One last shot with the golden gate bridge in it, for now. Though, the bridge isn’t really the main point of interest in this image. There were a lot of flowers on the path in the foreground, and the bridge was playing peekaboo with karl the fog, so I decided to try and get a shot featuring the flowers.
If you take the last exit before crossing the bridge, going northbound, you can park in a lot just down the street, and get some nice views of the bridge, when its not fogged in. There are lots of tourists taking photos, and lots of locals on bikes. We nearly got rundown, and I’m sure it happens on a daily basis, with as much foot and bike traffic as there is.
I shot this with the native camera app. Then, Snapseed to start off the edit. I felt like I wanted some more texture, so I tried out Stackables, instead of Mextures, this time. I really liked the way I was able to emphasize the fog with an overlay in Stackables. Next, I wanted to bring out a little more detail, so I used SimplyHDR. Then, I thought I would see how a painterly app would change the image. Brushstroke was the second one I tried, and it worked out very well. My only problem with it was the repeating brush patterns in the sky, so I ended up using ImageBlender to mask out some of the painterly effect in the sky.
Would you hang this one in your home? I think I might 🙂
iPhone Photographer | David Pasillas 
Nice work & thanks for walking us through your process. I really like to see how other photographers arrive at their final images.
Same here. I was disappointed a few years ago when I would look at other people’s work and not see any explanations. Everything was a secret.
David,
Back in the late ’80s I attended a seminar taught by Dean Collins—he was a guy who taught photography tips to National Geography cameramen. He trained for 7 years with a photographer in Germany and he told a story about going with his mentor to an Opening Night gala for another famous photographer.
His mentor was very interested in one particular photo and after complimenting the man on the work, he asked him what technique he used to produce the image. The photographer launched into a very long-winded explanation that did more to obscure any information than it did to answer the question. It was obvious that he had a ‘secret’ and was not going to share it.
When the photographer was finished talking the mentor calmly said, “Young man, I can think of seven different ways to take that photograph. I was merely interested in which one you used.”
You are right, there are no secrets—there are techniques and combinations. Thanks, again, for being open and walking us through your journey to the final image.
Allan
What a great anecdote. Thanks for sharing Allan.
I’ve talked with other photographers about being open too. I think even if we tell people our “secrets,” its unlikely they’ll be able to replicate what we do, because they don’t have the same level of experience, skills, or vision. So, I don’t think its all that necessary to guard every secret.
I agree with you. Sharing helps all of us get better in our own unique fashion.
Greetings dear David,
Marin Headlands is a wonderful place to explore and I like that you took another route to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge. Thank you for taking us through your process.
I like BrushStroke myself, and like you I first prepare the image before introducing it to BrushStroke. You may also wish to look into another program that lets your finger be the brush, which is adjustable and more. Also the program was recently revamped but I have not tried the new version yet. I just know that for me PhotoViva is still the best, because you have complete control as to the outcome. I feel BrushStroke, like Waterlogue needs to have a slider control so you are able to control the percentage of photograph is affected by the paintings. Sometimes I just like a little painterly texture, while the image retains its photographic look.
Take care and wishing you a great weekend,
Egmont
Thank you, Egmont. I’ve had PhotoViva on my iPhone for quite a while now, but I always end up using other painterly apps that instantly apply their affects. Not to say PhotoViva isn’t any good. I think I’m always after that instant gratification, instead of letting myself get lost in the process. I bet if I had a stylus to use with PhotoViva, I would be tempted to play with it more often.
Love it! It’s funny because when I first saw your post I thought “it turned out so nice, he should print it and put it on his home” 😉 Then I read your post and saw you’re actually thinking of it!
Great minds think alike haha. I’m terrible about printing anything. The only photo I have printed in my room, besides some Ansel Adams, is one I took with my iPhone.
Hehe! I’m the same… I printed some pictures of Venice to put on my kitchen and that’s it! All the other walls of my place are empty and I have so many photos on my computer. Oh well, maybe some day :p
Pingback: Painted by the Golden Gate Bridge