Skyline – Page 5 – Decaseconds

Toy Seattle

2013-Aug-22 emceehammr2 Comments

I recently received a Lensbaby Composer, and while I was in Seattle I decided to try to figure out how to use it. It is definitely harder than it looks, and the live preview (with the ability to zoom) is a life saver when it comes to shooting pictures that are in focus, especially when shooting distant objects (arguable this is not what it was meant for). Getting the “sweet spot” just right can be a challenge in these circumstances. That said, it does allow the photographer to frame their subjects in a very neat way, and in a very authentic way as well.

Blast Off!

2013-Mar-052013-Aug-16 emceehammrLeave a comment

There’s something really off about this rocket ship you can find on the SF waterfront. It looks like a strange cross between the 1950’s concept of a futuristic spacecraft and an abandoned nuclear weapon. The shininess and corrosion create a strange dissonance. Works well with the futuristic pier located nearby.

Anyone else reminded of the bomb in Megaton in Fallout 3?

Spaceport SF

2013-Feb-19 emceehammr1 Comment

There’s something about the lighting and the way it plays off the curved hand rail that reminds me of a dystopian future in one of Neal Stephenson’s novels or of disembarking from a futuristic space port.

Both Sides of the Bay

2012-Jul-06 adohertyhLeave a comment

The Bay Area has a set of dichotomies that I’ve always loved fitting into photographs. Here, we have the elegance of San Francisco herself, with towers and an array of sailing boats, contrasted with the decay of the East Bay and its own host of boats.

San Diego: the New Miami

2012-Apr-05 adohertyh1 Comment

I spent last week trapped in the San Diego convention center for the national meeting of the American Chemical Society. I say, “trapped,” not because the meeting wasn’t interesting (it was), but rather because convention centers give me precisely the feeling of being in an airport without every having the chance to actually leave. The same cheapy-modern design, the same overpriced food, and the same sense of being surrounded by other people who are just as unfamiliar with their environment as you are. It’s all a bit alienating.

Still, the “Historic” Gaslamp District (Come see the 2002 Borders building, a relic of a bygone era!) can be reasonably photogenic at sunset. The area around the convention center, much like Miami, is overfilled with palm trees that always feel a bit odd in comparison with the native plants. In spite of all that, the sun reflecting silhouettes off the polished glass facade of a building makes for a gorgeous skyline.

The San Francisco Waterfront and Skyline

2012-Feb-082012-Feb-06 emceehammrLeave a comment

Here again we have a shot of the San Francisco skyline, this time from Treasure Island including the interesting Transamerica Pyramid.

The Span

2012-Feb-022012-Feb-02 adohertyh3 Comments

The Bay Bridge connecting Oakland and San Francisco is actually a pair of bridges, resting for a moment on the island of Yerba Buena. Attached to Yerba Buena is the ironically-named Treasure Island, a man-made island composed entirely of fill. From there, photographing either the East Bay or San Francisco itself works out quite nicely. Today’s shot of the western span of the bridge has a bit of the unlit Yerba Buena outcropping on the left and the hyperintense lights of AT&T Park (home of the SF Giants) under the bridge. On this particularly clear night, I was thrilled to be able to capture it all without a thick slathering of fog.