All posts tagged: San Francisco

In the Mist

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Abstract / California / Horizon / ICM / Impressionism / Inspiration / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

Hard to believe this was shot in the same place and in the same hour as the one in the last post. But it was. Despite the stormy day, this shot is tranquil. ICM does strange things — especially in a misty environment. The 25-foot waves were there. There are even some in this shot, but the mist and the intentional camera motion obscures them. (Nikon D850, Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR zoom. RAW processing […]

Theater

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California / Impressionism / Monochrome / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

January 10, 2021 — San Francisco, California Hard to believe this was shot in the city of San Francisco and not in the cold, cold North. Also hard to believe I overlooked this on my first pass through the shots. (Well, not that hard to believe. There were almost 2,000 shots.) On the second pass though, it jumped out at me. And I thought, “I’m looking at a theater.” This is a hand-held long exposure […]

Calm in Chaos

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Abstract / California / Horizon / ICM / Impressionism / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

January 10, 2021 — San Francisco, California More big surf at Ocean Beach. Weather Service said 20 to 25 feet and they were right. I shot 1,946 frames with an eight-pound camera/lens in a little less than three hours. Good upper-body exercise. Some of those shots used fast shutter speed and some slow. Some with camera held steady and some with intentional camera motion. Interesting phenomenon: Some ICM shots of heavy insane surf end up […]

Avalanche

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California / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

January 2, 2021 — San Francisco, California I went to Ocean Beach in San Francisco to shoot waves in dense fog for abstract or impressionist pictures. I did get shots for some of those. But the fog cleared for maybe thirty seconds and I caught this handsome specimen as well. I rarely discuss social issues here. This is a photography blog. I will simply say that now more than ever I hope, wish, pray for […]

A Full Deck

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Abstract / California / Horizon / Impressionism / Landscape / Photo Log / Photography

October 5, 2020 — San Francisco Bay, California The fog deck hung fully over the bay. Nothing more to say except that this could have been taken at 900 feet — which it was — or 30,000 feet. It would’ve looked the same either way. (Nikon D500, Tamron 100–400mm f/4.5–6.3 Di VC USD. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 3.3; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.) PS — I’m getting disentangled from other activities and I shall return to […]

AQI 10

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California / Horizon / Impressionism / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

October 13, 2020 — San Francisco Bay, California The smoke had finally cleared and what was obscuring the view was not smoke but fog, which is the way it’s supposed to be. Boaters were once again out on the bay. Boats passing in the mist. During the worst of the weeks of smoke from the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties, we were seeing AQI numbers over 300 for days in a row. AQI […]

Fog Below, Smoke Above

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California / Horizon / Landscapes / Photo Log / Photography

September 9, 2020 — Oakland/Berkeley Hills, California If you’re an Instagram user, check out my September 9 posts. @amagaphoto If you’re not, go to Instagram.com/amagaphoto. This morning at 8:40 a.m. the sky was a dim red-orange. Sunlight was filtered by fire smoke from a 350,000 acre group of fires in Mendocino county, more than 100 miles to the north. The red-orange light was then diffused through thick fog. Apocalyptic. It was so dark that we […]

Soft Rescue

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California / Impressionism / Inspiration / Photo Log / Photography / Seascapes

June 9, 2013 — San Francisco, California I’d given this up for lost. The RX-100’s chromatic aberration on the edges had ruined it. Then I looked at another approach. This is a crop from the center, much massaged. Lots of selective sharpening and minus Clarity combined with selective increase and decrease in Vibrance. No fancy filters. Ever. An exercise in soft, made while listening to Derek Hunter Wilson’s new album — an exercise in soft […]

Head in the Clouds

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Abstract / California / Impressionism / Inspiration / Photo Log / Photography

August 12, 2020 — Marin County Coast, California It’s easier to have one’s head in the clouds if the clouds are at or only slightly above sea level. The California coast is famous for sea-level clouds in the summer. We locals call it fog. (Nikon D850, Nikon 24-120mm f/4G VR. RAW processing and initial editing in DxO PhotoLab 3.3; Final editing in Adobe Photoshop.)