This photo was taken from a unique spot where the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco is framed in the top opening of the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is also a lesson in photographing things far away for those photogs who look at this blog (you know who you are 🙂 ). At the time I was making this image there was a very strong wind blowing. I could see image shake in the viewfinder despite the camera being mounted on a sturdy tripod but by using a high shutter speed (1/800 sec) I was able to deal with this OK. What I did not take into account was heat distortion of the air. At first look the image may appear reasonably sharp but on closer inspection (detail image) there is a waviness to things especially evident in the straight lines of the cables and the edges of the tower. I have to say I was a little surprised to see this as it wasn’t a particularly warm day. But the sun was out and still relatively high in the sky apparently heating objects and, when this warmth mixed with surrounding cooler air, distorting things. Most other images of this view (it is a rather common one) have been done at night, when fog is present or the sun is low in the sky. Times when the heating effects of the sun are minimal or absent. And these other images are much sharper as a result. Something to think about when trying to make a photo of a scene far from the camera.
Nice photo, RX. Two of my favorite places in SF. I worked in the Pyramid for about nine years back in the mid-80s/90s and finished up at the GGB.
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Thank you, Allan. I knew about the bridge, of course, but not the Pyramid (or at least I may have forgotten you mentioned in a previous post). So I went and did a quick search and found a neat shot you did for a challenge. Very cool!
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Thank you, RX. I have some stories in the wings about me and my fellow Pyramididiots, so stay tuned.
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Great! Look forward to them.
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Very interesting photo, especially the heat distortion, something I have no experienced (or if I have, just considered it my own shaking.)
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Thanks, Maggie. You are right that the heat distortion is not always so noticeable. I wasn’t completely sure how much the shutter speed used neutralized the shake from the wind. Close inspection to check that revealed the heat distortion which, ironically, rendered the shake issue a bit moot.
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Nice capture with so much wind. Had I thought about it, I could have brought the reflector that I had in the trunk. If it didn’t blow away I could have used it to block the wind. The heat distortion might be less in the winter.
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Thank you, Tim. If *I* had had more presence of mind I could have just lowered myself closer to the ground to get more out of the wind. Oh well. And, yes, you may be right about winter.
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