Photographing San Francisco: Digital Field Guide

Chapter 26. San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

A view of the Bay Bridge taken just before sunset from Treasure Island Vista on a clear winter evening. Taken at ISO 100, f/8, 1/100 second with a 50mm lens.

Why It's Worth a Photograph

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, known locally as the Bay Bridge, is a bridge that is overshadowed and overlooked as a major site to visit and photograph in San Francisco. The largest and most expensive bridge of its time, the Bay Bridge faced many natural obstacles, deep water, mud flats, and high winds. The result was a unique bridge that combined the best elements of several different designs. The Yerba Buena Tunnel connecting the two halves of the bridge is the largest diameter transportation bore tunnel in the world. Today, not only is the bridge an architectural wonder, having one of the longest spans in the world, but it also carries approximately 300,000 vehicles per day on its two decks. A bridge is a bridge, but a big bridge is really something to see. The sheer size of this bridge and the architectural feats needed to construct this bridge make this a superb opportunity to capture a photo comprised of land, sea, air, and hard, cold steel basked in magnificent early morning or late evening light.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot?

There are many places around San Francisco you can photograph the Bay Bridge. A few of these places reside just across ...