Beauty and Sorrow on the Bay

San Francisco Bay is perhaps one of the most photographed places on Earth and it's hard to get images that go beyond cliche. But, it's also home, a place where I've lived and returned to all my life, so shop-worn visuals or not, it's home. Here are some images taken last week after my family and I scattered my brother Richard's ashes in the water's just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge.

We chartered a boat and headed out Sept. 10 from the Sausalito harbor just before sunset. Across the water we could see Baker Beach, a few blocks from where we grew up in San Francisco's Richmond District. Once my brother's remains were safely laid to rest, we had time to take in our surroundings and reflect on the day, embrace the wild beauty of the late summer evening and consider our loss.

We returned to the harbor just as night fell, filled with sorrow that my brother was no longer with us to enjoy the life we have always lived in and around the bay, but we also came ashore with awe and renewed love for each other.