When we lived in the Bay Area, I got used to the pelicans being around. Only when you move away do they suddenly become interesting again. I used to enjoy the formations of pelicans touring the bay and to see a bunch of them heading towards us at Fisherman’s Park was fun. They approached us head on before curving around the shoreline and away. Their low level flying is so effortless, I become jealous of their ability to float around the bay with freedom.
Coyote Point on San Francisco Bay is a spot from which I have shot many times. It provides the closest spot to the approach path for the planes coming in to the 28 runways at SFO. It is also a pleasant place to hang out with a nice view of the bay, the marina below with plenty of boat traffic and a fair selection of wildlife. When shooting from Fisherman’s Park, the approach line makes the planes appear to be coming from behind Coyote Point. Given that it was a nice clear day when we were there, you had a good view of the approaching jets. Only the widebodies are large enough to show up well but it makes a change from my usual close-cropped style of shooting to go wider and get something with some local context.
