Fun Drives and Windy Hill

It would be more accurate for me to say that I go out on drives and take photos than that I drive to take photos. I'm fortunate enough to live close to roads with some amazing views. My car may not be the fastest(it isn't bad either), but I do like the feeling I get driving it through the roads and turns. The most accurate description I can give it is the one Tiffany gave me when I asked her if her car was fast, I make it go fast.

My favorite road to go on drives is Skyline Blvd. To get up to Skyline, you first start by driving up highway 9, which is also a fun road to drive on. The main difference between highway 9 and Skyline, other than the uphill on 9, would be that Skyline is more stretched out, making the turns a little more fun.

For this drive, I was hoping the fog would be high enough to look good from Russian Ridge. Unfortunately, the fog was lower than I had expected, so I decided that I would just keep driving and hope for something better. I still managed to capture these couple of photos before the sun came up. The fog was moving quick, but unfortunately I was to far to get good long exposures. 

I knew Windy Hill is at a bit lower elevation, so I quickly drove over for the sunrise. I had never actually hiked at Windy Hill, but I knew whichever path I chose, I needed to go down. After turning one of the corners I saw the sun and realized I was heading in the right direction. After only a short hike, I found a small patch with an opening that I set myself on to shoot the sun on. 

By being so close to the level of the fog, I was able to capture some rim lighting on it. I captured a small timelapse that unfortunately did not come out the way I wanted it to. I always forget to change my camera to manual focus to prevent it from losing it during the time lapse. Fortunately, I did not take too long of a time lapse, so I was still able to photograph for most of the sunrise. 

I was able to capture the fog waves as they rolled over Palo Alto. 

I walked down a little further as the sunrise came to an end. The clouds quickly lost their color but I did see some sun rays pass over the hills. 

Last photo before I began the long walk back up the hill.

Location

Russian Ridge

Windy Hill

Mood #BayCityHouse

People always turn to art as a release. Sometimes it happens without even noticing, your mood affects your art, negative or positive. At this meet I was spacing out a lot, just had my mind in another place(something I might talk about in a future post). My mood has always been something that has reflected on my art, whether it was drawing, music or photos. 

I had a good time seeing some familiar faces and meeting some new ones. These photos had a different feel than my usual ones, and there were definitely less than normal.

Captured some pelicans and the top of a whale spouting. There was a pod of whats under the golden gate, I wish I were closer to catch a better photo. 

One reason I turned to portraits was because they are able to be taken in all types of weather. Despite the weather being boring for landscapes, I was able to capture some great portraits. The lighting was perfect for some backlit portraits.

A lot of the photos ended up having a dreamy look. They are intense in color and are simple. I realized I did have a telephoto lens in my bag and was able to capture the photo of the boat. 

Even when taking photos with others, I always manage to find time to myself. I have been told and have noticed that I always find time to sit down when shooting with others. Our small group was out of the frame taking photos. 

I did have more photos of Taylor in more golden light, but the sun flare killed them, so I won't post.

Last photo of the day.

Location

Golden Gate Lookout

Marshall's Beach

Models

Mira

Taylor

The Quiet

It's honestly really relaxing shooting on my own. When I started out, I had to depend on my brother for a ride to locations. After I got my own car, I was shooting mostly landscapes and for the most part, I was on my own. It helps to focus my attention on my photos and to appreciate everything going on around me. 

I don't have photos of some of my favorite sunsets because sometimes there is no way to capture it. 

This is one of my favorite spots here. The path leading up to the rock had a good variation in color and the path itself leads up to the rock nicely. The clouds on this day were amazing and added a lot to the sky. This was a great change from the usual sunny days we've been getting. 

The one below is a photo of Alan taking a photo. The curves all around made this photo work. The curve of the hill, the path, and the way the clouds exploded behind him. 

This was a relaxing day. Effortless to capture and amazing to experience. 

Last photo

Location

Mount Tamalpais State Park

Alan