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SmugMug Photo Description
Bay Bridge Lightning Strike
San Francisco, California
This is the photo that started it all. I would like to think that I occasionally took a good photo before this one (and since) but none have ever garnered the attention that this one has. It was taken out through the window of my home office.
Lightning is increidby rare in Northern California. I had often thought that if lightning did strike, some large metal rods surrounded by saltwater would make a great conductor. I watched the storm approach the city on an app which plots lightning strikes. I set up my camera as close as I could get to the window and darkened the room. I set the exposures for 20 seconds and when done, I had take 136 shots. Three frames had lightning in them. This one represents the most stirkes. I cannot state that all stikes hit simutaneously but I can say with certainty that they occurred within 20 seconds of each other.
This photo has appeared on local and national TV as well as numerous print publications. These include the UK Daily Mail, the NBC Nightly News, and The San Francisco Chronicle. I was interviewed by the local NBC and CBS affiliates and the interview aired on the local evening broadcasts.
SmugMug Photo Description
Setting Crescent
san Francisco, California
I have an ongoing project where I try to photograph the moon over San Francisco and Bay Area landmarks. Obviously the full moon only occurs once a month and I soon realized that with the angles and weather in the city this project would take years if I didn't start looking at the crescent moon as well.
The plan was to get the crescent moon touching the top of the Transamerica Pyramid but we ran out of real estate before the alignment worked. We would have had to stand in the middle of a shipping channel to accomplish that.
SmugMug Photo Description
Moonrise over Bay Bridge
san Francisco, California
This was one of my first shots of the new Bay Bridge light installation. Even before the official lighting there was random testing. And there was an informal and freindly race to catch the lights powered up. I happed to be in the area shortly after moonrise. Photographing the bridge from this location is one of the most popular locations to shoot the bridge. It is rumored that these pilings will soon be removed. Frankly, only photographers wish they remain in place.
This photo appeared in the April 2013 edition of the San Francisco Modern Luxury Magazine.
SmugMug Photo Description
Cruising Down Lombard Street
san Francisco, California
After photographing the full moon rising behind Coit Tower, we decided to play around on Lombard Street. Some say that Lombard Street is the most crooked street in the world. But it's not. It's not even the most crooked street in San Francisco!
SmugMug Photo Description
Lenticularorama
san Francisco, California
I learned about lenticular clouds while obtaining my pilot's license. And what I learned is that they're evil and you shouldn't fly anywhere near them. From the safety of ground though, they are rare and beautiful. They are most often found hovering over the peak of large mountains and even then, usually only as a single cloud.
Since moving to California, I've been fascinated by opportunity to catch these clouds. I've only seen one (Mt. Shasta) and it fell apart before I could photograph it. So, imagine my surprise when I walk outside one day and the entire bay area is covered in them. I grabbed my camera and ran to the roof of my building to capture this pano.
The deets: This photo is cropped to a 5x30 dimension. There are a number of other pano sizes which may require some cropping. I can help you and advise you on how best to do this.
LenticularCloudSan FranciscoPanoramaBay BridgeATT ParkPhil McGrew
SmugMug Photo Description
Bridged Moonrise
Sausalito, California
I tried to frame the moonrise and the Bay Bridge with the more popular Golden Gate Bridge. The full moon's appearance was brief as it was sandwiched between the ever-present layer of fog and some low level clouds which passed through the area.
Photographed from one of my favorite bay area spots - Kirby Cove Beach.
