Photo Stories

A documentation of my photographic adventures.

Photowalk: Presidio Tunnel Tops

Back when I had my Sony a7R II camera, the lens of choice for general walk-around photography was the 35mm F2.8 ZA. 35mm is a classic focal length, not too wide, not too zoomed-in. Some would call it super basic and typical, but I really like how 35mm frames the shots. Besides, the ZA is a small, pancake-style lens that, when coupled together with the a7R II, makes for a lightweight yet powerful package. A full-frame camera that can be hung on the wrist.

No coincidence, then, that when I recently upgraded to the Fujifilm X-T5 camera, the first lens I bought is a 35mm-equivalent prime lens. The XF23mmF2 R WR lens is lightweight yet shapely detailed. It had better be, because it’s not cheap: street price is roughly the same as the Sony 35mm ZA, at about $450. For a crop-sensor lens, it’s a bit on the spendy side. I absolutely love the Fujinon 23mm F2 though, and it will be a majority companion to the X-T5.

However, for the sort of urban walk-around photography, I sometimes find the 35mm full-frame equivalent distance to be too wide. For shooting down a city block where I want to compress the scene, the 35mm focal length captures too much on the periphery. I can always crop in, given the generous 40-megapixel sensor of the X-T5, but I don’t want to. Far easier to simply buy a second lens with more reach. So in comes the 23mm F2’s sibling, the XF50mmF2 R WR. A handy 76mm-equivalent at the same F2 fast aperture.

The place to test out this new 50mm lens is at the Presidio Tunnel Tops. Opened back in July of 2022, the Tunnel Tops is a new playground and picnic area at the northern side of the Presidio, with a scenic overlook of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s so called because the park is built on top of the Highway 101 tunnels coming from and going towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Took me more than a year since opening to make the visit, but better late than never!

We parked at the main parade lawn (paid) to begin. The lawn was absolutely bustling with revelers on this sunny Sunday afternoon.

Catering to the people congestion are food trucks serving up some good eats (I haven’t had The Chairman in a long time). A splendid day to have a picnic without needing to bring your own food.

The cliche thing to do when you’ve got a long lens with wide aperture: take pictures of flowers. Blurred foreground and background accomplished.

The longer Fujinon 50mm lens also allows me to shoot stuff of a further distance, like these two ladies having a picnic at the Tunnel Tops area. The 70-300mm lens my friend was carrying with him would have been even better for this shot.

The main attraction of Tunnel Tops has to be the main lawn area overlooking the majestic Golden Gate Bridge. I could literally spend hours on those chairs just chilling in the sun (with the appropriate sunblock usage, of course).

To the flip side of the Golden Gate Bridge is another spectacular backdrop, courtesy of the Palace of Fine Arts and the San Francisco downtown skyline.

If you’re with children, Tunnel Tops have a vast playground facility for them to get tired out. If you’re like us and do not have any children, simply enjoy the view of the bay. Oh look, it’s Alcatraz!

On the east end of Tunnel Tops you can see the two arterial roads coming out from said tunnels.

Now that is prime placement for a refreshments/desserts truck. We didn’t partake in it though because we’re penny-pinchers who bring our own water bottles.

Anyways, we left Tunnel Tops and walked westward along Crissy Field towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Not only for more photographing opportunities, but also to get our daily 10,000 steps in. Never skip leg day.

One of my favorite shots of the day. From this angle it really showcases the majesty of the Golden Gate Bridge. The two groups scattered about kind of created a symmetry with the bridge’s two cable towers. Using the 23mm lens here would be way too wide. I’m very happy with this.

We briefly ventured out onto the beach, and immediately thought better of it. The wind was blowing rather strongly, and we didn’t want sand to get into our camera gear.

It’s better to shoot from the the grass area outwards. Good thing I’ve got this new 76mm-equivalent lens with me!

Don’t forget to look back at it from time to time.

Eventually we encountered this pier section that juts out onto the bay. It’s called Torpedo Wharf, and there were lots of amateur fishermen out there hoping to catch a haul.

Seems like a great way to spend a weekend day. Perhaps I’ll become a fishing enthusiasts later on in life. For now, I prefer hobbies that are less stinky…

Not wanting to go all the way towards the very end of the road at Fort Point - right adjacent to the Golden Gate Bridge, we instead climbed some stairs to join with the Battery East trail. That road will take us back to where we started at the Presidio parade lawn.

From up high you get a different vantage point of the boats out in the bay.

You get a different vantage point of Crissy Field, too. What a vast piece of grassland! I reckon there is enough space there to have a football match.

Another favorite photo from the day. This framing only made possible by the reach of the Fujinon 50mm lens.

We went from above the tunnels to under the bridges.

That would be a beautiful spot to drop down on one knee and propose to your significant other.

On the photo story about the time we went to Angel Island, I wrote about the island having relics of World Wars’ past. Concrete batteries that once stood to protect the San Francisco Bay from invaders on ships. Nowadays, the only things remaining are the concrete bunkers. Sadly, the big guns are long gone.

We can see here what’s left of the batteries on the San Francisco side of the bay.

One last shot of the Golden Gate Bridge in the late afternoon light. We sure wished it wasn’t so hazy of a day. No amount of UV filters can cut through that smog.

Back at the Presidio parade lawn, the now empty field and chairs created an interesting aesthetic.

Overall it was a fun afternoon at the Presidio Tunnel Tops. I am pretty in love with the images out of this Fujifilm X-T5 camera, and the XR50mmF2 lens is a solid addition to the XR23mmF2. I will definitely carry both in my bag whenever I go out to shoot in the future.

Cutting Room

Photowalk: Angel Island (P2)

Making the trip to Angel Island got me reflecting on my own immigrant story. Not that I had a choice! I came to America when I was only eight years old. Obviously, the decision was made for me by my parents. I came home from second grade one day, and was told that we’d be moving to the United States. I don’t remember having much overt emotions. I was too young to have strong attachment to Guangzhou, China, and also too young to fear the (soon to be too real) challenge of assimilating to a wholly different country.

Economics wasn’t the reason, either. Our family was lower middle class in China, but my parents owned (and still do) the two-bedroom apartment outright. Financially, we would have been just fine had we stayed. The primary reason for moving to America was so my mother can join her side of the immediately family, all of whom live in the States. Come to think of it, it was super generous of my father to essentially give up his side of the family, all of whom (still) reside in China.

Sometimes I like to imagine what my life would be like had our family remained in China. I bet it wouldn’t be all that much different. I probably would have finished university with decent enough grades, then moved into a secure public service job, one that pays just enough for a middle-class life. Even in China, I probably still can’t afford to buy a place of my own. The real-estate market in the big cities there is as impossible as it is here in San Francisco.

The biggest difference would be my passion for cars. Had we stayed in China, I don’t think that love would’ve had the opportunity to cultivate. America is truly the land of cars, with a rich history of open road and endless possibilities behind the wheel. Comparatively, buying a car here is cheaper than rest of the world. It’s easier to get a driver license, too. In China, not only is the licensing process more rigorous, you have to apply for a lottery to get a car plated for road use. Congestion is such an issue that even if you can afford a car, you might not be allowed to drive it.

There’s no way I could have already (non-concurrently) owned four cars while living in China. Buying a Porsche 911 GT3 would only be a dream.

I guess in a way, it’s easier to make relatively lots of money here in America. Persistence and hard-work can get you quite far financially in this country. I mean, isn’t that the main motivation for people wanting to migrate to States? The initial wave of Chinese immigrants was those looking to literally strike it rich during the California Gold Rush. Today, migrants from south of the border have the same parallel: they just want to make money. In their homeland, it is not possible. In America, it is very possible.

Sadly, the same parallel exists in the horrible conditions you hear about inside the migrant camps at the border. People detained in squalid conditions, awaiting a meeting with immigration officials, praying against hope to be granted entry (asylum). It’s eerily similar to the Angel Island experience the early Chinese immigrants had to deal with. A shame that we’ve learned nothing from the not-so-good parts of this country’s history. People who want to come to the United States to make money, take care of their family, and contribute positivity to society, should be allowed to.

We pick up the story from part one still at Immigration Station - the processing/detention facility. One of the rooms showcased is the interrogation room. I can only imagine the sheer terror in having to answer dubious questions, asked in a language you’re wholly unfamiliar with.

Though it appears there were some semblance of English education on the premises.

A stark reminder just how beautiful it is on the outside. A freedom so tantalizing and out of reach.

I still cannot get over how intricate these poetry carvings are. It mimics the penmanship of Chinese calligraphy superbly well.

There’s no escape. And even if one were to leave the building, they’re still in the middle of a freaking island.

Never forget that one of the most racist acts in United States congressional history was done against the Chinese.

Back outside, we continue on our hike circumnavigating the island. We headed south before making the turn west.

It was a nice day for bay watching.

The military installation we passed by on the ferry in part one is named Fort McDowell. Obviously no longer in use, the dilapidated buildings are a sight to see if you’re into exploring urban decay.

A postal exchange from 1910. It’s amazing a building this old is still standing. Granted, signage is everywhere warning hikers to not venture inside these buildings.

For those who don’t know, postal exchange is like a Walmart on military bases. Armed Forces personnel go there to buy their daily essentials, and lots of snacks.

No military base is complete without a church.

The old administration building.

You can really see how broken-down these buildings are at Fort McDowell.

Though some are still in use to this day. The officer’s quarters provide housing for staff who live on Angel Island permanently.

The great barracks and drilling field at Fort McDowell.

As we round the corner on the southeast end of Angel Island, the San Francisco skyline comes into view.

And so does the venerable Golden Gate Bridge.

For those not-so athletically inclined, there’s plenty of benches all throughout the ring road to take a breather. You can even have a picnic, if you so choose.

Similar to the Marin Headlands just across the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island have relics of gun battery that used to be in service during the world wars. It’s kind of wild to think that if enemies were to sail into the San Francisco Bay, huge guns from both north and south side were ready to fire on them.

It would be cool if the gun was still here. (Disabled, obviously.)

Thanks to the heavy rain earlier in the winter, California experienced an intense spring bloom. Colorful wild flowers were present everywhere on Angel Island.

With Fort McDowell garrisoning the east side of island, the west side is garrisoned by Camp Reynolds. I have to say the latter is way more photogenic than the former. Look at that spectacular view!

After Camp Reynolds, the trail is already close to making the loop back to Ayala Cove - where we ride the return ferry to San Francisco. But, not before some more spectacular views of Richardson Bay.

Back where we started.

As mentioned in part one, the ferry back to San Francisco makes a stop at Tiburon. No complaints: Tiburon is a quaint little town, and I always like going there.

The busy waters near Tiburon.

And we are back home to San Francisco.

We had a great time at Angel Island. As a Chinese-American, it is worthwhile to visit this historical place as an adult. To reflect on how difficult it was for our forefathers, and to be grateful how great our lives are now, because of their contributions.

Photowalk: Angel Island (P1)

A quirk of being a native San Franciscan (native enough, anyways: I moved to the city when I was 8 years old) is that some of the more touristy stuff I simply never got around to do. Alcatraz? Never been. Chocolate at Ghirardelli Square? Not a spoon of it. The world-famous Lombard Street hairpins? Nope. Come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve ever rode on a cable car…

The thinking is: I have time, right? I’m going to live in San Francisco forever (tinge of sarcasm here). There’s plenty of time to tick these boxes off. What I definitely won’t do is crowd around those areas with tourists. No reason to make the line/wait longer for them! Unless of course I have out of town family or friends visiting, and I’m incentivized to take them around to the famous spots. Interestingly, I still have not had the chance to do that.

A landmark I have been to is Angel Island. But that was more than two decades ago. It was part of a school field trip. At the time I was at an elementary school (in Chinatown, naturally) catered to immigrant children from China. Instruction was done in a mix of Chinese and English, so pupils like me can grasp the English language at a more comfortable setting. An obvious field trip then, for a class full of Chinese immigrants, is to visit Angel Island.

The island is infamous for being a processing center for immigrants coming into America in the early 1900s. An Ellis Island of the west, if you will. While immigrants from all corners of the globe came through the place, Angel Island is mostly known for being a waystation for Chinese immigrants. I guess our teachers wanted us modern-day immigrants to know our history, and the tremendous difficulties our predecessors faced.

I was only nine at the time, so I was (still) more concerned about learning English than any sort of history about my people. I honestly don’t remember much from the trip, other than taking the ferry, and seeing Chinese poetry being carved on the walls of the detention facilities. But hey, back in elementary school, spending a full day outside of school property is exciting.

A few months back – as a full fledge adult – I visited Angel Island for a second time. My friend has a YouTube channel focusing on Chinese American history, and travel to Asian countries (respectively). He’s been talking about going to Angel Island – as big a landmark vis a vis Chinese American history as there is – for the longest time. So, to tick the box off his list, we finally made the trip back in early May.

As mentioned: being an island out in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, getting to Angel Island entails a ferry ride. And where to but the San Francisco Ferry Building to do so. Easy to remember.

You can peruse the ferry schedule here. All boats found for Angel Island departs at Gate B.

There was a surprising amount of fellow revelers heading to Angel Island. Unbeknownst to us, the island is apparently a great and popular hiking destination. As we shall find out later. (Sadly, not knowing so before hand, we were definitely not dressed for a hike.)

One of the joys of taking the ferry is looking back at the San Francisco skyline, as the boat departs away from the city. On a rare sunny day like the one we had, the views are rather spectacular.

The Angel Island ferry passes by the other infamous San Francisco island: Alcatraz. We’ll make it there one day.

Rounding the bend as we approach Angel Island.

I erroneously thought these were the immigrant detention facilities. I later found out these are actually military barracks. Angel Island used to have troops stationed on its premises, not unlike the Presidio of San Francisco.

Being a California State park, Angel Island offers plenty of leisure opportunities. Boating of varying sizes and type seems to be a big one. I would love to try a bit of kayaking one day. It looks like a great way to workout.

Plenty of travelers waiting to get on just as we got off the ferry. After stopping at Angel Island, the boat then go towards Tiburon, before making the loop back to San Francisco.

Ayala Cove is where the ferry dropped us off. Because we were there for Chinese historical culture, we followed the green line on the Perimeter Road. A circumnavigation of the island along its periphery. Note that it is five total miles, so do calculate how long it will take you to walk that length. You’re definitely not going to want to miss the last ferry out.

You can boat. You can bike. You can also have a picnic. Angel Island really do have everything. Except for one major flaw: no dogs are allowed on the island. That is a great shame.

We began our hike by heading towards the visitor center.

The Perimeter Road soon took us to a higher vantage point. The view out towards the water improved that much more.

Are you quick to tire out? There’s plenty of benches along the road to take a breather. Or take in the views statically.

First point of interest we come to is the one we came for: the Immigration Station. This is where the predominantly Chinese immigrants were detained and processed, before (if they were lucky) being let into America proper.

Getting to Immigration Station calls for deviating from the Perimeter Road and walking down towards the water.

The Immigrant Heritage Wall immortalizes some of the people and families that have gone through the not-so-pleasant Angel Island experience. I checked: there were a few Chen (陳) surnames on that wall.

It’s striking to me how beautiful and picturesque all of this scenery is. I can only imagine the immigrants who were detained in the barracks, having to look this every single day. The view offers so much hope and promise, yet fences and walls prevent the immigrants from fulfilling their wishes. It’s sad and sobering.

The main attraction at Immigration Station is the detention barracks. Today, it’s a museum of sorts. For a not-so princely sum of five dollars, you get to go inside and see a facsimile of what the place looked like way back when.

One of the things I do remember from my elementary school field trip to Angel Island are the Chinese poetry carved on the walls. The artistry of the carvings is magnificent. The poetry’s content - the longing for family and freedom - is altogether heartbreaking and humbling. I am incredibly lucky to be born in an era where legal immigrants do not have to suffer through soul-crushing detention like this.

However, even in detention, humanity cannot be stripped away from the people. That choice still solely belongs to them. The will to make the best out of a situation can be seen in the recreative games on display.

Notice the one essential item they can’t live without: smokes!

The sleeping quarters are bunk-style, stacked three high. The size of these would be considered for kids by modern standards. Everything these immigrants own - which is to say, not much - can fit into suitcases. Laundry is hung to dry on wires above. The bedding is United States Army issue.

As mentioned, Angel Island may be known for processing Chinese immigrants, many from other nationalities were also processed through the grounds. In another room within the detention barracks, the bunk beds there exhibit the varying cultural items brought from other countries.

I hope this violin is actually of period, and not a replica! Old instruments that still work are impossibly cool.

Obviously, it’s not just men who made the journey over to America. Women did also, and they lived separately from the men at the barracks. A room there now shows the living quarters and personal items of these women, from different nationalities.

It’s incredibly sobering to see these artifacts of immigrants past. These people left their homeland to move to an entirely foreign country, with an entirely foreign language. They did so without our modern benefits of communication and political tolerance. Words like bravery and courage are inadequate to describe their mettle. In the next part of this series, I’ll write about how seeing the detention facilities at Angel Island resonates with my own immigrant story.

Photowalk: Presidio Parade Grounds

Back in high school I was a member of the JROTC program, mainly because it was an alternative to P.E. and let's face it who likes having to dress for P.E. anyways?

The annual spring competition amongst the city's participating high schools was held on the Main Parade Grounds at the Presidio. For those unfamiliar the Presidio, it was once an army base in real life, and home to Starfleet Command Headquarters in the world of Star Trek.

It's been over a decade since I've been to the parade grounds as I've no reason to visit since I've graduated. On this particular day our group had wanted to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge during golden hour, but as is the norm during the Summer months, sunset isn't until well after 8pm therefore we had a few hours to kill. Coincidently all of us went through the same JROTC program so for nostalgia's sake we decided to see the old drilling grounds.

What was a giant plaza made of concrete have now been thoroughly paved over with real grass. I suppose the lawn is exponentially more colorful and useful than before, but it always hurts slightly when a piece of memory from childhood get converted to something else. We even had to pay for parking; back then it was free.

Scattered about the vast lawn are these funky decorative chairs people can lounge on. Depending on which side you flip it to one can either sit upright or flat like a La-Z-Boy. The chairs are not bolted down, though it's big enough to render it difficult for someone to steal. As we found out it takes at least two person to carry them about, not that we were attempting any thievery.

Having lounged to our content on those red chairs, we ventured off to survey the buildings surrounding the parade grounds. These used to be the living quarters for soldiers; nowadays it's rental space for small exhibitions. With real estate so prime and dear in San Francisco I wonder why these buildings haven't yet been redeveloped or at very least rented out.

As the cliche goes, they don't build them like they used to.

Seeing these buildings brings me back to when the JROTC program went to Camp Parks for a week of boot camp fun. Back then there were no smartphones and the barracks definitely lacked any sort of entertainment devices. During downtime we were "forced" to converse with each other; hang out in small courtyards like one pictured above.

In our hyper-connected world today I think we all could use some of that down-to-earth bonding with one another. It can be as simple as eating with a group of friends with our cellphones on silent and in the pockets.

Some modernity grafted on to the old buildings.

Armed with the G Master 24-70mm lens I was desperate for more reach in tracking this bee in harvest.

If these were houses on the market it would no doubt be significantly into the multiple millions.

A lot of people's imagined retirement probably looks similar to this.

As you may have noticed from the pictures thus far the weather this day was not exactly conducive to golden hour shots of the Golden Gate Bridge: it was an overwhelmingly cloudy day. San Francisco played its usual trick on us because in my south-eastern side neighborhood it was positively sun-burn territory; seven miles westward it's a blanket of fog.

We had thought it was a total bust and would have to return another day, but during our walk around the Presidio the clouds gradually receded somewhat. An hour ago from when the above shot was taken we were unable to see Alcatraz. Thinking since we are here let's try our luck anyways, we headed off towards the other side of the Bay.

You know it's a crappy weather day when there's a dearth of people at Crissy Field.

But not before we stopped briefly to check out this weird art installation, still within the greater Presidio:

It appears to be a collection of fallen tree trunks (sure hope it wasn't deliberately chopped off for the purpose) tied together into this enormous cone-shaped tower. It's difficult to comprehend the size from the photos; I had to stand relatively far away from the structure to get its entire height into frame.

I've taken photos of the Golden Gate Bridge from numerous vantage points, but there was one that have eluded me (out of sheer laziness, I'll readily admit): the vista point at Fort Baker. It's directly across the Bay from where we were at the Presidio, so there was no avoiding the hefty bridge toll.

After many years of this photographic hobby, this shot is finally in my collection.

By this time it was an hour before sunset, and as you can see the clouds were simply too stubborn on this day: there will be no perceptible golden hour. Undeterred, I broke out the ND filters and proceeded to shoot some long exposure:

The silky smooth water effect achieved with an ND filter really is pleasing indeed.

We took the opportunity to walk underneath the bridge as well:

Human at the lower left corner for scale.

The roar of traffic passing by above deck is surprisingly muted from down below here.

After enduring the neck pain from staring high up we moved over to the lone pier that juts out from the shore. It offers a panoramic view of the entire northern side of San Francisco, from Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate. Sadly I did not take a panoramic shot of said panoramic view.

A commercial freight ship was on its way west towards the Pacific Ocean so as one does we snapped shots of it as it crosses under the famous landmark:

One more attempt at long-exposure later, this time with the 3-stop ND instead of the 10-stop, and our day was done. I intend to return to this spot when the weather is fairer and with a steadier tripod because it was way windier than I'd thought.

Until then.

Cutting Room

Photowalk: Apple Park Visitor Center

Apple's brand-new 'Spaceship' campus (properly named Apple Park) officially openned late last year and I've been remiss in making a trip to see the circular monolith. Unfortunately and expectedly the entire complex is securely walled-off so plebeians like me with no inside connection and not a technology journalist are relegated to admiration from a distance.

Given the situation as it is, Apple built a Visitor Center on the lot adjacent to the main Apple Park complex so people making the pilgrimage will actually have something to see/do (or a public bathroom to use). Essentially an Apple Store, half of the architecturally stunning building is dedicated to showing off the majesty of the new campus across the street.

The center has got plenty of parking above and below ground so everyone can drive their own car and just forget about carpooling.

Give it another year or so for these trees to be completely grown and the courtyard should be properly lush.

Out of the parking lot the Visitor Center's courtyard greets you with its perfectly aligned trees and benches made of stone. Being less than a year old the greenery have yet the appropriate amount of time to mature so currently it's a bit sparse and the trees aren't doing much to provide shade.

Stone slabs for bench seating is a good recipe for scorched bum on a sunny day.

Like the Apple Park campus, the Visitor Center's outer wall is constructed entirely of huge glass sheets, with its roof-deck giving the illusion of being impossibly suspended above. There's lots of architectural cantilever trickery going on as the glass panels bear no load other than holding itself up. It's quite magnificent and gives the inner space a tremendous amount of natural light.

Resembling the well-oiled wooden decks of expensive yachts, the roof design of the Visitor Center extends to the interior as well.

In addition to normal entrance doors, a few giant panes of glass on either horizontal side can swivel open to let in air and give the space a hybrid indoor-outdoor ambiance.

I bet these can be moved with nary a finger's force.

On one end of the first floor Apple have set up an interactive area featuring an enormous scale-model of Apple Park. Armed with dedicated iPads passed out by attendants, visitors can take an augmented-reality tour of the 'Spaceship' and adjacent buildings. Lacking the ability to tour the actual Apple Park itself, this AR experience is a convincing fascmile.

Look at the guy on the right taking a picture of what's being shown on the iPad.

The structures on the lower left are enormous parking garages. Even so, there aren't enough spaces to house a car for every employee therefore just as it were in the old One Infinite Loop campus, parking at Apple Park is at a premium and first-come-… — The structures on the lower left are enormous parking garages. Even so, there aren't enough spaces to house a car for every employee therefore just as it were in the old One Infinite Loop campus, parking at Apple Park is at a premium and first-come-first-serve.

As I walked away from the interactive space I was greeted with this beauty of a staircase. it looks spectacularly suspended and free-standing, and I love the way it appears as if it's hewn together from carved pieces of solid rock. Notice the intricate grab-rail that's directly inset into the railing.

The middle portion of the Visitor Center resembles a typical Apple Store in its latest guise, dominated by the giant display mini-theatre setup in the center. Indeed guests are able to purchase the entire slate of Apple products, and also memorabilia bespoke to the Apple Park like mugs and t-shirts. One thing it hasn't got is a Genius Bar, so if you've got problems with your Apple device don't come here for a fix.

Advertise the HomePod all you want, Apple; it's tough to plop down $350 for a mono speaker no matter how awesome it sounds.

Ascending the artful stairs will bring you to the upper balcony that in theory should afford a good view of the 'Spaceship' campus. Unfortunately the structure is inexplicably blocked by a few tall trees. I'm not entirely sure why Apple made the effort to construct a viewing deck but then planted trees that obstruct the sightline. It was quite disappointing.

Dear Apple: those trees are in the way. Please remove them.

Back down to level ground on the other side of the building is the cafe, offering bite-size treats and the standard fare of coffee products. The coffee machines are obviously brand-new and looks super premium. iPads are used as menus, and if you're paying via any method other than Apple Pay you're simply embarrassing yourself.

Unlike the tech products sold in the room adjacent the cafe prices are surprisingly reasonable. I bought a shot of expresso for $3.

I simply could not stop admiring the ceiling deck.

After enjoying the shot of caffeine, I decided to take a short walk circumnavigating the 'Spaceship'. To repeat the complex is completely walled-off and you can't see much inwards due to the sheer amount of greenery planted all around. However Apple did construct a lovely walkway that circles round the outer block, which on a fine day makes good opportunity for a stroll.

Overall, the inspiring architecture and the cup of coffee makes the Visitor Center at Apple Park a worthwhile trip at least once.

Cutting Room

Photowalk: San Francisco 02/03/2018

This is a hopelessly belated photo story of the photowalk my friends and I did back in February, focusing on a few landmarks in San Francisco's Hunters Point and Chinatown neighborhoods. My friend did all the driving so the itinerary was at his discretion. First order of business in the morning was this particular set of artful stairs:

Called the Arelious Walker Stairway, it's one of many mosaic-tile step installations scattered throughout San Francisco. This set connects Innes Avenue up to Northridge Road in the Hunters Point neighborhood. My driving friend had already shot the other mosaic stairs and this one completes the set.

The artist(s) must've been fans of the golden ratio.

A photographer is spoiled for choice in angles and perspectives.

Turn opposite the stairs and you'll be treated to this ensemble view of downtown San Francisco and the two Bay Bridges.

After the colorful stairs we thought since we're in the neighborhood already, might as well pop down the street and have a look at the old naval shipyard. In recent years the place surrounding it have massively gentrified, but the old ghosts of ship-working still lie there dormant, awaiting its final fate: dismantlement for new housing.

I had just recently purchased my first set of ND filters, and shooting the shipyard was the maiden attempt at long-exposure during the daytime. Due to being so far away from the water the smoothing effect isn't all that apparent so I'll be on the hunt for many lakes and waterfalls in the future.

A missed opportunity that auto-crosses aren't held on these premises. The surface and space looks perfect for it.

Abandoned shipyard sitting on super prime real estate.

Cargo ship somehow stayed stationary on the water long enough for this 10-second exposure.

After getting enough of the morning Vitamin-D at the shipyard, we motored on towards San Francisco Chinatown. The specific goal was to survey the many walls of mural art painted throughout the district.

We simply had to take a stop at our childhood haunt: Chinese Playground on Sacramento between Grant and Stockton. I have fond memories of playing volleyball with friends here on the weekends.

The Chinese Playground happens to play host to this particular mural:

Indeed I can remember dressing like the guy on the left here back in the day.

Famously steep streets of San Francisco.

The hanging of traditional red lanterns throughout Chinatown have added a really nice flair. I'm glad these are hung year round and not just during festivals.

The mythical Dragon is a major symbol in Chinese culture and no surprise the motif is widely utilized in the Chinatown murals.

A Dragon and a lady lacking her skin. Not sure what's going on here but it's striking.

This Dragon taking a swim in a pond of lotus lillies.

The Buddha, Dragon, and Bruce Lee are great compliments. Look closer on Bruce's chest and apparently someone isn't fond of the famed graffiti artist Banksy. A nice Audi S3 on the left side, too.

SF's Chinatown is full of interconnecting alleyways and side-streets, each with unique character and architectural interest points. Obviously they serve their innate utilitarian purpose quite well as we used them to traverse through the many blocks without needing to contend with motor vehicles.

I got a Cuban/Latin vibe to this side-street connecting Grant and Columbus; really dig the colors here. The wall on the right belongs to the world famous City Lights Bookstore.

Sad to see this mural getting peppered over by other graffitis. I would've loved to see it in its original form.

During our escapades we ran into these two artists doing repair work to this art installation consisting entirely of Chinese red envelopes.

We arrived at the intersection between Broadway and Stockton, and not being content with the long-exposure shot I did with the ND filters earlier in the day, I figured the busy crosswalk would be excellent to have another go:

A one-second exposure with the lens wide open using a 10-stop ND filter leaves a decent enough blur to the pedestrians crossing the street.

She's so sweet with that get-back stare.

Half the time spent during photowalks is walking aimlessly hoping for cool stuff to materialize just around the corner.

At one point we arrived at an elementary school, the playground of which was a film location in the Will Smith movie 'The Pursuit of Happyness". The school's upper basketball court set the scene for the film's emotional climax.

Unfortunate for us it was Saturday and school was out, so we couldn't enter the premises without resorting to trespassing. I had to settle for shooting from outside the fencing:

Now that's not a bad backdrop for a school, is it?

The day sadly came to an abrupt end when we went to the top of the Stockton tunnel to do some shots and unceremoniously - and much to do with my stupidity - my camera fell out of the tripod and onto concrete six-feet below. Day instantly over. Thankfully the camera body survived the tumble with only cosmetic blemishes. The lens however took the brunt of the impact and broke off its collar ring.

At least I managed to get a few photos in before the incident:

Final attempt of the day using the ND filter for daylight long-exposure. This one is at 1/8 second.

A few weeks and 700 dollars poorer the broken lens was good as new.