On a previous post, I related that on a beautiful spring day, I had been at Baker Beach and Lands End in San Francisco. It was unusually sunny for that city. The beach was bustling with many people, including a great number of nudists (my crew and I were all wearing jackets!), and the hills were adorned with patches of wood-sorrel flowers, a species in the genus Oxalis known for its bright yellow blossoms.
Besides the photograph in the aforementioned post, I took another one that I liked. Later in the day, around 6 pm, the waves aligned with the bridge, making up for a pleasant composition. Although the Golden Gate Bridge is cliché around here, I am pleased with the FEATURED IMAGE (repeated below for convenience). I took it handheld (f/20, 1/640s, ISO 200 @70 mm) while standing on the sand. What I most like about this image is the waves providing an undulating, leading line to the bridge.
One of the main challenges to obtaining the final photograph was getting rid of all the people walking around, many of which were naked. I did not know that this beach was a “clothing-optional” beach. But googling it revealed that this is the case for the area toward the Golden Gate bridge.
Photoshop’s AI “fill” function did a great job getting rid of all the people, without the problems with the stamp tool. To finish the image, I applied a sepia tone for added interest.
Prints of the FEATURED IMAGE, repeated below for convenience, is available in my gallery “West Coast Monochrome” on my pixels website. A color version is available in the gallery “California Mountains and Ocean“.
Tips if you want to visit Baker Beach
Baker Beach is VERY popular, so if you plan to park there and walk north on the sand, get an early start. Another option is to hope for one of about ten parking spaces along Lincoln Boulevard between Kobbe Avenue and Pershing Drive. The Sand Ladder Trail descends steeply from this small parking area to North Baker Beach.
The “official” clothing-optional is the far north end below a steep bluff. There is a hidden area over some rocks at the North end and fixed ropes are there to help getting over the rocks. Swimming in this area is unsafe due to cold water and rip currents and is not advised.
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Wall Art landscapes and miscellaneous
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It is all about the light 
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