Visual Journey: Full Moon Over San Francisco + More

Click on a photo to see a larger image.
Barbi Kutilek and I drove up to San Francisco to photograph the full moon rising over the city. Since the moon would not show its face until after 8PM, we planned two stops before heading over the Golden Gate. First stop: Fort Point and the shot through the hole in the fence. (Somebody cut a hole in the fence just big enough for a camera lens.)

Neither of us had ever been inside the fort, but I was inspired by photographs I had seen in a professional journal.

I am always pleased to add a new lighthouse to my collection.

This one under the bridge was an unexpected find.

We could have spent several hours exploring the hallways and arches of the fort, but we had one more stop before heading over the Golden Gate. The West Battery offers a view of the bridge that most people never see.

We still had two hours 'til moon rise, but I knew parking would be tight and we may have to wait for a space to open up, so we crossed the gate into Marin. Good thing we gave ourselves plenty of time; bumper to bumper cars all the way up the headlands road. The small parking area we wanted was filled with a line up of cars waiting, so we drove past and turned around to take our place in line. I pulled in behind a car to wait and the driver appeared. He backed out, I pulled in. Perfect timing!

We staked out our spots, set up our tripods to hold 'em, watched the boats sail by, and waited for the moon.

We weren't alone. By 7:30 tripods and photographers lined the cliffs. None stayed behind the cable with the "Danger! Do Not Cross" sign. The tripod just to the right of the tower is mine and Barbi is to its right. I used my iPhone to take this photo.

The Super Moon (so called because it is was as close as a full moon would get to Earth this year) appeared right on time. Sunset was still 35 minutes away, so the moon was very light against the still light sky. But the light show as the moon rose higher and the sky darkened, was about as good as it gets. This is one of the few times when a clear sky is is an asset. Enjoy...

Once the sky is dark, the contrast in light is too great for the camera to handle so I took the time to play with a star filter.

Barbi & I still were't done with The City. We left the headlands, recrossed the bridge, and drove down to the Embarcadero to photograph the light show on the Bay Bridge. As part of an art project celebrating its 75th anniversary, the West span of the Bay Bridge has been outfitted with 25,000 LED lights that will display a variety of undulating designs nightly for the next two years. Organizers say it is the world's largest light sculpture. The show was compromised when hundreds of the lights stopped working; some lights won’t turn on, while others won’t shut off. The original undulating & changing patterns are gone, but the bridge still looks spectacular.

It was a very long day, but Barbi & I accomplished our photographic objectives. One last shot of the Ferry Building (at 11:30), and we packed up and left the City for the long drive home. I'm tired!