6th December 2008
For a long time I have been thinking of going to San Francisco to get the pictures of this gorgeous bridge from all different angles. I thought I could go there one day and drive around the bridge and easily get great photos. But what I didn't guess was the perfect weather and natural light. Sunny day in Sunnyvale doesn't mean sunny and clear in San Francisco. And also the dramatic pictures from others photographers didn't come in one visit !!
I went on a spontaneous expedition to San Francisco, my first stop being Fort Point. Then I realized that I may have to go there several times to several of those places which offer great views of this bridge to get good pictures. That means there will be many more posts on GGB. On my drive to Fort Point, I missed a left turn and then I was lost. Driving in San Francisco offers you an inexhaustible supply of surprises. They do not excite you or delight you but can get you crazy. The surprises that San Francisco threw at me in the form of traffic and 'no left' turns and ups and downs in road gave me shiver in the spine. At one moment I wanted to just give up and in the next I trusted my instinct and found my way up the Bay st, my car roaring up while all the signal green :) As I was in Presidio the grey of the city was transforming to green of the National Recreation area.
After reaching the first parking spot there total perspective of my plan changed. Now, I was not a photographer but was a traveler ... I wanted to walk along the beach, I was looking for some kind of solace. I walked along the beach from Marina Blvd to Fort Point. I saw the Golden Gate Bridge in the hazy light ... all its red masked ... the sailboats lined below it and also lined the horizon dominated the scene. There were kite surfers around. Their colorful kites gave life to the whole scene there. They were flying like butterflies in a blue garden ... blue being ocean and sky :)
Though it didn't rain much this year it is very cold ... and the shore winds get chills from the bottom of the spine ... woooh ... as I passed the dog walkers in the cold ... some kite surfers resting ... young lovers giggling hand in hand ... some seagulls shivering in the cold ... I watched the red bridge, sailboats, kites and waves ... Inhailng chilly wind and my hair getting sticky with ocean salt ... I was not thinking about anything particular ... it was peaceful and lively ... As I was nearing the Fort Point there was another parking lot ... it was like a park ... I saw a small procession there for 'Stop global warming' ... may be if they stop cars (inclusing cabs) in San Francisco and allow only public transport we could reduce global warming considerably ... There was a trail and I could hike up to the bridge but I chose to be there near the ocean ... and then I decided ... I will go back there ... every now and then ...
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