A gift for me! - Unexpected portrait of me doing what I enjoy.

CMfromIL · Dec 23, 2013

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to travel to San Francisco CA. While there, I spent a couple of hours walking around and taking pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, awaiting the sunset to get a really nice shot of it lit up, and SF behind it.
While waiting, a nice couple was trying very hard to get pictures in the fading light. She didn't have a tripod, was using a kit lens, and not having much luck. On a whim, I asked them if they would like a picture of themselves with the bridge in the background. I said that I had the time, and wouldn't promise anything but thought I could get a nice one for them. The light was really fading fast. No flash (of course) as I wasn't really there for flash photography, nor did I want to drag the speedlites out.
I took it using my 16-35mm, at f/2.8 and even then the exposure was quite lengthy 1/10th sec, at iso2000.

I asked them to email me, and I had thought they had forgotten about it or lost my card. Today I got an email asking if the picture had turned out (it had). And that her husband had taken a picture of me as they were leaving. I thought it was very nice, so I thought I would share it:

Tiller · Dec 23, 2013

Hello fellow POTN'er

A nice Christmas present from a stranger

Derrel · Dec 23, 2013

You made a really nice photo of that couple! Very solid composition and placement of them in the context of the scene behind.

CMfromIL · Dec 23, 2013

Thanks Derrel. it was getting pretty dark. In post I pulled out a lot of shadows, lightened it up some. I didn't want to go over iso2000 for fear of grain (which I had some to deal with). Spur of the moment, not really looking to sell it but rather help out someone that looked like they wanted a nice shot but didn't (literally) have any way to get it. BTW, they really liked the picture so that made my evening as well.