Union Square
Interesting places in Union Square:
the Union Square is part of Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.
Interesting places in Union Square:
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the Union Square is part of Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.
Interesting places in Union Square:
| 漾日居 The Waterfront | 擎天半島 Sorrento | |
| The Arch - 凱旋門 |
Location is derived from the great work of WikiMapia
Check this place on Socialmapia
Top photos chosen by u all:
San Francisco
Made by Super G
highly recommended For the group Mission: To emulate the style of an iconic photographer. The photographer for this assignment is Harry Callahan. American, 1912-99 WIT (what it took) First, let me say that this challenge was one of the reasons I joined this group. Harry has been a strong influence ever since I first saw him years ago. I’ve since loosely subscribed to his style and ideals and believed that I followed in his footsteps (of course not as eloquent as the man himself). This challenge proved very enlightening in that I realized I subscribed to many of his methodologies, but definitely didn’t take it to the next level. I was on the fringe (and still am). So this exercise proved much more difficult than I had imagined. It also proved far more enjoyable. I first encountered Harry years ago in some photography books I’d checked out from the library (the place they store hardcopies of art and literature prior to the internet). In July of 2007, the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego had an exhibition of Harry’s work. What I saw stunned me. I sat down and took notes. You see, not much has been written of Harry, which I find a shame. The smattering of images available in books on and on the web is limited at best. The museum offered a way to see Harry’s process. Because they showed the outtakes, the many contact sheets and also Harry’s notes and quotes. It was truly awe-inspiring. For only then, did I begin to see what he was really about. I think I related to Harry initially because for the most part, I shoot many of the same things. Harry had three main subjects throughout his career: buildings, nature, people. It really doesn’t get much simpler. By his admission, though the subjects are repetitious, they were varied. “I just had the feeling that I wanted to go back to the same ideas, knowing that they would be different, yet still the same. To be different meant he had to capture that extra essence that made a photo unique. And he did. Briefly, Harry utilized high contrast quite a bit. A definite influence from Ansel. He also tried to capture that decisive moment. The perfect time. More than that, he tried to record something that caused the viewer to react. But he did this so subtlety. On the surface, his photos seem a bit pedestrian. After all, they are just people, nature and buildings. But it is the second look, or the look just a millisecond later, that captures and holds your attention. Harry truly had a passion for photography. And I think he hoped that people shared his enthusiasm as much as he did. I wish more people felt that photography was an adventure the same as life itself and felt that their individual feelings were worth expressing. To me, that makes photography more exciting. So I was presented with a dilemma of what to emulate. What shot? What subject. Initially, I gravitated to people and buildings. For this assignment, I wanted to try a more literal emulation of one or more of Harry’s works in the hopes it would lead me away from the fringe I had been on with respect to his style. And that’s where it started to become difficult. I never really was able to chose just one image and ended up with three (four if you count my outtake). My main image was ‘New York’ so I began in downtown San Francisco, in pursuit of the backlight and high contrast in my quest for emulation. I parked myself in a plaza initially pretty much in the center next to a monument. It soon became obvious that I stuck out a bit too much here. People saw me and steered clear. After being asked several times to take other peoples photos on their own cameras, I was forced a retreat to a position less traveled. I was seeking the criss-cross of people…all against a darker background of a building. 108 shots later, I hoped I’d come away with a reasonable walking pattern. And while time constraints didn't permit me to shoot film, I did use in camera BW mode with minor contrast and level adjustments in photoshop. Overall, I guess what inspires me most about Harry, is his passion and also the process in which he believes we learn to be photographers. So I leave you with these four quotes, in hopes that it will inspire you to put down your books, and get out there and take photographs. The mystery is not in the technique; it’s in each of us. To be a photographer, one must photograph. No amount of book learning, no checklist of seminars attended, can substitute for the simple act of making pictures. I do believe strongly in photography and hope by following it intuitively, that when the photographs are looked at, they will touch the spirit in people. Experience is the best teacher of all. And for that, there are no guarantees that one will become an artist. Only the journey matters. Camera: Nikon D80 Exposure: 1/1600th second Aperture: f4.2 Focal Length: 31mm ISO: 200 Exposure: Aperture-priority Focus: Auto, AF-A
Cable Car Time Warp
Made by maxxsmart
Hyde & Powell Cable Car - San Francisco, California Saturday morning I got up and headed out for sunrise. The sky was clear, and Spring really started to show. I made my way out to a spot where I had never completely been before, but have studied for a few months now. A unique spot, with unique subject matter. I grabbed my morning coffee, and drove out to make some long exposures as the light changed with the rising sun. Everything was going great.... I made it out before the sun came up over the East Bay hills, hiked down the restricted area, and walked around a bit while looking for the right composition. As I said, everything was great. That is until I went looking for my 10 stop ND. I looked in the normal spot in my bag, and it wasn't there. I looked in a few other places, only to be disappointed once again. Its unlike me to not have everything I need in my bag. I am one of those people that check, recheck, re-recheck my bag for everything that I may need, but not on this morning. I was a bit worried that I may have left the filter someplace, so I hiked back up the hillside and looked around in my truck for a few minutes. Nothing..... I just couldn't find it. As I put my bag behind my seat, I felt the square box in my side pocket. Never, I do mean never do I put filters in those pockets! Oh well..... By that time the good light had past, and I just wasn't feeling that hike, so I planed to head home. Still early, I decided to make a side trip over to San Francsico to work on my city project. For this image I wanted to get on the Cable Cars before all the tourists were up, and out, so the timing seemed perfect. I headed over to Hyde st, grabbed a free two hour parking spot, and jumped on the first car out. The couple seen here kept looking at me funny as I wedged my tripod between my leg and the wooden bench to hold the camera still as we made it up and over the steep incline of Hyde. I have got to say..... I knew it wasn't going to be easy getting my compositions right, along with exposure times, but holding a camera still on a car with zero suspension while rolling on steel tracks.... That was the hard part. After trying a few exposure settings, and not getting the results I wanted, I decided to use the old trusty 10 stop that hampered my sunrise just an hour before. I made a few adjustments, and really like the feel of the high ISO, so I went with a few different composition under these settings. As I have said before.... Sometimes I feel its almost impossible to figure out what image I like best. So for this upload I decided to add a small version of the alternate image. Thanks for stopping by..... View my stream on black here Canon 5D MarkII Lens: 17-40 f/4L B+W ND110 (10 stop solid ND) Camera mounted on tripod and wedged between my leg and bench. Exposure: 4 Aperture: f/9.0 Focal Length: 17 mm ISO Speed: 3200
Christmas Shopping under the Dome
Made by Thad Roan - Bridgepix
The view of the Dome looking straight up from the ground floor of the San Francisco Centre. The streamers of lights mark the Christmas shopping holiday season. Westfield San Francisco Centre is an upscale, urban shopping center located in San Francisco, California managed by The Westfield Group and co-owned by Westfield and Forest City Enterprises. It is anchored by Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's, and includes a Century Theatres multiplex, a Bristol Farms gourmet grocery store and a branch of San Francisco State University. Originally developed by Sheldon Gordon (co-developer of The Forum Shops at Caesars and Beverly Center) the center opened in October 1988 as San Francisco Shopping Centre with approximately 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) of space, the then-largest Nordstrom store (350,000 square feet) on the top several floors, the first spiral escalators in the United States, and connecting through to the adjoining Emporium-Capwell flagship store. After a slow start, it soon became one of the top performing shopping centers in the country. In 1996, the adjoining Emporium (it had dropped the Capwell name by then) was shuttered in the wake of Federated Department Stores' buyout of its parent, Broadway Stores. The vacated store was temporarily used as a Macy's furniture store while it renovated its Union Square flagship in 1997. Going In Style Travel Accessories opened its second location here in 1992. In May 1997, Urban Shopping Centers, Inc., a Real Estate Investment Trust acquired a half-interest and management of the center. This was followed by Urban's own buyout by Rodamco North America N.V. (a European property firm primarily invested in the United States) in October 2000 and Rodamco's subsequent sale to a consortium including The Westfield Group in January 2002. Westfield acquired its initial 50% stake in the center at this time and soon bought the rest. In 2003, Forest City, which had acquired redevelopment rights to the long vacant Emporium store from Federated, reached an agreement with Westfield to jointly redevelop the two properties. The newly expanded mixed-use Westfield San Francisco Centre that was unveiled September 28, 2006, includes Bloomingdale's West Coast flagship store, a nine-screen Century Theatres multiplex theater, and a satellite campus for San Francisco State University in its 1.5 million ft² of space. The redevelopment cost $440 million. Only the front facade and landmark dome of the original structure were preserved; the rest of the structure was completely gutted and replaced. Upon completion of the project, Forest City became an equity partner and along with Westfield assumed responsibility for day-to-day management. (Wikipedia)
Christopher
Made by Thomas Hawk
Earlier this week I decided that I was going to start a new project. I'm calling the project $2 portraits and the project works like this. From this week going forward until the day that I die I am going to offer $2 to anyone who asks me for money in exchange for their portrait. While I'm taking their portrait I'm going to ask their name and try to learn a little bit about them. I plan on doing this for the rest of my life -- assuming that I can afford to. To make things easier I'm putting $2 in reserve money in a special place in my wallet so that even if I don't have change I will always have the $2 to hand over. In part I'm undertaking this project because I realize that I've been avoiding people asking me for money. My biggest motivation behind this project however is simply that I think human interaction is a good thing. I'm not doing this to exploit homeless people or show how hard and bad life can be. I'm doing this because I want to celebrate other human beings as human beings and I think that this commercial transaction gives us an opportunity to engage and interact on a more human level... and I also think that I can take a pretty decent portrait. After deciding to do this earlier this week I came across the first person asking me for money earlier today. His name is Christopher and that is his portrait at the top of this post. Christopher has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for about 10 years. He's originally from Illinois. He's 35 years old. Christopher is a father and he has three teenage kids who also live in the Bay Area. I offered Christopher $2 but he asked me for $2.15. He said that a Deluxe Bacon cheeseburger at Jack in the Box was $4.15 and he already had $2. So I gave him $2.15. Christopher seemed pleased to have his portrait taken and as soon as we were done took off towards Jack in the Box. Update: Some people have asked me if it would be ok if they start their own version of this project as well. I think that is great and believe that frequently the best projects become collaborative. If you'd to feel free to join the group and post your own $2 portraits there.
Chanakuh on Union Square
Made by Thomas Hawk
Well although I'm not much of a religious person, I have over the years admired the Jewish faith. It's not so much the religious part of it I guess, as much as the tradition part of it and the strong sense of community and culture that the religion fosters. Without getting into the politics of Judaism, I've always admired the rich sense of family and closeness that the religion seems to embrace. When I was growing up as a kid my father had a deep sense of respect for the Jews. Perhaps this is where my respect for the religion is rooted. Although my dad was a Christian and not a Jew, he had many close friends that were Jews and we even celebrated Passover a few times at our home when he had some of his Jewish friends over. Even this Christmas I still sensed my father's respect for the Jewish customs and traditions when he lit a menorah in our family home. I'm nowhere near as religious as my father, in fact not religious at all, but I did enjoy watching the lighting of the menorah in Union Square earlier this evening. Apparently they have been lighting the menorah in Union Square since 1975. Legendary rock promoter Bill Graham was a force behind this and despite the religious tones of the ceremony in the public space, it has gone on now for over 30 years. The Rabbi who spoke tonight reflected back on Bill Graham and his contributions to the Union Square lighting. He talked about Bill also being involved with a psychedelic Christmas Tree one year. He remembered a solitary word that Bill Graham spoke to him when he was asked why the ceremony was so important to him. That single word was survival. The ceremony was a moving tribute and it is nice to see that here in San Francisco in 2005 you can still spend a few minutes in the early evening with strangers and observe this public event even as an outsider. Here is another account from years past that I found on the ceremony. I've got a of tonight's lighting. Merry Christmas and a Happy Chanukah to all.
Tim
Made by Thomas Hawk
Recently I blogged about a new project that I am starting called $2 portraits. The idea is that I will offer $2 to anyone who asks me for money from now on in exchange for their portrait. This afternoon I ran into Tim on Grant Street just off Bush near Chinatown. Tim was panhanding with a sign that read need $ for alcohol research, and asked me for money. I told Tim about my $2 Portrait Project and he agreed to pose. Tim and I talked quite a bit about my photography. He was interested in knowing how fast my camera could go, if I could catch a hummingbird's wings in flight for instance. He asked if I could shoot faster than one hundredth of a second. I told him that I could shoot as fast as 1/8000th of a second and he seemed impressed by that. Tim is from Grass Valley. He said he mostly did fishing work but that when there isn't any work he hangs out in San Francisco, like now. Tim is 57. He was the only son in his family. He himself really wanted a son as well but ended up having four daughters. He also now has nine grandaughters. Still no son or grandson. Tim said that he sees his girls a lot. I asked Tim if he'd travelled much in his life and he said that he did. He said that his favorite place he'd been was New Zealand but that he also liked Costa Rica alot. We talked about some traveling I'd done in Europe myself a number of years back and we talked about different places in the United States. We both agreed that Manhattan was over the top. Tim also said that he liked Florida alot. He told me I should go down and take pictures down in the Florida Keys. Tim told me that he's been online before. He was aware of Flickr and said that he's already on Flickr. I asked him if he had his own site on the web and he laughed and said, no, I wish. With that I thanked Tim for his portrait and he thanked me for the cash and I headed on my way to my BART train.
Carl
Made by Thomas Hawk
Recently I blogged about a new project that I am starting called $2 portraits. The idea is that I will offer $2 to anyone who asks me for money from now on in exchange for their portrait. Today while walking down Powell Street I ran into Carl on the corner of Powell and Ellis. Carl was in a wheelchair and asked me for some spare change. I told Carl about my $2 portrait project and he said, well then, take a picture of me, I sure could use the $2. I asked Carl what had happened to his legs and he told me that he had a fall and had injured himself and that he was unable to walk well. He said that he went to San Francisco General hospital for treatment but said that they refused to treat him. He said that he got the wheel chair from an old man who had died. Carl said that he could kind of walk short distances but needed the wheelchair really to get around. He said that he hoped that his injury would recover soon though and that he'd be back on his feet. I wished him luck with that. Carl originally is from Indiana. When I asked him how he made it to San Francisco he said the first time or the second time. When I said the first he told me that in 1954 he walked by foot from Indiana to San Francisco. He said that he figured if Daniel Boone could walk the hills like he did at the age of 75 that he was sure he could do it as well at age 16. He said he later ended back up Indiana and flew out here the next time. Update: Some people have asked me if it would be ok if they start their own version of this project as well. I think that is great and believe that frequently the best projects become collaborative. If you'd to, feel free to join the group and post your own $2 portraits there.
Judy
Made by Thomas Hawk
Recently I blogged about a new project that I am starting called $2 portraits. The idea is that I will offer $2 to anyone who asks me for money from now on in exchange for their portrait. I met Judy earlier this afternoon down by Union Square. She asked me if I could give her some money so that she could get a cup of coffee. When I told Judy about my project at first she resisted just a little bit. Judy told me that I shouldn't waste my portraits on her. That she might break my camera and that I should try to get a portrait of someone beautiful. I told Judy that I thought she was beautiful and wanted to photograph her and not someone else. She laughed and agreed to pose for my project after this. Judy had a nice friendly accent. She's originally from West Virginia. I asked Judy what she liked to do in her spare time and she told me that she likes music, art and sometimes listening to sports. I asked Judy who her favorite artist was and she told me that I'd probably never heard of him, but Henry Clive. She said that Clive was a magazine illustrator and that he was a personal friend of hers. She said she met him in Hollywood where she was living years ago. Judy said that she has never been married and has never had any children. She said she was just out there alone all by herself. Judy is the first woman that I've photographed for my project. Update: Some people have asked me if it would be ok if they start their own version of this project as well. I think that is great and believe that frequently the best projects become collaborative. If you'd to, feel free to join the group and post your own $2 portraits there.
SF law enfacement
Made by lomokev
this was taken on the recent hot shots courses i ran in san francisco, they went well but it was quite manic doing it 4 days on the trot! the next course will be on the 21st and 18th of Novemeber in hastings, i think it will be a slightly more relaxed affaire for me especially! the first day course is all shot on lomo, if you don't have a lomo you are lent one. each student it given 2 rolls film and a list of 66 things to shot to teach to home in on little details. the shot above was for law enforcement as i was doing it on san francisco i localized the list little see if you can spot the san francisco specific ones: Architecture Bad hair day Birds eye view Blind Shot Blossom Blur Broken Changing Chaos Cheep Shit Chicken / Chickens extra points in alive Communication Day trippers Deal Decay Dog Dog walker Epitome of tackiness Fashion Flamboyant Food I ate Hard Hippy Drop out Hipster in a hoodie Hipster on a fixy Imbrace Industrial Infinity (in the distance) Law enforcement Light by day Marquee (plastic letters like out side a movie theatre) Matching outfits Minimal Misplaced (something where is should not be) Monochromatic Motion Mural Nice shoes Number Pattern Performance Perspective Pink Bags Phallus Rainbow colors Rats eye view Red white and blue Reflection Religious icon Risky Silhouette Skin Art Somebody with a camera who is not on the course Something natural Stranger at 80cm Street art (bad) Street Art (good) Tiny dog Tragic fashion or victim of fashion Trinkets Typography Working man You at arms length Your shadow Youth
San Francisco - Westfield Mall - Bloomingdales
Made by Al_HikesAZ
An American Cathedral. The Emporium dome outside Bloomingdale's in Westfield Mall in San Francisco. Architecture is the learned game, correct and magnificent, of forms assembled in the light.” Le Corbusier The ornate, majestic flagship location at 835 Market Street, between 4th and 5th Streets, was a destination for generations of Northern California shoppers. It was designed by San Francisco architect Albert Pissis, one of the first Americans to be trained at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. It withstood the 1906 earthquake, but was destroyed by the subsequent fire and rebuilt in 1908. Many additions and renovations were added in the decades following.[2][3] . . . in 1996, while after a decade of negotiation, bureacratic red tape and intense physical reconstruction, the original Emporium Capwell flagship on Market Street re-opened on September 28, 2006 as an expansion of the adjoining Westfield San Francisco Centre which features a new Bloomingdale's (see below), the second-largest in the chain after its Manhattan flagship. source wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emporium View Large on black fiveprime.org/blackmagic.cgi?id=881029026&url=http://...
San Francisco Cable Car - GO GIANTS!
Made by Exploring Earth
Goooo GIANTS! So Im A Sports Nut And Living In The Bay Area's Been Tough Lately But Maybe Just Maybe This Is The Year For The Giants. 2 More Wins And The World Series Will Be Coming Back To San Francisco. Im pumped =) So The Shot, Nothing Special Sigma 10-20 @ 10, F8, ISO 200 Bracketed. I Took This The Same Day As I Took The Metreon Shot. My First Cable Car Ride Ever =), Had A Blast. I Took The Usual Shots But Then Wanted To See If I Could Do Anything From Inside. The Processing When Doing An HDR Like This Is A Nightmare, Lighting Changes In The Exposures Because Of The Movement, People Move, Trollys Move Up And Down...Pretty Much Photomatix Pukes. So U Have To Blend In Your Source Images With Your Tonemapped Product. It Can Be Time Consuming And Really Detailed. I Ended Up Making HDRI's Of The Single Source Images Using The Same Settings To Make That A Little Easier. Basically The People Are From 1, The Left And Right Outside Are From Another And The Interior Is From The Tonemap. Alot Different Than Shooting Landscapes LOL. Anyways Just Thought I'd Throw This Up To Support The Giants In Thanks For Giving Me Something To Cheer About =) Thanks Again For All Your Kind Words, And For Being A Constant Source Of Inspiration. =D Also Thanks To Bryan For Pointing Out A Skin Tone Issue With The Lippy Man In The Bottom Left. He Has Some Great Shots You Can View Here : Ps. If Your A Philly Fan I Apologise =) LOL.
Derek
Made by Thomas Hawk
You can read more about my $2 Portrait Project here. Earlier today I was up shooting near Union Square near Mason and O'Farrell Street when I ran into Derek. Derek asked me for money to help him get some food and I told him about my $2 Portrait Project and he agreed to pose. Derek was born and raised in San Francisco. Most of his life he's lived down in the Hunter's Point District. He said he got sick about a month ago and so has been coming into the City to try and get money. Derek said that he did not have any children but that he still has some family around San Francisco. I asked Derek what the best job he ever had was and he said being an infantryman in the army. He said that he could hit a target farther than anyone else when he was in the Army. Derek said he spent most of his service in the army down at the Panama Canal. He said that it was really boring down there and that you got sick a lot. Derek said that he never went to war and got out of the army in 1977. While I was chatting with Derek, came along and asked if I could take a portrait of her as well. I said I would and with that I shook Derek's hand and said goodbye to him and wished him well.
Elmo
Made by Thomas Hawk
Recently I blogged about a new project that I am starting called $2 portraits. The idea is that I will offer $2 to anyone who asks me for money from now on in exchange for their portrait. I ran into Elmo today on Stockton Street where he was panhandling for money for coffee next to Macy's. I told Elmo about my $2 project and he agreed to pose for a portrait. He asked if he could have $3 instead of $2 but I told him that portraits paid $2. Elmo was born and raised in San Francisco. He's not married and never had any children but he does have a sister who lives in Manhattan in New York. Elmo said that his sister lives on the West Side near where John Lennon used to live. He said he liked the Beatles and added, oh and I really like Willie Nelson too. Elmo said that his favorite Willie Nelson song was Stardust and then quickly added, oh yeah, and On the Road Again, that's another good one. Update: Some people have asked me if it would be ok if they start their own version of this project as well. I think that is great and believe that frequently the best projects become collaborative. If you'd to, feel free to join the group and post your own $2 portraits there.
~ Mack 9000
Made by Mackeson
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE1F7d6f1Qk&feature=related good afternoon, i am a Mack 9000 computer the Mack 9000 series is most reliable computer ever made no Mack 9000 has ever made a mistake or distorted information i am, by any practical definition of the words, fool proof and and incapable of error there’s a message for you: just a moment just a moment is this fisherman’s wharf? jupiter? i must’ve gotten on the wrong cable car. stop the cable car, mack mack, please stop the cable car mack, please, stop the cable car i don’t think i’ve ever seen anything quite like this before i’m sorry i’m afraid i can’t do that i know that Flickr was planning to disconnect me and i’m afraid that that is something i cannot allow to happen i’m sure you’ll agree there’s some truth to what i say sorry about this i know it’s a bit silly but this conversation can serve no purpose anymore goodbye *** the front view out of a cable car from market street to fisherman’s wharf on the Powell-Mason line approx 40 minute exposure zero image 69 pinhole camera fujichrome velvia 50 color slide film
Sharon
Made by Thomas Hawk
Recently I blogged about a new project that I am starting called $2 portraits. The idea is that I will offer $2 to anyone who asks me for money from now on in exchange for their portrait. I met Sharon on Geary Street at Mason. Sharon asked me if she could have some money to get something to eat. I told her about my $2 portrait project and she agreed to pose. Sharon said that she was born and raised in San Francisco. She said she had two adult children in their 30s. I asked her what they were up to and she said she didn't know. She said that they didn't care about mother. Sharon said that she likes music. She said that she likes all kinds of music except rap. I asked Sharon what the best thing that had ever happened to her was and she told me that once someone gave her $140 on the street. Update: Some people have asked me if it would be ok if they start their own version of this project as well. I think that is great and believe that frequently the best projects become collaborative. If you'd to, feel free to join the group and post your own $2 portraits there.
Ash
Made by Thomas Hawk
Recently I blogged about a new project that I am starting called $2 portraits. The idea is that I will offer $2 to anyone who asks me for money from now on in exchange for their portrait. Today I met Ash walking up Sutter Street in San Francisco. Ash asked me for money and I told him about my $2 portrait project and he agreed to pose. Ash said that he was born and raised in San Francisco but said that he didn't have much family around anymore. Just a few cousins is all, he said. Ash told me that he was 42 but that he tells people that he's 27. I asked Ash what he liked to do with his time and he told me, you, know, just trying to get it together. Update: Some people have asked me if it would be ok if they start their own version of this project as well. I think that is great and believe that frequently the best projects become collaborative. If you'd to, feel free to join the group and post your own $2 portraits there.
California Christmas Tree
Made by southerncal88
View Big On Black Union Square is a 2.6 acre plaza bordered by Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton Street in San Francisco, California. It also refers to the central shopping, hotel, and theater district that surrounds the plaza for several blocks. The name Union Square stems from the fact that the area was once used for rallies and support for the Union Army during the Civil War. Today, this one-block plaza and nearby area is one of the largest collection of department stores, upscale boutiques, tourist trinket shops, art galleries, and salons in the Western United States, which continue to make Union Square a major tourist draw, a vital, cosmopolitan place in downtown San Francisco, and one of the world's premier shopping districts. Grand hotels and small inns, as well as repertory, off-Broadway and single-act theaters also contribute to the area's dynamic, 24-hour character. 2009 12 11 San Francisco 0921
photo - Xanadu Gallery interior 2
Made by Jassy-50
The interior of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed C.V. Morris Store (now the Xanadu Gallery) on Maiden Lane includes a ramp that spirals around the periphery of the room; it was a precursor to and “trial run” for the Guggenheim Museum. The entire interior space seems to rotate beneath the luminous bubbles of a cast white plastic ceiling (lit by natural light above). The inside walls of poured concrete flow around this dome of light, marked by occasional lit portholes. The shop has a circular mezzanine reached by the spiral ramp. The original curving built-in cabinetry also designed by Wright remains intact. This building is one of seventeen Frank Lloyd Wright structures that are considered by the American Institute of Architects to be Contributions to American Culture and is #126 in the AIA150 List. Our Daily Topic = Explored
Powell
Made by DodogoeSLR
My little cousin Nancy’s in town. She’s currently jet-setting between here and Asia right now on vacation and looking to start a career. She just graduated college and decided to swing by San Francisco to visit. I had to work really late tonight so the only fun thing I could think of was a photo walk downtown. This is that famous street car stop on Powell Street in San Francisco. There’s Union Square right above, Market Street below and Blondie’s Pizza next door. Anyway not a whole lot going on in this photo, I just thought it was really pretty. It’s nice when the streets are emptier at night. The Cable Car and the lights in the bokeh’d background are pretty cool. I hate tripods so I just grabbed my 85 f/1.4 and bumped up the ISO to compensate. Taken with a Nikon D300 w/ an 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor Lens
Westfield Mall
Made by WarzauWynn
This was taken on by holding my camera on a hand-rail while rolling through 5 exposures ranging -2 to +2. This was an overcast day which allowed for a mix of natural and artificial light, creating the warm/cool contrast. I used a polarizer to bring contrast to the reflections. I produced a 16-bit TIFF by running the 5 shots through the Photomatix details enhancer with these settings, which are close to how I do many of my shots: * Strength: 79 * Saturation: 79 * Luminance: 10 * White Clip: 3.2 * Black Clip: .43 * Smoothing: Medium * Microcontrast: 5 * Microsmoothing: 3 * Gamma 1.49 In Photoshop I did minor shadow/highlight and curve correction, then added luminance sharpening for high-resolution detail enhancement. Explore #53 on Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Nearest places of interest:
| Ellis - O Farrell Garage Hotel Villa Florence Crate and Barrel Store Giacomo Coffee Bar @ Macy s | Hotel Taj Campton Place Park Hotel The Cheesecake Factory Levi s Retail Store |
