DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Where NOT to bring your camera in San Francisco

Feb 21, 2022 by Jefferson Graham 7 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

As you know, there has sadly been a raft of camera thefts in San Francisco of late, putting a spotlight on places you might want to think twice about hauling expensive camera gear with you the next time you visit.

The news reports on the thefts usually aren’t very specific about the exact location of the heists, so I thought I’d simply point them out here, in a little more detail, before you, like me, get victim to camera theft in the city.

Do know that the most high-profile crimes have been those devastating“smash and grabs” from parked cars stuffed with expensive goods while the tourists were out enjoying the city. These types of crimes are up 750% in tourist spots, especially Fisherman’s Wharf and the Palace of Fine Arts.

That’s why signs are now posted all over the city, urging people to leave nothing in their cars.

Street sign in Fisherman’s Wharf


Here are some of the San Francisco spots to be extra careful in.

Crissy Field

With its idyllic location, a big green park at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, this is one of the top spots for smash and grabs. It’s also where I had a Sony A7RIV, 70-200mm G Master 2.8 lens, Manfrotto tripod and Rode Wireless Go II microphones stolen in 2021, as I was talking into the camera and recording a segment. Law enforcement was blase when I reported the crime, counseling me that I’d never see the gear again, and that the odds of capturing the thieves were remote. Even though some locals had captured the license plate of their getaway car. The cops were right. No arrest was ever made.

Getaway car makes off with my loot from Crissy Field, San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge from Marin Headlands

Marin Headlands

The hands-down best spot for photographing the Golden Gate Bridge, from high up a hill near Sausalito, is where people park their cars and walk up to get their shot. One change now is that signs warn tourists to not leave anything in the car, due to the heavy smash and grab issues in the area. You can’t miss the signs. Sadly, not everyone pays attention.

we are safe but our road trip had a devastating ending 2 days in. stopped at battery spencer Park in SF for five minutes to snap some pictures came back to our car windows smashed, suitcases, cameras, all film, all computers, hard drives, all gone. continued…. pic.twitter.com/EqsfyW16ut

— joe greer (@ioegreer) June 4, 2021

One photographer, Joe Greer, noted on Twitter that he stepped out of the car for five minutes to get a shot, only to return and find his windows smashed in, and $30,000 worth of gear taken. FYI: the Battery Spencer park is usually cited by many as being in “San Francisco” while in fact, again, it is over the bridge, on Conzelman Road in Sausalito, a different, but nearby city.

Smash and Grab warning sign in Marin Headlands

Beyond the smash and grabs, a high profile stalking at the Headlands happened recently to photographer Louis Chan, who was photographing the Bridge. He was followed as he drove home to the San Francisco suburb or Fremont, where brazen crooks smashed his back car window in the driveway and made off with his camera bag. Security cameras recorded the entire home encounter.

City view from Treasure Island

Treasure Island

The same sort of theft started here on this little island between Berkeley and San Francisco, affording what is the prime shot of the San Francisco skyline. After photographers Ben Barghabany and Masha Tighi were spotted getting their shot, they drove away, and were followed. As the real estate photography team was in traffic, waiting to get on the freeway, thieves jumped out of their car, smashed the back window, stole the camera bag with $7,000 worth of gear and drove away. The crime was also captured on video by a camera in a Tesla that was behind the car.

Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks

So many smash and grabs became so common at Twin Peaks, which affords a great overhead view of the city, that TV station KPIX came to investigate. While the reporter was doing the story, an armed thief approached and stole his news camera.

Oakland

Another TV news crew snafu, as a security guard working for TV station KRON was gunned down in November 2021, on the 300 block of 14th Street. An Oakland robbery also happened to a staff photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle on the 1400 block of Fifth Street as he was reporting a story. He was held up, and lost his two cameras.

Why is this happening?

Meanwhile, why have thieves turned to cameras (along with other things?) As point and shoots have disappeared, and many people turned to fancier, more elaborate cameras, it is well known that the price tags on these models start at $1,000 and go up and up, with many of the most popular brands selling for $2,000 to $3,000 without a lens. Add another $2,500 or so for them, and a good photographer bag haul could fetch $5,000 to $10,000 and up.

“The Bay Area appears to be increasingly dangerous for photographers and photojournalists as camera equipment is often targeted for its value and how easy it is to sell,” noted Petapixel editor in chief Jaron Schneider recently.

The ease of dumping stolen goods on websites like Craigslist, eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Amazon let thieves re-sell hot goods within minutes, and minus any traces of their identities. Meanwhile the San Francisco D.A.’s office, which has come under fire for neglecting to pursue these thefts, recently announced that a local camera shop was a front for re-selling stolen stuff.

What to do?

Still visit San Francisco. It’s the most photogenic city in the U.S., I believe, and despite the crime and homeless issues, it’s still an incredible place to visit.

However:

Don’t flash your fancy gear in high-profile theft areas. Think twice about going to some of these areas with big cameras and expensive glass. If you do want to shoot there, try a small camera body and small lens that doesn’t scream “professional.” Or travel together as a group.

Don’t leave cameras bags in the car.

Don’t leave anything in the car. Period.

Try taking the shots on a smartphone. They are are easy to steal, but can turn into bricks remotely. So they’re not worth much to thieves. Boo on camera manufacturers for not adding this technology to multi thousand dollar plus investments!

Finally, there are alternative ways to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge. Board a ferry boat and get a shot that way, or fork over $219 to hop a seaplane in Sausalito for a wonderful view from above. Who’s going to rob you there?

What are your thoughts?

About the Author

Jefferson Graham is a Los Angeles-based writer-photographer, the host of the “Photowalks” travel photography series on YouTube, and co-host of the iPhone Photo Show podcast, a former USA TODAY tech columnist and working photographer. You can find more of Jeff’s work on his website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. This article was also published here and shared with permission.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

I was robbed in San Francisco while the cameras rolled This amazing San Francisco 4K timelapse took three years to complete Photographer attacked in San Francisco after photographing an accident This plane taking off into San Francisco orange skies looks like footage from Mars

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Jefferson Graham, robbed, san francisco

Guest Author: from diyphotography.net

About Guest Author

This article was contributed to DIYP by a member of our community. If you would like to contribute an article, please contact us here.

« Man Ray’s “Le Violon d’Ingres” soon to become the most expensive photo ever sold
This is why Nikon ditched the mechanical shutter with the Nikon Z9 »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • This “stellar flower” unravels the twilight’s evolution in 360 degrees
  • Strobes vs Continuous LEDs – Which is right for you?
  • Wave goodbye to Apple’s My Photo Stream next month
  • Jaw-dropping macro video shows tadpoles in detail like never before
  • AstrHori’s second probe lens is an 18mm f/8 2x Macro for APS-C mirrorless

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy