Advice on shooting in San Francisco

[J.D. Frey]

I'm here for a week with the RED and was looking for some advice on places to shoot where i won't get hassled. I'm going shoulder mount looking for easily accessible shots- no preference on subject matter.

Also would it be a bad idea to ride around on BART shooting footage? I'm from Alabama so shooting anywhere anytime is pretty much open season.

I've only spent a few day in SF so I'm not sure of the ins and outs- any info will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
J.D.

[Tico Llaurador]

I wouldn't expect too much of a hassle issue in the town proper. I've spent days on end out there without inasmuch coming across a cop. Let alone one who was paying attention to folks with big, bulky cameras. Now, BART is an entirely different matter. Surveillance cameras everywhere.

[J.D. Frey]

Thanks for the quick response- I'll keep the camera in the case if i'm on BART.

[mikeburton]

I wouldn't shoot on BART but if your handheld you probably won't be hasseled too much.

[Tail Ends]

DJ, here are some thoughts for you while in SF:
1. Cable cars in the early AM, along with their routes and passengers are very photogenic. After 7:45AM rider traffic may pick up too much

2. Most of BART in SF is underground. Great shot possibilities of boarding and leaving cars underground, but actual cars not too exciting. Powell cable car line ends at a BART terminal.

3. Early AM to shoot farmers market set up at the Ferry Building. Lots of opportunities here all day.

4. Lots of fog in SF in summer. Fog streaming over GGate is a winner for everyone. Some good opportunities at Fort Point underneath the bridge. Lots of movies and commercials shot here.

5. For a bit of color, China Town is always a winner, especially on week-ends. A block or so away is a cable pulling station that is really interesting. Try some of the small alleys around China Town for non-tourist shots.

6. If you want a bit of documentary work, shoot tow truck picking up cars after 3:00PM downtown, towing them to the lot, then the faces of the angry customers trying to retrieve their cars. (Tow truck drivers are ruthless at 3:00, all fighting with each other to pick up as many towes as possible. Big business in SF.)

Lots more, but the above is pretty sure for good material.

[krismkelley]

JD,
I just moved from San Francisco a few months ago. I lived near Jackson and Van Ness in Pacific Heights. If you walk down Jackson (a stupidly fancy neighborhood) there are tons of wonderful vantage points looking downhill towards the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. If you get there at the right time (i.e. you're lucky) you may be able to catch fog coming in over the bay... which is always an amazing thing to see. If you start walking downhill towards the bay and towards the GGB you end up kind of at the foot of the bridge. Before you get there you are in a quaint little neighborhood that is VERY flat, esp. for SF. There are weird little narrow streets and strange little bungalows all around the crooked little neighborhood. Could be very interesting. The walk from below up to the bridge is also nice with lots of great views of the bridge. Make a trip across the bridge and shoot towards the city as well. I hope you have strong calfs... lots of walking may be in your future. :weight_lift: I don't know what the shooting policy is in all of these places... but if you don't lay down sticks, I can't imagine you will have a problem. The BART may be a different story... but I don't think you will find anything interesting to shoot on the BART anyway.
Good luck, and enjoy my favorite city in the whole world.

[J.D. Frey]

Thanks for all the great info everyone. This is gonna be lots of fun!

[Andrew Hewlett]

We shot a couple weeks ago by Pier 39 with a full Red rig on a dolly/tripod setup and no one cared, except the few curious tourists who watched. It was during the Festival of the Sail, so they might have thought we were attached to the event, by either way, no one said anything. We did not have any light management though, which attracts a lot of attention.

[J.D. Frey]

I'm staying in Japantown, and the little block party they had here was really cool. I saw the fog roll in at the bay today too- I'm hoping it comes in at the same time tomorrow, so I can shoot.

Really cool city!

J.D.

[Dan Hudgins]

I'm staying in Japantown, and the little block party they had here was really cool. I saw the fog roll in at the bay today too- I'm hoping it comes in at the same time tomorrow, so I can shoot.

Really cool city!

J.D.

Hi, if you would like some help I am a native and know many places around town, both day and night, see the PM I sent...