Category: Photography

Beneath the Golden Gate Bridge: A Steel Cathedral Above Fort Point

Greg Urbano’s 2010 photograph from Fort Point offers a unique view of the Golden Gate Bridge, showcasing its intricate steel architecture and geometric patterns. This perspective highlights the bridge’s monumental beauty while emphasizing the contrast with the historic fort below, reminding viewers of the untold stories within iconic landmarks.

Top 100 Journey – Early Vision

View from beneath the Golden Gate Bridge at Fort Point, showing the red steel beams, riveted joints, and geometric latticework of the bridge’s underside with concrete supports and distant hills visible beyond.
Photograph taken from the rooftop of Fort Point in San Francisco, looking straight up into the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge. The iconic International Orange steel girders rise overhead, revealing a maze of rivets, weathered metal, and the timeless engineering details that define this historic structure.

Standing on the rooftop of historic Fort Point in San Francisco offers one of the most dramatic—and often overlooked—perspectives of the Golden Gate Bridge. In this photograph by Greg Urbano, the iconic landmark reveals its hidden architecture: a soaring lattice of riveted steel beams, painted in the unmistakable International Orange that has defined the bridge for generations.

From this vantage point beneath the roadway, the bridge feels less like a piece of infrastructure and more like a monumental sculpture. The repeating geometric patterns, the massive concrete piers, and the interplay of shadow and light create a sense of depth that pulls the viewer into the frame. Urbano’s composition captures the bridge not as a distant postcard symbol, but as a living, breathing feat of engineering—towering, intricate, and endlessly fascinating.

The view from Fort Point adds another layer of storytelling. Once a Civil War–era military fortification, the site now sits quietly at the base of the bridge, offering photographers a rare chance to stand directly beneath one of the world’s most recognizable structures. Urbano’s image embraces that contrast: the rugged brick fort below, the sweeping steel span above, and the open water stretching toward the Marin Headlands in the distance.

This photograph is a reminder that even the most photographed landmarks still hold fresh angles and untold stories—especially when seen through the eyes of a patient, curious photographer.

Alioto’s on Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco

The black-and-white photograph of Alioto’s restaurant at Fisherman’s Wharf evokes a nostalgic atmosphere, reminiscent of classic film-noir. Capturing the vibrant nightlife and iconic neon signs, the image serves as a tribute to the now-closed eatery and the historical significance of San Francisco’s seafood scene.

Black‑and‑white nighttime scene at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, featuring illuminated neon signs for Sabella & La Torre, Nick’s Lighthouse, Alioto’s, and Fishermen’s Grotto with people walking along the busy street.
A black‑and‑white photograph capturing the iconic façade of Alioto’s restaurant along San Francisco’s historic Fisherman’s Wharf.

I converted the image to black and white because it simply fit the mood of Fisherman’s Wharf that night. The constant hustle in the streets—tourists everywhere, myself included—and the glow of the neon signs created a scene that felt straight out of a classic film‑noir movie. The bright lights of Sabella & La Torre, Nick’s Lighthouse, Alioto’s, and Fishermen’s Grotto stood out against the dark waterfront, capturing the timeless energy this part of San Francisco is known for.

Alioto’s is long gone now, almost twenty years later, which is a shame for anyone who remembers its place in the history of Fisherman’s Wharf. Hopefully this photograph helps someone reminisce about what used to be—a small visual reminder of San Francisco’s iconic seafood restaurants and the atmosphere that once defined this stretch of the waterfront.