6 Reasons Why San Francisco for Photographers

6 Reasons Why San Francisco is The Perfect Destination for Photography and Video Lovers

If you haven’t personally been there, it’s likely that you’ve seen San Francisco before in the movies.  Most of us know the Golden Gate Bridge and recognize the cable cars climbing up the hilly city roads. San Francisco is dynamic and beautiful, making it the perfect destination for photography and video lovers.  Here is a list of just some of the many places in San Francisco where you can go to get an amazing shot for your photo or video collection.

The Nature

San Francisco is in the center of some of America’s most beautiful natural scenery and it is present all throughout the city. A photo collection of San Fran wouldn’t be the same without capturing its natural beauty.

  • Lands End Park: Vast ocean views, vistas of the famous bridge, wildlife and cypress trees will all make perfect subjects for your camera. The park is full of ancient baths, which reflect the sunset nicely for a photo.

 

  • Golden Gate Park: Right in the heart of the city, this is a place that photographers dream of. A pond filled with paddle boats, winding trails and foliage, this park is where people go to get their fill of nature without leaving the city. Wandering through the botanical and Japanese tea gardens is sure to yield some pretty beautiful shots.

 

  • Baker Beach: Where the Pacific meets the coast, you can take photos that capture the bridge towering over the pebbly beach. Just make sure to keep the nude sunbathers out of the frame!


The Architecture

Some tourists visit this city just to see the architecture alone. Make sure that you don’t miss the man-made wonders of this place.

  • Palace of Fine Arts: The columns, steep arches and domed tops make this place look like it’s straight out of Europe. The surrounding grounds of fountains, lagoons and elegant landscaping make it a popular destination for wedding photography.

 

  • Golden Gate Bridge: OK, it may be obvious, but this place is a must for photographers. Getting a decent photo that isn’t taken over by fog will pose a fun challenge for you to tackle.

 

  • 444 Market Street: An entire street downtown that is filled with intricate sky scrapers for the photographer with a passion for architecture.

 

  • Xanadu Gallery: Visit the V.C Morris gift shop of this gallery to photograph the work of famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.


The Art

The art lovers out there will be happy to know that the artwork in San Francisco is ingrained into the inner workings of the city which make it perfect for a photo. Between street art and functional sculptures, there are plenty of artistic photo subjects scattered around the city.

  • Mission District Murals: The art scene is alive and well in the Mission area of the city and visitors here can see the wall murals that liven up the streets. The best of the artwork is located on the walls of Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley.

 

  • Public Sculptures: San Fran is dotted with sculptures that make for a day of photographing and art hunting. You can see the Angel on Market Street, The Thinker at the Legion of Honor or the Pink Bunny in the Lower Haight. Others include the Three Dancing Figures sculpture at Howard and Third Streets, the Reclining Figure at Louise M. Davies Hall and more.


The People

San Francisco is home to some of the most eccentric and stylish people in America. Walk the streets and film the antics of the youth and the hippie/bohemian fashions of the crowds.

  • Dolores Park: One of the best places in the city to photograph interesting people doing more interesting things. Grab a picnic and watch hula-hoopers, yogis, partiers, goths, punks and valley girls all mingling in the same place. Even better, turn your pictures into videos to capture the real action of the unique happenings in this park.

 

  • Union Square: Laze around the grounds or retreat to a nearby coffee shop to watch and photograph the locals and tourists who wander around this common area.

The Famous Sites

There are an abundance of famous sites that people visit San Francisco to see. Some may be a little touristy, but hey, they are typically touristy for a reason.  You can’t take a trip to San Fran without adding a few photos of yourself in front of these places to your collection.

  • The Painted Ladies: This cluster of Victorian style homes got its claim to fame from the Full House television series. The hill across from the houses is always full of tourists trying to prove that they were there.

 

  • Haight Ashbury: This former center of the hippie movement is now a series of walking streets lined with unique shops, alternative stores and eclectic restaurants. The décor is eccentric and the people are too.

 

  • Alcatraz: Whether you get photos from up close or far away, the spooky vibes of this former prison are sure to be captured through your lens.

 

  • Fisherman’s Wharf: This area surrounding the harbor is filled with nautical décor and themed restaurants, upscale shops, flocks of tourists, and adorable fat seals that lay around the rocks. This is an iconic San Fran spot that you will be drawn to take a photo of.


The City

The layout of the city itself is famously photogenic. No matter where you go in San Francisco, there will always be a photo opportunity.

  • The Hilly Roads: Catch a photo of cars driving around almost vertical roads.

 

  • Cable Cars: If not the vehicles of locals, the famed cable cars can be seen climbing and ascending to destinations all over the city.
  • Lombard Street: Probably the steepest street in the entire city, Lombard features hairpin turns and has even been featured in video games. The traffic on this street also makes for a great video and if you weren’t able to catch the cars on film, you can use video producing apps like PepBlast Motion Pictures to turn your photography into customized videos.

 

With only this short display of San Fran sites, you get the gist that this city is a mecca for those wanting to capture some beautiful shots. Whether you are using a GoPro, camera phone or a Cannon, you will be sure to leave with more than an album’s worth of fantastic memories. If you don’t want your photos to only end up in frames or photo books, check out the PepBlast Motion Picture app. With an app like this, you can turn pictures into videos using your own music, personalized messages or thousands of their free designs. We all want to share our memories and photos with friends and family and PepBlast allows you to send your video creations via email, directly by phone message or as a post to Facebook.

Make memories, capture them and share them with the ones you love on your next trip to San Francisco!

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