Fort Point National Historic Site

January 17, 2016

I got a late start on Saturday, so I decided to keep my photo session close to home.  I considered heading to Marin but then decided if I went into the city I could keep shooting after the sun went down.

Fort Point National Historic Site, San Francisco, CA

The weather was a bit of a challenge.  It was was overcast, which I don't mind so much.  Better than a bright blue sky, if you ask me.  It was also raining off and on.  Never hard.  It felt a lot like Oregon, actually.  You may notice as you progress through these photos that they blurrier and marked by water spots on the lens.  I did what I could to keep things dry but it was a losing battle.

Fort Point National Historic Site, San Francisco, CA

For whatever reason, Fort Point is usually not open when I stop there.  Today it was.  It has regular hours, I guess.  It's a National Historic Site, meaning it's managed and maintained by the National Park Service.

Fort Point National Historic Site, San Francisco, CA

The fort is directly under the Golden Gate Bridge.  If you enjoys old movies you'll know that it has been used as a location in number of films, most notably Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.  It's a pretty fun place to photograph.  There are so many lines, curves and textures, and of course you've got perhaps the most famous bridge in the world.  It's easy to understand why film makers would keep going back.

Fort Point National Historic Site, San Francisco, CA

Fort Point National Historic Site, San Francisco, CA

I stopped by the Palace of Fine Arts on my way home for some practice with long exposures.  At this point a light and steady rain ensured my lens was never dry or clear.  Most photos weren't worth keeping, but I found a few I liked in spite of some very obvious flaws.  This was also a location used in Vertigo, for what it's worth.

Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA

Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA