Woman in a Raincoat – San Francisco, California

The weather doesn’t look nearly as dismal up close on Alcatraz Island, as it did farther away from sea. In only a few minutes after I took this picture, this empty scene will be filled with tourists from the boat I was on. But, for just a minute, I was able to capture a quiet island with a — just perfect — single person in frame guarding the island.

In reality she was there to help, part of the crew assisting in the docking.

I didn’t know what to expect at Alcatraz, famous of course for its maximum security prison. I was pleasantly surprised by the mix of buildings in various stages of decay.

I rather like the balance in this image, of the buildings, the watch tower, big tree, and the figure in the foreground. I just wish there wasn’t so much clutter around the person. But, it’s an authentic photo, uncropped and unaltered expect for its conversion to black and white.