Say what you will about the awful and screeching, French fry-stealing seagulls that swarm above San Francisco — they have one of the best views of any creature on earth.
The city is filled with world-class architecture and the rugged beauty of the Pacific Coast, but its 7-by-7 mile immensity makes it difficult to take in all at once. A coffee table-ready book publishing May 13 (preorders available now) intends to open a window on that big picture. “Above & Across San Francisco” features photography shot from high up — from drones, helicopters, hills and observation decks — revealing new angles of historic neighborhoods, the fog-shrouded coastline and iconic landmarks like Coit Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge (Trope Publishing Co., $45).
Diane Bentley Raymond is one of the book’s chief photographers and actually had to do battle with those seabirds while out shooting with her drone. A photographer living in Nob Hill, she says they don’t seem to enjoy whirring machines entering their food-filled territory in Fisherman’s Wharf.
“Those seagulls really sometimes get more interested than you’d like,” says Raymond. “They come check it out, and all of a sudden, you feel like you’re being circled and are like, ‘My God, are they going to attack it?’”
“Above and Across San Francisco” is a hardcover book from Trope Publishing Co. coming out May 2025 that presents aerial views of San Francisco landmarks and nature. Pictured: “View of Fisherman’s Wharf” by Diane Bentley Raymond (Trope Publishing Co.)
Usually, changing the drone’s altitude makes them lose interest. Raymond recently took the time to chat about such fun tips of the trade, as well as how she captured such gorgeous shots of San Francisco and why she loves photographing the city.
Q: What do you enjoy about aerial photography?
A: When you photograph a city from the ground, you see snippets of what I would call life. You see a city very differently when you’re photographing it from the air, and honestly I feel like it’s the only true way to see what a city looks like. Unless you’re a drone or helicopter pilot, most of the world doesn’t get to see the city that way. So for me, I almost get goosebumps.
“Above and Across San Francisco” is a hardcover book from Trope Publishing Co. coming out May 2025 that presents aerial views of San Francisco landmarks and nature. Pictured: “View of Crissy Field” by Diane Bentley Raymond (Trope Publishing Co.)
I’m up above the city in some pretty crazy places. I’m seeing angles that I know probably very few people have ever seen. And one of the comments that I get about my work — which is always a huge compliment — is people will say, “Wow, I’ve been to Palace of Fine Arts” or “I’ve been to Coit Tower. I’ve never seen it from that angle.” And then I’m like, “Yay!”
“Above and Across San Francisco” is a hardcover book from Trope Publishing Co. coming out May 2025 that presents aerial views of San Francisco landmarks and nature. Pictured: “View of Ocean Beach and the Sunset District” by Diane Bentley Raymond (Trope Publishing Co.)
Q: What equipment are you using?
A: I have a number of different drones. My favorite currently is a DJI Air 3. It’s got multiple focal lengths on the camera, so you can actually zoom in and photograph more like you would traditionally with a camera that’s got a telephoto lens.
Q: Do you need a license to fly a drone above the city?
A: If you’re doing it commercially, yes. You need an unmanned aircraft-systems certificate from the FAA and we go through testing that is actually very similar to some of the aeronautical knowledge that a pilot has to take to pass their test.
“Above and Across San Francisco” is a hardcover book from Trope Publishing Co. coming out May 2025 that presents aerial views of San Francisco landmarks and nature. Pictured: “Above Grant Avenue” by Diane Bentley Raymond (Trope Publishing Co.)
Q: Some people call San Francisco’s architecture boring. Do you find it boring?
A: Oh, I would say it’s just the opposite. There’s such a diversity between the types of architecture. I do a lot of very high-end real estate photography, and get to see the insides of these amazing buildings. It’s kind of mind-blowing.
“Above and Across San Francisco” is a hardcover book from Trope Publishing Co. coming out May 2025 that presents aerial views of San Francisco landmarks and nature. Pictured: “Above Lombard Street” by Diane Bentley Raymond (Trope Publishing Co.)
It’s very diverse here and that’s one of the things I love about living in San Francisco: If you get bored in one area, just go to a different district. The architecture and what you’re going to see in North Beach is very different from what you’re going to see in Nob Hill or the Presidio. And we have so many incredibly beautiful parks in this city — they talk about a “green city,” and that we really are.
Q: Have you ever gotten caught inside Karl the Fog?
A: Yes, mostly on purpose. There’s nothing more rewarding than when you can pop up through that fog and it’s perfectly clear above and you see the city poking out. But there are a few minutes where you have to go, “I’m going to be basically blind.”
Q: What’s your general feeling about the city right now?
A: I think this book is hitting at a perfect time for San Francisco. We have a new mayor. The city is really making a big comeback after the downturn after the pandemic, and it is wonderful to see a lot of exciting new things happening. I feel like the launch of “Above & Across San Francisco” is almost like a gift to the city, to say, “We’re back and look at what an amazing city it is.”
— See more of Diane Bentley Raymond’s photography at instagram.com/dianebentleyraymond. The book is available May 13, preorders are available at trope.com/products/above-across-san-francisco.
5 great photography spots for amateurs
Want to get out and take your own vibrant pics of San Francisco? Stacy Williams, executive director of the American Institute of Architects San Francisco, has this to say in the book’s introduction about where you might start:
“The architectural landscape here is a study in contrasts, marked by a history of resilience and reinvention. Stately Victorian homes in Pacific Heights stand alongside the sleek, modern towers of SoMa, and the Painted Ladies of Alamo Square overlook a skyline forever changing. Each neighborhood, from the colorful murals of the Mission to the intricate alleys of Chinatown, is a microcosm of San Francisco’s cultural fabric, capturing the spirit of the communities that shape them.”
