Alcatraz with the city of San Francisco in the background
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. The city of San Francisco borders the bay, and these photos were taken from there.

A dramatic cloud cover over the city of San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge

A small container ship is pulled by a tug underneath the Golden Gate Bridge
If you wish to buy prints or the original image of any of these photos, you can view them in my online store here.

Alcatraz cell block during a late afternoon tour
Alcatraz Island, commonly referred to as simply Alcatraz or locally as The Rock, is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California, United States. It served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963. It became a national recreation area in 1972 and received landmarking designations in 1976 and 1986.

A view of San Francisco from a window in Alcatraz

Today, the island is a historic site operated by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is open to tours. Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, near Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Alcatraz has been featured in many movies, tv shows, books, comics, and games.

Alcatraz prison cells

You can view and purchase photos of Alcatraz Island here.