One of the most popular San Francisco Bay tourist attractions is the sea lion gathering at Pier 39. These gregarious beasts lounge on the docks here day and night, and you can hear their barks from far away.
To me, the best part about the Pier 39 sea lions is knowing that you’re gazing upon wild animals behaving naturally rather than captive animals on display in a zoo enclosure. They may not smell so good, but they are beautiful creatures.
Date: 10/15/2014 Camera: Nikon D5100 Click for larger view
During my walk along San Francisco Bay back in October, I noticed that this pelican and fisherman appeared to be hanging out as if they were the oldest of friends. Perhaps they meet out on this pier every day, in the shadow of the Golden Gate, enjoying one another’s company, while the fisherman shares some of his catches with his feathered friend . . . it would be a nice story anyway. 🙂
Date: 10/16/2014 Camera: Nikon D5100 Click for larger view
I still have to get around to writing and posting the journal for my trip to Europe this past summer. In the meantime, I have created a movie out of the videos I shot in England, Scotland, Paris, and Bruges. You can view the HD version by selecting 1080p from the quality settings of the video.
The night sky over Yosemite is amazing. If you live in an area with high light pollution as most of us do, you likely have never seen a sky like this. There are so many stars that you feel like you’re standing on a different planet. I was actually able to see the Milky Way, as well as several shooting stars.
I didn’t have the proper equipment with me for taking high-quality night photos but this shot will give you some idea of what it looked like outside my cabin. I wish my stay had been longer so I could have ventured down into Yosemite Valley one night for even better views, but that gives me something to look forward to when I return one day.
Date: 10/18/2014 Camera: Nikon D5100 Click for larger view
During my recent trip to San Francisco, I rented a car and headed to Yosemite National Park for a couple of days. My goal had been to drive out to Glacier Point on my first day because I knew I wouldn’t have time on the other two days, but for various reasons I got to the park too late and didn’t reach Glacier Point until after sunset. Consequently, my photos from that night were basically shot in the dark with little to focus on, so I broke out my f/1.8 prime lens and hoped for the best. The resulting graininess from boosting the low light levels made the photos look more like paintings, but I liked the effect, all things considered.
This view of Half Dome from Glacier Point is a composite of two separate photos not originally intended to be a panorama, but the photos were close enough in composition that it worked.
Date: 10/17/2014 Camera: Nikon D5100 Click for larger view
During my recent trip to Cape May I went on a bird watching cruise through the marshes, where I was lucky enough to capture this osprey in flight clutching a fish in its talons.
You get two photos for the price of one today. 🙂
Date: 9/22/2014 Camera: Nikon D5100 Click for larger viewDate: 9/22/2014 Camera: Nikon D5100 Click for larger view
After spending two weeks in Europe and a week in Cape May this year, I had basically used up all of my vacation time, so I never imagined I’d be hopping on a plane in a couple of weeks for my first ever trip to California (actually, it’s my first trip to anywhere in the U.S. west of North Carolina).
My boss had asked me earlier in the year if I was interested in attending a conference in San Francisco. I said yes, but wasn’t sure if it was actually going to happen. The trip finally got approved in mid-summer but we were so busy at work that we kept putting off making the arrangements. As the summer dragged on and all of the hotels got booked up, I had pretty much assumed it wasn’t going to happen. But in the end everything worked out and now I’m headed to the Golden State!
I decided to turn it into a mini-vacation by flying in two days before the conference and staying for three days after it. The big question was what to do with that extra time. I could have explored more of the city (I won’t even be able to scratch the surface of everything San Francisco has to offer) or I could have visited some of the surrounding areas like Napa Valley, but when I realized that Yosemite National Park is within a four-hour drive, my decision was made. There was no way I could pass up the chance to walk in the footsteps of Ansel Adams and gaze upon the beauty of Yosemite, so I booked a cabin for two nights in the park and reserved a rental car to drive out there after the conference. Yosemite should be spectacular decked out in the colors of autumn.
Soon I hope to be standing here.
Meanwhile, the weekend before the conference I’m meeting up with my cousin who lives nearby for a planned drive along the Route 1 coast and up to see the redwoods, which will be awesome.
In between, I will be attending Dreamforce, a massive tech conference with well over 100,000 people expected to attend. It’s like the Comic Con of cloud computing. I will be staying near Fisherman’s Wharf and commuting to the Moscone Center for the conference. It should be quite an experience, though I’m not sure that I’m prepared for that type of human traffic congestion.
I will try to see as much of San Francisco as I can during my four days at the conference, though how much I’ll be able to accomplish each day after the conference lets out remains to be seen. If any San Francisco natives out there have advice on what I can do with my limited time, I’d be most grateful. I would like to try climbing at least one hill. I also want to walk through Chinatown and along the coast near Fisherman’s Wharf, and maybe visit Golden Gate Park. Any dining advice would also be appreciated (e.g., is In-N-Out Burger worth the hype or should I stick to finer dining establishments?). Thanks!
I’d also be grateful for Yosemite tips, and I’m curious if there are any places worth visiting between Yosemite and San Francisco since I have a late night flight home and can take my time driving back. Perhaps one of the Gold Rush towns?
I’m very excited about this unexpected journey. It’s hard to believe I’ll be flying for the third time in a year. I’m becoming a regular jet setter. 🙂
Here’s a panorama I took of the Louvre during my day in Paris a couple of months ago. The plaza was not very crowded for the summer, probably because it had rained for most of the day, but this was one moment when the sun finally peeked out.
Date: 7/1/2014 Camera: Nikon D5100 Click for larger view
During my stay in Amsterdam this summer I took a long walk from my hotel into the city center, eventually finding myself in Dam Square, which was packed with people and pigeons. I noticed that some folks were letting the pigeons eat out of their hands, so I snapped a couple of quick photos. I liked this one the best; I thought it looked like something you might see in a magazine. Lucky shot. 🙂
Date: 7/12/2014 Camera: Nikon D5100 Click for larger view
During my visit to Leeds Castle in England I happened upon this peacock roaming the grounds. I followed it for a bit and eventually it sat down, almost as if posing for me.
Date: 7/9/2014 Camera: Nikon D5100 Click for larger view
Michael Rappa 