Northern California photo locations?

Hi all,

 

I will soon be traveling to Northern California for a week and am looking for suggestions for photo locations. We'll have a car and are pretty flexible in where we go. I'd like to stay within ~3-4 hours of San Francisco. We like nature photography and primarily shoot landscapes and wildlife. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Howard

There is the Marin Headlands, where you can shoot the Golden Gate Bridge with SF in the background.

I like the Japanese Garden in Golden Gate Park, but that was quite a while back.

 

I know there is a book about stuff to shoot in SF or NorCal.

Muir Beach trail is a great place to shoot, about an hour north of San Francisco, rolling coastal hills, great views of the Pacific Coast. Big Sur, also coastline, about 2-1/2 hours south of San Francisco, is spectacular and you’ll pass Santa Cruz and Monterey/

Carmel which also offer lots of photo ops. Weston did lots of shooting around Carmel. Be sure and stop at Pt. Lobos in Carmel. Inland from Carmel about 1/2 hour is Salinas, Steinbeck country, very different from the coast. Napa is about an hour and a half North, wine country, rolling golden hills this time of year, vineyards. Yosemite is about 4 hours away and Lake Tahoe is a little closer. Both majestic and a picture-taker’s paradise. Walk along San Francisco’s Embarcadero on the bay side of the city. Great views of downtown and the Bay Bridge with Berkeley and Oakland right across the bay at arm’s length. Head up to Nevada City and Grass Valley, old gold mining towns in the Sierra foothills, about 2-1/2 hours away. Rustic charm. Make sure to see parts of the Yuba River as you go, which will be low this time of year but still worthwhile. Of course, Muir Woods for redwood trees, about an hour north of San Francisco (do that and Muir Beach the same day and reserve parking in advance at Muir Woods, Muir Beach is easier to park). Go up to Nob Hill for great city views and picture taking opportunities. Also Twin Peaks if it’s not too foggy. This time of year, it’s often clear. Have fun!

Edited October 10, 2018 by The Shadow

North of San Francisco -

Marin Headlands: good for landscapes and wildlife, be sure to go to the Marine Mammal Center and Battery 129

Angel Island: great landscapes

Sonoma Valley: wineries (of course), Jack London State Park

 

South of San Francisco -

Point Lobos State Park: great location for landscapes, but they control the number of admissions, so you need to be there when they open the gate in the morning.

17 Mile Drive, Carmel: good for landscapes and wildlife

Monterrey Fish Pier: seals - lots of noisy seals

Alviso Marina, San Jose: great landscapes, relatively unknown location

Mt. Hamilton:winding mountain road and mountain top observatory

 

San Francisco -

Lands End (drive west on Geary until you get to the end of the road) - landscapes, seals

Golden Gate park: Japanese Garden, flowers. Academy of Sciences is worth a visit, also the deYoung Art Museum

Presidio: former military base near the Golden Gate Bridge

My suggestion is to ignore suggestions. Take the back roads and explore. Why go where everyone else goes.

I have thirty galleries from this area, take a look.

My suggestion is to ignore suggestions.

My suggestion is to thank people for taking the time to make suggestions.

Why go where everyone else goes.

Because they’re some of the most spectacular and photogenic places on Earth.

Take the back roads and explore.

I suggest doing this on the way to and from some of the incredible locations mentioned. One needn’t exclude the other.

I suggest a day trip from San Francisco, if that is where you are staying, along the ocean to the south. The beaches between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, such as San Gregorio and Pescadero, are usually uncrowded and great for hiking and photography. Check a tide table before you hike on a beach.

No matter where you go, even here in Wisconsin, there is always something new to photograph. Drive the back roads of North Dakota, and you'll find all kinds of great things to photograph. The question is, is the OP going as a tourist or as a photographer? If as a tourist, yes, all the sites above are great. I've been to most of them and I can't argue with their scenic value. But if as a photographer, take the challenge and make great photographs of places and things that aren't in every photobook about California.

Interested in a trip south from San Francisco down the peninsula? There's a place called Filoli, an estate that offers wonderful gardens and countless photo opportunities. (Homepage | Filoli) It's located within the town limits of Woodside, CA., and was the location of the 1978 film, "Heaven Can Wait" starring Warren Beatty. Check the website for details. It's also a good idea to call ahead to get an idea of the weather, any private events that might impact public accessibility and the current state of the gardens.

The question is, is the OP going as a tourist or as a photographer?

That’s not the question. The question is where to go for good nature and landscape photography. The assumption seems to be that people going to some of the most well-known scenic places in the world are going as tourists and not as photographers, which may well be a false assumption.

If as a tourist, yes, all the sites above are great. I've been to most of them and I can't argue with their scenic value. But if as a photographer, take the challenge and make great photographs of places and things that aren't in every photobook about California.

Life and photography are not binary choices, not either/or propositions. One can do many different things for many different reasons while wearing many different hats.

 

Life and photography are not binary choices, not either/or propositions. One can do many different things for many different reasons while wearing many different hats.

 

All I'm trying to do here is point out to the OP that it might be very rewarding to deviate from the norm, that there are all kinds of different roads to go down, that there are different way to look at a photo trip. Sometimes it's not all about following the crowd. But if that what he wants to do - fine with me. As I stated before, all of the locations mentioned are great. No one here is telling him where he has to go. The choices are his - not mine or anyone else's.

 

Just my 'thinking out of the box' two cents.

Edited October 10, 2018 by chuck909

San Francisco has so many cool places, Twin Peaks catching the sun rise over the bay, Fisherman's wharf, the beach off the Great Highway, and the Cliff House, shots of the city from Treasure Island, The Golden Gate, The Presidio, Hait and Ashbury, China Town, buy a daily Muni Pass and put City Mapper on your phone and you can explore the entire city with train, trolly and buses and not worrying where to find parking. Though you can get around with a car. Take a car if exploring the coastline north of the Golden Gate. A few hours drive South you have Pebble Beach, Big Sur, Shark Fin Cove, just drive the the coast line and explore, looking for adventure, what ever comes your way.

 

You could spend months there and not run out of photo opportunities. Enjoy.

Thanks for all the suggestions. We do combine tourism and photography. While we do look to create good photographs, we don't restrict ourselves from taking quick snaps when the urge arises.

Alcatraz is a good place to make photographs if you're going to be in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Here are a few of mine.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Brad_

Within 3-4 hours you can also get to the Sierra Nevada mountains if you like mountains. Lake Tahoe is great, so is, of course, Yosemite although the waterfalls will be nearly or completely dry. Even Lassen Volcanic National Park is just about 4 hours away. Big Sur, a scenic coastal area, is also under 4 hours.

California North Coast including Mendocino, Fort Bragg and North and South is about 4 hours, so is the wine country. I find the whole Bay Area interesting including the City and Oakland, Berkeley, etc. and the beach areas south of San Francisco and North. In the City, Brad would be an expert, but all over including the Mission, Market Street, the Castro, etc etc.