FocalPower…the blog

Here is a last minute notice for a wondeful photo opportunity in the San Francico Bay Area.  Tomorrow, Saturday October 25th, a Zeppelin will be arriving in the San Francisoc Bay Area and doing a few fly overs.  This is part of the launch of the Zeppelin sight seeing service offered by Airship Ventures.  Airship Ventures is also looking to engage the local photography community with a photo contest.  You can read more details at latoga photography.  This is great reason for Bay Area photographers to pickup their cameras and get out and make some photos!

Looks like San Francisco’s Embarcadero will be shutdown this coming Sunday as previously reported.  In an effort to open up parts of the city for pedestrian activities, Sunday Streets San Francisco will shutdown a number of city streets to car traffic from 9am to 1pm on Sunday August 31st and September 14th.  There are a number of activies that are planned along the route.  These two Sundays are shaping up to be not only an interesting time for pedestrians, but also photographers in the San Francisco area.  Not often when you get the chance to stand in the middle of the Embarcadero and be able to take you time to arrange a photo.

Apparently San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is pushing for a closure of San Francisco’s Embarcadero (the road that sweeps around the city on along the bay).  This closure would happen just for 4 hours during two Sundays this summer.  The San Francisco Chronoical is reporting on the Car-free parties planned for Embarcadero.

The idea by Newsom is to shut down a 6 mile stretch of the Embarcadero (San Francisco is essentially 7 miles by 7 miles in size) to cars on August 31st and September 14th.  Allowing only pedestrians and bicycles on the Embarcadero from from 9am to 1pm.  The idea is to have a roller skating area, bicycle training wheels area, and yoga classes held on the Embarcadero during the closure. The idea is for residents to partake of physical activity in a wide, open space not usually available in this section of San Francisco.

If this idea passes (there is considerable opposition by business along the Embarcadero concerned the closure will cut into their business during these two busy Sundays) it would make for some intersting photography during that 4 hour stretch.  I have images already be pre-visualized about a yoga class in the middle of this 3 lane road with the San Francisco Ferry Building or Finacial District buildings in the background.

Bay Area photographers should keep an eye on this story and be ready to photograph should this closure go through.  This is definately a photogrpahy opportunity you don’t want to miss.

(Photo Credit: MD111)

Last weekend was the opening weekend for Chihuly at the de Young here in San Francisco.  A huge exhibition of Dale Chihuly’s work at the de Young Museum.

Thanks to the de Young’s policy of allowing photography in the museum (just no flashes nor tripods), this exhibit makes a wonderful photo opportunity; and a great exercise in practicing your low light photography skills.  All of the exhibits are light to showcase the magic of the glass work of Chihuly.  So you will have to have a steady hand a fast camera.

The exhibit runs from June 14th through September 28th and tickets are $15 (which also gives you access to the rest of the de Young museum).  If you are in San Francisco during this period, take advantage of this photo op!

This one almost slipped past me.  The Maker Faire is being held this weekend in San Mateo, CA.  How to describe the Maker Faire?   I think their description is best:

 Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It’s for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things.

Check out their Program Guide for more details…a great event for kids!

There are photo opportunities around every corner at the Maker Faire.  I had something planned this weekend, but trying to see if I can wiggle out of it to head over for the day on Saturday!

For those who are local to the San Francisco Bay Area, this coming Wednesday (April 9th) a historic event will occur on the streets of San Francisco: the Olympic torch will be making it’s only North American appearance. For Bay Area photographers, this is a wonderful chance to capture both the Olypmic Spirit as well as the protesters who will be present during the torch’s passing.

If you are planning on attending, best advice would be to take public transportation: The Embarcadero BART stop is right near the finish for the route, and the starting point can be reached by taking MUNI to SBC Park. The event is expected to start at 1 p.m. and it should take the torch about an hour and a half to traverse the approximately 6-mile route. Expect large crowds and plan to scout locations for the best shots, as well as routes to get from point to point along the route, well in advance. Due to the nature of the politics and protests around the torch’s appearance, I would expect crowds to start building by 9am or earlier.

Here is a list of sites with more information about the Olympic Torch Relay:

• Official Beijing 2008 Olympics Torch Relay site
• SFGate’s Olympic Torch in San Francisco Portal
• SFGate: San Francisco’s Torchbearers (includes the essays they wrote to earn the honor of being a bearer).

If anyone attends the Torch Bearing, please send us a link to your photos or post a link in the comments. It will be great to see the images that everyone captures of the event!
(Map courtesy of San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate)