Richardson Bay Sunrise

Richardson Bay Sunrise, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

This sunrise was incredible, and went on for at least an hour. I wish I'd had a bit more of a reflection, but I do love the textured ripples in the water reflecting the pink sky.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 100-400L, f/8 @ 1/5, ISO 50.

Early Christmas Present: Crescent Moonrise

Early Christmas Present: Crescent Moonrise, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

I am SO glad I woke up this morning. I am not fantastic at early mornings, particularly on a day off, and especially when I'm 40 minutes away from a shooting location (couldn't they have built another bridge from Berkeley to the Golden Gate? C'mon, it would have been a great idea!)

I was headed straight for the Headlands to catch the barest crescent of the last day's moon - can you see it? You have to look closely - the moon's disk is only 3% illuminated.

The moonrise was fantastic, and then this incredible sunrise lasted nearly an hour!

So thank you, San Francisco, for the early Christmas present.

And by the way, this is straight. out. of. the. camera. I only applied sharpening. That's how good the sunrise was!

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200L, f/6.3 @ 2 seconds, ISO 320.

Cold Front

Cold Front, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

This is a photo from much earlier in the year - the day it was supposed to snow in San Francisco. I woke up well before sunrise and was on my way to Twin Peaks to try to catch an image of the Golden Gate with a snowy Mt. Tam in the background, but no dice. Not one flake.

So I stopped off at Treasure Island for a quick pano with the cold front hovering over the city. For some reason, the Transamerica light was on before sunrise. Maybe someone accidentally hit the switch?

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200L, two image stitch in Photoshop.

Golden Eclipse

Golden Eclipse, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Taken just before the fully eclipsed moon slipped into the hazy murk as the sky brightened with dawn twilight.

I also took a shot that other photographers will appreciate - Crissy Field, packed with dozens and dozens of tripods! I imagine many of us have identical shots, but I don't like the shot any less for it - it was an amazing sight!

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 100-400L, f/5 @ 6s, ISO 500

The Straightaway

The Straightaway, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

The City, lit up in its holiday best.

Canon 5D Mk II, Canon 100-400L, f/7.1 @ 5s, ISO 50.

Last Light from Twin Peaks

Last Light from Twin Peaks, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

It was a fantastically clear evening on Saturday, and I snapped a few images of last light on downtown SF while waiting for the holiday lights to come on (more to come).

It was pretty windy up at the top of Twin Peaks, and I had some trouble keeping the heavy long lens steady, but I ended up with a few crisp shots.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 100-400L, f/9 @ 1/6, ISO 50

Holiday Spirit

Holiday Spirit, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

I woke up on Saturday in the best mood. I think the holiday spirit has gotten ahold of me.

How could it not, with the incredible weather we had this weekend in San Francisco?

Today was actually the first time I'd ever been to the top of Coit tower. As some other locals, I've held onto the fact that I haven't done some of the most touristy things in SF with pride. I still have never been to Alcatraz. But now I have been to the top of Coit Tower. And it's amazing up there. Who knew that the top of the tower is completely open?? Word to the wise - no tripods allowed. Mine had to be coat-checked in the gift shop.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, f/2.8 @ 1/5, ISO 800. Handheld.

Holiday Panorama

Holiday Panorama, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

The Embarcadero holiday lights are on - time to shop! ;-)

Happy holidays and happy shooting, everyone!

Canon 5D Mk II, Canon 100-400L, f/10 @25s, ISO 50. No filters. Two-image stitch in Photoshop.

Stormy Afternoon at the Golden Gate

Stormy Afternoon at the Golden Gate, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

I missed all the crazy rainbows yesterday, but I did catch a little nice light before the sun got lost in the storm clouds.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, f/8 @ 1/30, ISO 50.

Tribute.

Tribute., originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

An impromptu memorial for Steve on the lawn at Apple. Emotional messages, apples, flowers, iPhone cases, iPad boxes, and even a bottle of Smart Water, which made me smile.

Beautiful clouds, and even a rainbow, over Cupertino today.

Beautiful clouds, and even a rainbow, over Cupertino today., originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

San Francisco Summer

San Francisco Summer, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

After Labor Day, summer finally comes to the city by the bay. What a beautiful afternoon Sunday was - t-shirt weather at Ocean Beach!

This surfer was cruising around Seal Rocks.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200L, f/8 @ 1/800, ISO 200. No filters.

Seal Rocks

Seal Rocks, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Playing around with the ND400 filter. This was a daylight exposure and I only went 10 seconds. I'm happy with the movement that's still visible in the water.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, f/3.5 @ 10s, ND400, Lee 3-stop hard GND.

Golden Hills, Golden Gate

Golden Hills, Golden Gate, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

At the end of a beautiful summer day in the Marin Hills.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, f/4 @ 1/50, ISO 50.

One More Moonrise

One More Moonrise, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

This is the last image I took at Kirby Cove during last week's full moonrise. I decided to underexpose this one just a tad to highlight the drama of the moonlight and the Golden Gate reflection. It's amazing how fast the color changes in the sky.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, f/5.6 @ 30s, ISO 50.

Luminous Pearl

Luminous Pearl, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Another image from Thursday's spectacular moonrise. I slowed this one down as much as possible to capture the reflections in the water and show movement in the fog-clouds.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, f/22 @ 25s, ISO 50. Lee .9 hard GND, handheld.

Kirby Cove Moonrise

Kirby Cove Moonrise, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

I almost didn't go out to shoot tonight. I'm so glad I did! Thanks for the great show, Golden Gate, Moon, Pacific Ocean, and Kirby Cove.


Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, f/6.3 @ 30s, ISO 50. Lee GND filters.

East Bay Hills, Spring Cloak

East Bay Hills, Spring Cloak, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

I love those few weeks of spring when the East Bay hills are a rich green.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, Lee GND filters

Good Evening, San Francisco

Good Evening, San Francisco, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Endless Tide

Endless Tide, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Tonight, from my roof in the Berkeley Hills.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200 f/4L w/ 2x, f/8 @ 1/5, ISO 50.

Lands End: At the End of the Day

Lands End: At the End of the Day, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Lands End might be my favorite place to watch the sunset in San Francisco. The light has a glowing quality from catching the seaspray that is truly beautiful. Add in the drama of the twisted cypresses and the colorful native plants and flowers and you have a backdrop perfect for framing a Pacific sunset.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, f/2.8 @ 1/40, ISO 200. Lee graduated neutral density filter.

Summery Stillness, Tiburon Hills I

Summery Stillness, Tiburon Hills I, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

This is an earlier shot from a glorious summer evening in the Tiburon hills. I think I prefer this composition, and the soft warm light in this image. Marin is magical, and I feel so fortunate to have grown up there.


Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200 f/4L, f/11 @ 15s, ISO 50. No filters. Perfect soft light!

Summery Stillness, Tiburon Hills

Summery Stillness, Tiburon Hills, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Summer finally busted onto the scene this weekend, with tons of gorgeous, warm sunshine. After a day soaking in the rays, we headed to the Tiburon hills to take in the views. I'm so glad I had my camera with me - the views were phenomenal and we had a gorgeous, still, silent alpenglowy sunset. I feel reinspired :)

I spent a lot of time thinking about my dad yesterday. This photo is for him.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200 f/4L, f/16 @ 30s, ISO 125. No filters.

Stormy Sunset in Alamo Square

Stormy Sunset in Alamo Square, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Saturday afternoon's surprise storm serendipitously broke up right at sunset. I had wanted to create an image in this location with some interesting weather, so I beelined to Alamo Square. I love the warm light on the downtown buildings and the texture in the clouds.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200L, f/6.3 @ 1/160, ISO 160. Balanced on a pole since I didn't have my tripod with me. No filters.

A Portrait of Summer

We had some fun shooting a mini-portrait session while I waited for the sunset. Since she was wearing a cool vintage shirt, I ran with the idea and applied a vintage treatment. I'm not sure whether I like the color or sepia better, so I posted both :)

Graceful Arch

Graceful Arch, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

I've lived in the Bay Area for almost all of my 28 years and I had never been to Fort Point until last week. What a beautiful place. It's also one of the oldest structures in the Bay Area: construction started in 1853 and was built to guard against French and Spanish ships that might be after California's gold.

It was actually slated for destruction when the Golden Gate Bridge was built, but Joseph Strauss, the chief engineer, redesigned the bridge and incorporated the fort in its construction, which in the end saved it from destruction.

The result is this graceful arch under the South Tower, which I think is one of the most beautiful parts of the Bridge.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, f/5.6 @ 1/250, ISO 200. Tiffen circular polarizer.

The South Tower

The South Tower, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

This much-touristed viewpoint of the Bridge doesn't get nearly enough photography love. I really like the arch over Fort Point and the Headlands background from this perspective.

Last Friday's sunset was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. Fast-moving, interesting-shaped clouds caught some great light over the northwest corner of San Francisco.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, f/20 @ 30s, ISO 320.

Splash!

Splash!, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

A fraction of a second before I got soaked by a wave at Fort Point. There was some awesome surf after the storm last week!

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L

Golden Gate Mystic

Golden Gate Mystic, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Appearing, disappearing, reappearing...



Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200L, f/9 @ 1/250, ISO 100.

Foggy Frame at the Golden Gate

Foggy Frame at the Golden Gate, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

This view has become a cliche, but I loved the multiple layers of fog interacting with the landscape.


Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200L w/ 2x extender, f/8 @ 1/1000, ISO 400.

Amazing video of San Francisco, shot just days before the 1906 earthquake

This story is a couple of years old, but I just ran across it. I think it's one of the most beautiful videos I've ever seen, and I was incredibly moved while watching it. It connects me with the history of San Francisco in a way that I've never felt before. I wonder about all of the people walking Market Street, most unaware that they are being recorded. Who is the little boy who pops his head out of the car? Where did he live? What was his experience of the earthquake just days later? Did he live to tell his grandchildren about the days of horses and carriages on Market Street and the great earthquake and fire of 1906?

The story behind it -- that it was made just days before the 1906 earthquake -- makes it even more special. And the other story behind it -- how historians determined that it was in fact filmed in April 1906 -- is also extremely interesting. Enjoy, and I hope you fall in love with San Francisco even more deeply.

Here's more information on David Kiehn's incredible sleuthing from the SFGate Blog:

The film was shot by early San Francisco film innovators the Miles Brothers and has been widely available through the Library of Congress and You Tube (which has a novel version set to an Air soundtrack) and was originally dated to the fall of 1905 but recently local author and silent film historian David Kiehn made some surprising discoveries about its date. He had seen "A Trip Down Market Street" many times over the years but it was only around 2005 that he managed to get ahold of a 16mm print which made him "all the more curious about it." The Library of Congress had researched and dated the filming to September or October of 1905. Per Kiehn, "some thought it was shot earlier in 1904 but since the Library of Congress had narrowed it down to that point everyone thought that it was shot in 1905." Read the Library of Congress' description of the film's date here.

At first Kiehn was just trying to confirm the 1905 shoot date so he thought "gee, there were 5 newspapers in San Francisco at that time so somebody must have written about it." He dug through the San Francisco Public Library's collection of microfilm starting with August of 1905 and running through October 1905. He went "page by page and couldn't find a single thing about it so I looked at the film again more closely and I noticed that there were puddles in the cavities by the rails on the street and especially at the end of the film autos drive through puddles splashing water." So, he went back to the papers and checked the weather reports for the period only to find that September and October of 1905 were "as dry as a bone."

Kiehn took a look at the angle of the sun and narrowed the time of year to late March or April 1906. Then he examined the buildings along Market Street, the state of construction narrowed the window down to late 1905 or before the earthquake in 1906. To tie all these pieces together he "went back to the papers to look for information on filming and weather reports. In March and April, especially late March 1906, there was a lot of rain but there weren't any references to any filming being done." But, "being a film historian I then realized that there was a theatrical magazine where filmmakers of the day advertised their films called the New York Clipper. The San Francisco Public Library coincidentally has that magazine on microfilm so I looked at late March and April of 1906."

In the April 28th edition he saw an ad by the Miles Brothers for two films that they were just releasing called "A Trip down Mount Tamalpais" and "A Trip down Market Street." The ad appeared ten days after the April 18, 1906 earthquake but Kiehn notes that this wasn't someone playing games with history. Since print publications required a long lead time for composition it was most likely composed by April 18th, 1906. The films were shot on or around April 12th and shipped to New York on April 17th, the eve of the quake.

That would appear to confirm the date for the film but Kiehn dug deeper by dating the early license plates on cars in the film. The DMV told him that the records no longer existed but he found them in the California State Archives in Sacramento. He eventually found one of the plate numbers from the film, 4867, and traced it to a Jay Anway who registered his car in early 1906 which further verified his research.

There are many other twists and turns along the way to confirming the film's date. Kiehn has written up the entire tale in the most recent issue of the Argonaut.

Kiehn has managed to get the IMDB to change their date for the film but the Library of Congress hasn't updated theirs yet. He hopes they'll come around soon.

Rolling in the Deep

Rolling in the Deep, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Watching this fog spectacle at the Bridge was pretty surreal. I was standing in filtered sunshine in near silence, watching the cars come and go into nothingness. The Bridge cast a seemingly three-dimensional shadow into the fog. Amazing.

The image looks a bit grainy, but that's actually not an artifact - it's due to heat distortion from the sun burning the fog off.

Soundtrack: Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200L w/ 2x extender (my beloved 100-400L is temporarily out of commission :()

Fog, Glorious Fog

Fog, Glorious Fog, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Beautiful, thick fog engulfed the Golden Gate this past weekend.

Canon 5D Mk II, Canon 24-70L

Spring at Olompali State Park, Marin County, California

Spring at Olompali State Park, Marin County, California, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

Even though I grew up in Marin, I'd never visited Olompali State Park, which is an interesting mix of hiking trails and building ruins that were built over a period of 150 years.

I checked it out last weekend and was pleasantly surprised to find a trail of wild calla lilies meandering through a meadow, growing over a streamlet. So pretty!

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-70L, Tiffen circular polarizer.

Aspens

Aspens, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

This might look like it Colorado, but it was actually taken in the Eastern Sierra this past fall. I repeated the image and stitched it for a hotel client, who will be hanging a 6' print of it in their elevator lobby. I like the resulting subtle repetition in the image. I also pulled out more greens than the original image had, since the client was interested in spring greens and this was taken in October.

Violet

Doesn't she have the most stunning eyes? I love this in b&w, but also had to share the color version so that you can see how blue her eyes really are!

Baby Bradley

...is not quite a baby anymore! He's a little toddler now, running around, chasing balls, making monkey noises. It's hard to believe how much he's grown in 15 short months!

Debleena & Miki: San Francisco Engagement

I had the pleasure of photographing Debleena and Miki's engagement in San Francisco last weekend. Despite the chilly wind, we had a lot of fun - thanks, Debleena, for being such a trooper! I love how comfortable they are with each other - it made my job really easy.

We started at the Palace of Fine Arts.

Did I mention that they're super sweet together?

How cool are these giant green doors at the Palace of Fine Arts?

Back to back. Miki's only a *smidge* taller.

Debleena, you're adorable.

And Miki, you're not so bad yourself. I love when a guy can pull off pink!

And then we explored the Marina neighborhood a bit.

And then we hit the beach. The sun popped out right before sunset and gave us some great light. I planned it that way. Obviously.

Yup, sparks between these two. Literally.

I love how these two laugh together!

And then we went to the Bridge. A San Francisco engagement session isn't complete without some great Golden Gate photos!

How's this for some San Francisco glamour?

Not enough glamour for you? How about this?

Or this?

Near the end of the session, we were treated to this gorgeous sunset. If you look closely, you can see the Farallon Islands right below the setting sun!

Thank you, Miki and Debleena! Best wishes for a wonderful wedding this summer!