One of the most appealing aspects of San Francisco is its proximity to nature and how it is integrated with it. This is the perfect recipe for fantastic photographs. On a warm November day, a small group of photographers and myself put this statement to the test. We gathered in Marin City and introduced ourselves to one another. The group got along great and I knew we were going to have an amazing day. After orientation, we piled into the “Ap Cab” and made our way across the Golden Gate Bridge.

The first location of the day was Battery Godfrey. This vista has an amazing view looking straight down the Golden Gate Bridge and is quickly becoming a must see location for photographers. Once everyone had their gear setup I explained the basics of photography for those who were new to the craft. I talked about the difference between manual and aperture modes, and then proceeded to explain the exposure triangle and depth of field. Once everyone was comfortable with their settings, I encouraged the group to experiment with different compositions and filters.

After an hour of shooting we jumped back in the van and drove over to the Marin Headlands side of the bridge. From here I hiked the group onto the bridge so we could get some artistic shots of the suspension cables and north tower. Millions of photographs are taken of the bridge every year but very few are from the vantage point we were shooting from. Once the group had their fill we walked back to the van and drove up to the Marin Headlands. This vista gives a great view of the entire bay with the Golden Gate and city as a backdrop. We took a few shot before we headed to my favorite shoot of the day which is Rodeo Beach. The beach is tucked away on the backside of the headlands and has some beautiful sea stacks protruding from the great Pacific. Here, I showed the group how to capture beautiful silky water as the surf came in and out. We experimented with different compositions until the sun had sunk below the horizon.

For the grand finale I drove the group back up to the headlands so we could see how different the view is at night. We arrived with a little bit of "blue hour" light left to photograph and continued shooting into the early night. Once everyone had their shots, we headed back to Marin City to conclude the workshop. Here we said our goodbyes and parted ways.

Until Next Time,

Brian and the rest of the Aperture Academy Team

P.S. If you'd like to join us at one of our workshops, you can find the schedule/sign up here.

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