Alcatraz, a photo from California, West

Photographer's Note

This is Alcatraz Island commonly referred to as 'The Rock' located in the middle of San Francisco Bay. It originally served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963, when it became a national recreation area. In 1986, it was listed as a National Historic Landmark.

During its 29 years of operation as a federal prison, it housed some of the famous criminals like Robert Stroud, Al Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, and James "Whitey" Bulger. The penitentiary logged no prisoners as having ever successfully escaped. Thirty-four prisoners were involved in 14 attempts, two men trying twice; seven were shot and killed, two drowned, five were unaccounted for, and the rest were recaptured. Two prisoners made it off the island but were returned, one in 1945 and one in 1962. The most violent attempt was the so-called Battle of Alcatraz in 1946, in which three prisoners and two guards were killed and two prisoners were later executed at San Quentin for their participation in the battle.

The most famous escape attempt involved Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin, popularized in the motion picture Escape from Alcatraz. The three disappeared from their cells on June 11, 1962 in one of the most intricate escapes ever devised.

It was a challenge looking for a different POV for such a well photograph place. I saw this seagul following the boat and got an idea to incorporate it in the picture to symbolize freedom to contrast the prison ahead.

ribeiroantonio, pboehringer, JCG, edytungkal, nisko, saylan-cb, ChrisJ, snunney, axiotea, japiey, jhm, Loic_bzh, Floydian, Partha_c, dareco, John_F_Kennedy, gracious, Photo65Net, Benedict, bakes888, jaywalker, Standa, Budapestman, zhelach, pasternak, Hellas, cunejo200, Flavia, brevbrev14, dip, Cricri, stego, danos, Charo, siolaw, elmec, noborders, Angshu, rigoletto, devimeuxbe, MLINES, riclopes, Didi, ekinokswest, pastadog, adores heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

edytungkal (4551) 2007-11-27 23:30

Hello Renier,
Very nice to show the famous prison in the world and what a great moment to capture the seagull so clear and right at the top of the tower, despite the picture's quality a little bit unsharp but i still enjoy your post, thank you and for the note too.

daniel

fayeulle (27827) 2007-11-27 23:47

Hi Renier
What I like here, it's the flying gull at the right place. I would prefer to see the gull by the front, but it's a detail. Good management of the FOF to fet a good sharpness on the background and on the gull. I thing the sky is too important here. It's would be better by cropping it to get the gull on the thirds rule.
Cheers
JP

barrufeto_77 (28888) 2007-11-27 23:56

Hi Renier.

It's nice how the seagull makes the picture interesting...well done!

Rgs, Oscar

hatti52 (12786) 2007-11-28 0:25

Hi Renier,
very nice POV to Alcatraz
i like the place of seagull on the cadrage
well done
cheers

JCG (35153) 2007-11-28 0:25

Hi Renier,

I like much the symbolism of this image. This seagull which represents freedom and in backdrop this famous prison from where one could not escape. Beautiful photograph where I appreciate much the natural colors and the light. Pretty glance, cheer Renier and thank you for the comment.

With all my friendships,

Jean-Charles

nisko (2642) 2007-11-28 0:26

hi renier,
very nice shot of this historic place with vivid colours and gull making the compo very alive!
kind regards
thodoris

ribeiroantonio (22730) 2007-11-28 0:55

This is a very good POV of that famous island and prison. The idea of the seagull is brilliant but she is flying back to Alcatraz! Well done.
Antonio

saylan-cb (12738) 2007-11-28 1:30

Hi Renier
Nice shot a very good composition and great colours,image,well done.
TFS/Regards

UnTrained (0) 2007-11-28 1:33

Hi Renier,
I like it, with the seagull in the capture flying to the island it is a great one, calm and quiet. The soft background makes the island and seagull to the main points.
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

stefanocer (10642) 2007-11-28 1:40

Fantastic composition Renier with the seagull really perfecly placed over the island , many compliments .
Stefano.

ChrisJ (172378) 2007-11-28 1:48

Hi Renier

A nice juxtapositioning of the free sea gull flying above the former place of incarceration. Excellent blue sky, with good colour & contrasts. Tfs!

snunney (130967) 2007-11-28 2:25

Hello Renier,
A nice shot of this San Francisco landmark made all the more appealing by the presence of the seagull, which is ideally positioned in the frame. Very good colours and clarity.

axiotea (21651) 2007-11-28 2:32

Hello Renier
A symbolic image with the well timed captured of the seagull giving a sense of freedom, distance and also the impression of escaping from Alcatraz which dominates the entire scene. thanks for the infos.
Cheers
Marilyn

japiey (10163) 2007-11-28 2:34

Hello Renier,

Beautifull shot of the island and the flight..
An interesting composition...
Well done.
Salutes, dear friend.

jean paul

jonathan_hart (21276) 2007-11-28 3:19

hello Renier
good light and colours, the composition is interesting, good framing and timing :)
regards
jo

mesutilgim (0) 2007-11-28 3:33

Hi Renier
Great capture of Alcatraz.Perfect pov and great luck to get this nice seagull flying in the scenery.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

jhm (211738) 2007-11-28 4:51

Hello Renier,

Almost a plane Renier these seagull, wonderful with the open wings.
Beautiful photograph where I appreciate much the natural colors and the light, certainly it island and the building above make this picture attractive.
Thanks for sharing.

Have a nice day,
John.

jplebrun (21208) 2007-11-28 5:01

Hi Renier
super cliché d'un endroit pourtant lugubre, splendides couleurs avec des montagnes comme fond d'image, en prime ce goéland qui vole devant, félicitations.
Amitiés
Jean-Pierre

Clementi (52514) 2007-11-28 5:11

Ciao Renier,
like me that present the prison, from a part the building and the gull that with its flight the freedom symbolizes.
good job
Giorgio

Loic_bzh (7646) 2007-11-28 5:41

Hi Renier,

nice one with that seagul in front of this famous place... Interesting note.

Cheers,

Loïc

Floydian (30970) 2007-11-28 5:50

Hi Renier,
A classic view but it's the seagull what brings something extra in this picture. Not many people have this with a bird so dominant in the frame and it really works here.
Would even better when he was flying right towards you, but also this i like a lot...really good work here.
Regards, Henk

pboehringer (770) 2007-11-28 6:42

Renier,
so you have been to California for two weeks and didn't even bother letting any of the local TE members know about that! Shame on you! The Alcatraz will be re-activated as soon as you come back to San Francisco and you will be sentenced for life to stay there and not even a seagull will fly over there to save you.
Your composition is indeed quite original and as Antonio already mentioned the seagull is unfortunately flying back the Alcatraz. This shot would have been a blast with the bird flying towards you. What a pity that we can't controle remote the flight of these birds.
Next time you come to CA let us know!!
Regards, Peter

Partha_c (2029) 2007-11-28 7:15

Hi Renier. A very interesting shot with lot of details. The flying seagull beautifully captured with the backdrop of that lighthouse turned fort turned prison turned recreation park.Just great. TFS. Regards.
Partha

dareco (17136) 2007-11-28 8:01

Fantastic and the bird! WOW!! What a capture this was!! An excellent picture. TFS

John_F_Kennedy (43797) 2007-11-28 8:35

Excellent shot and very good composition of this fly. Nice POV and background too. Well done
Best wishes,
Achim

photographer123 (6248) 2007-11-28 8:53

hi..
god use of the flying bird,and captured well..well done...subir

gracious (20025) 2007-11-28 10:09

Hello Renier,
captured well together with the flying seagull!
good low pov with great depth, sharpness, good colouration and details of the "The Rock""
very well composed and well pleased
TFS
all the best
Tony

Photo65Net (43144) 2007-11-28 10:30

Renier,
A great catch !
The view on the famous island is great, and it is just amazing to include this bird.
Nice job,
Regards,
JB.

jaywalker (16105) 2007-11-28 10:50

Hi Renier, Superb timing, the gull is in a great position in the frame, perfectly composed not only the gull but the small yachts to the left &, the main subject under the wing, brilliant blue tones & TFS, kind regards Wilson.

Benedict (7076) 2007-11-28 14:23

hi reiner,
that timely seagull capture flying towards alcatraz island makes this very interesting to stare at! very smart... you got the eye, you got taste, period!! (but were are the pelicans, bro? alcatraz is spanish for pelican, ain't it?)
benedict

gunbud (34066) 2007-11-28 20:05

Hi Renier,
Your seagull leading us to this infamous island is a great eye catcher as its graceful flight is in perfect contrast to the distant lockdown. The many sail boats on the left is another sign of freedom close but yet so far. Wonderful note that sums up the terrible history of the rock.
Regards, Tom

bakes888 (18499) 2007-11-28 23:32

Hi Renier. Wow, good timing and skills. You have the gull well placed and sharp with enough DOF to include “the rock”. Nice work and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

Standa (1877) 2007-11-29 0:00

Hi Renier,
it is a first time for me to see this famous prison from this angle. Well captured with seagul - your idea is very nice and good that you had this model :)
Sharpness is not so perfect but the rest I like.
Best regards,
Stanislav

Paolo (41258) 2007-11-29 1:14

Hi Renier, good one, with the seagull flying or escaping from Alcatraz?!
;)
good DOF, good quality too and beautiful colours.
thanks, ciao

Budapestman (82620) 2007-11-29 1:36

Hi Reiner,
This is great, really impressive and spectacular shot for this place. I like the effective and attractive details, first of all the sea-gull... really fascinating detail. Colours are very fine, clarity is excellent. Beautiful view, Well done! Have a nice day
George

zhelach (3626) 2007-11-29 2:10

Hello Renier!
Beautiful shot! Good note!!!
Very nice colors and details!
Seagul - bravo!
TFS, regards, Zorica

Nicou (193814) 2007-11-29 2:22

Hello,

Très beau captage de ce volatile en plein vol, avec l'ensemble, la vue, très bien réussi, superbe, car c'est pas facile de capter les oiseux en vol, tu as très bien réussi, avec l'arrière plan, superbe.

Bravo net amitiés

Nicou

pasternak (15185) 2007-11-29 2:40

I think you have cut it from a much larger shot, Renier, and I like your crop here, as the gull really looks huge! The idea is excellent, especially with a philosophical twist on the freedom as the gull is flying back to the prison...:)

Cheers
Alexander

Hellas (7123) 2007-11-29 2:51

A very nice idea to incorporate the seagull in the picture, Renier. Alcatraz Island is a famous, thanks to the prison and now we all may watch the view through your camera.
Thank you very much for sharing.
Regards,
Athanasios.

jasmis (58653) 2007-11-29 3:10

Well, it is symbolic photo. Former prison and the bird - the sign of freedom. Really well managed.
Regards my friend.

cunejo200 (7281) 2007-11-29 3:28

Hello Ren,
That seagull is well defined and nicely adorns the view of Alcatraz. A very attractive view. Best regrads, Danilo

P.S. Got your email. Will reply this w/e. Many thanks!

Flavia (10352) 2007-11-29 5:15

Hi Renier,

Nice timing to catch the seagul fligthing towards the interesting Alcatraz. I see you had good weather in SF! I'm also posting some pictures I took there in June.

Regards,

Flavia

efi (5303) 2007-11-29 6:41

hi renier;
the shooting idea worked perfectly.sharp and with the sailing boats very nice POV..tfs..

dip (21408) 2007-11-29 11:42

Hi Renier,
beautiful image of this famous island,the seagul makes the photo still more beautiful,
well composed!
Greetings,
Dimitris.

bracasha75 (24591) 2007-11-29 12:29

Hello Renier
This is maybe the best one from this serie and i like the view and the glory of this rock....
Thanks Renier
Cheers,Braca

Cricri (176) 2007-11-29 12:43

Hi Renier,
Trés belle note sur cette célébre prison, une bonne idée d'avoir imcorporer la mouette au devant de la prison comme symbole de la liberté, jolies couleurs et composition
Have a nice evening for you
cricri

stego (24132) 2007-11-29 15:03

Hi Renier,
A famous prison with a symbol of freedom flying towards it... Great POV, great capture (this word doesn't seem right applied to the seagull... :-)
A fabulous photo!
Regards, José.

Gerrit (62042) 2007-11-29 17:05

Hi Renier,
excellent metaphoric composition with the giant seagul and the famous prison island.
Groeten Gerrit

PixelTerror (0) 2007-11-30 3:13

Hi Renier,
Lucky picture that indeed adds something extra to what would be a fairly normal alcatraz view, you kept good sharpness on the two plans.
Have a nice day JY

danos (110407) 2007-11-30 3:55

Hello Renier,
excellent your availability in order to capture this splendid composition, the seagull in the foreground with a faultless flight and at the same time, almost in the height of the tower of the fortress.Great composition with vivid colours and light.Informative your note too.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

crckt (7222) 2007-11-30 9:08

Hi Renier,
The seagul is flying right at me! This shot has an amazing 3D effect, and ofcourse like you wrote shows the contrast between freedom and prison.
Well done,
Shaeri

brevbrev14 (140) 2007-11-30 14:37

Hi Renier, i like a lot this image...
The film Escape form ALcatraz is one of my favourite...
very good note too
interesting image
ciao!
Valeria

jackart (6702) 2007-12-01 11:13

Hi Renier!

It's great continuation of the very interesting subject. Interesting framing with seagull on the foreground. Well done!

Regards
Jacek

pablominto (53746) 2007-12-01 11:40

Hello Renier,
The Island of the Seagulls..!
Interesting composition with the bird, making the place friendly and inviting...
Good light, fine colours and details, effective point of view!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Charo (51290) 2007-12-01 15:06

Hola Renier,
Buena captura de la isla y con esa ave que parece ir volando hacia ti.
Excelente perspectiva y colores. Gran momento.
Cordialmente
Charo

siolaw (38294) 2007-12-02 2:15

Hi Renier,
A good view of the entire island in excellent light, colors and sharpness... and of course the special bonus in that very close bird gliding away... Good timing!
Laurent

elmec (12210) 2007-12-02 2:53

Hello Renier!
Gret shot of prison - very good contrast with free bird in the foreground!
Best regards!

Scharan (14144) 2007-12-02 20:41

Olá Renier

Linda esta foto, belo e interessante este trabalho; ótima composição e o cenário é um encanto. Belo vôo...e belo registro meu amigo.
GA
Vera

noborders (1010) 2007-12-05 1:22

Amazing representation, with the sea gull just at the perfect place (I admire this as all my attempts to capture one in a correct way were unsucessful, lately in Morocco !)
TFS, bravo,
Cath.

rigoletto (34279) 2007-12-05 6:59

Great photo Renier, with that symbolic presence of the seagull.
Hope is flying to the place where the hopes exist feebly...
Composition is very good as well.
Cheers,
Deniz

devimeuxbe (58557) 2007-12-06 0:36

Hi Renier
The gul on the landscape is very nice
It's a beautifull picture
Bertrand

Angshu (56760) 2007-12-06 0:45

Hello Renier
The sea gull has been captured in the most appropriate place. In fact you rose to the challenge for an original POV and executed this to perfection, 'coz this is an original. The sharpness and depth is perfect & it was good that you got a clear blue sky as the BG. Excellent shot!
Regards
Angshu

MLINES (12516) 2007-12-06 1:10

Hi Renier. Another fine composition showing this famous former goal. Theseagull in the foreground adds a great deal to the dynamics. Beautiful work. TFS. Murray.

kiks (12805) 2007-12-07 4:18

Hi Renier, great image you got here. The seagul makes it diffrent and much more interesting. Did you copy the seagul from another photo or was this the real scene?
TFS
KIKs

riclopes (35577) 2007-12-11 9:44

Olá Renier, most amazing capture of the seagull, so close and yet so well focused in a clear and sharp view. Also, it's a poetic inclusion as you mentioned in the note. I can see that it's quite busy at left background...Great shot!
Cheers,
ricardo

dokadak (11518) 2007-12-11 10:38

Hello Reiner,

This is amazing shot.. seagull is real bonus on the building... I really like it very much.. a great work...

cheers
hasan

ekinokswest (2994) 2007-12-15 15:54

how incredible and saddening that such a wonderful place has been used as a prison. I felt undecided here whether you have waited for a moment for catching a bird or not.. it was not necessary

Didi (61589) 2007-12-16 0:33

Hi Renier
Very nice symbolic composition with the bird symbol of freedom and the old jail who remind us the prisoners problem many years ago.
It's a very interesting subject.
Cheers.

pastadog (13111) 2007-12-18 6:34

Hi Renier, very impressive compo due to the bird in fg IMO, providing a dramatic and dynamic element, also symbolic, as point out in your note, definitely. Congratulations, Daniel

adores (46979) 2008-01-03 17:06

Hi Renier!
I've just found out this photo in your gallery. Such a famous place! Great pov to show the island. I really like the seagul flying in that direction (guess they are the only ones who want to)and all those little boats in the background. Good work !

Happy New Year!

vinicio (23423) 2008-01-13 12:29

Beautiful picture with the excellent addiction of the gull that make the difference, in positive, well done Renier, very good creativity and idea, compliments.
Ciao
Vinicio

NMaverick (0) 2008-04-11 6:28

What an amazing storytelling feeling! The bird, a symbol of freedom, against the most famous jail, the symbol of imprisonment. The orientation of the bird heading towards the jail-house produces contrasting feelings. This is surely one of your most successful stories.
TFS
Nick