Chinese Lanterns in Los Angeles' Chinatown

The kitschy colorful Los Angeles Chinatown is still home to hard working immigrant families, trying to carve out a living in a foreign land. They bring a piece of their culture, which is very different from the western world. Chinatown thus becomes a major attraction for photographers almost by definition. The vibrant colors, competing with each other, almost look unreal. The striking Chinese letters have the appeal of art décor beautifying the facades of most buildings.

Hollywood loves the small Chinatown of Los Angeles, featuring it in movies, television and advertisements.

How to get there

Chinatown is located close to Downtown Los Angeles. Just follow N. Broadway for about 1 mile north.

Take the Pasadena Freeway (110) to Chinatown. Arriving from the south, take exit 24 and merge onto N. Hill Street and arriving from the north take N. Hill Street exit towards Civic Center. You can find parking meters on N. Broadway Street. During my last visit, parking was free on Sundays, but I recommend checking the meters to avoid trouble.

GPS position

Central Plaza: N34 03.922 W118 14.228

How to photograph Los Angles Chinatown

Main Plaza

Locals at the central plaza

Make the main plaza your first destination in Chinatown! It is the most authentic, colorful and inspiring location. It offers by far the most attractive photo opportunities. You can photograph the Gate of Filial Piety (East Gate), a garden with small pool, a Buddha and plants, a Sun Yat-sen statue, colorful facades and the locals at the plaza.

During my visit, a group of elderly Chinese men sat on the public benches, palavering in stereotypical fashion with their loud monotonic voices in what seemed to be an important affair. I could not resist the temptation to include them in my photograph. I tried not to disturb the conversation by becoming invisible. Despite my best efforts, one of the men noticed me and looked straight into my camera.  The local men gave the whole scene authenticity. The complete absence of other tourists could place it somewhere in China, if it weren’t for the English sign.

Try to be inconspicuous when you photograph people without their knowledge. Use a wide-angle lens and don’t aim it directly at the group to avoid being noticed. When your subjects remain engaged in their activity, the pictures usually look more genuine. Most people assume unnatural poses when they sense the presence of a camera.

Metro Gold Line Station

Located just a couple of blocks from the main square, Metro Gold Line Station draws attention with its distinct Asian architecture. The fascinating station is very hard to separate from the background clutter. No matter where you turn, something seems to be getting in the way of a compelling photograph. The parking lot west of the station offers an unobstructed view with only small background interference. Get up to the platform and use it as a foreground element with the civic center or downtown buildings in the background.

Detail photographs

ped xing

Los Angeles’ Chinatown doesn’t lend itself to wide angle scenic photography, but you can still create decent photographs by concentrating on details. A defining feature of Chinese architecture is its abundant use of adornments. The pedestrian crosswalks on N. Broadway Street are a good example.

You could wait for one or two pair of feet showing up to tell an interesting story, or maybe a child who is fascinated by the symbols.

Tile Murals, on N Broadway between W College St and Lei Min Way, resemble hanging scrolls on the building. Like ancient Chinese drawings, these murals are exceptional artworks documenting stories from ancient Chinese history.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Chinatown usually won’t be your destination in Los Angeles, but an addition to another trip. There is no reason to spend the magic hour of photography here, unless you have sufficient time to cover all of Los Angeles. Any time during the day is o.k. for photography in Los Angeles. Avoid the hot summers if you can.

Time required

One to two hours is all you need for this location.

Equipment

• Wide angle lens
• Superzoom lens

Difficulty Photographing

Creating striking compositions amidst the chaos of Chinatown is difficult.

Close Locations

• Downtown Los Angles
• El Pueblo and Union Station
• Walt Disney Concert Hall
• Universal Studios
• Griffith Observatory
• Mulholland Drive
• The Huntington Library and Gardens
• Pasadena
• San Gabriel Arcangel Mission
• Venice Beach and Canals
• Santa Monica
• Malibu
• Getty Center
• Long Beach
• Queen Mary

Useful Resources

Public Art in Chinatown (good overview of potentially interesting subjects)

Chinatown L.A.

Los Angeles Photo Gallery

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Los Angeles Union Station

Los Angeles’ historic district is located close to the founding site of El Pueblo de Los Angeles, where 44 Mexican people founded the city in 1781. Restored in the 1930ies and embraced by the Latino culture, El Pueblo struggles to retain its authenticity among the kitschy shops selling anything that looks Mexican enough to fetch tourist dollars. Then again, El Pueblo protects some of the oldest buildings in Los Angeles and Latino culture has always had a colorful flair.

The Spanish Colonial Revival style Union Station is located across the N Alameda St from El Pueblo.

How to get there

El Pueblo and Union Station

El Pueblo and Union Station are located close to Downtown Los Angeles near the Santa Ana Freeway (US-101). From the freeway, simply take N. Alameda Street exit and turn right on N Alameda Street.

All nearby parking areas are $2 per 20 minutes parking time. I found one spot (yellow marker above), where you can park for free for 30 minutes. Only 3 to 4 cars fit in this tiny space and 30 minutes is not enough time to photograph Union Station and El Pueblo, but it may be worth parking here to do some reconnaissance before you commit to shooting here.

GPS position

El Pueblo: 34° 3′26.10″N 118°14′16.93″W

Union Station: 34° 3′22.20″N 118°14′12.37″W

How to photograph L.A.’s El Pueblo and Union Station

El Pueblo

El Pueblo: Avila Adobe

Avila Adobe was one of the first houses built. Restored to its former state, it is now a museum showcasing the life of the settlers. The museum is mildly interesting, but since there is no entrance fee (donations are welcome), you should check it out regardless. Use high ISO settings indoors to keep your images from blurring. Watch your histogram, since bright light from the window combined with the dark interior can confuse your camera’s light meter. Zoom to the window and take a meter reading if you want to expose for the highlights or zoom to a dark to expose the inside correctly. Then set your camera to manual, replicating those settings.

Alternatively, you can just use exposure compensation, which should get you the desired results within a couple of tries.

Besides Avila Adobe, you can find colorful murals on the Mexican Cultural Institute, depicting the “Blessing of the Animals”, a traditional ceremony.  Olvera Street is a bustling Mexican market rich in color and variety. The Old Plaza, Old Plaza Firehouse and La Placita Church present many other compositions. Follow the links in the resource section below for more information about these places.

Union Station

Union Station w/ birds of paradise

The typical Californian architecture of Los Angeles’ Union Station clearly defines the flair of the neighborhood.

One of my favorite compositions from N Alameda St includes the towering palm trees and bird of paradise flowers. The trees frame the white clock tower of Union Station, while the flowers fill the foreground and middle ground. Brighter areas in images naturally draw our attention. The flowers and palms thus help to define the station as the main subject of interest. This way the composition is much more compelling than the straight shot at the beginning of the article, especially since the trees partially cover the tower.

Inside the station, the fine decoration, colorful tiles and stained windows prove to be fantastic subjects. Use a wide-angle lens and high ISO settings for large scale shots. Use a higher ISO sensitivity, even when you have image stabilization to keep exposure times short and people sharp. Don’t forget to take a few photographs of the fine details inside.

Union Station Waiting Hall

Walk through the door on your right (as you enter the station) into a wonderful courtyard. Through yet another door you can reach another area with a colorful fountain. This is a peaceful oasis in the midst of the bustling city. You can sit down at one of the tables or even the fountain and take some time to relax.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Light is best during late afternoon, but any time of the day works at this location. Simply adjust your point of view accordingly.

Time required

You need about one hour to photograph both locations. Take two hours and enjoy snacks, shopping and history at El Pueblo.

Equipment

Similar to street photography, shooting in Union Station and at El Pueblo is best done without the heavy guns. Use a small lens on a small camera if you can. Don’t stick your telephoto lens into everybody’s face. I found it unnecessary to fiddle with filters or anything else but basic equipment. A wide-angle lens can complement the setup.

Fees

Avila Adobe, the museum at the center of El Pueblo, is free. The only cost you incur will be for parking.

Close Locations

• Downtown Los Angles
• Walt Disney Concert Hall
• LA Chinatown
• Griffith Observatory
• Mulholland Drive
• San Gabriel Arcangel Mission
• Venice Beach and Canals
• Santa Monica
• Universal Studios
• Malibu
• The Huntington Library and Gardens
• Pasadena
• Long Beach
• Queen Mary
• Getty Center

Useful Resources

El Pueblo official site

El Pueblo attractions

Los Angeles Photos

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Discover our favorite photo spots of 2009.

I started to build this website in January of 2009 with the purpose of documenting California’s incredible diversity of photographic jewels and to help you get the most out of your visit. It quickly became obvious to me, that I have enough material for years to come. California is one of the most diverse states in the Union.  In this post I want to share your favorite locations (most read) as well as my favorite locations. Hopefully, this will also help you new readers to find your way around.

The easiest way for navigation is through the table of contents or the maps. After just one year, the table of contents is already getting large. Try the maps to hone in on a certain location that interests you and to find out what you can see there. To see what you missed or to recap last year, here are some of our favorites:

Our favorite places

January

Many of us loathe the winter months, since they are allegedly grey. Add a touch of color by visiting the Monarch Grove Sanctuary. Countless monarch butterflies hibernate in this spot, making it one of the most fascinating and most interesting sights this time of the year (my log files agree).

February

During the last two months of February, you can visit another natural phenomenon only found in California, a natural “firefall.” The unique lighting conditions and water from the snow melt create the Yosemite Firefall.

March

The famous San Francisco fog can make excellent photographs, but if you are chasing grand vistas, it can get in your way. Amazingly, the fog is worse during the summer months, as cold air and hot air mix. March would thus be a good time for a visit to San Francisco, while avoiding the crowds and the fog. The Marin Headlands are my favorite place for San Francisco skyline and Golden Gate photography. Almost nobody knows of this place: Little Known Views of Marine Headlands.

April

During late March and early April the desert comes to live. Wildflowers bloom in a landscape that seems devoid of any life during most parts of the year. Adding dots of color to an already colorful landscape, you cannot go wrong with a trip to the deserts in early April. Timing is everything: Wildflowers in Death Valley

May

May is a good time to go waterfallin’. The snow melt fills the falls, the vegetation has recovered from the winter and I usually cannot wait to get out into nature for some serious hiking. A nice trip to take is the Whiskeytown Falls hike.

June

The snowmelt is still going on in the higher elevations, while the sun already scorches Central Valley and Southern California. It is time to escape the heat into the Sierra Nevada, California’s rooftop, for some high altitude chills. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is located above 10,000 feet and offers a comfortable chill besides being a unique alien place and my absolute favorite location.

July

By now most of the grass will have turned brown except for the mountains and the coast. Temperatures near the coast always stay comfortable year round, which is the second reason you should visit Salt Point State Park. The first reason is the superb photographic value the alien looking tafoni formations offer you.

August

Keeping with the chilling theme, you should consider San Francisco again. The city by the bay keeps a comfortable temperature in summer and holds the most photographic value of all cities in California. Cool off at the Ferry Building Farmers Market, get a cold drink and hone your street shooting skills all at the same time.

September

The summer comes to an end, which is a good time to visit the Northern Sierra Nevada. Have you ever considered tracking down some old mining camps? One of the most photogenic is Chemung Mine. The old mill and weathered buildings offer countless options for your creativity.

October

Late September and early October are best for fall foliage peeping. Last October I took the chance and hiked up McGee Canyon. The amount of color and the scenic value of this canyon, which is often just a side note to Bishop Creek canyon in most books, took me by surprise.

November

I usually try to avoid the summer heat in Los Angeles. The concrete desert burns hot during the summer months, but it becomes a pleasant retreat from the rainier north during the winter. Website visitors like to read about the Viewpoint on Mulholland Drive. This pleasant drive is removed from the bustling city and offers great views. A good choice if the giant city makes you feel slightly uncomfortable.

December

How about a Christmas light walking tour of San Francisco? See and photograph the skillful decorations as San Francisco puts on a shine for Christmas.

See you again

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Getty Center Cafe

Resting on a stunning hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Getty Center overlooks the vast city landscape of greater Los Angeles. Its exceptional contemporary architecture, colorful gardens and sweeping views are the main attraction for photographers. Meier, the architect, built almost the entire complex with travertine stone. It exerts a sterile, futuristic flair upon visitors as if it jumped straight from a science fiction novel.

The intricate interplay of light and shadows, shapes and architecture provide near limitless compositions. Photographers can get lost in the possibilities and strain the understanding of fellow travelers. Each place seems to change its character throughout the course of the day, making it impossible for you to leave.

The Getty Center captivated me from the moment I arrived. I found it impossible to leave until long after sunset, when I had captured the last fleeting rays of the day and seen the city lights illuminating the entire valley to my feet.

If you have never seen the Getty Center, you should make plans for it on your next trip. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

How to get there

Getty Center Location Map (click to enlarge)

The Getty Center is located on Getty Center Drive, accessible from Sepulveda Blvd, next to I-405 (San Diego Freeway). Arriving from the south, take exit 57B (Morega Dr.), turn left on Sepulveda Blvd and left into Getty Center Drive. From the north, take Getty Center Drive exit, turn left on Sepulveda Blvd. and then right into Getty Center Drive. Take the Metro (link below) to save the parking fee if you stay somewhere close.

Take the free train from the parking garage to the top of the mountain and the Getty Center.

Getty Center area photo location map (click to enlarge)

GPS position

34° 4.647’N  118° 28.490’W

How to photograph the Getty Museum

Getty Center framed skyline

I marked some of my favorite shooting locations in the aerial view above. However, if you have sufficient time I recommend that you explore the Getty Center on your own, without the help of guides or maps. It is a lot of fun to discover all the hidden terraces and views and find different compositions. Use the available light and craft your compositions to suit your own needs.

The architecture of the Getty Center frames the skyline of Los Angeles and Westwood in the picture above, similar to a panoramic window or very large screen television. Using the center in the foreground and the city in the background, you can find many pleasing compositions. You need to use a very large depth of field to get the foreground and the background in focus. Follow the link to learn more!

Getty Center light and shadow

The most important consideration in photography is always the light. With such a fabulous architecture, you have the unique option to bend light to your will, or at least the closest thing to bending light. Find a place that casts an interesting shadow, a reflection (b/w picture below) an opening that lets the light shine through (above) or simply a spot that receives favorable light. Since the light changes constantly, this means you need to remain in motion, often revisiting places you have already seen. This is extremely unnerving for your non-photographer travel companions, friends and family members. Try to interest them in the Getty collection itself, the countless paintings, sculptures and drawings that fill these beautiful halls.

Narrow Stairs

This will leave you free to explore at your heart’s content. The difference between a snapshot and a great photograph is often only the tenacity and standing power of the photographer. Waiting for people to clear (or enter) a scene, for the light to change, a cloud to move and the willingness to try different compositions besides the obvious camera at eye level shot will make you a better photographer.

Try horizontal and vertical compositions to emphasize different aspects of the same scene. Look for narrow ways or wide open spaces, use the lines of the center to lead toward a person, the skyline or any other interesting subject. Use reflections creatively, by only hinting at the presence of something. Just free your mind of anything non photographic and let your creative beast out.

Night skyline from Getty Center

I topped off my visit with a night shot of the Los Angeles valley. Since the Getty Center does not allow you to bring a tripod,  I had to put my camera on a ledge and use the lens cap and strap to give it the right angle and position. I pre-focused and used the live-view to adjust the composition to my liking, since I couldn’t peek through the viewfinder. Again, my patience gave me the upper hand, as I had to wait for a number of people to clear the area and give me room on the ledge.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

The views are best in late afternoon during partially cloudy or sunny days.

Time required

Two hours are sufficient to see the grounds and take plenty of photographs. You can spend an entire day to see all the exhibits.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens
• Telephoto lens for skyline shots
• Gorillapod or other mini tripod

Fees

Entrance to the Center is free. Parking costs $15.

Difficulty Photographing

Unfortunately, the staff did not allow me to bring my tripod. Since I left my Gorillapod at home, I had to rely on high ISO photography and look for ledges to support my camera for longer exposures.

Close Locations

• Getty Villa (Malibu)
• Griffith Observatory
• Mulholland Drive
• San Gabriel Arcangel Mission
• Venice Beach and Canals
• Santa Monica
• Downtown Los Angles
• El Pueblo and Union Station
• Walt Disney Concert Hall
• Universal Studios
• Malibu
• The Huntington Library and Gardens
• Pasadena
• Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Useful Resources

The Getty

Getty Center Pictures

L.A. public transport

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Venice Beach Skaters

Venice Beach Boardwalk is the funkiest, hippest place in Los Angeles. Street vendors set up shops, interrupted only by street food shacks and street performers. Venice Beach is an assault on your senses. Music booms all around you while weird looking creatures and vendors compete for your attention.

Venice Beach exemplifies Los Angeles’ stereotypical mantra of seeing and being seen. People here are mostly out to enjoy themselves and each other. For street photographers, the bustling Ocean Front Walk is a heaven send. People here are either happy when you photograph them or don’t notice you at all.

Venice Beach’s origin as an amusement park and the original Venice Canals were all part of the vision of Abbot Kinney, a wealthy developer. Most of the Canals are gone but a few survived lined by houses in an upscale neighborhood.

How to get there

For a short visit to Venice Beach, you can drop your car off on Windward Avenue, between Pacific Avenue and Speedway. Here you can find parking meters with affordable rates. If you want to stay longer, you either need to circle the roads and hope for a free spot or pay at one of the parking lots in the area.

For a first glimpse of the Canals, drive along Dell Avenue between S Venice Boulevard and Washington Boulevard. On my last visit, I was lucky and found parking on Ocean Avenue. Drive around in expanding circles until you find a spot.

GPS position

Venice Beach: 33°59′12.53″N 118°28′24.94″W

Venice Canals: 33°59′4.74″N 118°27′59.83″W

How to photograph Venice Beach and Canals

Handrail skater

There is no lack of subjects at Venice Beach. No matter where you hold your camera, something worthwhile will be there. The difficulty is not what to include but what to exclude. There is so much going on, pictures easily get confusing and overloaded with information. Although I like the subject of the handrail skater, a shallower depth of field would greatly enhance the picture and isolate him against the busy distracting background. Creating a shallower depth is not hard to do in post processing.

Most street performers are so absorbed in their activity, they hardly notice you. That makes it easy to snap some pictures and get over our anxiety of photographing strangers.

Big Daddy Pizza and Burgers

The actual beach takes a backseat to the Ocean Front Walk, a common presence in popular culture. Movies, TV shows, songs and books have the walk as their main theme or refer to it in some way. It is thus not surprising that Venice is at the top of the short list of many tourists to California.

Don’t forget to experiment. Photograph details like graffiti, Baywatch towers, funky signs, colorful storefronts or whatever draws your attention.

Besides the Ocean Front walk, Venice is also famous for the remnants of the canals. Today the area is a posh neighborhood with unique houses. There are no more gondolas, but the palm-lined canals are still worth the small detour, if you can find parking.

Venice Canals

Walk around and investigate the area before you start shooting. Although it is legal to stay as long as you want, most of us would find it concerning if strangers roam our neighborhoods with cameras and meticulously photograph every inch of our private life. Consider that this is a residential neighborhood. Residents are used to some amount of exposure, and maybe even like it, but we cannot assume this, so please be courteous.

I assume the canals should look good at night, with the light of the houses reflecting in them or with sunset clouds. Use a polarizing filter to remove or enhance the reflections.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Any time of the day is good at Venice Beach and the Canals, as long as it is not raining. Years ago, I made the mistake of going to Venice Beach at night. I am still glad I got away unharmed.

Time required

I spent about one hour at each location. You can easily stay much longer at Venice Beach, provided you find a good, cheap parking spot.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens
• Normal lens
• CPL filter
• Backpack lock (I use those in dense urban environments to prevent theft)
• Sun lotion

Close Locations

• Malibu
• Getty Center
• Santa Monica
• Griffith Observatory
• Mulholland Drive
• San Gabriel Arcangel Mission
• Santa Monica
• Downtown Los Angles
• El Pueblo and Union Station
• Walt Disney Concert Hall
• Universal Studios
• The Huntington Library and Gardens
• Pasadena
• Long Beach
• Queen Mary

Useful Resources

Venicebeach.com

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Macy's Christmas Lights, Union Square

Christmas time should bring cheer to our hearts and bring people closer together. In our consume driven society, corporations have succeeded in distorting our views and changing our perception of what matters and what does not. Consequently, people fight each other throughout the month of December in order to serve their new masters, department stores.

Fortunately, the city of San Francisco offers many opportunities to relax and enjoy some of the more beautiful sides of this time of the year. The sparkling Christmas lights bring some joy back to our hearts. Many places throughout the city light up and nearly every store and office building put forth a tree and lights, competing with each other. Walking through the streets of San Francisco at this time of the year is a pure joy if your only purpose is to enjoy yourself instead of following the call of the stores.

I set out with my brand new Canon 7D, capturing San Francisco’s beautiful lights. Strolling through the city, I enjoyed the luminous wonderland.

How to get there

Consider leaving your car outside the city and taking BART and Muni into the city. Driving during Christmas time, especially during the day is no pleasure. At night, things relax considerably though. I got free parking at the Embarcadero Center, City Hall and in front of the Ghirardelli Square.

GPS position

Embarcadero Center: 37°47′42.39″N 122°23′46.63″W

Union Square: 37°47′16.00″N 122°24′26.91″W

Pier 39: 37°48′30.66″N 122°24′36.62″W

Ghirardelli Square: 37°48′21.09″N 122°25′22.93″W

Chinatown: 37°47′40.90″N 122°24′22.94″W

City Hall: 37°46′45.80″N 122°25′5.36″W

Downtown red tree: 37°47′33.38″N 122°24′16.68″W

How to photograph Christmas Lights in San Francisco

Embarcadero Center

The tastefully decorated Embarcadero Center and the Ferry Building frame San Francisco’s largest ice rink. You can easily drop off your car at the garage and go for a stroll on the second level promenade.

Embarcadero Center, looking towards Ferry Building

Here I discovered this bridge, leading two stairs up to the third level. From underneath the bridge I could frame the Ferry Building and the decorations of the center. I used my internal flash and dialed in a flash exposure compensation of -2.5 stops to brighten up the arch, while metering off the lights in the background.

Embarcadero Center Building

On Embarcadero Street, I photographed the façade of the Embarcadero Center as it pierces into the dark night sky. At this time of the year, the Christmas lights add additional flair to the skyline that you can see from Treasure Island.

Embarcadero Ice Rink

Looking into the opposite direction, you can see the large ice rink. Psychedelic lights illuminate the ice, creating a funky foreground for the Ferry Building. By the time I got here, after 9pm, all the skaters were already gone, but the lights were still on. Come sooner if you wish to photograph with skaters. If you photograph at night, you will need a very high ISO sensitivity to ensure short exposure times in order to avoid blurring the skaters. I assume that the lights are turned off not much after 9:15pm.

Union Square

A shopper’s heaven, Union Square, is where all the action is. Police officers are trying to regulate traffic, in a futile attempt to maintain order while shoppers from all over the world rush through the department stores. Macy’s, looking like a box of chocolates, dominates the scene and lures shoppers into its vast belly (see picture at the top of the article). Don’t resist, enter the beast of a department store and take the escalators to the 7^th floor. Squeeze behind the Christmas decorations for a superb view of Union Square, the tree and the ice rink.

Union Square as seen from Macy's 7th floor

At this point, I really came to appreciate my decision to travel light. A tripod and large backpack may have made the Macy’s staff nervous, but nobody minded my presence behind the Christmas tree ornament sales display. If you carry a tripod, ask somebody to keep it for you while you go here. You will otherwise have trouble squeezing in.

Another excellent photograph of Union Square is from the heart near the Powell St. and Post St. intersection. The green palm trees combine favorably with the warmer glow of the Christmas decorations.

Palms and Christmas lights on Union Square

Walk around the Macy’s cube and check out the store windows. This year, the corner near O’Farrell St. and Stockton St. contains an adoption fair with puppies, kitties, and Santa Claus in a rocking chair.

Macy's Christmas shop window

Pier 39

The colorful tree at Pier 39 dominates this area by its size. I felt that the obscure flashing lights, four of which you can see lit up in this image, and the section that wasn’t lit greatly diminished the appearance of the otherwise good looking tree.

Pier 39 Christmas tree

I stood on the footbridge crossing Embarcadero Street from the Garage to Pier 39. This let me photograph the tree from a good angle with the Pier 39 sign in the background. Turn around for another excellent photograph including the skyline with the bridge in the foreground, leading towards it.

Ghirardelli Square

Ghirardelli Square is already a beacon of light throughout the year. The sparkling glory of the square is hard to top. The tree is thus an exercise in understatement. It fits the overall appearance of the square nicely.

Ghirardelli Square Christmas tree

Chinatown

Walking between the Embarcadero Center and Union Square I passed Chinatown (Grant Ave). It didn’t fit with the Christmas theme, but the Chinese lanterns, street lights and shop lights drew me in.

Chinatown at Night

I simply walked along Grant Avenue and took some photographs. This is one of them.

Other downtown areas

Further down the road, at the intersection of California and Kearny, I saw a tree in front of the Hartford Building glowing bright red.

California Street at Kearny Street

Many tall buildings that have a small square put up trees around here. If you have time, you can find more or wait for a decorated cable car to pass. To minimize motion blur, you need to use high ISO and get the cable car moving towards you or away from you.

City Hall

On the Civic Center Plaza in front of City Hall, you can find another Christmas tree. You can easily vary the relative size of the tree in respect to City Hall by adjusting your position. The image below illustrates this. In the image on the left, I stepped very close to the tree, using a wide-angle lens (19mm equivalent) to increase the size of the tree. I took the image on the right from further away, with a longer focal length (45mm equivalent). With a little bit of legwork, you can find the position that best suits your needs, maybe somewhere in between these two.

San Francisco Town Hall Christmas Tree

The Herbst Theatre just one block further at Van Ness and Grove Street has four giant Nutcracker lights and the Davies Symphony Hall across the street shows a spectacular display of tastefully decorated Christmas trees.

I photographed all but one of the pictures hand held. I used my new Canon 7D camera, which has ISO levels of up to ISO12800. Paired with an image stabilization lens this gave me enough flexibility to leave my tripod behind and gave me the time to photograph more locations. Follow the link above if you want to find out more and see an HD video I shot at the Union Square Ice Rink.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

You should start as soon as it gets dark until the lights go out. Most shops close at 9pm.

Time required

We were surprised how much time we spent enjoying the lights. We could have easily stayed longer, but as everybody closed up shop, we felt compelled to leave some time after 10pm. By then we had spent 5 hours light gazing.

Equipment

• Tripod: I used it for only one picture in this article for time reasons, but you will get better pictures with a tripod, although it will cost you more time to set up.
• A camera with high ISO (3200 and above) capability if you want to go hand held
• A lens with image stabilization for hand held shots
• A wide angle lens

Difficulty Getting There

Christmas time is always a challenge. Shoppers are out in force, clogging the streets. Avoid driving around Union Square where everybody seems to converge at this time of the year.

Close Locations

• Ferry Building Farmers Market
• Fisherman’s Wharf
• Pier 39
• Financial District
• Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill
• Chinatown
• Lombard Street
• Cable Cars
• Treasure Island
• Pier 7

Useful Resources

This page on about.com inspired my article in part:

List of Christmas light displays in San Francisco

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Reagan's Air Force One

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is a monument to one of the most influential Presidents in recent history. The beautiful California Mission style architecture of the complex overlooks Simi Valley from the top of a mountain.

The library contains a huge amount of historic documents, personal artifacts and official historic objects. The original Air Force One plane is by far the most prominent of these. It is accompanied by Marine One, the President’s helicopter, which you can find in the same hall that houses the plane. Some of his personal vehicles and an F14 Tomcat fighter jet are also on display as well as a giant piece of the original Berlin Wall, replicas of the Oval Office, the White House lawn and the Rose Garden. The library is thus a fantastic insight into the inner sanctum of the most powerful nation and the private life of one of his strongest leaders, President Ronald Reagan.

Even if you are not a history buff, you will find this place moving. I felt like a time traveler to an era marked by the cold war, a time I had comfortably banned from my awareness for some time now. Many personal memories of those times surfaced and mixed with the new impressions and insights I gained through this visit.

This library is a remarkable place, waiting for your discovery.

How to get there

The Reagan Library is located in Simi Valley, 50 minutes north of Los Angeles. Overlooking a pleasant valley, the library is an ideal detour from the hectic bustling life of the big city.

The address of the Reagan Library is 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065.

Reagan Library Location Map (click to enlarge)

GPS position

34°15′34.53″N 118°49′8.50″W

How to photograph the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Below Air Force One

The library is surprisingly unrestricted to photographers. The only area that is off limits for photography is onboard Air Force One. Otherwise, you are free to draw your camera whenever you please, as long as you know how to turn off the flash. Most libraries and museums disallow flash due to the harmful effects of light. Instead you need to rely on a steady hand and advances in image stabilization and high ISO performance to get your shot. In most inside areas, the dim lights are supposed to help preserve the artifacts, making photography challenging.

Reagan Movie

In the Air Force One Pavilion, which also harbors Marine One and the Presidential Motorcade, the light is much better due to the three story high panoramic window. The impressive plane rests on pedestals and the walkway that circles the plane lets you view it from all angles. Don’t forget to capture some detail shots to support larger images.

Photographing in museums poses serious challenges to your composition. You cannot influence the arrangement of objects. Other objects often block your point of view or restrictions block you from assuming the best possible position. Try playing certain elements off each other. In the shot of the movie theater mockup, I used a very wide angle to include the sign above the entrance and waited for Ronald Reagan to show up on the screen.

Another alternative is to concentrate on detail photographs. However, I find that simply photographing one object after another does not leave much creativity to the photographer.

White House Oval Office

I enjoyed my time at the library beyond my usual photography. The oval office is a perfect replica, including Reagan’s original chair. There isn’t much to do here except putting a wide-angle lens on and taking a few shots while listening to the stories of the museum guide and imagining how it must feel like to sit behind a desk that has served so many powerful men before.

Slab of Berlin Wall

Some of the most interesting subjects are outside the walls of the library. Here you have more freedom to move around and can take advantage of the light. The valley below provides a wonderful backdrop to your compositions.

One of my favorite objects is this large slab of the Berlin Wall, a tool of oppression and a reminder that nothing stands forever, despite the infamous claims of its creators.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Any time is a good time to come here. I like to photograph the outdoor objects last during afternoon visits or first during morning visits to take advantage of the lower angle of the sun.

Time required

You can spend an entire day in the library and come back the next day to see more. You should plan a minimum of 3 hours to see the most important sights.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens
• Image Stabilization
• Zoom lens for detail close-up shots

Fees

Admission is $12 for Adults. Senior and Junior discounts are available. Children under 11 get in free.

Difficulty Photographing

You cannot bring a tripod into the library and you cannot use flash. You cannot photograph inside Air Force One.

Close Locations

• Getty Center
• Malibu Creek State Park
• Griffith Observatory
• Mulholland Drive
• San Gabriel Arcangel Mission
• Venice Beach and Canals
• Santa Monica
• Downtown Los Angles
• Walt Disney Concert Hall
• Malibu
• The Huntington Library and Gardens
• Pasadena
• Mission San Buenaventura
• Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

Useful Resources

Official Website

Archives of the Reagan Library

ReaganLibrary.net

Ronald Reagan Library pictures

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Sunlit Temple

As the only survivor of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition, San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts echoes the grandeur of past times in a modern city whose defining character is progressive thinking and high technology. The Palace of Fine Arts resembles a Roman ruin with purely decorative purposes. It is in strong contrast to the hypermodern and functional Downtown but fits the diversity of San Francisco, a city that has room for everything, despite its small footprint.

The Palace is visible from many points in the city. It attracts curios visitors to its tranquil lagoon with fountain and swans and to its seemingly misplaced architectural style, reminiscent of Greek historical places.

How to get there

Palace of Fine Arts Map

Follow Highway 101 / Lombard Street / Van Ness Street north towards the Golden Gate Bridge.  Take Baker Street shortly after Lombard Street turns right and becomes Richardson Avenue.

Take Marina Blvd if you are coming from the Marina or from North of the Golden Gate Bridge and turn right on Baker Street.

You will have to hunt for parking in any of the side streets. If you cannot find a spot, park across Marina Blvd on the large lot at 37°48′24.14″N 122°26′51.59″W.

Palace of Fine Arts areal photo

GPS position

37°48′10.39″N 122°26′52.88″W

How to photograph the Palace of Fine Arts

Palace of Fine Arts lawn

Using a wide-angle lens inside the structure, include people in your photographs to demonstrate the size of the building, the rotunda. Photographing inside will cause dynamic range problems, since the interior is several stops darker, especially on bright sunny days. Creating HDR photographs is one possible solution, but it is difficult due to the people in your photograph. You can generate an HDR from a single RAW frame or you can take several exposure compensated images and use software to remove people. Photo Acute Studio and Photoshop CS9 Extended both can automatically remove moving subjects from static frames. Floodlights illuminate the rotunda at night, causing much less dynamic range issues during the twilight hours.

Reflection

Evaluate the exposure on your histogram. If you photograph single exposures, expose for highlights by making sure the histogram is as far right as possible without clipping it at the right side. You can always recover shadows but clipped highlights are lost beyond the one stop you can recover during RAW processing.

Take your time to explore all the angles of the Palace and the surrounding landscape. Use a wide-angle lens and get really close to the pillars, crouch down and photograph up to create interesting distortions. Try to stand back further and use a normal lens to reduce distortions. Compare the results on your LCD to come up with new and intermediate ideas. Always experiment, even after you got all the shots you came for.

The lagoon works like a reflecting pool to the Palace. The sidewalk across the lagoon from the Palace offers some of the best options to explore reflections. Sometimes less is more. Using the reflections of the pillars together with the seagulls (or swans if you are lucky), we can let the imagination of the viewer fill in the gaps. Images like this are often most powerful, since people can choose for themselves how to fill the missing information. Imagination is often more powerful than reality.

Fountain

The lagoon is also home to a flock of swans. Stereotypical or not, swans are a welcome subject. They help to give the place a romantic touch and add to the mood of certain pictures.

During the summer months, a fountain will spew water several feet into the air. Use a tripod and set your camera to a small aperture to increase exposure time to 1/5 seconds or longer. Use a neutral density filter if it is too bright. This setting will create a blurred fountain look. Try a fast shutter speed as well (1/125s or faster) to freeze the waterdrops in the air. See which picture you like better.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Mornings are best to photograph the Palace with the lagoon in the foreground. During the afternoon, you have to shoot against the light. Late afternoon and evenings are good too.

Time required

You need at least 2 hours to walk around the lagoon and the structures, maybe longer to wait for the swans to move where you want them. It takes at least one hour to take a few interesting shots.

Equipment

• Wide-angle Lens
• Normal Lens
• Tripod and Cable Release
• Neutral Density Filter (blur the fountains during the day)
• Polarizing filter to remove the glare from the water

Difficulty Photographing

Usually there are too many people here making it hard to get decent photographs. Sometimes reconstruction crews are at work or wedding photographers stage their subjects in one of the archways. Be patient and flexible by working around those obstructions, focusing your attention on what is available to you, or including them skillfully into your photographs.

Close Locations

• Marina, Crissy Field
• Fisherman’s Wharf
• San Francisco Presidio
• Baker Beach
• Lincoln Park and Legion of Honor
• Stow Lake, Strawberry Hill, Botanical Garden
• Golden Gate Park West Side
• Beach and Cliff House
• Lands End and Sutro Baths
• Twin Peaks
• Pier 39
• Pier 7
• Baker Beach
• Kirby Cove
• Golden Gate North Views part 1 and part 2

Useful Resources

Palace of Fine Arts Theatre website

Exploratorium (museum) official site

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Hetch Hetchy Moonrise

Discover Yosemite’s best-kept secret, Hetch Hetchy Valley.

John Muir once described Hetch Hetchy as “a wonderfully exact counterpart” of Yosemite Valley. It is a funny twist of nature to create a valley this close to Yosemite Valley that looks so much alike. Today the infamous O’Shaughnessy Dam blocks the flow of the Tuolumne River, flooding the entire valley with 300 feet of water. The San Francisco Bay Area needs the dam to satisfy its insatiable hunger for power and water. A lot of controversy surrounds the dam and the accompanied destruction of a pristine valley within the borders of Yosemite National Park.

Despite the controversy, Hetch Hetchy is a fantastic destination for day hikes, backpacking and of course, photography. One of the easiest and by far the most popular day hike is the 5 mile round trip to Wapama Falls. The falls plummet 1400 ft from the northern cliffs of the valley, an impressive sight, although not easy to capture in photographs. The easy and pleasant round trip hike offers good views of the dam, the reservoir and the falls.

The reservoir leads to fantastic opportunities for photography. Imagine an entire Yosemite Valley standing on a mirror surface.

I cannot help admiring the remarkable engineering accomplishments of such an immense undertaking and the determination people showed at the turn of the century to accomplish such mammoth projects like O-Shaughnessy Dam. Comparing it to the quibbles of modern day projects and the projected costs of necessary repairs on the Bay Bridge, I must bow to the people constructing the dam.

Only a tiny fraction of visitors to Yosemite come here, although I believe that number will increase rapidly in the near future as crowds simply spill over into this fantastic place. There is also a slight chance that one day the reservoir may be drained to restore the valley.

Visit this little known corner of Yosemite today and claim your photographs.

How to get there

The Hetch Hetchy turnoff (Evergreen Road) from Highway 120 is at  37°48′54.02″N 119°52′31.16″W just outside Yosemite, west of the Big Oak Flat Entrance Station (Hwy 120). The exit is clearly marked, but you need to pay attention since there is only a single sign.

Hetch Hetchy Parking Area(click to enlarge)

On this first map, I have marked some good spots for photography near the main parking lot.

Hetch Hetchy Wapama Falls Hike (click to enlarge)

On this second map, you can see the trail destination of Wapama Falls in relation to the parking lot. The distance from the dam to the falls is approx. 2.5 miles.

GPS position

37°56′47.18″N 119°47′15.13″W

How to photograph Hetch Hetchy and Wapama Falls

Hetch Hetchy O'Shaughnessy Dam

The drive into the valley is just as exciting as the drive into Yosemite Valley from Highway 120. The narrow winding road suddenly reveals a view of immense beauty.  I immediately was awestruck by the beauty of this sight and had mixed feelings about the dam. Although this man-made lake destroys the valley floor beneath it, the water provides a unique opportunity to photograph this magnificent valley presented on a mirror. The reservoir is beautiful in its own right. In the photograph at the start of this page, I was even able to capture the reflection of the moon as it rose above Kolana Rock. I took this photograph from the dam, which doubles as the main viewpoint into the valley and the spot where you can watch the sun set (obey the closing hours listed below).

Wapama Falls

You can photograph the dam either from the parking lot west of the dam or from the trail to Wapama Falls and Rancheria Falls. Both views give you a unique perspective. The side light, illuminating the trees, drew my attention during the late afternoon, as I returned from my hike. I stopped briefly, set up my tripod and took the photograph above. The lighting in the canyon at this time of the day is dim, requiring a tripod or a lens with image stabilization (IS,VR,VC,OS).

A tripod is a good idea for other reasons. In fact, I took all images on this page with the help of a tripod. This allowed me to shoot in relative darkness (first two images), slow the flow of the water in the third image and compose the high dynamic range photograph shown below. I struggled to get a decent composition of Wapama Falls. I ended up climbing underneath the footbridge and almost fell down a crevasse, but I was not too happy with the results. The waterfall is too large for any useful composition from this close distance. I found the compositions from the opposite shore more interesting.

Wapama Falls Footbridges HDR

Fortunately, Dani pointed out a pleasing composition looking back towards the footbridge. With the low winter sun forcing me to shoot against the light, I decided on a wide-angle composition to take advantage of the star streaks they create. Deliberately including the sun, I took three photographs and combined them in Photomatix.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Currently the entrance gate hours are:

• 7am to 8pm for April
• 7am to 9pm May to Labor Day
• 8am to 7pm Day after Labor day to October 31
• 8am to 5pm November to March 31

You need to obtain a wilderness permit for overnight backpacking trips. Plan sufficient time to return to the entrance gate, the punishment for tardiness is severe. Upon your entry, the ranger will hand you a numbered parking permit and will note your license plate and the number of people in your party to ensure everyone returns safely from their trip and leaves in time.

Time required

We hiked to Wapama Falls in under one hour, passing other hikers. You are on the safe side if you schedule 3 hours hiking time (90 minutes each way) and about 1 hour for photography at the falls and on the trail.

Equipment

• Tripod
• Cable Release
• Split ND filter
• Bear Spray (find it at the Bass Pro Shop in Manteca or other outdoor stores)
• Bear Bells
• Mosquito Spray
• Sun Lotion
• Water (it gets hot on the trail as the water reflects most of the sunlight back at you)
• Picnic  (don’t store smelly food in your car, which attract bears, use the bear safe containers at the backpackers parking)

Fees

The entrance fee is the same as at other Yosemite NP entrances, $20.

Difficulty Getting There

Bears, rattle snakes and Poison Oak are among the most obvious hazards.

Close Locations

• Yosemite Firefall   Horsetail Fall
• Views of Yosemite Valley
• Yosemite Valley in Fall
• Merced Grove
• Wildlife of Yosemite
• Mirror Lake
• Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Bridge and Swinging Bridge
• Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall Trail
• Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, Taft Point
• Tioga Pass road
• Tuolumne Meadows
• Mariposa Grove
• Columbia SHP
• Locke Historic Town

Useful Resources

Day Hikes in HH (NPS.GOV)

Hetch Hetchy Brochure (this is how it could look after moving the dam)

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Kings Canyon Roaring River Falls

Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (Highway 180) presents easy access to some of the wildest and most spectacular terrain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Gushing waterfalls, lush meadows and a road clinging to the side of a rock face make this a one of a kind drive.

Enjoy the grand vistas directly from the road, visit waterfalls via short 2-minute trails, go hiking at the end of the road or take a quick hike along Zumwalt Meadows. Some picnic grounds nearby the road are excellent places to rest, fill up and spend a moment to relax. Whatever you do, take your time and enjoy the narrow winding road at a leisurely pace to maximize your enjoyment.

How to get there

Kings Canyon Scenic Byway 180 Map

Take Highway 180 from Fresno into the park and turn left at the Sequoia intersection, it’s hard to miss.

Most tourists will “only” drive this Scenic Byway when visiting Kings Canyon National Park. Do not make the same mistake and take the time to visit one of the nearby locations (section below). The park deserves much more attention than it gets from most visitors, who tire of big trees after rushing through the important sights in Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon’s sister. The beautiful hikes and mountain vistas of Kings Canyon are worth your time.

GPS position

N36 47.428 W118 40.212

How to photograph Kings Canyon Scenic Byway CA-180

Afternoon at the Kings River

The road is narrow and winding with very few pullouts. The road itself, clinging to the rocks, is a great photography subject. Only pullout if there is enough room and be prepared to stop for other drivers who are not as careful as they should be. A small stonewall protects you from going over the cliff, but the drop-off into the canyon is very steep and the wall may ultimately prove too low. Be careful and pay attention; I know how easily such landscapes can distract photographers.

Once in the canyon, the road winds along the Kings River. You will have many chances to pull out. Take advantage of it and climb down to the water. Using a tripod and slowing down your exposure, take some photographs of the cascades. The blue of the water contrasts favorably with the light of the afternoon sun on the surrounding mountains and the green of the trees at the river.

The High Dynamic Range that you face in this situation calls for the generation of an HDR image, one more reason to bring a tripod, which allows you to capture several exposures that stack well. Alternatively, you could meter off a sunlit area in the background and boost the shadows with fill light. You could even overexpose the bright areas slightly if you shoot RAW, since most cameras allow you to restore some of the highlights. This is not possible when you shoot JPG images, since the transformation to JPG will clip overexposed areas. How much you can recover depends on your camera.

Zumwalt Meadow

Once at Roaring River Falls, I got into position and just as I got ready to fire away, some person in a wetsuit jumped in to swim laps. At first, I was quite annoyed that he couldn’t wait a minute as he walked past me seeing what I did, but then I remembered that most passersby have no idea how wide my wide-angle lens really is. The problem was simply that he kept moving, which did not look good on the long exposure I used to blur the falls. Eventually the swimmer decided to do right by me and unknowingly became a part of my composition as he rested on a ledge. I quickly swapped lenses and used him as a scale for my waterfall shot. In the end I walked away happy that he was there. I did not get my wide-angle composition of the waterfall plunging into the turquoise-green pool, but instead I got an even more interesting and intimate picture.

I didn’t find Zumwalt Meadows or Grizzly Falls very photogenic during my late summer visit, but I can imagine that the snow melt and wildflowers that spring brings will change this significantly.

Kings Canyon Valley Vista

After climbing out of the valley at dusk, I stopped the car one last time to photograph the soft landscape after sunset. The high peaks of the Sierra Nevada that separate Owens Valley from the park imposingly loom over the valley, inspiring awe and the desire to conquer them at one point. For now I am going to be content photographing them with my long lens.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Mid afternoon to sunset is best. Keep in mind that direct sunlight will be gone about one hour prior to sunset due to the surrounding mountains. Any time of the year that the road is open will be good, but summers can be hot, since Cedar Grove lies at lower elevations. You probably cannot get here in winter and spring, due to pass closures.

I suspect that spring and fall will add a lot of color near the Kings River as the wildflowers are blooming or the fall adds color to the surrounding trees .

Time required

Four to five hours should be sufficient to photograph the sights along the byway.

Equipment

• Tripod
• Cable release
• Split ND filter
• Warming filter
• Wide-angle lens
• Medium lens
• Long lens (only if you plan to hike where you may encounter wildlife)
• Picnic (lock in a bear safe container when you go on a longer hike)
• Water
• Bug spray

Fees

The entrance fee to Kings Canyon National Park is $20, which also includes Sequoia National Park. It is valid for 7 days. The Interagency Park Pass will get you in too.

Close Locations

• Kings Canyon Mist Falls Trail
• Kings Canyon Grant Grove
• Buck Rock Fire Lookout
• Redwood Mountain Grove
• Hume Lake
• Sequoia Giant Forest
• Sequoia Lodgepole Area and Tokopah Falls hike
• Sequioa National Park Crystal Cave

Useful Resources

Kings Canyon National Park Page

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