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San Francisco Giants team photo day – August 24th, 2010

admin — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:27:14 +0000

On August 24th, 2010 the San Francisco Giants assembled for their annual team picture in AT&T park. The Giants started the day trailing the San Diego Padres by 5 1/2 games in the National League Western division with a 70-56 record. After victories on that Tuesday by both the Giants and the Padres, the Giants were still trailing by 5 1/2 games. I don’t know if anybody on the sunny day that the Giants took their team picture knew of, or even dreamed what would happen next.

On Thursday of that week, the Padres would start a 10 game losing steak that would bring the Giants to within one game of the division leading Padres. By the end of the season the Giants were leading the division and needed to win only one game of a three game home stand against the Padres to win the NL West. After losing the first two games of the series, the Giants defeated the Padres 3-0 on Sunday October 3rd to win the National Western Division with a 92 win and 70 loss record.

Now two months and 1 day after their team photo and playoff victories over both the Atlanta Braves and the favored Philadelphia Phillies the Giants are in the World Series and will host the Texas Rangers on Wednesday October 27th with a 7:30 PM start time. Who could have guessed how things would have turned out that day in August at AT&T park. I guess sometimes things just work out if you “Don’t Stop Believing”.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy is the center of focus in this photo taken before the official team picture.

Checking out the lighting before the team photo.

October 2nd update: It turns out if you believe, AND have the best 4 pitcher starting rotation in Major League Baseball ( Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner ) and have the best closer in baseball ( Brian Wilson ), and sprinkle that with timely hitting you can become Baseball’s World Series World Champions for the 2010 season by defeating the Texas Rangers of the American League 4 games to one.

Kite Surfing & Wind Surfing at Crissy Field San Francisco – in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:34:24 +0000

My engagement session last week ended at a Very Very windy Crissy field for some beach photos. After the couple was done with their photos and were in their car trying to warm up, I stuck around to get some sunset photos of both kite surfers and wind surfers.

Not quite a perfect landing for kitesurfer

Forever young.

View of Crissy Field from Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge

California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco with Moonrise & Sunset over El Cid – Joan of Arc Statues

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:06:15 +0000

On the way home from a photo shoot in San Francisco I decided to stop by the Legion of Honor. By chance I was able to photograph the sun setting on the building and statues and the moon rising in the east over the fountain. The Legion of Honor was completed in 1924 and was given to the city of San Francisco by Alma de Bretteville Le Normand Spreckels.

: The entrance arch to the California Palace of the Legion of Honor

Detail artwork on the underside of the entrance arch

The Bronze statue of Joan of Arc that was created by Anna Hyatt Huntington and was presented to the city by her husband Archer Huntington

The last rays of sunlight pass through the columns of the palace which is a three-quarters scale replica of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris

A full moon rises over the parking lights and fountain that grace the Legion of Honor

The El Cid statue looks out over the San Francisco Bay. The name "El Cid" is actually a nickname for the castillan nobleman, diplomat, and military leader Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar.

The fountain in front of the palace that marks the western terminus of the Lincoln Highway - the First road across America

Deanna & Charles – Grace Cathedral Church Wedding – Huntington Park – Fairmont Hotel San Francisco

admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:02:08 +0000

Deanna and Charles were married this past Saturday at the Grace Cathedral Episcopal church in San Francisco. Following the ceremony and a group picture of all the guests on the steps of the church the bride and groom took pictures at Huntington Park and at the historic Fairmont Hotel where their reception was held in the Garden Room.

The Bride and Groom pose in front of passing cable car on California Street in San Francisco photo

Deanna and Charles in the lobby of the Fairmont hotel photo

The bride getting ready at the Grace Cathdral Church photo

The bride walks down the isle with her father as the smiling groom waits at the alter

The wedding party during the ceremony at Grace Cathedral photo

Groom and groomsmen photo

Love is in the air

The bride on the stairs in front of Grace Cathedral Episcopal church

Deanna gazes out at the view from a 14th floor Suite in the Fairmont Hotel

The Bride and Groom grab a moment of rest before the reception at the Fairmont Hotel that was held later that day

The bride and groom on the Marble staircase in the Fairmont Hotel lobby photo

Place Setting with Ghirardelli chocolates for each guest photo

Champagne and diamonds at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco photo

Stirred not shaken

The Garden room at the Fairmont Hotel photo

Wedding rings on a box of Ghirardelli chocolates photo

The fog lifts enough so that guests can view the Transamerica pyramid and Bank of America building behind the University Club of San Francisco

Full Moon over San Francisco from the Top of Mark – Mark Hopkins Hotel

admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:40:29 +0000

Deanna and Charles held their rehearsal dinner last night at the Top of Mark which sits on the 19th floor of the Mark Hopkins Inter-Continental Hotel and features 360 degree views and the 100 Martinis menu. The full moon is partially covered by the fog that was rolling in.The view includes the Bank of America building, and a tiny portion of the Bay Bridge which was closed for the Labor day weekend so that Cal Trans could install a double-deck section that will slide into place connecting the bridge with a new half-mile long detour that connects the East Span to the Yerba Buena Island Tunnel. The completed east span of the Bay Bridge is scheduled to open in 2013. Monday Sept 7th 7:06 pm Update: The Bay Bridge which suppose to reopen on Tuesday morning ( September 8th) at 5am, will remain closed for another day as Cal Trans crews finish repairs to a cracked steel eye bar that was discovered during a top to bottom inspection that the closure of the bridge allowed. The crack was not there in 2007 during a simular top to bottom inspection that was preformed when the bridge which was closed for work involving the new east span of the bridge. The Bay Bridge is crossed by more than 250,000 cars during a normal work day. Traffic on the other bridges ( Golden Gate, San Mateo, Richmond – San Rafael ) that cross the bay is expected to be quite heavy tomorrow. Tuesday Sept 8th Update 7:20am – The repairs to the cracked eye bar were completed over night ahead of when expected, and the Bay Bridge was reopened at 7am this morning.

Full moon over San Francisco skylline at night.

Went to the King Tut Exhibit in San Francisco this past Saturday – all I got was this refrigerator magnet

admin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:30:11 +0000

It seems every 30 years I visit the King Tut ( Tutankhamun) exhibit at the de Young museum in San Francisco. Because photography of the Tutankhamun and the Golden age of Pharaohs exhibition is prohibited, all I have from show is this refrigerator magnet shown in the photo. They did have $12 King tut coffee mugs in the gift shop, but I thought that was a little pricey. From what I remember of the exhibit 30 years ago, I think they did a better job of presenting the artifacts this time.

King tutankhamun exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco - Golden Gate Park

While the exhibit is no longer in San Francisco it will be at Denver Art Museum from June 29, 2010 till January 9, 2011.

Athena & Johnnemann – Cliff House Wedding

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:15:27 +0000

Athena and Johnnemann were married this past weekend at the historic Cliff House. While the day started out as a typical foggy and windy summer day in San Francisco, the fog cleared and wind dropped down to a breeze just in time for the outdoor wedding. Hence the quote “The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco” which was supposedly said by Mark Twain.

A view of Ocean Beach from inside the Terrace Room at the Cliff House.

Since it was an Ocean themed wedding , the wedding cake was of course a sand castle.

Mugging for the camera.

Athena and her father during the father – daughter dance.

The Cliff House – San Francisco, California

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:50:45 +0000

Yesterday I visited the Cliff House and surrounding areas scouting out locations for the wedding I’m photographing there this Saturday. Beautiful views every way you look.

A seagull watches the waves come in along the beach.

Just across the street is Sutro Heights Park where this photo was taken.

The unusual summer weather made for a beautiful sunset.