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Lately, people have been requesting photos of the bridge and I really only have a couple taken with the 5D so I thought I better get out there and do a series. This one required another scramble about 300 feet down a crumbly hillside in the dark before sunrise to get a perspective you'll never see. I wanted to set the city just above the bridge deck and get some good foreground, which can not be done from the top of the hill.
I wanted to show the big sky by using a long exposure to give it that 'looking up to Heaven' look. It is an unusual composition but why not? I have many other compositions and the light was changing constantly. And a pano crop works well in this circumstance. I have a couple where the skyline is backlit just as the sun rose into a dark cloud. Here, you can see just the start of it. The beach from the last upload is in the lower left.
By the way, I had to desaturate the RAW file by 4%, as the details were getting lost because of the extreme colour. I have some where the entire sky is a brilliant red and it drowns out everything else.
2 minute exposure @F16 with ND grad 0.9 + 0.6
| Title: | Heaven's Gate |
| Username: | 
PatrickSmith |
| Uploaded: | 13 Nov 2007 - 3:33 PM |
| Camera: | Canon EOS 5D |
| Lens: | Canon 17-40L @18 |
| Recording media: | RAW (digital) |
| Tags: | Architecture, California, Golden gate bridge, Landscape / travel, San francisco |
| Votes: | 162 |
Comments
A beautiful shot Patrick. You may have had to be around very early but my goodness this proves worth it. Stunning image. Delighted to be at the top of what will surely be long list of admirers.
Ron
my first click with my new font size.......120 dpi
Should I say "Well done!" 
Itsa belter, Patrick!
Jouko
wonderful composition, looks such a beautiful scene and the colours are magical
ian
Beautiful image. Top notch colours and compoition.
Cheesey
Holy smoky, this is superb Patrick, at least when I get there I know that heaven is gonna be a cool place to be.... 
Beautiful image Patrick - the sky is wonderful and I really like all those little lights in the background - large version is superb!
Sarah *
Well worth the climb - like your composition and the colours in this - well captured.
Richard.
Stunning!!! When I was there the bridge was absent due to fog! Love this though, absolutely classic image!
the movement in the clouds really helps draw the eye in towards the bridge.
Mike
stunning, the cloud movement takes this from just nice to exceptional.
Thanks for your comments!
LOL - Tony, that would be nice if it is true!
Yes, Rob, I have lots of photos of things buried in fog!
Thanks Mike and Ian, I did try to capture as much cloud movement as I could. It also prevented the bright spots from getting blown out, as they were averaged into the darker cloud areas.
Patrick
Great sky on this Patrick and the long exposure really enhances it.
Steve!
Beautiful composition. Wonderful colors - that sky is spectacular, and I love how the orange tones in the sky are repeated in the lights of the houses.
Nice foreground interest also.
Anne
I like the long exposure effect on the sky.
2 mins Patrick, must have been almost dark!!
Martin
Thanks for stopping by!
Yes Martin, this is just as the very first light began to hit. It was noticeably brighter at the end of the exposure than when I started it. I ended the bulb exposure by just guessing when I had enough light.
Patrick
Wonderful image. All your hard work has paid off. Everything has come together, the composition, the exposure and the colours. All combine to make a beautiful image.
fantastic detail in the large version Patrick and wonderful play of light on the water...if I was being extremely picky ..... I just find the foreground steals a lot of the show -esp. the pointy rock and the light just at its top - keeps drawing the eyes to it - a personal thing
This is so beautful Patrick, and viewing large is a real treat, love this.
Lisa
Thanks Elisabeth, Lisa and Colin (elkiebrooks)
Maggie, I did make a big foreground for this one so you can feel like you are standing on top of the world, but do I have many other versions with different perspectives. So I may pull one of those out to show around!
Patrick
Lovely when viewed large. well worth finding the alternative viewpoint.
Martin
Super image, great light and colours, well worth the scramble and early start.
Dot.
Absolutely beautiful, I wish I could take landscapes like that.
Mavis
Thanks for looking!
You could Mavis. It just takes some work and timing.
Patrick
This is absolutely stunning Patrick. It was foggy when we were there too, arrived at the bridge fog rolled in and that was it. Did get to visit Alcatraz that was really interesting.
Paul
Just stunning Patrick........and you tease me about the water!!
Debbie
Thanks for your comments!
Yes Paul, you have to go in the winter to get the good weather....seriously!
Debbie? Me? Tease? lol....
Patrick
Another stunner Patrick wonderful view superbly recorded
Brian.........................
Wonderful viewpoint Patrick. It's just got to be seen Large.
Brian.
I might have said it before but I would buy a book of your photos..this is stunning. Beautiful skies replicated in beautiful water, thank you.
Di
A fantastic image Patrick,wonderful sky and colours.Beautiful.
Mo.
Waht a beautiful viewpoint Patrick, the colour and movement in the sky is very nice as are the many orange lights breaking up the land
Sean
Thanks for your comments. It's been a busy day with no time for browsing, but I'll catch up soon!
Thanks Di, I may eventually do just that.
I like the movement too Sean. And it saevd the day from some bright patches from blowing out because the bright spots would move.
Patrick
I'd be tempted to lose some of that foreground Patrick. Looks a little scruffy and flat (in a colour sense) compared to the rest of the image, which has some fantastic colour, movement in the clouds and a very "big" view.
Mouthwateringly good, from the soft earthy foreground colour to the light across the city. Beautiful work of such quality.
Allie
Great sky and a lovely well composed scene Patrick. Great image.
good one is this....not sure it needs that patch of scrub ground to the fore, it's less than attractive look doesn't sit right with the rest of the image which is spot on.
Thanks for your comments!
Nik, perhaps when I desaturated it, the colours on the dead bracken ferns died too. They die back during the dry summer and new green shoots are coming out now. They are a brilliant red, so I may have to fix that.
Keith, it does look a bit scruffy. The bracken really are a bright red but I guess I lost the colour. Still, a more panoramic crop might be the way to go. LOL - Time to drag the panoramic head down the cliff!
Patrick
An excellent shot, Patrick, and well worth the scramble. I love the top of the world viewpoint and would love to see it in person someday.
Have you been to the beach since the spill?
I was wondering if you can really notice it.
What a shame that had to happen.
Eric
It's a beautiful image, I think Keith may have a point there, I would like to see one with a slightly longer lens though before making up my mind!
Great work again.
Simon
Spectacular --Thanks for his unusual view-- Colors are great!
Jennnn
Thanks Ash and Jennnn!
Eric, it can easily be seen and I have a shot of it which I may post later, I'm not sure. It will take years for fishing to be back to normal and many beaches are now off limits including the beach in the last upload.
Simon I did lots of experimentation including this one. But here I just quickly set up in the dark to get the amazing sky and pre-dawn light and make the bridge just a small part of the scene.
Patrick
Great capture of the sky Pat, you caught the colours well here, also like the positioning of the san fran skyline over the bridge. the only way to get the correct exposure is guessing when it's enough then a quick glance at the lcd display and shoot again if necessary, i could never go back to film.
i do agree with Keith about the foreground but it is necessary in this shot for perspective, nice one.
Thanks for your comments!
Yes Terry, you have to guess. There is also a pano crop in this one for those that want less foreground and sky. I'll have to drag the pano head down the hill sometime.
Patrick
Yep that's what to do I find the fg is too light and cropping it back would be better, the rest is just perfect Patrick another example of hard work proving the goods.
I guess there's a large corporate wall somewhere waiting for this image, go forth and sell...
All the very best
Dougie
Thanks Dougie. I'll be going for a panoramic crop, maybe a 1x2 ratio for my website on this one! But I'll still keep this full version since many like the big sky. This version makes me feel lilke I'm standing on this ridge.
Patrick
Very happy to make it a century for this one, beautiful shot. Love the variety of textures in the foreground.
Neil
This is really grand, Patrick. Is that you in your profile pic??...lol...LOVE it
Andrew
Thanks Neil!
Yes Andrew, it is me. People wanted to see a shot of me so I put one up - LOL! Admittedly in the pre-digital era so I took a shot of this print that my dad made.
Patrick
Sorry for missing this yesterday..
Wonderful shot. Love the way you have included a strong FG.
Hi Patrick, my initial reaction was too much foreground too, which detracts from the bridge and wonderful sky. Now having read the comments, it seems like a reasonable call amongst others too.
Still has the PS (Patrick Smith, not PhotoShop) hallmarks all over it.
Colin
Not a landscape person myself so can not comment on what some see, but I love landscapes even though I can not take them well. Saying that I find this shot incredible and for my own taste this shot is on the money and another Patrick original. I like the strong foreground because of the added depth it provides and you can appreciate how expansive the bridge is, and also how well the ground reaches up to meet the sky, as if to pull over a blanket, excellent work as always. Spot on! Click!!!
Greg
No problem Edgar, I did see some squirrels but they are smaller than a pixel here!
True Colin, there are a few ways to shoot this scene. I have several different versions so I put up the overview. The good light lasted for a while for a change!
Greg Wrote:
Quote: Not a landscape person myself so can not comment
That would be remedied by a quick trip to the beach next time you are out here!
Patrick
Thanks Steve!
LOL Angie, you buy the ticket and I'm there!
Patrick
I'm taking pity on you cos you've only got 111 clicks. This perhaps does'nt have the immediate "wow" factor of a lot of your landscapes but it is a "grower". Nice and natural looking with a beautiful sky.
Thanks Paul.
LOL Dave, it has only been up not quite two days. We will see. But it does have a wide panoramic view so the thumb does not stand out. The big version is much better!
Patrick
as always Patrick, consistently stunning. Very skilled imagemaker indeed.
A superb shot, excellent colours and composition. Looks fantastic viewed large on my new monitor.
Pete.
Thanks for dropping by! I won't be around much for the next week, but I'll have a browse when I can!
Patrick
Sorry I'm late again Patrick. Wonderful sensation of depth and breadth in this shot. If you ever do make it to Scotland (and I would recommend it), be prepared for potentially awful weather, and pay no attention to weather forecasts.
Nigel
Yet another stunner, Patrick - everyone else has said it all!
Thanks for looking! I'm in LA right now but I have made some of my favourite photos on the way down, so stay tuned!
LOL Nigel, it is on my list.....
Patrick
A stunning shot of this magnificent bridge Patrick, the colours and composition are perfect
WOW what a scene !! Thanks for scrambling about in the dark to show such a rare scene. Just breath taking .My days of scrambling about in the dark are over . xxx
Thanks for stopping by! My scrambling days were almost over too!
Patrick
A beauty Patrick, like the effect the long exposure has on the sky.
MikeA.
I just tried a pano crop on this by blocking the top and bottom with my hands, it works extremely well!
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