“Ask Annie” Archives: Photography in Sausalito

Q:  When is the best time of day for taking pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco?

A:  That’s a great question, because there are a lot of factors to think about.

Photographers will tell you that early morning and late afternoon are the “magic light” times of day, when the way sunlight passes through the atmosphere makes the colors look the best.  The San Francisco skyline in late afternoon glows in the reflection from the setting sun.

BUT those are also the times when you’re most likely to encounter fog on the Golden Gate Bridge if you’re walking or biking across the span.  Fog is especially common in summer, and least likely to appear in September and October.

One option is to drive up Conzelman Road in the Marin Headlands and take photos from the turnouts in the road.  This is where some of the most famous picture postcards of San Francisco were photographed, and some afternoons you can get really dramatic Bridge-in-fog shots.

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