California Photo Scout

The Golden Gate Bridge owes its name to the strait it crosses, where the San Francisco Bay meets the Pacific. Prospectors arrived here during the gold rush days and helped to finance the city. The new gold rush draws crowds to the iconic bridge itself. Replacing pans with cameras and shovels with tripods, we now seek our fortune in fantastic images instead of gold and the Golden Gate Bridge always delivers.

The bridge changes its appearance with the weather and the angle of the sun, making it a worthy destination even for seasoned Bay Area residents. An endless stream of photographs feeds our desire to come back repeatedly for more. It is addictive and rewarding to photograph here.

Every time I cross the famous bridge, I feel privileged.

How to get there

click for a larger view

You cannot miss the viewpoint. It is the first turnoff right after you cross the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. Stay in the right lane on the bridge and take the first exit right after the bridge. It will lead to the large parking lot for the first viewpoint (photography info below).

From the viewpoint, drive onto Highway 101 north, but stay in the right lane and take the first exit (Alexander Avenue) to get to E. Fort Baker. Merge right onto Sausalito Lateral and take the first road to the left (Bunker Road). Then take the first exit to the right again (Bunker Road again) and follow it down to the shore.

GPS position

Viewpoint:

• 37°49’56.28″N 122°28’47.71″W

Fort Baker Moore Road:

• 37°49’52.53″N 122°28’42.24″W

Fort Baker Yacht Club:

• 37°49’59.47″N 122°28’25.46″W

How to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge from the North

Photograph from the Viewpoint

Viewpoint 1

Just hop out of your car and shoot the Golden Gate Bridge from the viewpoint parking lot. Walk around to get a different angle and to vary the perspective. Take photographs from the far right and the far left of the lot. I prefer standing on the stonewall as far right as I can to get a straight view of the road.

Frame the bridge tightly in your shot to increase the visual impact. In the western society, the lower right corner of an image is often where we end up after aimlessly wandering around while viewing images. Since the bridge slopes this way, you can align the road with this corner to draw the viewer back into an image towards the pillars of the bridge. The curved diagonal line will add tension. Make sure you align the frame edges with the straight edges of your photograph. If you have trouble getting straight pictures, leave a little bit more room so that you can rotate and crop your picture to make the edges line up.

If you have a telephoto lens, you can shoot excellent panoramas of San Francisco from here. Start your panorama at the right if you want to include the Golden Gate Bridge since it is much larger from this perspective. Plan your panorama ahead of time and sweep from right to left and back to adjust your field of view. Leave enough margins around the bridge for the stitching program to work its magic and leaving you enough room to crop the picture to get straight edges.

See if the Hippie Bus is here and do not forget to tip the man if you take his photograph.

Photograph from East Fort Baker

A lesser-known but equally impressive view of the Bridge is from East Fort Baker.

At the Presidio Yacht Club, you can include the boats in your foreground to generate a Mediterranean feel. If you use a zoom lens, resist the temptation to include as much as possible. Step back as far as you can and zoom in. This will change the perspective between the boats and the bridge and make the bridge appear larger.

Another excellent place for pictures is on Moore Road, closer to the Bridge. You can get a great shot from almost underneath the bridge.

Fort Baker Presidio

Take a few photographs of the Presidio. The white buildings create a strong contrast to the surrounding dark vegetation. Use a telephoto lens to zoom in and frame tightly. This creates the illusion of a much denser background.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Morning hours are best for photographing the bridge from here. Combine a visit with the other viewpoints, which are better during the afternoon. Afternoon is better to shoot the city skyline. Any season is good.

Time required

To photograph from the viewpoint parking lot takes no longer than 30 minutes. It may be tough to find a parking spot during the main travel season.

Equipment

• Tripod
• Cable Release
• Telephoto Lens
• Normal Zoom Lens
• Wide-angle lens
• Jacket (it gets windy)

Fees

The Bridge Toll for the Golden Gate Bridge is $6. It applies only if you drive from north to south. Carpools (3+ people per car) can travel free during the rush hour on weekdays.

Close Locations

• North Views of the Golden Gate Part 1
• On the Golden Gate Bridge
• Sausalito and Tiburon
• Little known views of Marin Headlands
• Angel Island State Park
• Kirby Cove
• Fort Point
• Point Bonita Lighthouse
• Berkeley Bay Views
• San Francisco Presidio
• San Francisco Marina
• San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts
• Muir Woods
• Muir Beach
• Baker Beach

Useful Resources

• Golden Gate Bridge Travel Guide
• My Photos of San Francisco
• Photography of mbonocore (first picture in article)

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