Posts tagged "presidio"

Chasing the Light

As a person from the literal equator, I struggle a lot with winter. Not the cold, since it's not really that cold here in northern California, but with the increasingly shorter days. The best way I can describe it is that I feel as though my brain, happiness, and overall health is powered by the sun. The sun is my battery. The less of it there is, the worse I feel. Every year, without fail.

Going out for a run or walk daily has been the only thing that's worked to help me feel okay consistently. Even when it's grey and gloomy and rainy (the extent of winter here in San Francisco, but already way too awful for me), I try to go out for a run. I carry a tiny Olympus XA2 in my pocket and I take photos of the things that I see.

I see many beautiful things, because San Francisco is beautiful, and being outside in the beauty restores me.

Sunny, windy days.

Market days at Fort Mason.

Overcast but still lovely days.

(All photos taken on an Olympus XA2, Fuji Superia 400, self-developed at home with Bellini C-41 kit and scanned on Plustek 8200i)

My favorite place in San Francisco

I love running or biking towards the Golden Gate Bridge. I come here far more than I go to Golden Gate Park (which many of my friends prefer). They're both the same distance, but I come here more because as an island girl I need to see the ocean. (Also, I don't have to go uphill too much)

Recently, I caught Covid-19 after three and a half years of avoiding it. Once I felt better, I had to come here again: I grabbed my medium format camera and some Portra and headed to Crissy Fields / Presidio.

Depending on my mood, and how much time I have, I either stop right at the marina and head back, or I do the whole stretch to Fort Point (under the bridge) and back. Or, I might take a detour into the Presidio if I want to do a trail run, or visit friends who live there.

Sometimes I take the 22 from here and head to Japantown to get groceries. Or I head back to Van Ness and take the 49 BRT, which I love. (So much faster along upper Van Ness these days, with the rapid bus lanes)

I never get bored of this place, rain or shine.

Boats in the marina.

Fort Mason from behind some plants.

Sunset over Golden Gate Bridge, tiny kite in the sky.

All photos taken on Fuji GW690II, probably Portra 800, and processed by Robert over at Brooktree.

Black and White: Three Photos Outside

This is one of the photos that made me very glad I had a film camera in my pocket. I was able to jog alongside these friends, who were having so much fun on a Segway tour of San Francisco's Crissy Fields area near the Golden Gate Bridge, and they were very kind to pose for a photo for me.

Ever since I got my Olympus XA2, I've had a capable film camera in my pocket at all times, including when I'm out running. It's not my favorite camera, but it is very capable. It certainly fits the bill for 'everyday camera'. I did not have any issues zone focusing with it as I used to own one.

It was my first time using the Fuji Acros 100 II film, though. It's very sharp, very dark, very contrasty. I probably prefer the Tri-X and HP5 look in general, but it was fun to have tried something new. I don't think I would shoot the outdoors in black and white again; a big part of why I love this part of San Francisco is the sunshine and blue skies. Even when it's extremely foggy out, it still tends to be quite colorful. I'll probably end up shooting this area regularly with different types of film stock, and see what we end up with. I think I spend most of my time outdoors in the city in this area, at least four times a week.

More photos:

Yachts outside Fort Mason.

Which way? Near the Palace of Fine Arts.

All photos in this post taken with Olympus XA2, Fuji Acros 100 II, developed and scanned at Underdog Film Lab