Uploads from Oldvidhead, tagged hdr

Twilight San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:01:28 -0700

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

A classic Twilight View of the Palace of Fine Arts. Taken about 20 minutes after sunset, it posses the classic dome aglow in lights against the fading light in the sky.

Fort Point SF - Interior Decay

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:06:12 -0700

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

The most striking thing about Fort Point is the 150 plus years of layers of texture on the interior walls. This space is adjacent to the restored officers quarters on the second floor. The plaster and paint mostly worn off and coated with mold, moss and other living organisms. The window light was striking and revealed this textured layer. This is an HDR shot from a single wide-angle view

Navarro River Redwoods at sunrise - Mendocino County

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:16:40 -0700

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

View Large. This is the full panorama of the shot I posted earlier. . This close to 360 view of the Navarro River Redwoods in the early morning light gives a sense of the environment I encountered. It's one of my favorite redwood groves in the area. While the trees are not as large as in some of the old growth groves, the numerous access points on Route 128 provide numerous pullouts to really striking groves in their wild state. Less manicured than many of their park counterparts these redwood groves give to me a truer sense of the wildness and age of these forests.

Mendocino Coast - Jug Handle State Reserve

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Sun, 10 May 2009 20:26:45 -0700

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

View Large. I shot this Panorama on the Beach at Jug Handle State Reserve just as the sun was setting. I shot a 360 panorama, but have cropped a bit to display on flickr. The Bridge on the right is Highway 1.

San Francisco Wilds - Trail to Lands End

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:09:48 -0700

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

View Large

One of my favorite things about San Francisco is its many wild and open spaces to explore among the richest is the open space around Lands End beginning at the Old Sutro Bath ruins and ending at the Lincoln Park Golf Course just east of the Palace of Legion of Honor.

This panorama was taken in a particularly striking grove of trees in a short trail down to the main coast trail of Lands End. The left trail up the hill takes you up to a trail just below and slightly west of the VA Medical Center. The right trail out to the Ocean overlook of Lands End fronting a 100 foot ledge over some beautiful coastal beaches.

Mendocino Headlands - Cypress Grove

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:14:47 -0800

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

Best Large

This cypress grove is on the North Side of the Mendocino Headlands State Reserve. The small cypress grove opens a window to the ragged headlands coast. This shot is a 4 panel 16 shot HDR panorama taken with a 12 mm lens. My attempt was to capture the enveloping presence of the cypress trees and the striking symmetrical effect of the opening in the center.

Navarro River Redwoods - Mendocino County

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:15:45 -0800

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

Best seen large

This is a shot of the Navarro River Redwoods in Navarro State park. The redwood park fills the last 10 miles of Highway 128 through the Anderson Valley. After a 50 mile run through gorgeous wine country the visitor encounters this beautiful strip of redwoods. Waiting for you at the other end is the Mendocino coast and the last 10 miles up California highway route one to Mendocino Village. Highway 128 offers many delights but clearly the redwoods stand out as a highlight. These majestic trees invite a variety of interpretations.

This one was a departure for me and an experiment. Its actually a 360 HDR panorama shot with a 12 mm lens the image is composed of approximately 8 stitched panels each consisting of three exposures (a 24 image composite panorama)

Twilight San Francisco Skyline with a Twist of Christmas Spirit

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:34:44 -0800

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

This was shot of the San Francisco Skyline was taken from Treasure Island December 30 on a particularly beautiful and clear winter night. The skyline was still decorated in its holiday lights and the Transamerica Pyramid sported its beacon of light atop its antenna spire. The Sturdy structure in the center is the anchor point of this skyline, the Bank of America tower with its dark granite faced Bay Window Structure it gently echos the city's Victorian Architecture. The four Embarcadero Center Towers are particularly striking during the Christmas season with a beautiful fring of lightinng highlighing the edge of each building section.

Treasure Island is probably the best spot to view the SF Skyline from particularly on early winter nights when the skyline is ablaze with office lights still shining.

Alamo Square Historic District - Corner of Pierce and Fulton

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:02:12 -0700

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

Another view of San Francisco's Alamo Square Historic District. This shot is taken on Pierce st. looking north west of a row of Victorians just to the south of the Park. The Pierce St. entrance to the park is on the lower left of the shot.

If you get a chance to visit Alamo Square, make sure you take some time to stroll the neighborhood after viewing historic Post Card Row. While the famous Seven Sisters Victorians and the spectacular view of the San Francisco Skyline is worth the visit alone, some of the most striking examples of San Francisco Victorian Architecture can be seen in the surrounding blocks of the Alamo Square Historic District.

The District is roughly bordered by Golden Gate to the north, Oak Street to the south, Fillmore to the east, and Divisadero St to the west. Within these blocks and (if you have time) the surrounding neighborhoods you will find some of the most beautiful and best preserved examples of Victorian Architecture. Make sure you take time to experience it on Foot. You can't really get a sense of the place in a car.

Sunrise Palace of Fine Arts - San Francisco

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 08:29:08 -0700

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

This San Francisco landmark was designed by Bernard Maybeck to be part of the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. The Palace of Fine Arts is one of the only remaining structures from that event. The building falling into disrepair was restored in the 60's and is one of the most popular sites in San Francisco today. Home to the Exploratorium, the Palace of Fine Arts central dome is surrounded by graceful columns and lagoon.

The lagoon was intended to echo those found in classical settings in Europe, where the expanse of water provides a mirror surface to reflect the grand buildings and an undisturbed vista to appreciate them from a distance.

The dome is currently undergoing seismic retrofit and is shown in this picture surrounded by scaffolding.

I recommend you view this image large. The image was captured at sunrise and is an HDR Panorama consisting of 32 images tone mapped and stitched in to the current 180 degree panoramic view showing the entire lagoon surrounding the main structure.

Inverness Late Afternoon

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:22:41 -0800

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

This is the view looking south of Tomales Bay from Inverness. I shot this after taking a few shots of the Point Reyes (prior photo). Hand-held three-shot exposure blended in Photomatix.

Beached on Tomales Bay

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:15:44 -0800

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

This beached fishing boat is a fixture in Tomales Bay. The craft can't be missed as you enter Invernes on your way to Point Reyes National Sea Shore. We hadn't visited in two or three years and thought this past weekend, a beautiful early spring day would be a good day for a drive.We weren't disappointed. On the way home, we stopped at the local grocery store to get a snack for the drive back. Behind the store, a short trail on the mudflats lead to this beauty. basking in the late afternoon light.

Niles Canyon Moonrise over Tank Cars

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:13:57 -0800

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

This shot of two tank cars in the Niles Canyon Railyard were shot as the full moon was rising behind them. The foreground is lit by lighting within a restored coach. with the glow of the moon and sky illuminating the night sky. the blue glow under the wheels of the car are light-painted from an LED flashlight. This is a blend of three exposures

Niles Canyon Twilight

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 10:52:08 -0800

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

This was one of my first shots of the evening captured a little after 6 p.m. when the twilight glow was still pretty strong This is a blend of three shots. I used a slight grad filter on the horizon to balance the light. The light in Niles Canyon offers opportunities throughout the day, but twilight is probably my favorite light to shoot in

Niles Canyon Railway Full Moon

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:36:03 -0800

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

Taken last night in a beautiful full moon in a nocturnes shoot organized by Andy Frazer (thanks Andy). Had a great time shooting. This shot with 3 or four others I'll post are my modest contribution to the effort. I look forward to seeing the results of the rest of the group.

Palace of Fine Arts - Dome Restored

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:35:56 -0700

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

I visited the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts for the first time since the fences were removed and was able to view the work of the recent restoration. My prior photos of the dome interior were obstructed by an ugly black netting put in place to prevent chunks of concrete from falling on our heads. The result of the restoration was so surprising. This Bernard Maybeck masterpiece has been restored to it's glory and the dome interior is now as inviting as the striking exterior. This shot is taken early evening about 45 minutes before sundown.

Interior Fort Point

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:12:10 -0700

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

This interior shot of the fort captures the complexity of light and textures as well as the richness of the architectural details. This shot is of the south west end of the Fort Point officers quarters. The room has layers of paint, plaster and lath peeled away showing the building technique and the original masonry walls underneath. The south wall is against the bluffs of the Presidio Cliffs This side protected by the bluffs housed the officers and enlisted men within the fort. the other three sides carried the cannon protecting the bay.

Any ship coming within the bay would be in the sight of the fort's guns.

Water Fall - Russian Gulch State Park

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:17:03 -0700

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

This is a crop of a Panorama I shot of the water fall in Russian Gulch State Park about a mile North of Mendocino Village. The falls itself is on a trail about 2 miles upstream from the campground. It's a moderately easy hike and well worth the trip to this picturesque setting. The view captured here, is pretty wide, beyond the scope of all but the widest angle lenses. This image consists of about 4 stitches representing a nearly 180 degree view of the falls.

Mare Island at Night

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:02:44 -0800

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

I shot this last October on an outing with the Nocturnes. The shot is of the oldest working structures in the Mare Island Naval Base. The Civil War era structures were still in use when the base closed and now house a variety of public structures.

Triple Conjunction at the Cliff House Giant Camera

nobody@flickr.com (Oldvidhead) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:49:08 -0800

Oldvidhead posted a photo:

This is a shot from the grounds of Cliff House in San Francisco. The Giant Camera is in the foreground with the triple conjunction of the Moon, Venus and Jupiter in the upper left of the frame. I shot this at twilight to capture the gorgeous light of the day. The next day was supposed to be even better, but alas, the San Francisco fog did us in, and there was no viewing that night.

The Giant Camera is actually a very large camera obscura, built in the style of a giant camera with its lens pointing to the sky. It was built in 1948-49 as part of the Playland at the Beach amusement area. The designer, Floyd Jennings, also designed two other camera obscuras, now lost, at The Garden of the Gods and Lookout Mountain. At twilight, the camera has a surreal alien presence standing perched at the edge of the cliff. It along with Cliff House is an imposing presence as seen from the strand of Ocean beach to the south.