shiqf Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 I just move to Berekeley and don't know the area well. I am looking for some places for nature photography, especially flowers, birds, insects, landscape, etc. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 Well the gate is a major attraction. If your work is up on the hill, go there in the morning to watch and photograph the mist rolling out and by 3-4 pm rolling back on. With the current circumstances, I am not sure photography (even from the hill) would be allowed. so, don't get yourself in trouble! Check with the hill administrators before you attempt this. Not much in terms of insects that I noticed (though I never got much time to do any photography while I was there). Birds are everywhere. Don't know which ones are there. Cafe Strada attracts a few :-) Enjoy your stay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qtluong Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 Check Galen Rowell's work for ideas (eg. Bay Area Wild). He lived there many years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marymac Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 There are inumerable places to do photography in Berkeley and the greater Bay Area. Do you have a car or are you taking buses? One place that's nice much of the year is Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina, and it's easy to reach by bus (see transitinfo.org for maps etc). Nearby is the Berkeley Aquatic Park where you'll find many birds once migration starts. This time of year is pretty light on birds though. Via bus you can also go to Tilden Park in the hills where there are lots of photo ops and beautiful landscapes and cityscapes. You could also take BART or a bus to Lake Merritt in Oakland. There is a great bird sanctuary there and there are thousands of birds year-round. Mostly Canada Geese this time of year but is the best place I've ever seen for photographing Black-crowned Night Herons. If you have a car, that widens the field considerably. There are dozens of East Bay Parks (ebparks.org), or you could go to Angel Island, anywhere along the ocean or go to the city (San Francisco). Head to the bay or the hills and you'll find something to shoot photos of. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergey_oboguev Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 For birds, breeding season is mostly out, though you may still see them: - Palo Alto baylands and Mountain View Shoreline - Vasona lake park at Los Gatos (though this year was not great) - Lake Meritt at Berkeley (some birds close enough but backgrounds are not really good) - winter migrants and shorebirds at the end of Radio Rd. in Redwood Shores - winter migrants and shorebirds at "shell bar" in Foster City - shorebirds along hwy 1 There are also seals along hwy 1, both elephant seals (Ano Nuevo, when in season) and harbor seals. Elephans seals are also viewable at Pt. Reyes but you will need about 1200 mm or more reach for photography. There are few places along the coast known for whale watching, including lighthouse few miles north of Ano Nuevo. For landscapes / flowers check Pt. Reyes in spring time. Elk rut there in September and can be seen through the rest of the year, but they are more placid and not as agressive towards each other as at some other places. Landscape wise, I'd suggest to explore the coast from Big Sur via Monterey, Pt. Lobos and Muir woods to Pt. Reyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill sullivan Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 I found a list of Berkeley city parks and marina facilities at http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/parks/. My personal favorite as a child growing up in Berkeley was Live Oak Park. Another place that may appeal to you is John Tilden Regional Park. Visit http://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden.htm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill sullivan Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Check that. Go to http://www.ebparks.org and click Parks& Trails, then look for Tilden. Lots of other stuff, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas_greenberg Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Vivek wrote: "Well the gate is a major attraction. If your work is up on the hill, go there in the morning to watch and photograph the mist rolling out and by 3-4 pm rolling back on. With the current circumstances, I am not sure photography (even from the hill) would be allowed. so, don't get yourself in trouble! Check with the hill administrators before you attempt this." Are we talking about the Golden Gate? What hill administrators are we talking about? There are no restrictions on photographing the bay or the Golden Gate. You can go up to Grizzly Peak Drive or to the parking lot for the Lawrence Hall of Science on Centennial Drive and take all the photos you like. People have mentioned some of the better places for nature photography in the Berkeley area. I would underline that particularly as fall and winter arrive, Lake Merritt in the middle of Oakland presents terrific opportunities for closeup photography of herons and ducks. There are night herons and Great Egrets that are absurdly tame. During the summer, you can go there to watch for Least terns perched on the line of buoys near the nature center area. As shorebirds arrive over the next few months, another good place for bird photography is the Albany mudflats area just north of the Golden Gate Fields racetrack (off Buchanan St). When the tide is right there are thousands of shorebirds on the mudflats and some of them end up quite close to where you can set up for telephoto photography. One last suggestion for landscapes: drive over to the Marin Headlands, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Particularly if you go there late in the day (on a weekday when the roads and parking lots are a little less crowded) you can get some spectacular photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Douglas, I assumed (I think, I am correct) that Qingfang just moved to the UCB. When I was in Berkeley for 2 years, the only part of the "hill"I knew was the LBNL enclave where I worked most of the time. I swear that I have seen many birds near Cafe Strada! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiqf Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Thanks for the information! Vivek, I am in LBNL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Qingfang, I would suggest that you meet with Mr. John Turner at the NCEM. Long time Berkeley resident and a very talented and helpful photographer as well. You will get more useful information/tips from him than any one else! Good luck and enjoy your stay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diy photography Posted July 21, 2005 Share Posted July 21, 2005 You are not too far from Mount Diablo which can be good for scenics and some wildflowers in spring. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas_greenberg Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 If you can travel a bit by car you should visit Mines Road, which heads south/southeast from Livermore, which is about an hour's drive from Berkeley (out highway I-580). It's a great route for seeing and photographing birds, including Greater Roadrunner, Lawrence's goldfinch, Lewis' woodpecker, and Phainopepla, species that are scarce in the Bay Area. If you continue up toward the backside of Mt. Hamilton you will encounter the San Antonio Valley, which is the best place for spring wildflowers in that portion of the interior coast ranges. Of course, it's dry and hot at this time of year. Wildflowers are best in late March through early May. Another spot you can drive to in a reasonable amount of time is the Bodega Bay area, a wonderful spot for seeing and photographing birds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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