And somewhere in between you'll be peeling off the layers and adding them back on.
BART and Muni may be your public transportation friends. You can take those around the city or even out of the city if you want to venture into the east bay (Berkeley/Oakland).
Favorites:
Embarcadero (particularly the Ferry building. Get a macaron from Miette bakery and a burger at Gott's). China town is always a fun spot. Shopper? San Francisco Shopping Center (the food court is quite gourmet) and Union Square are the places to go for major shopping. Boutiquey stuff, I like Union St. I love walking through the sand at Chrissy Field just below the Golden Gate Bridge which isn't far from Palace of Fine Arts which are all lovely photography spots, especially if it's a blue sky sort of day. The Marin Headlands is always a favorite if you can get over the Golden Gate Bridge. On a clear day, it's a beautiful day. Foggy day, you won't see anything but the fingers in front of your face. I also like Legion of Honor, Golden Gate Park, Presidio area, etc.
A walk through the Castro is always interesting and fun. Dinner in the Mission is bound to be tasty. Definitely a cable car ride from Powell (Market) all the way to Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 39). Coit Tower, Little Italy (the streets smell of garlic), Grace Cathedral. There is so much to see and do in this city.
@catwhiskers is right. Great city for street photography in any of the neighborhoods mentioned above.
If you go to Baker beach, just be aware that some may not have clothing on. I wandered upon this surprise while on a date once. You can imagine how "overdressed" we felt. (And I was FINE being overdressed. Hahaha!) Then again, you'll be there in March so it might be nippy for the nudies.
If ya'll get together on the weekend, I may be able to join you for some photographic fun. Would love to meet other 365ers.
And if you want a fun touristy thing to do, rent a Go Car ( http://www.gocartours.com/sanfrancisco.html). Did this once with a visiting friend and had a blast. Plus, it's a great way to see the city and cover more land. Just drive carefully (and follow the GPS. Don't do what I did and end up on Van Ness).
@julz Thanks so much for all the info. I will be arriving in San Francisco on Saturday March 23rd. I have not booked the flight yet but am planning on an early morning flight from Buffalo NY so I can have more time in your beautiful city. If you are free on the Sunday I would LOVE to meet up with some fellow 365ers while I am there. I'll keep you posted as to where I will be staying :)
@autumneden@emsabh That sounds awesome. Thanks so much for the reply to my thread. I will be arriving in San Francisco on March 23rd (I am hoping for an early morning flight from Buffalo NY) and not leaving until March 26th...or maybe 27th. All I know for sure is that I have to be in LA to catch my flight to New Zealand on March 27th but my daughter wanted to see a little bit of downtown LA so thought I would meet her the day before our flight to NZ.
The military cemetery at the Presidio is an amazing place with thousands of rows of stark white headstones among the lush Green grass. T he area on the southeast side of the Golden Gate is awesome...do some hiking around there for great shot ops. Lots of opportunities for panorama shots all over the city.
@frankhymus@sustainablewood
Thank you!! I think I am close to coming up with a plan for my short stay in San Francisco. I'm really excited and cant wait to get there :)
@k1w1 Sounds great. Contact me again when you are closer to the date. @autumneden as well. If you are in town for a few days it'll be easier for me to make arrangements, but I'll keep that date open for the moment.
@emsabh Thank you so very much. I am so excited to be meeting some fellow 365ers in person and to have them give me a personal tour of some of their beautiful city. I will be confirming my meet up with my daughter tomorrow evening and will then book all my flights. Thanks again. You guys are awesome!!
@k1w1 I didn't pay attention to your dates the first time I looked at this and just came back to check and realized you are in the city now! I hope you are having a great time.
If you get the chance (or see this) you should head to SF MOMA they have a great photography exhibit up (so I am told, I am trying to get there this week). http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events/exhibitions/449
@lkread Nope not there yet. It's this time next month. I fly in on March 23rd and fly to LA on March 25th....as best that I can confirm right now. Times are a little up in the air. I will post again as soon as I have everything confirmed :)
@autumneden@k1w1@lkread@k1w1
I am so excited. My flights to San Francisco are finally confirmed. I will be arriving at 10:00 am on Saturday March 23rd. Any suggestions of the best area to book a hotel are welcome. I will then make arrangements with the hotel to pick me up at the airport and I can dump my luggage and be ready to head out and play :) Oh I so can not wait to arrive in your beautiful city and hopefully meet up with some fellow 365ers :)
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During the day it is pretty safe almost everywhere. At night you want to stay away from the Tenderloin.
The main tourist spots are for sure the wharf and Alcatraz island Lomabrd street. But depending on what you want to see and photograph, there are photo ops everywhere.
At night it is also fun to shoot the bay bridge from the wharf or the skyline from treasure island. Also shooting the Golden gate from the Marin headlands or from the fort right under the bridge. The bay bridge is also being lit up for by some artist. I think it starts in March. That will be a once in a lifetime event and well worth shooting at night.
There is good street shooting (Street photography) off market street and the surrounding area.
The Palace of Fine Arts is a neat place to shoot too, especially at night.
There is always Golden Gate park too. They have a new the academy of science and the Deyoung museum.
This is kind of a general list, but if there is something specific you like to shoot, let me know and I can maybe guide you further. Hey, I may even be up there then.
I wish I was coming to Fargo as well as everywhere in between there and San Fran. I wish I was retired and had pot loads of cash and that's exactly what I would be doing. Going to all those places and finding the best no tresspassing places around. I was caught at a weak moment and made a promise that I would not go into any sketchy parts of town while I'm there.... never should have made that promise cause Tenderloin sounds interesting. A promise is a promise though. I'm going to search for some guided tours maybe. I just wish I had more time to spend there but if I work out a plan I should fit most of it in :)
Some people get nervous about meeting people in other cities, but I have had nothing but luck. Also Autumn is pretty great and willing to go new places.
3 days isn't much time in the city but enough to see all the major sights. San Francisco is a great walking city so wear comfortable shoes. I agree with @stepheesue that you should dress warmer than you think. It's all about micro climates around here so layer, layer, layer. Morning's are cold when the fog rolls in, warmer in the afternoon, cold at night. And somewhere in between you'll be peeling off the layers and adding them back on.
BART and Muni may be your public transportation friends. You can take those around the city or even out of the city if you want to venture into the east bay (Berkeley/Oakland).
Favorites:
Embarcadero (particularly the Ferry building. Get a macaron from Miette bakery and a burger at Gott's). China town is always a fun spot. Shopper? San Francisco Shopping Center (the food court is quite gourmet) and Union Square are the places to go for major shopping. Boutiquey stuff, I like Union St. I love walking through the sand at Chrissy Field just below the Golden Gate Bridge which isn't far from Palace of Fine Arts which are all lovely photography spots, especially if it's a blue sky sort of day. The Marin Headlands is always a favorite if you can get over the Golden Gate Bridge. On a clear day, it's a beautiful day. Foggy day, you won't see anything but the fingers in front of your face. I also like Legion of Honor, Golden Gate Park, Presidio area, etc.
A walk through the Castro is always interesting and fun. Dinner in the Mission is bound to be tasty. Definitely a cable car ride from Powell (Market) all the way to Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 39). Coit Tower, Little Italy (the streets smell of garlic), Grace Cathedral. There is so much to see and do in this city.
@catwhiskers is right. Great city for street photography in any of the neighborhoods mentioned above.
If you go to Baker beach, just be aware that some may not have clothing on. I wandered upon this surprise while on a date once. You can imagine how "overdressed" we felt. (And I was FINE being overdressed. Hahaha!) Then again, you'll be there in March so it might be nippy for the nudies.
If ya'll get together on the weekend, I may be able to join you for some photographic fun. Would love to meet other 365ers.
And if you want a fun touristy thing to do, rent a Go Car ( http://www.gocartours.com/sanfrancisco.html). Did this once with a visiting friend and had a blast. Plus, it's a great way to see the city and cover more land. Just drive carefully (and follow the GPS. Don't do what I did and end up on Van Ness).
Happy travels. You're coming to a great place!
Telegraph Hill for panoramas.
And you have to get your own shots of the Golden Gate Bridge. Golden Gate Park is a good place to start.
Thank you!! I think I am close to coming up with a plan for my short stay in San Francisco. I'm really excited and cant wait to get there :)
If you get the chance (or see this) you should head to SF MOMA they have a great photography exhibit up (so I am told, I am trying to get there this week).
http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events/exhibitions/449
I am so excited. My flights to San Francisco are finally confirmed. I will be arriving at 10:00 am on Saturday March 23rd. Any suggestions of the best area to book a hotel are welcome. I will then make arrangements with the hotel to pick me up at the airport and I can dump my luggage and be ready to head out and play :) Oh I so can not wait to arrive in your beautiful city and hopefully meet up with some fellow 365ers :)