24 Hours in San Francisco – What should you photograph?

Recently, I had to go to San Francisco for less than 24 hours.  I was flying in at 3 in the afternoon and had to catch a flight back to Seattle at 1 pm the next afternoon.  With a city as great as San Francisco and with thousands of photo opportunities, finding the right mix was not going to be easy.

Think about it.  If you had 24 hours in a city how would you prioritize what to shoot, and at what time?  Even if you come up with the perfect game plan weather, traffic, and any other myriad of unforeseen obstacles can put the brakes on everything.

So what do I recommend?  DON’T HAVE A PLAN AND BE FLEXIBLE!!!

When my plane approached San Fran, I immediately scanned the horizon to see if I had any weather to contend with.  Even if the skies were clear it did not mean that a fog bank could suddenly develop and move in.  The skies for the most part looked pretty clear.  I could see there were some low level clouds, but nothing too ominous.

I scrambled to get my rental car as I juggled tripod, laptop, and camera equipment.  My body looked like a walking, drooling, spastic cramp.  My trail of tears ended with a huge surprise.  My friends had rented me a convertible… something I would have never done, but as you will see it made for a magical trip.  I hopped into the car and was soon off to my 4:00 o’clock appointment.

An hour later I was done and free to explore… the fo… the fog… THE GREAT WALL OF FOG THAT JUST MOVED IN.  You have got to be kidding me!  Mother Nature is constantly toying with my emotions and has sent me on many a fruitless goose chases. Nothing can screw up a shot more than fog, especially San Fran Fog.  “I call this picture “Cloudy Nothing”… yeah just give me a thousand bucks and it’s yours.”.

Plan B came to mind… but that’s right I had no plan.  What the hell was I going to do?!?!

I through an internal tantrum as I tried desperately to look cool in my perv-mobile.  I decided to just drive around and see if any inspiration could penetrate my creative fog. 

I headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge.  With the top down, Sirius pumping, and the heat on full blast, I cruised through San Fran like a mid-life crisis in training.  My hair blew in the wind… causing some major afro-ization which soon morphed into a  troll-like existence as it formed and aerodynamic point.  As I glanced in the mirror I could not help think I looked like the Unabomber… great!

After a few u-turns and a couple flips of the bird I was found myself crossing the Golden Gate.    My face was wind burned and my body was now hypothermic, and worst of all, I had to pee.  Doubts about the trip and my ability to get some good shots started filling my brain. 

Then out of nowhere the sun came out!!!  Of course, this caused instant blindness, yet I became overcome with joy.  I tried to look around to see what might pique my interest but everything I looked at now had purple dots masking it.  White-knuckling the steering wheel became a side effect of trying desperately not to get killed by the California enduro-racers that raced and zig-zagged over the bridge.  It seemed inevitable that I would cause an accident or in the least the evacuation of an unsuspecting tourist’s bowels.

 As I approached the end of the bridge I was spying for a parking spot when I became horrified by what I saw, a ”Tourist Infestation”.  A photographers worst nightmare.  These blind, mindless pests are constantly bumping into equipment, running in front of shots, and generally suffer from head-in-butt syndrome. Their offspring are even worse.  They are usually screaming and have no problem with wiggling in front of what would be a masterpiece.   THE HELL WITH THAT!

My mind began to scatter as I rifled through the possibilities and trade-offs of where I should shoot.  It’s Friday afternoon and the traffic is horrible and I want to be in position for the sunset.  This whole situations has the potential to suck.  Then a moment of pure genius hit me.  I thought “where could I drive that will provide a constant stream of beautiful sites to choose from and not have to worry about traffic??? PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY BABY!!!”.

I jumped off the highway and followed the signs for Stinson Beach and Muir Woods.  I was soon at the top of a bluff overlooking the stunning coast.  My best view was towards the sun.  My eyes burned and spots once again began dancing around what was left of my vision as a I struggled to compose the shot.   I opted for black and white as all the color, much like my retinas, would be completely burned out of the picture.  The subtle shades of the cliffs and the shimmering ocean in gray scale worked out.

PCH and I are old friends and I have been to this part of her once before.  I was lucky enough to drive the majority of this coast into Oregon.  The next 1000 miles north of here are arguably the most beautiful coasts on earth.  Everyone should go once in a lifetime… or seven times should you be so lucky.  The northern part of PCH is profoundly un-Californian in its pristine nature and raw beauty.  Long gone are the traffic jams and the canterlevering of hundreds homes off of unstable mountain sides.  Don’t get me wrong, there are towns along the way that epitomize tourist traps of Cali, but nothing like crawling down PCH in Santa Monica., or worse, Long Beach.

With the top down, I snaked my way down the bluff to Stinson Beach.  The last time I was here I ate at one of the only places open.  The food was great, but the gas station situation was pathetic… well non existent.  In short, it was the beginning of a slow and sometimes redundant crawl up the highway as my car and my mental stability crumbled beneath me.  The highlights included begging for gas from the sheriffs department, a murder at Goat Head Beach (not involved), and the leaving of 7 memory cards including pictures of Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park on top of my car (directly responsible).

This time was completely different, my head was completely removed from my butt cheeks for one, and it was late summer.  I am glad that I came back.  The ocean air was invigorating and the views of the bird-laden marshes were beautiful.  Soon my negative associations from my previously tormented past were permanently replaced.

I was in a race to see how far I could get up PCH before the sun set.  The road twisted and turned and rose and fell as I weaved through patches of forest segmented by golden hills shining brightly in the soon-to-be-setting sun.  Surprisingly, there were park rangers with radar guns all over the road. This had no effect on me because I am stuck behind the remake of “Driving Miss Daisy”. The other problem is that there is no place to pass Speedy Gonzales due to the hundreds of curves in the road and lack of anything consiedered a straight away. Fortunately for Mr. Gonzales the fact the Sirius Satelite radio kept on cutting out proved more infuriating then his attempt at breaking the record for at the slowest speed possible with a foot placed on the gas.

I got as far as the Point Reyes turnoff when I decided to go back.  I knew I couldn’t make it to the next beach, nor the 28 mile journey to Pt. Reyes before sunset.  After all, I had plenty more shooting back in San Francisco.  I reluctantly turned around in order to insure good positioning for what could be a good sunset.  The truth is though, I would love nothing more than driving straight back to Seattle on this road… maybe next year!

On my way back a fawn jumped out in front of the car trying to show off some new dance moves.  It kicked and pranced across the road and then suddenly stopped. I slowed the car hoping to capture it in silhouette.  Right when I got the car stopped, the little deer continued his dance back up the hillside.  Oh well, this isn’t the first time an epic shot came so close to happening and then disappeared.

Instead I settled for some burned out branches on a cliff.  The cloud line was going to quickly swallow the sun.  I only had but a few minutes before the sunset potential was all but wiped out.

I was pretty hungry by now and wanted to grab some grub.  My stomach grumbled the whole way back on the roller coaster of a road called Pacific Coast Highway.  I decided to treat myself to a nice dinner in Sausalito.  This little town boasts dozens of great restaurants, charming architecture, pricey shops, and million dollar views.

It might have been the miles of ocean or the formation of what could be  “budding man-boobs” on my chest, but I decided on having fish. As I strolled aimlessly around the town a sign that said “Fresh Sand Dabs” piqued my interest.  I guess it’s San Fran’s signature fish.  It is supposedly a little flounder-looking fish with tons of bones.  As I scanned the menu I considered the bones, and then the recent oil spill here… a cargo ship scraped the side of pylon at the Golden Gate bridge dumping tens of thousands of gallons of oil.  That’s when I decided to forget about the Petroleum-encrusted Sand Dabs and decided to go with the mercury poisoning instead.  “I’ll have the Ahi Tuna!”, I exclaimed starvingly. 

 The service was quick, almost rushed.  The tuna hit my table just as the last bit of salad left my fork.  Normally I might be put off by this, but eating at that point was a necessary inconvenience.  All I really wanted to do was take some more pictures.

I was soon out the door and heading back to get the car.  To my relief nothing was stolen out of the trunk and my photographic adventure could continue.  I may have driven a quarter mile before I saw my next subject.  The city from across the water.

I set up my tripod, 70mm – 200mm, and my cable release and began experimenting with the different apertures and exposures.  After a couple horrible shots I was dialed in.  I took a few more shots and new that it was time to look for some better shots.

My buddies have always talked about the great times in Golden Gate State park.  I had driven by it a half a dozen times, but always feared the Tourist Infestations.  After wasting an hour driving past the exit, getting lost, and turning around totaling 3,600 degrees I was finally here.  I entered the long dark road back lit by the  Golden Gate bridge.  Despite it being after 9:00 there was still a good amount of lovers “enjoying the view” aka watching submarine races.  Despite the automobile-based procreation, parking was easy to find.  I pulled up to the first spot I saw and started my picture taking ritual all over again.

This place is beautiful.  The darkness of the park made the Golden Gate bridge seem as if it were on fire.  While I was up there several ships arrived providing for a hauntingly ghost like image as it passed slowly under the bridge.  Seeing how wide the bridge is made me wonder how in the hell could you actually hit a pylon.  Sure dense fog might be a good excuse, but I am pretty sure the Golden Gate bridge might be large enough to show up on radar.

I spent almost an hour and a half moving up the road.  The further up the road I traveled, the more isolated I became…  HEAVEN!  With each bend in the road came a new perspective of the Golden Gate bridge and San Francisco.  The only thing missing was a full moon or even better a meteorite streaking across the sky.

I must have stopped at seven different spots in the park before deciding that my photography marathon must end.  Reluctantly, I packed up my equipment and concluded what was a great session.  Looking back, I covered a lot considering the impossibly short amount of time.  Plus, I will use this experience to help plan for my return to San Francisco… whenever that may be.

Real Estate Photography – What you need to know to sell your home.

Real Estate Photography: putting the odds in your favor.
Yeah, you have heard it a thousand times “A picture is worth a thousand words”, but it can also be worth a thousand potential customers. With today’s depressed real estate market you need to take every opportunity to create “Cyber-Curb Appeal”.

The Internet has become the first choice for many potential home buyers, real estate investors, and sellers looking to find out what homes similar to their own are selling for. Simply look through your local MLS service and you will see thousands of terrible home photos. Real estate agents and homes sellers must come to terms with the fact that the days of listing your home and receiving a dozen offers are now long gone.

In today’s market, getting back to the fundamentals of marketing is important. Seattle real estate broker, Lynn Robertson has seen the power of professional photography first hand. “Professional real estate photography has several effects; it drives more home buyers to our listings and website, it attracts new home sellers to my agency by demonstrating that we know how to professionally market our client’s home , and it helps boost our property management services too.”.

Steve Glover, a Seattle property manager, attracts both tenants and landlords through the use of professional photography. Steve specializes in leasing luxury view condos in Seattle and requires a photographer who can capture the beauty of the interior with the spectacular views Seattle offers all in one picture. “Landlords benefit greatly from professional real estate photography because we need to attract as many qualified tenants as possible to avoid months with no rental income. The other key aspect is that we eventually will need to re-list the property after a tenant’s lease has expired and having high quality pictures often shortens the time between leases.” Another benefit Steve finds is that he acquires new listings every week because a property investors and landlords have seen his listings and want their properties marketed in the same high-quality manner.

Not all real estate photographers are the same. Many work for larger companies and get paid by the number of houses photographed. As you can imagine, their motivation is not to capture and set up an image that will best market your house. They are simply looking to shoot and move on.The time of day can be equally important. Sunrise and sunset often provide the best natural lighting. Depending on which direction your home faces it may be important to schedule a specific time. For example, if your home faces east it will be best photographed in the morning. With larger companies this luxury may not be available so make sure you ask.What to look for in a professional real estate photographer:

• Use photographer that has a professional real estate photography gallery.
• Good photographers use professional lighting systems to create a perfectly illuminated rooms.
• Often professional photographers will only shoot during the best times so that they can use Nature’s lighting to highlight your home or property. Make sure you are able to request a specific time.
• Beware of photography assistants taking the photographs and not the company’s best photographer. Sometimes you are sold on the “A-Team’s” work and are given the “C-Team” to photograph your home.
• Ask to speak with clients. If they refuse ask yourself why not?
• Look for photographers who can provide quick turnarounds. Most properties should require 1-2 days of processing. Larger more complicated shoots could require longer, but make sure you ask and get it in writing.
• Work with photographers who guarantee the quality of their photographs and would be willing to re-shoot a property if the pictures are not up to par. Often professional photographers are more picky about their work than you will be, but it is nice to know they will take them again if things don’t work out the first time.

How much should I pay?

Real Estate Photography varies in price and often is dependent on the size of your home, where the property will be marketed (magazine vs. fliers), and the “visual assets” such as views, unique landscaping or other features that would require more photographic time to capture properly. Generally speaking, the bigger the house the more work and lighting a photographer will need to create great images.

Beware of companies that charge a flat rate or a one house fits all mentality. If you have an 8000 square foot house with panoramic views selling for $1.6 million and the company charges $150 for all houses you will likely receive images that will not market your house properly. Likely, you will be advertising this listing in real estate magazines with strict editing guidelines. This means if your photographs do not meet the photo-editors standards you may be denied publication. However, if you have an 750 square foot condo and are only posting the pictures on fliers and the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) this might be a perfect fit.

A good rule of thumb is between 5 – 10 cents per square foot. This means for an 8000 square foot house you should expect to pay between $400-$800 and for a 1500 square foot home between $75-$150. Again, if your home has spectacular views you may need to pay more in order to capture the true value of your property.

Harley Lever
www.HarleysEye.com

Restaurant Photography – We eat first with our eyes!!!

Everyone has seen it before, you walk up to a restaurant with dozens of pictures in front depicting the food and the beef is a deathly gray, the refried beans look old and crusty, and the vegetables look as if grandma had cooked them for several decades before blessing your plate with the vitamin-depleted mush. I am sure many brave patrons were forgiving of the poor quality pictures, but as a restaurateur, do you really want pictures of that quality representing your food?

Simply look to “Iron Chef” or other food competitions and you will realize that food presentation is as important as taste. Today food must be presented artistically and chefs go out of their way to “Out Picasso” the competition. The Internet has changed the game. As a restaurant owner you must expect that diners who have never eaten at your restaurant will visit your website before making a reservation. Your pictures will be your customer’s “first taste” of your cuisine.

Food photography and food styling are becoming extremely popular services sought out by restaurateurs, bar owners, wine makers, and others in the food and beverage industry. Jan Jongkol co-owner of Opal, one of Seattle’s newest and most popular restaurants explains that “Restaurant marketing has changed drastically… your photography, web site, and print advertising must be impeccable in order to attract increasingly more sophisticated diners”. Their web site, redesigned by restaurant marketing firm WeSprout Solutions, experienced a 650% gain in traffic in just one month and translated to 35% increase in reservations. Food photography was a key aspect in attracting new customers. “We can have the highest ranking site on the Internet, but the photography of our food is the final selling point” she explains.

However, when seeking a photographer food photos should not be your only concern. Restaurants require photographers with several skill sets. The ambiance and decor often help shape a visitors experience. Capturing romantic settings on film can be challenging and using a photographer experienced in architectural photography is important. In addition, photos of patrons, wait staff, chefs and others individuals may require a photo journalistic style.

How to choose a restaurant photographer
Here is a quick guide to choosing a photographer for your restaurant.

• Choose a photographer with a varied skill sets to best capture your restaurant’s “Visual Assets” including Food, Architectural, and Photo journalistic experience.
• Check out their galleries and look for consistency, style, and how many other restaurants use their service.
• Ask to speak with their clients. Great photographers will also have great business relationships. Speak with other restaurateurs who have used their services. This will help you avoid the “One-time Wonders”, those photographers who market their best shot ever, but can never replicate it.
• Beware of photographers who offer to come by and shoot your food or restaurant for what seems to be “free”. Likely, they will provide you with the photography and once you use their photography they will ask you for “Usage and copyright fees”. All too often I hear stories about restaurant owners who are taken to court for photography used in print advertising. The other costly side effect is that you will need to pay your web designer $50+/per hour to take down the photographs and post new ones. My best advice: Get your usage rights in writing!!!!
• Use a photographer that has professional lighting systems and equipment. Everyone owns a camera, but that does not mean they are professionals. The best equipment combined with the best skill sets usually will provide the best results.
• Ask for guarantees. Every photographer has bad days and sometimes pictures do not come out as well as they hoped. Work with photographers willing to re-shoot the food free of charge. Great photographers never want their poor images on the market and should be willing to guarantee their work.
• Lastly, work with a photographer who is willing to collaborate and incorporate your ideas. Ultimately, you need to be proud of every aspect of your marketing and if you do not have the pictures that convey your restaurant in the way in which you want, you will never be happy.

What should you pay for Restaurant Photography?
Well that is certainly the million dollar question and hopefully will not cost you as much. The first step is to know what you want to have photographed and then develop a coordination strategy. Some shots are best taken when the business is closed or when there are no customers. The last thing you want is to have strobe lights, extension cords, and tripods in the middle of your dining room at seven o’clock on a Friday night. Plan your photography shoots for before you open or just before you close. This will help maximize everyone’s time, keep your labor costs down, and most importantly have little to no impact on your customer’s dining experience. This will also reduce the likelihood that the photographer will have to return for other shots later.

Photographers generally offer hourly, half-day, and full-day rates. Their rate usually includes post-processing work needed to fine-tune the picture, but make sure you ask. The last thing you want is to hire a photographer for $150/hour and find that the post processing time was not included in the rate for the shoot times. Often post processing time will require more time than the shoot itself so be aware!

Generally speaking photographers will charge between $75 – $500 per hour. With the higher end of the scale, you start paying for the “Photographer’s Name” as much as their skill. Half-day rates will run between $300 – $2500 and full-day rates run $600 – $5,000. I know many of you just lost your appetite reading these rates, but the truth is that you will find many more photographers on the lower end of the scale. The other point to consider is that these images are the ones you will be using on your website, print advertising, email marketing, magazines, and more, so taking the low-cost route may be a lot more costly in the end. If you pay $2,000 for your website and $500/week for print advertising it is a good idea to use pictures that will induce “crave-ability”.

Always ask for a package pricing and inquire about any discounts for repeat business. For many restaurant’s the food changes with the season and because of this it is important to have photography that is up-to-date. Featuring a hearty beef stew during a summer heat wave will not convey the refreshing appeal of your cuisine. The photographer has a vested interest in repeat business too. The photography market is saturated, so finding and keeping good customers is also of high importance to the photographer.

Harley Lever
www.HarleysEye.com