A day on my own in San Francisco

A couple of years ago, I got to spend a day on my own in one of my favorite cites, San Francisco. I had the whole day to myself and my camera. I read up on one of those “See San Francisco in a Day” and loosely followed it. This isn’t a travel guide or even me doing an accurate job of recalling exactly where I went, because I’m terrible at that stuff. What I do remember is exactly why I took a picture, how I was feeling at the time and what I did to get the shot. If you are interested in knowing that and seeing some fun street photography from San Francisco, then keep reading and looking. It was a fun day!

I started my morning in Chinatown. Even though I’d been before, it was overwhelming. Having a camera though always calms me down.

As I approached the famous gates, I saw this gentleman. He was with a couple of buddies and they were taking pictures. It looked like they were heading to his wedding. (That is part of the fun for me. Making up a story behind what I am seeing. Right or wrong, I ALWAYS have a story running through my head when I see people on the streets.)

I loved the teal bowtie, his man bun, and his attitude. He struck a version of this pose in all of his pictures. AND I loved how the color of his tie looked nice with the green of the gates. Yes, I really think all of that when I’m taking a picture even if it’s all happening in less than a minute.

I saw this quirky site almost immediately when I stepped into Chinatown! I loved it. I put a fun quote on it and you will find it on the front page of my website where I talk about my life coaching practice.  I smile every time I see it.

And these guys couldn’t seem to stop smiling! They were playing covers of American pop songs and having the best time. Street musicians at their finest.

I love looking in the windows of all the stores and often found that the items being featured in the window didn’t seem to fit the area. And that was okay too.

But some of my favorite sites always include the ordinary. I love the colors of her jacket, the colors of the produce and knowing that while I’m on vacation, for her it is just a regular day.

As I left Chinatown, I saw these guys coming from way down the street. I was so excited!!! I had my camera ready and started taking pics like crazy. They loved it! Obviously, they were headed somewhere fun and liked the attention. They saw me, gave a non verbal nod of approval and continued to act nonchalant as I clicked away. This is is my favorite photo from the day.

I’m not much on landscapes but I couldn’t resist trying to capture the totality of San Francisco streets as I made my way around. No wonder I was getting so tired! I seriously considered renting a bike but chose to keep walking.

Next stop was a famous book store. I loved how it smelled, looked and felt when I walked in. But before walking in, I staked out across the street to try and get the perfect shot of the outside. I loved it when biker riders zipped by but this guy was my favorite. It was the striped shirt that sold me.

Eventually I ended up in the Mission District and made it to the park. There I found dogs! I can’t resist them. Maybe I was a dog in a previous life or I’ll end up being one next time around. They never fail to bring me joy. Never.

But this guy was my favorite. I love his gear, dirty fingernails and body language. I don’t know where he’s been or where he’s going. But for that moment, he was fully committed to reading a book and enjoying an enchanting day.

Even though I was getting exhausted, I couldn’t find myself in the Mission District and not check out the murals. They did not disappoint. I wanted to take a picture of each one and almost did. Here are a few of my favs.

And the best one of all, you wonder??? Here it is in all of it’s glory!

Exhausted and beyond ready for dinner and a drink, I took a few moments to interact with a street artist. I didn’t catch his name, and he wasn’t that talkative. He was focused on his work. Creating with a purpose and I could tell he wanted to be left alone. But, he agreed to let me take his picture. That was more than enough for me.

 

Did you like this story? If you did, I have a feeling you’d like this one too. It’s all about the The Elusive Search for Belonging.  Go here to read my most popular blog post. Curious about the post that started it all? You can find it here. Want to read them all? Start at the top right here and work your way down.

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