Photochrome Camera Club

By Garrett Griffin

Sixteen Photochromers braved lowering skies and met at the Esplanade in Yerba Buena Gardens on a gray, soggy Saturday morning in mid-January. Their assignment: capture images of the environs a bit differently from what a casual observer sees. After a short briefing by our intrepid leader, Gary Larsen, we agreed on a meeting place for our post-assignment de-briefing, a key element of these trips.

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By Alan Heald

This article is aimed towards those of you who, till now, have never gone on one of Photochrome’s field trips. And yes, I know that there are many reasons and excuses not to go.

What I plan on doing now is to list a few of the reasons why I like being a part of these photo jaunts. I’m trying to encourage you to give it a try. Only that way will you objectively be able to decide whether a field trip is your thing or not. Because I tend to be a loner and not a “joiner” in life, one might think that I wouldn’t be someone who would want to go one of these ventures either. The surprising truth is that I do like these events! I’ve gone on any number of our field trips, and I plan on going again in the coming year.

These are just some of the reasons I do this:

They are sociable. Before and after a trip, the group normally gathers to compare notes and talk “shop.” It’s a great way to get to meet other club members. At our regular Thursday meetings, there is very little time to talk before the lights go out. After a field trip though the group usually gathers in a coffee shop or café. It’s a great opportunity to socialize and discuss the “adventure.” I’ve discovered that Photochrome is made up of some really great people with interesting backgrounds. Field trips make an enjoyable way to get to know them better.

Field trips are educational. I actually enjoy seeing what gear other members are using, and I usually don’t get bored listening to the merits of one lens over another. I’ve even had discussions about why someone likes, or dislikes the tripod they own! Afterwards too, it is very natural to compares notes about the photographic challenges presented that morning. In this digital age, photography puts everyone into the mode of having to learn and grow. It is a most interesting time to be a photographer.

Field trips get me “out there”. A coming field trip forces me to get off the couch and go and grab the old Canon out of the closet. I’m once again put in the mode of “thinking pictures.” That’s a good thing! A scheduled field trip gets my creative juices going, believe me.

Field trips take us to visually interesting places. Many of the photo locations in the past two years have been places I probably would have never discovered on my own. The Bay Area is a great place… with amazing photo opportunities. In fact, if you have a spot you’d like to share, we hope you bring it to our attention!

Competitive reasons. This one reveals my darker side, because I must admit that field trips challenge me to be “on my game” and to come up with something better than the others, if possible. I want to look good when our photography is displayed on “Pick Two” nights! As I close this article, I hope I can get you to think about spending a morning with other club members on a photo field trip. Put aside all those excuses—come with us in 2010. Field trips are good for your photography, and I suspect that you’ll enjoy the experience.

Field Trip Attendees

On September 19, 2009 club members (Bob and Pam Nelson, George Gibbs, Alan Heald, Alice Steele, Martin Taylor, Sus Cho, Arthur King, Garrett Griffiin and Gary Larsen) walked through the neighborhood looking for elements of interest to photograph. Churches were high on the list for preferred architectural components. Other elements such as gardens, graffiti and people were also good subjects. After about three hours of shooting we met at Starbucks for coffee or mocha to talk about our field trip experiences to complete the field trip. San Francisco neighborhoods offer diverse photographic opportunities waiting for future exploration. Please send your suggestion of an area in the city you would like to put on next year’s calendar as a field trip. Please send to Gary Larsen at gelarsen@comcast.net by October 31st. Let’s do this again next year.

Story by Gary Larsen

On August 22, 2009 a group of Photochrome members visited Point Bonita Lighthouse as well as Battery Mendell. These members included Willis Zhoe, Bob Nelson, Jim Elliot, Gary Larsen, Burr Preston and his guest Alan Hotchkiss. Even with overcast weather, we managed to get a few good shots that were presented at our September 3 meeting.

The rustic brick structure is situated at the tip of Point Bonita, 124 feet above sea level. We photographed sea lions resting on the rocks below and sea gulls too busy watching tourists coming and going to even take notice of our interest in their close presence. The flashing lighthouse lens and the suspension bridge which resembled a miniature Golden Gate Bridge were also photographed at several angles by our group. Another element of interest was the hand carved 118 foot tunnel we walked through to reach the lighthouse. Red lichen growing on the side of nearby cliffs offered nice photographic opportunities as well.

We hung around Battery Mendell and the lighthouse for about three hours before calling it a day. Even so, some of us still stopped off at the Marin Headlands Visitor Center to check it out before going home. Across the road was a group of deer grazing in the field just begging to be photographed. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity, so off we went to shoot some deer. After filling our memory cards we quickly left for San Francisco to download our images and see if any photographic treasures might be amongst our catch of the day.

Report by Gary Larsen

Martin Taylor - Maritime Park: Rigging

Shiver me timbers! Its Photochrome members already on another field trip. Make them walk the plank! These swabs included Bob Nelson, James Elliot, Sus Cho, Alan Heald, George Gibbs, Gary Larsen, the lass Pam Nelson and the lad Martin Taylor. Anyway, they gathered at the San Francisco Maritime Museum at Hyde Street on July 11, 2009 where they tried desperately to blend in with the landlubbin’ tourists since everyone was packin’ a big camera hangin’ from their necks. Old ships and the pier itself were the focus of our field trip. Rust, barnacles, seaweed, and even grease were captured by some hands while vessels, rope ends and rigging were photographed by other buccaneers. The Balcultha, Hercules and Eureka Ferry with all their loot were centers of attraction followed by booty goods lying on the pier. The day was overcast providin’ ideal lighting conditions for close-up shots and images with very little or no sky. Every now and then, ye could hear laughter or comments those scurvy tourists made to one another as they referred to us: “Arr! What are they doin’ taking thar crazy photos?” Of course they were just blimey tourists interested only in photographing each other with a boat in the background. Before leaving, a few of us swabs met in a tavern to splice the mainbrace (drink) with a clap of thunder (strong coffee) and discuss the day’s photographic take in. Yo-ho-ho!

Garrett Griffin - Redwood Towers

Images and trip report from our member’s field trip to Muir Woods: Continue Reading »