San Francisco

My hometown...

This series of photos has got to be my favorite set of work so far… If you remember from previous posts, a primary observation of my photos from others is that who I am shows very easily through each shot. This is especially true in this series of shots from my hometown. These shots are actually a few collected over a bunch of different photowalks and have varying characteristics – simple, colorful, high activity, unique points of view. More than likely you’re gonna see another blog entry of a San Francisco photowalk sometime down the line…

| MLK Waterfall | Yurba Buena Gardens | San Francisco, CA |

The textures in the MLK tunnel make for a ton of photographic interest. Walking through there was also very humbling and artistic… There is actually a waterfall to the right and whole lot of visual appeal…

This next shot was on Union Square…

| News Stands - Powell Street | Union Square | San Francisco, CA |

We get bombarded by common media and marketing campaigns so much that it becomes ingrained in our mind… Quite honestly, I virtually walked past this set of stands several times before realizing they were free… The word has become stuck in my mental muscle memory and no longer evokes thoughts of opportunity of gain without cost – FREE doesn’t really register… I suppose it is crazy to realize, but we see so many bits of advertising on our TVs and in the streets that it is no longer a thought process but a subliminal message… I guess you pay a lot more attention when you have a camera in your hands...

Further on the observation of the writing on the walls, I saw this on the way down in to the Powell Street Muni/BART Station…

| No Graffiti | Powell Street Muni/BART Station | San Francisco, CA |

I really couldn’t help but take this shot… and part of me found it kinda comical – I don’t know why though…

This next one is also directly outside of that station…

| Street Show Tap Dance | Powell Street Cable Car Turn-around | San Francisco, CA |

I really love the colors and the depth of the composition – I really wish I was able to capture action in this one though…

The next picture is one that I get some surprising reactions from…

| Bart Ticket Dispenser | Powell Steet Muni/BART Station | San Francisco, CA |

A lot of people who have seen this shot actually really like this shot – for a lot of different reasons… Maybe because of the depth and cleanliness of the shot… There aren’t too many distractions and all the people are at each ticket station… For me – I tend to think it’s because of the Muni/BART sign at the top – but that’s just me.

The next shot was taken when Vaness and I took the ferry over to Sausalito!

| SF Skyline | SF Bay , Sausalito Blue & Gold Ferry | San Francisco, CA |

It’s a classic and typical shot taken a hundred times over, but hey… it's a necessary part of the portfolio… I figure I might as well take one that isn’t too common… And with the added effects, I think it turns out to be a pretty good one overall – I kinda like the natural lens flare too..

This next one wasn’t on my cut list initially, but after a little bit of evaluation, I ended up liking it a lot!

| Bay Bridge, Pier 4 | San Francisco Embarcadero | San Francisco, CA |

Right after I took this shot I felt a bit discouraged because I got shots of the Bay Bridge, but nothing really all that spectacular. Even after the previous shot, I still didn’t feel all that satisfied…

Until I stepped back into the car to leave…

| Bay Bridge, Pier 4 | San Francisco Embarcadero | San Francisco, CA |

I always get asked if I was driving or parked when I took this shot… I was parked… but, I do suppose I could say I was driving – just for the extra mystery to the story! Hmm… Anyways… It is my favorite of the whole set and for me will probably be a piece I take with me everywhere…

I really love and miss the city a lot and maybe someday I will be able to live there… but for now… I’m glad to be in sunny San Diego…