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photo by Donald Kinney
Well, I was bracing myself for a bunch of "it's o.k." and "boring", but from the results of the poll yesterday (12 wow + 1 like it) tells me that although it's been photographed a billion times, it's still a valid subject. Oh, I've got photo-buddies who would never in a million years consider taking a shot like this. Me? Well, I've got no dignity -- when I was a kid I wanted to be the guy who took the picture postcard photos, and postcards or not, it looks like my dreams have finally been realized.
click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
Okay, I'm as old as dirt, but the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937, ten years before I was born. But all sort of other structures in San Francisco have popped up during my lifetime -- that's Sutro Tower in this photo, a structure for antennas of all sorts.
click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
The Golden Gate Bridge and Transportation District has rules. No, you can't jump off the bridge or climb the suspension cables. But did you also know that if you take a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge from actual bridge propterty itself, and then intend to sell that photograph, then (if they catch up with you) you're going to be asked to pay a $2000 fee by the bridge district. "Asked" might be too slight of a word -- these bastards will sue if you don't comply.
A few weeks ago a representative from the Golden Gate Bridge and Transportation District contacted me and told me that I had about a half-dozen images on what I call my "big" site that were obviously shot while I was standing on Bridge property.
click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
Bridge property includes the sidewlks and roadways of the bridge, beneath the bridge, the toll plaza area and visitor center and administration building on the south side of the bridge, plus Bridgeway Boulevard all the way to the Sausalito city limits. It does not include either parking lot on the north side of the bridge, nor does the bridge own the Waldo Tunnel or any part of Conzelman Road.
Not that many people buy my photos, but yes folks, I DO occasionally sell my photos (see my "big" site for details) but I think the Bridge District thought they were dealing with some big shot photographer here -- not just little old Donald Kinney. Anyway, rather than fight this I decided to cooperate with their stupid rules -- we worked out a deal where I would not have to remove the photos in question from my site, just put a notice below each photo taken on bridge property, reading: "this photo not available for purchase".
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CLICK for what I call my BIG site.
Your comments are invited and welcome.
5 comments:
Wow, your photos of the bridge are awesome! I especially like the first one.
Interesting story about the bridge. It seems that the bridge people have a "photo Nazi" staff to keep everyone in line.
I especially like the second photo with the tower in the background. Very nice!
Well, you said there would be a story and you didn't dissappoint. I would never have thought. Lucky me, no one would ever even consider wanting to buy any of my pictures so I'll not have to worry about the Bridge Gestapo kicking in my door.
I was MIA yesterday so didn't get to vote on that one, but make that 13 wows. And that goes for the second one too.
One of my favorite photos of my own was one I took over 30 years ago of the "Bridge" from a tour boat with the flag waving in the wind and fog partially shrouding the "Bridge". Sadly I can't find the original slide now and I only have a poor copy of it.
Boring? Are you kidding?!!! Besides, who can ever get bored with photos of the GG bridge. You always manage to get a slightly different angle, a close up we haven't seen before, or a totally different perspective somehow.
I would have probably voted "wow" on at least one of the shots, maybe two, but you spoil us so much with high quality photos :).
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