As you travel up the coast of California you come to a one mile gap in the Coastal Foothills that is the opening to San Francisco Bay simply called the Golden Gate. A bridge to span the gap was an obvious solution though at the time fiercely opposed by some of the residents with some pointing out rightfully so that any such structure would destroy the natural beauty of the area. The original plan called for a cantilever design which was absolutely hideous and not unlike the designs of the Bay Bridge which collapsed during the Earthquake of 1989. Fortunately the design was soundly rejected by the public and Joseph Strauss was sent back to the drawing board where he incorporated an Art Deco design which was popular at the time. His design would go on to become one of the most stunning bridges ever designed and possibly the most photographed structure in the world. One of the reasons for this is that there are so many angles to photograph from. This image was taken from the pier at Horseshoe Bay looking south down Highway One. The color of the bridge was inspired by the surrounding orange rocks and of a brightness that could easily be seen through the fog. The repainting of the bridge is a year round task to prevent corrosion of this stunning piece of architecture and artwork. I rarely photograph man-made objects but the Golden Gate Bridge is by far my favorite of all time.