By Scott Shephard
This is one of those photos that happened in a hurry. We were ending our visit to the de Young art museum in San Francisco by visiting the amazing observation tower that is part of the museum. We stepped out of the elevator and I was presented with this scene. I composed and then took the photo.
In the few seconds that the above happened I also considered whether I should even take the photo given that I would be doing a candid photo involving children. Sadly, our current culture deems that photographers, especially male, are somehow flawed if they take photos of kids.
But I figured I was safe since this was a public space and, more importantly, the children had their backs turned to me and were silhouetted by the strong light in front of them.
Incidentally, if you visits San Francisco, Golden Gate Park has at least three treasures within easy walking distance of each other: the De Young, the Japanese Tea Garden and the Botanical Garden. We found that if you arrive early (they open at 7:30 am) admission is free at the Botanical Garden, but you have to doge sprinklers in parts of the gardens.
Canon 5DIII 1/180s f/6.7 ISO400 35mm
Being at the right place at the right time is a a key to making an interesting picture. Though, as Ansel Adams said, “Fortune favors the prepared mind.” I guess I was ready for this shot . . . .
Forgive me for my dam obsession.