Photo: Hyde Street Looking North. Taken with a stacked 2 stop soft and 3 stop soft Singh Ray ND Card. I believe this shot was taken at the high point of what is referred to as "The Crooked Road."
Living in the Big City has always been something out of necessity for me, rather than desire. While there are many great things about big cities - specifically the abundance of art, culture and diversity, there are also large negatives. LOL, for example, I am not always sure where I parked my car. Also, while I consider my apartment quite large for Manhattan, people often refer to the second bedroom as a cell. Hey - at least I have one. That is a real big deal here in the City.
The Coit Tower - Shot taken with a Singh Ray Warming Polarizer and 24mm Tilt Shift Lens.
The Trans America Building. In Camera HDR Image with 1 stop difference.
New York is a city is always driving forward. I also think that the residents get a really bad wrap for being brusque and cold. It has never been my experience. There are jerks in every city. NY just has the opportunity to have more. But there are lots of kind folks who will give the shirts off their backs too.
The Golden Gate Bridge, shortly after sunrise - Taken with 2 Stop Hard ND Card (Singh Ray)
The Golden Gate Bridge, also shortly after sunrise - Taken with 2 Stop Hard ND Card (Singh Ray)
The Golden Gate Bridge - Taken shortly after Sunset.
My main trade is working with people. While I have had dreams about living in a place like Wyoming, I have always wondered what my work would look like. There is not a lot of money in social work with the elk, and the truth is that making it financially as a photographer in today's market is very difficult - particularly as the sole income.
Cable Car on Jones Street. Taken with stacked 2 stop soft and 3 stop soft Singh Ray ND Card.
Cable Car on Hyde Street. Taken with a 2 stop hard Singh Ray ND Card.
I had the opportunity to go to San Francisco last week. It was the first big city that I felt truly at home in. While it is not a huge city (I think the population is about 825,000), it definitely has a big city feel with excellent public transportation and tons of great restaurants. The temperatures are almost always good and more importantly it is in a hub of great national parks. Pinnacles, the John Muir Woods, Big Sur, Yosemite and other locations are within hours.
San Francisco Skyline Taken from Twin Peaks. 70-200 F2.8 L lens and Singh Ray 2 Stop Hard Filter.
I find that while Big City life is going to be a constant - probably for the rest of my life, that I want more green in it. In fact, the lack of green in my life is what has driven so much of my efforts to this forum. Could this be my next big love affair? The beauty of San Francisco is rather striking - even if it does not have the character of the Manhattan skyline. Nature seems very abundant here, with marine wildlife and birds and greenery bountiful.
San Francisco Palace of the Arts - 7 Shot Pano taken prior to Sunrise.
So, how does an article like this fit into Nature and Wildlife? I have been revisiting some of my concepts of what is Nature. Skylines and urban landscapes are as much part of nature as a jungle or a mountain. It may be a result of human nature, but it is nature none the less. :P So, if this is not the sort of article that floats your boat, please bear with my digression!
