Grew up in Oakland, are there areas to avoid, absolutely but Oakland is not all bad!! if you go, check out Piedmont Avenue and the Mountain View Cemetery and the Chapel of the Chimes Columbarium the building was designed by famous architect Julia Morgan stunning place for photography. Then you can head down to Fenton's Creamery for some of the best ice cream ever! You'd be very near the Oakland/Berkeley boarder. Find Tunnel Road and you'll find the Claremont Hotel, gorgeous building opened in 1915. Travel up the hill a bit and from there you can get some beautiful shots (if the weather is clear) of the Golden Gate. Never enough time to see and do everything, you may need to plan another trip!!

As a frequent visitor to CA and SF (family there), I absolutely LOVE heading over the Golden Gate, making the first turn off the bridge, and heading up into the hills to photograph the bridge with the city in the background. I can't get enough of this. Anytime of day can yield a wonderful shot. There is just so much to do and photograph in that city that you'll never run out of possibilities. One of those small pocket size travel books could just be very helpful to a new visitor to that city and are a small investment which will yield great ideas. Best of luck! (Wish I was going with you.)

Skip the trip to Yosemite we have good weather right now but we could have another big snow any time through April. Do a trip up through the redwoods and back hwy 101through get off at the road that goes over to Calastoga- the wine country really starts there for the next 40 + mi - some fantastic wineries to photo - one is the replica castle just 2 mi south of Calastoga.

So much to shoot in SF - there are some good books on it - I bought mine on line from Amazon - LOL - darned if I can find it now but I am not going back for a while- saving my energy for Wash DC I have a 99% paid trip in the works.

There are plenty of pikers on here that have been to San Francisco a time or two that will give you advice about taking pictures of Fisherman’s Wharf, The Pointy Building, GG Bridge, some random cable car (they are not called trolleys in SF) that lumbers up and down Powell or California Streets. If you really want to experience and capture the beauty and uniqueness of San Francisco I would offer a few hidden (or not hidden if you live here) gems that will make your trip a little more interesting than the fodder found in tourist guide books.

The Presidio – the home to sweeping vistas of the Pacific, the Marin Headlands, China Beach, the Battery Lincoln Park and the fabulous California Palace of the Legion of Honor. The famed photographer Chris Honeysett has captured some unbelievable images from this part of SF. You will never find urban beauty anywhere in the world better than this.

Land’s End, Ocean Beach and the Cliff House – Gorgeous Pacific Ocean views and long swaths of beautiful Pacific coast line, especially at sunset. The Sutro Bath ruins are special.

Golden Gate Park – Incredible richness for photography – The De Young Museum, Stowe Lake, The California Academy of Science, The Botanical Garden, the Conservatory of Flowers, and the Great Meadow are incredible phot ops just to name a few. You could spend days there. The Beach Chalet at Ocean Beach is super.

The Outer Richmond is truly a street photographer’s playground.

Haight-Ashbury – A blast of the past from the Summer of Love and counter culture epicenter from the 60’s. If you want to photograph people and street scenes, you could do worse.

Pacific Heights – Not only great views of the GG Bridge but some of the stateliest (expensive) real estate in the country. Gorgeous homes and parochial neighborhoods. Fun sidewalk cafes and haute couture boutiques.

The Mission – From Mission, Valencia and South Van Ness Avenue you will see a vibrant, diverse and colorful side of San Francisco. Although it is becoming a bit gentrified (along with Bernal Heights, Potrero Hill and Dogpatch) there are incredible street scenes and real world SF culture to capture.

Upper Market and Twin Peaks- Amazing, iconic vistas that are timeless and still used in ads and marketing to this very day. Just go up there and take a look at sunrise or sunset.

Noe Valley and The Castro – No place like it in the USA. A microcosm of what makes SF unique.

Marin County, Muir Woods, Bolinas Bay and Point Reyes – A short day trip to the most amazing area for natural beauty, farm-to table foods and great inns and restaurants. This area buts up to Sonoma and Napa county so world-class wines are in abundance. Plus no snow like Yosemite, which contrary to opinions stated is NO short trip.

Russian Hill – This seems obvious but take a long walk around the neighborhood. Stroll down to North Beach from there. A glass of Chianti and a bowl of pasta are well earned.

Just a few thoughts. Be bold and adventurous. You can follow the masses to Fisherman’s Wharf and the tourist traps or you can take a little initiative and effort and experience something very special.