Mechanics' Institute Stairwell Look Down

The Mechanics’ Institute is located in San Francisco's downtown at 57 Post St. On public transit, take either BART or Muni Metro to the Montgomery St. Station. Walk north one block on Montgomery and turn left on Post. The building will be located on the south side of the street. Security to the building is fairly tight. You'll have to sign in to get into the building. Be sure to sign in for the Mechanic's Library and you’ll see the stairway right in front of you.

The building is accessible during all months of the year, though summer months will give you the strongest light and most hours.

The stairwell gets fairly little natural light, save from some skylights high up and small side windows. Aim for the most intense overhead light of the day to maximize your daylight.

Security to the building is fairly tight so be discreet when taking your photos on the way up.

Be careful when leaning over the balustrade to take your photo. It's a wide stairwell and you likely won't make it safely all the way to the center. Get as far as you safely can — with your camera secured to your wrist — and rely on perspective adjustments in post to make the final tweaks.

Be prepared for some significant adjustments in post to compensate for the artificial light on the marble. In the photo above, I desaturated and brightened the marble to lessen the yellowing effects of the lights above.

The mechanic's library itself is a beautiful and rarely explored gem in San Francisco. And be sure to check out the chess room on the upper floor, though be quiet and respectful when entering. (You have to go through the chess rooms to visit the men's restroom, so that makes for an easy excuse to quickly and quietly pass through to see it.)