Light Up the Night: Pier 7 Embarcadero Walkway

Pier 7 at Night Part I: One of the most classic, breathtaking views of San Francisco at Pier 7. This consists of a long walkway with ornamental handrails, antique benches, and rows of lights captured by photographers every day. A bonus plus? The mesmerizing skyline view in the near distance with lights illuminating the edges of skyscrapers and the famous Transamerica Pyramid sitting front and center.

Eclectic Lyon Street Steps Collage

Lyon Street Steps Part I: Some of the very best mansions right in the heart of Billionaire's Row with colorful steps, eccentric arrangements, and architectural designs that inspire for years.

Festive Trees, Cars and Headlights Exposure

Another one of those days with pouring rain--but even that does not deter me from taking this picture. The lights in the trees with the shining car headlights add extra color and flair to the bright holiday scene.

Waterfront Sunset Over Clear Skies

Loved the gorgeous, clear sunset with the boats out in the waterfront, so I decided to capture this very moment before the pastel watercolored hues disappeared beneath the surface.

Entrancing Streams of Cascading Lights

Cascading Lights Part I: Thousands and thousands of cascading lights stream down from the ceiling at the Hyatt Regency Hotel during the holidays, creating a dazzling, glorious view awed by locals and visitors alike. Riding the elevator up and down gives extra perspective into these streams of lights....including a hint at how these were put together!

Pastel Pink and Blue Ethereal Dreams

Witnessed a stunning sunset with clear skies by the Bay Bridge. 

After taking this, I decided to add more of a mysterious, delicate vibe to the photo by including rose-colored filters mixed with faded blue tones for a vintage-y, dreamy effect.

Translucent Light Reflections Across the City

And the obsession with reflections continues...I loved the striking reflections of the nearby skyscrapers with the mid afternoon sunlight streaming down right from the window.

Aerial Night Views of San Francisco

Absolutely stunning views of San Francisco and the Bay Area at night with lights and life running throughout the city.

Mysterious Mountain Lake Park Collage

Mountain Lake Park is the best spot to relax--day or night, cloudy or sunny. It exudes calmness, especially on this foggy day with clear, bright reflections.

Sitting On the Moon: Gaze Into the Horizon

Pastel Bubbles Part I: With the exciting Moon Festival and the Blood Moon spectacle behind us, I wanted to continue the theme by creating my own moon image: a soft, pastel version with transparent layers and shadows, with some added human aspect to it. I decided to add a mix of bubbles in all colors and sizes, a blend of noise, sharpness, and blur to create texture, and jewel-toned sunset gradient hues to enhance the vibrancy of the horizon.

Deep In Your Eyes: Mesmerizing Cloud Reflections

Transparent anything is always spectacular--and something that catches our eye. It's like looking at mirror reflections...everything is always different! This building has the clearest, most remarkable reflections of downtown buildings and the clouds definitely steal the show.

Enchanting Wonders of the Palace of Fine Arts

One of the most entrancing monumental structures in the city with a dome that stuns during the day and night...When I stopped by early morning, there was still some mist in the sky, which lent a mysterious quality to the famous Palace of Fine Arts.

Looking Sharp: Crystal Clear Mirrored Skyscrapers

I'm always fascinated by skyscraper architecture, the innovative designs, and the remarkable reflections of other buildings! This one offers a clean-cut mirrored reflection of a similar skyscraper right nearby--the reflections are pretty impressive.

Pastel Pink Palm Trees: The Diamond Effect

Rows and rows of palm trees decked the waterfront. I added a blurred pastel pink effect along with transparent diamonds to incorporate a mysterious, dreamy feel and mimic the effortlessness of long summer days.

Rediscover the Past: Colorful Chinatown Collage

Sometimes we stroll around the same familiar streets every day and never bother glimpsing up at the beautiful adornments and historic buildings...until one day we look up and really focus on our colorful surroundings and ponder about the past, the history behind the architecture, and the people who brought the area to life. These thoughts came to mind when I went on one of the tours of Chinatown, relearning about the fascinating neighborhood. I decided to put these new discoveries and historic landmarks all together into a collage.

Made With Glass: Luminous Skyscraper Reflections

One of the most transparent skyscrapers in the city ever--with the best reflections of other buildings right across the street...including one of the narrowest buildings in the area. Look closely and you see it squashed in the middle, between other nearby awe-inspiring architecture.

Gleaming Waters in Paradise

Nothing is more soothing and calming than standing outside the balcony and gazing deeply into the waters. 

Magical Stream of Lights: Glowing Aqua and Plum Trees

Trees are refreshing in their natural green color and spectacular in orange-red, rusty shades in autumn...but I decided to have a little fun and tweak this Japanese garden into completely different colors by using some highly contrasted hue effect. I love how the sky glows in pale yellow, the trees shine in plum purple, and the bright red flowers dazzle in striking aqua tones.

The Field of Sweet Dreams

After pausing on my walk, I gazed up and saw these feathery cirrus clouds as they moved swiftly through the blue sky.

Cherished Memories Inside the Temple

I stumbled upon this intricately designed wooden art sculpture called "The Temple" at Patricia Green Park in Hayes Valley, created by David Best. This is a temple made from recycled wood, with carefully constructed interiors and divinely-adorned benches to bring together an entire community. Inside this space, visitors can write on the placards with memories of their loved ones and reflect on their lives.

Circle Art Sculpture: Through the Looking Glass

While taking a stroll by the piers, I noticed this zigzag-circle sculpture. I love how it blends in with the deep blue waters and perfectly captures the palm tree and bridge in the background. It's like a magnifying glass zooming in closely on the city!

Exquisite Exterior Column Design Architecture

A nice walk downtown in the city. Loved the uniqueness of these column designs--the architecture is beyond amazing! I added an extra hint of orange to give the image an even warmer vibe.

Transcendent City: Surreal Fireworks and Light Display

Fireworks are so spectacular and brighten up the night sky--I'm obsessed with how distinctive they are, whether in real life, in pictures, or in drawings...and was inspired by greeting cards and fun advertisements to create a futuristic city with a castle, cliff house, and skyscrapers surrounded by rainbow-hued fireworks in the air. I added some noise to the image to give it more texture and character along with some sparkles and glow for the perfect night by the coastal waters.

Reflective Cerulean and Teal Skyscraper Perspectives

Cerulean and teal blue colors light up the sky....in these soaring skyscrapers, expanding the city skyline. I lightened the image and included extra ocean hues to add onto the flair.

Soothing Stream of Sounds: Water Effects

Discovered this gorgeous garden area that was so tranquil--this streaming waterfall exudes a sense of calmness and serenity after a day of chaoticness.

I decided to filter the image with different effects by adding a slight gradient so there's a mix of black/white imagery with slight hints of sepia colors.

Live Your Life Through the Bird's Eye

I created a collage using different elements for the typography. I decided on the text "LIVE" since it depicts how important it is to live life on our own terms. I included different images of some of my favorite locations and made it into a pastel, faded, blurred background to evoke a dreamy, ethereal vibe.

Travel Beyond Your Imagination: Through the Archways

After many days of clouds and fog, the overcast skies finally cleared up. Through this gorgeous archway, views of the vast ocean, bridge, and more prove that there are no dead ends. Endless amount of opportunities can be found in every direction.

Aqua and Coral Imagery Collage

Strong seaside beach colors in aqua and coral. Those ocean-like hues always evoke refreshingly pleasant memories, so I decided to create an entire collage with that theme in mind... followed by little snapshots of other pictures floating around in the background that resemble a travel scrapbook.

The Edge of the Embarcadero Waterfront

Serene afternoon at the waterfront by the bay. The distant skyscrapers, flawless bridge, and wooden pillars in the ocean add to the cityscape view.

Coastal Elegance: Summer's Cool Breeze

Loved how this seaside restaurant by the Embarcadero waterfront had colorful flowers, palm trees, and landscape that resembled the gorgeous Mediterranean sea and the neighboring coastal islands. I also added the faded sunset-esque filter effect to further that vibe.

Just Paint the Sky: Gorgeous Cloud Formations Collage

It's like a painting...in the sky! Clouds are never, ever the same each day and that's what makes them so fascinating. I was capturing a sequence of clouds for a few weeks and these were the main standouts.

Seasonal Shift: Saturated Hues of Autumn Leaves

Loving these rich autumn leaves in the spring time! Such vibrant colors in vivid, strong earthy shades and textures that look equally amazing with tall skyscrapers complementing them in the background.

Warm Sunset Glow at Golden Gate Bridge

Clear, cloudless sunny day in the city with the Golden Gate Bridge shining ever so brightly with its magical red hue. I decided to give it a warm, orange filter for a sunset-inspired vibe at a nearby beach.

Continue to Soar: Tulip Art Sculpture

Had to capture a close-up of this gorgeous, symmetric tulip-flowered sculpture in the Embarcadero Center. The tall skyscrapers lend the perfect backdrop, a mix of work and play.

Spring Forward with Cherry Blossoms

Spring is such a wonderful time, especially when the cherry blossoms are in bloom in Japantown.

Let It Glow Imagery: Fireflies' Glorious Lights

Fireflies Imagery Part I: Fireflies are so transcendent and a rare sight!

I've never seen them in person, but recently saw some surreal firefly images and was so inspired by its beauty and eccentricity that I decided to create my own. This was originally a photo from a botanical garden but after enhancing the contrast, sharpening, darkening, and adding other effects to the image, I included the glowing yellow fireflies and its emitting lights in the surrounding area to create this imagery. These artsy firefly lights resemble bright sunflowers in the distance.

Classic Stroll with Hint of Surprise

While strolling northeast on an overcast day, I noticed this luminous building that offered such refreshing reflections of nearby buildings, trees, and more. I adored it so much that I took multiple pics in different angles. But what I did not notice (until I reviewed the photo later) was that there was also a reflection of the Space Needle! Such an unexpected surprise. I also decided to add a pale pink filter to the photo to liven up the fresh winter-spring vibe.

Westin St. Francis Luxurious Lights Collage

I definitely am obsessed with glistening lights, unique chandeliers, and decorations...the lights in this hotel are beyond outstanding. I created a collage with some of the coolest displays at Westin St. Francis and decided to include white shapes and faded lights as the background behind the images.

Vintage Reality: Captured in the Moment

Cool art displays and arrangements take over the Seattle Center. I decided to blur out the photo and include various effects to it for a vintage, timeless, artsy vibe. The pink background and sepia filter also heightened the mysterious, enchanting quality of this image.

Blank Space Skyscraper Reflection

This building is spectacular--I saw it and knew I needed to capture it. I love how the building is so simplistic yet gives off a very city-chic vibe and perfectly complements the gray sky. The reflections on the building showcases brief snapshots of other architecture across the street and beyond.

Tower Away with the Golden Gate Bridge

Trekked across the Golden Gate Bridge--about an hour or so--in the fog! With strong winds blowing and chilly temps, it was hard to see what was ahead...but luckily as the day went on, the sky cleared out and the view of the tower emerged.

Palace Hotel Chandeliers Collage

Sparkly, glam, gorgeous chandeliers seen inside this famed Palace Hotel in San Francisco. The enchanting view of the Garden Court practically steals the show, but these chandeliers are excellent contenders as well!

Frozen Streams of Waterfall Dreams

I loved everything about the Frozen Disney movie: the super-catchy soundtrack, touching storyline, and endearing characters. But what really stood out were the beautiful graphics (aurora, snowflakes, all that magical ice, and the blue hues everywhere).

I was so inspired by the all the imagery in the movie that I decided to use one of their waterfall wallpapers as the background for this picture, with Olaf and Sven added on the tree log. Such an enchanting scene staring at a frozen stream of waterfall beneath the purple skies. 

Wish Upon the Sky: Special Feathery Clouds

Soft, feathery cirrus clouds seen throughout the blue sky and beyond. Such a rare moment that had to be captured while hiking in the city.

Inspiration: The Beauty and Wonders of Time

Always make the best of every moment and try to find meaning behind every decision and opportunity.

Inspiration: Significant Changes Heading Your Way

Just a reminder to keep growing, learning, and experiencing new things every day.

Art Sculptures: Futuristic Shapes To Come

One of the coolest art displays in one of the four Embarcadero Centers--so many different shapes make up this sculpture and it looks marvelous in all angles. 

Majestic Sunrise by the Bay

Rewarded with a gorgeous sunrise at the balcony after a night filled with stormy weather.