Della Huff Photography
Sunrise on the Rollercoaster
Man, this is a tough shot to get. I first attempted this back in about 2010 and wasn't very successful. Now that I live 5 minutes from this location, and inspired by recent shots, especially Rob Kroenert's, I decided to try again.
To achieve this lineup, you need a seriously big lens. I shot this with my 5D Mk III, a borrowed 400mm f/2.8 prime which is about 12 pounds, and the front lens element is the size of a dinner plate, and a 2x extender. The best sunrise light lasts only minutes, and cable cars run only about every five minutes this early in the morning. Then you have to luck out with limited (or no) other traffic on California which would obscure or distract from the cable cars. And finally, you have to shoot from the middle of a very busy road (California), so you can only shoot during a red light - if the cable car crests Nob Hill when California is green, tough cookies! I'm still not 100% satisfied with this shot, so I'll just have to keep trying :)
Sunrise on the Rollercoaster
Man, this is a tough shot to get. I first attempted this back in about 2010 and wasn't very successful. Now that I live 5 minutes from this location, and inspired by recent shots, especially Rob Kroenert's, I decided to try again.
To achieve this lineup, you need a seriously big lens. I shot this with my 5D Mk III, a borrowed 400mm f/2.8 prime which is about 12 pounds, and the front lens element is the size of a dinner plate, and a 2x extender. The best sunrise light lasts only minutes, and cable cars run only about every five minutes this early in the morning. Then you have to luck out with limited (or no) other traffic on California which would obscure or distract from the cable cars. And finally, you have to shoot from the middle of a very busy road (California), so you can only shoot during a red light - if the cable car crests Nob Hill when California is green, tough cookies! I'm still not 100% satisfied with this shot, so I'll just have to keep trying :)