A S C R A P B O O K O F S O L U T I O N S F O R T H E P H O T O G R A P H E R
Enhancing the enjoyment of taking pictures with news that matters, features that entertain and images that delight. Published frequently.
31 July 2020
Most images taken from Twin Peaks, we suspect (based on years of observation), are shot looking north at the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin or east looking at the downtown and the East Bay. Beautiful views, no question. That's why the overlook was built on that side, after all.
But the other side of Twin Peaks has its charms too. Those include San Bruno Mountain holding off the fog in the south and the Pacific Ocean propping up the sky in the west.
The wildlife is a lot less shy too now that it isn't being scared off by diesel buses huffing and puffing around the tight turns up the hill.
Since the road up the hill has been closed to traffic during the pandemic, things have changed a bit. The roadway is still well used but by bikes, hikers, parents with strollers, kids on scooters and skateboarders.
And the wildlife is a lot less shy now that it isn't being scared off by diesel buses huffing and puffing around the tight turns as they climb the hill. Or the whiny little sports cars leaning on two wheels as they skid around the curves.
We didn't get a good shot of the butterfly that teased us for a while. It was too quick changing directions and even when it landed it wouldn't pose with its wings open.
But a red-tailed hawk didn't mind us zooming in on it as it floated on the updraft from the ocean side of the hill. It didn't move a feather so we were able to use a low ISO and shutter speed and even find it in the viewfinder at a long telephoto focal length.
We could have spent all day photographing that bird. Neither of us would have minded.
And we wouldn't have been disturbed by anything else on the road
at all.