Orlee + David: Day After Shoot on Angel Island, San Francisco CA

Orlee and David had a beautiful wedding in Belvedere Tiburon, CA on June 21, 2009. The following weekend we planned a ‘Day After’ shoot at the hauntingly beautiful abandoned military facility on Angel Island. Orlee and David are no ordinary couple, and I am not the typical photographer. We new we wanted to do something different, extreme and exciting. Angel Island proved to be the perfect adventure!

This island can be found in San Francisco Bay just to the North of the infamous Alcatraz. From 1910-1940, Chinese immigrants were detained and interrogated at Angel Island’s immigration station. Japanese and German POWs were also held on the island, during WWII. The barracks and infirmaries were eventually abandoned, and now the island itself is a California State Park.

The old buildings on the island are no longer open to the public, and cannot be reached directly by ferry boat, so we were graciously chauffeured on a private sailboat over to the island by the couples good friend and fearless sea captain Conor. The sail over provided for some great photo opportunities with gorgeous views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Once we arrived on Angel Island, most of the shooting took place in the derelict buildings that once served as both a military base and quarantine station. The location was absolutely incredible. The setting combined with this gorgeous and willing couple made this shoot a day to remember!

We stayed until dusk and then headed back for a sunset sail home…It was an absolutely perfect evening! I can’t say enough good things about Orlee and David – It was truly a joy working with them.