Good Morning San Francisco…

Daybreak at San Francisco’s Bay Bridge creates a wonderful opportunity to capture dramatic early morning light. The fast moving cloud cover created a layer of interest throughout the sky. This photo was created using a tripod, cable release, and mirror-up. All three work together to minimize camera shake. Exposure time was for 30 seconds at f/11, while keeping my fingers crossed wind wouldn’t be an issue.

For a little kick start, I opened the image in Nikon Capture NX2 using a few control points to selectively target areas such as the bridge structure for shadow adjustments.
Next stop, Photoshop to make the scene look like it was shot with beautifully traditional Fuji Velvia. This preset in Alien Skin Exposure 2 creates rich depth and color with a film look!

Tip – Arrive early at your destination to get set up ahead of time. Have everything planned out from white balance to lens choice. Bring a flashlight, and an extra jacket will be helpful!  The bridge lights are turned off in the morning, so go early, work fast, have fun!
~Deb