SF Photo Walks April 2014

Ferry Building Fog

Sf Photo Walks is a new series of photos based upon my walks in San Francisco. I tend to do my best Don Draper impressions while walking through the beautiful city by the bay, rather than napping. I was on my way to meet my Catalan (I was reprimanded for calling her a Spaniard) friend for drinks and tapas at Coqueta, when I saw this convergence of light and fog. I had just been at the wonderful Intimate Impressionism exhibit at The Legion of Honor, and I was inspired to work backwards to a sketch on this image. I adore the Transamerica building in downtown SF, and I enjoy how it looks so at home with black and white palm trees. The darkness in this shot represents the difficulty inherent to selling art. The plight of the Ferry plaza art merchant is challenging. I love walking through their work, as I am always inspired to work harder on my images. (Captured with the Olympus Stylus 1 - edited with Snapseed - Glaze - Waterlogued - and Image Blender)

The iconic Sutro Tower is becoming more and more an overlord of a changing city. I shot this walking to the new Sightglass Coffee in the Mission district.  Near the MUNI bus depot, and through a bare patch of sky, I saw Sutro looking down on me from Twin Peaks. This blue house was recently remodeled and I would imagine costs were well over 2 million dollars, considering its size. So beautiful, so inaccessible. (Olympus Stylus 1 edited with Snapseed)

Inspired again by the Impressionists, I edited this image I took at the wonderful Central Kitchen brunch 2 Sundays ago. Oysters by Manet (1862) blew me away at the gallery on Wednesday. I knew I had something that I could convey my love of the oyster while not losing sight of the feeling they deliver at a convivial brunch. Still life bored me silly when I was a kid, now I have so many memories, and so much passion for food and wine, that I get dreamy just considering it all. This one is going to be on our new kitchen wall soon. (Edited with Snapseed, Glaze, Old Photo Pro, and Image Blender)

On my photo walks, I typically start them at a coffee shop, and often finish them in one as well. Who does not love the beautiful chemistry of siphon coffee? Blue Bottle Coffee, in Mint Plaza, does these beautiful small-batch brews with this wicked cool, hipster included, chemistry set. I snapped away while enjoying a lever-pulled espresso, and watching this very skilled and fetching barista work her magic with the siphon. I love that you can see the reflection of the flask in her eye (no that is not red-eye). I adore this shop, and while I typically eschew waiting in line, for this quality, I will make an exception. (Olympus Stylus - Snapseed)

The columns at The Legion of Honor always fascinate my eye. I was playing with the diorama setting on the Olympus Stylus 1, and I think it worked. I want to one day have a piece on the walls here. I believe I can do it. (Olympus Stylus - Snapseed)

My walks typically take me through the grungy parts of SF. This day was no exception. At the same time, I could see it changing, the poor being squeezed more tightly in the Python grip of tech cash. There is enough money in SF to right so many wrongs, heal so many wounds, and frankly make it the most livable city on earth. Tech companies are quick to claim how they are changing the world, all while ignoring their own city. (Olympus Stylus - Snapseed - Glaze - Image Blender - Old Photo Pro - Photo Toaster)

Thanks for going on this SF Photo Walk with me.

The Housewrighter

iPhone Photography Workshop - San Francisco

Learn How to Create These Images

Hey San Francisco, I am hosting an iPhone and Creative Imaging Workshop April 13 and 14, 2013 in your city. My drear readers and followers of Bliss I would love to meet some of you face to face at this wonderful iPhone photography course taught by uber-talent Sam Krisch.

Follow this link for all the details. If you have wondered where I have been for about a week I have been planning and developing this amazing program.

Sam is responsible for my rebirth into photography and through his course I have been able to find my voice in photos. After 37 years of academic pursuits I truly learned more from Sam in a short weekend than I did in any class I had taken through the course of my CV. This weekend workshop will make you a better photographer and that translates to any medium iPhone or otherwise. If you do not live near the bay area use this as an excuse for a visit to one of the world's most beautiful cities and photograph it.

I hope to see you April 13 and 14!

Happy Photographing,

Michael

San Francisco Lands End

Maritime Dream

San Francisco Lands End is my short photo essay on one of the city by the bay's greatest natural assets. The image above is my favorite shot of 2013 thus far and it reminds me of the stark beauty surrounding this city on all sides. Land's End is part of the Golden Gate National Park Conservancy and after years of work is now one of the most pristine parks I have seen in the US. I say that because I actually preferred the place when it was bit more ramshackle and difficult to maneuver. Now, there are buses, tourists, and a gift shop?

I took the previous shot and this one from the ruins of the 19th Century Sutro Baths. In this image the pool of the baths overlooking the Pacific gives the impression of an exotic resort on the ocean rather than a graffiti mired wasteland which is now the home of a cute little river otter. I love the clouds in this image and when I am here I feel so far from the inner grit of San Francisco.

The Cliffhouse is a famous SF restaurant on the Pacific. Mavericks are waves that come in sometimes that bring surfers on emergency flights from around the world to surf 25-40 foot swells. I loved seeing these bad boys break and the shimmering light on the sea behind them.

Just on the edge of Sutro Baths are these craggy rocks and the cappuccino-like foam of the Pacific this day at San Francisco's Lands End. There are amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge on this walk around the park but I was a little late for the good light on the bridge and my images were not up to standard. Next time :-)

With the challenging light I was able to capture a final image worth sharing. I had hoped to present a few more images but this day at San Francisco Lands End proved to be more for hiking than photography. I recently read some Ansel Adams quote about if one gets one good image a month they are doing well. I feel like I am doing pretty well.

Ciao Tutti!

M

San Francisco Dogpatch - A Hipstamatic Tour

Abandoned Warehouse Through A Broken Barrier

San Francisco Dogpatch - A Hipstamatic Tour is a portrait of  a neighborhood right along the bay and down from Potrero Hill. The name is theorized to have been derived from either the proliferation of Dog Fennel that once dominated the area (and still grows in pockets) or packs of wild dogs that used to wait outside the slaughterhouses for scraps. Until recently I had spent little time in this hood say for the occasional Muni ride to a baseball game back in 2005. Now I have a good friend who calls the place home. Dogpatch is a "cool" place to be now with flashy new lofts, great restaurants, and many artisan shops. The beauty here lies in the abandoned warehouses along the water which still dominate the acreage of the area and are some of the most starkly beautiful places I have ever seen.

These first two shots are the interior and exterior of the same abandoned warehouse. The exterior shot shows the myriad of broken windows intermingled with those intact. The fence in the foreground was 8 feet high and covered in razor wire which you may see in more detail if you click for the full-size image. On the far left of this shot and down out of the frame was a small crawl space where I was able to sneak through and find a section of iron grating that had been removed giving me access to the inside with my camera lens. The above interior shot would not have been possible with a DSLR cam as the opening was too small for a lens to have fit. The lighting inside and out on this day was spectacular.

(Both images were shot with iPhone 5 - Hipstamtic Jane Lens and Ina 1982 Film - Processed through Phototoaster and again on Snapseed)

As usual my day of shooting begins with a wonderful breakfast. This orange cake and cappuccino fueled my curiosity and so I decided they should be photographed at the stage which I recognized their greatness.

(Image shot with iPhone 5 - Hipstamatic Foxy Lens and Inas 1982 film - edited on Snapseed)

From the rooftop deck of my friend's brand new apartment I am always drawn to this crane. It is dilapidated, covered in graffiti, and appears too far from the water to have ever been much use. In this image I try to restore its glory and bring it back to a time when it was loading and unloading containers of goods and providing income to a local family. I think I did it proud here shooting from iPhone 5 with Hipstamatic Jane Lens and Ina's 82 Film - processed on snapseed and then once again on Old Photo Pro.

Just around the corner from the crane is the finest butcher in San Francisco, Olivier's Butchery. Olivier hails from France and sources only the finest grass-fed cows from local ranches here in California. He then butchers the animals using traditional French methods to create cuts that are wondrous and lesser known here in the US. I chose the 4th hanging steak from the left in the background. This rare piece cut from the shoulder is known as a Merlan because it has the shape of the fish of the same name. The butcher butterflied the entire piece and scored it crosswise. I cooked it in butter and olive oil for less than 4 minutes total and served with an arugula salad and a nice Chinon wine from France's Loire Valley.

Of course after buying steak (and some cheese) for dinner we were starving and headed over to the brilliant Serpentine for lunch. This restaurant was really the first to have the guts to open in Dogpatch and others have followed their lead. This gorgeous rock cod with crisped skin was served with rapini, broccoli romanesco, and this smear of butternut squash. At $13.95 this is one of the most elegant lunches for the money in SF. (Shot with iPhone 5 Hipstamatic - Jane Lens - and Ina's 82 film - minimal processing on snapseed)

After lunch we dove into the warehouse district on our way to a "park". The building above was clearly still in operation and while the signs make a nice symmetrical touch to my image I think they are a little redundant with the 8 foot fence and topping of razor wire. Every building down here was like Shawshank. (iPhone 5 Hipstamatic with Jane Lens and Pistil Film - Edited on Phototoaster and Snapseed)

The signs pointed to "Warm Water Cove Park" upon arriving the signs suggested a cold water shit hole. A few downtrodden men sat along the water's edge and puffed on reefer. Seagulls made futile fecal dives into the mire only to come up empty and fly in unison the hell out. What the hell is happening here in one of the richest cities on the planet? My images are intended to suggest an era long since past but sadly, these are last week. (iPhone 5 Hipstamatic Jane Lens and Pistil Film - edited on Phototoaster and Snapseed)

I do enjoy the texture from the mud and the channels in the sand from the tide. I did my best here to create stark and interesting images from an environmental fiasco. I would love for these images to be the last of this park in this condition. (iPhone 5 Hipstamatic Wonder Lens and W40 film - edited with snapseed)

Walking back along the grittiest section of 3rd street I encountered a bevy of mobile homes/RVs that were clearly occupied and forever in flux. This was just one of the many signs intended to give the casual viewer a sense of the political frustrations of the local "tenants" (iPhone 5 Hipstamatic Jane Lens Pistil Film edited with phototoaster and snapseed)

This was the final shot I captured of our walk. Sitting on a lonesome corner atop a 5 gallon bucket was this CD compilation. You think Jerry was watching? (iPhone 5 Hipstamatic Jane Lens - Pistil Film - edited in Phototoaster and Snapseed)

More images from Dogpatch from other iPhone apps coming soon.

Cheers,

M

San Francisco Sunday Walk - Hipstamatic Tour

After lunch light

San Francisco Sunday Walk Hipstamatic Tour - The city walk is perhaps my favorite convention to spark creativity and bring me closer to the world around me. It is very easy for me to sit and become detached from the world as I toil away editing photos and writing at home alone 4 days a week. When I have the opportunity and the weather to simply wander city streets without a plan or a purpose this is when I am at my best mentally. On this cool day the sun was high and the wispy clouds bathed us in dappled light.

Of course all city walks need fuel. On this day we broke in our new egg cups and the latest method for soft-cooked eggs over heavily buttered toast. Steam from fresh Central American coffee and the smells of Irish bacon brought joy and energy to this morning preparation. Of course a Texas Rio Star grapefruit balanced our vitamins and reminded us of home. Home is the boot point, the zero, and the control. We must always have that sense of home to experience fully where it is we are going.

Strolling through an area of the SF that until recently was intimidatingly sketchy we happened upon AQ which was chosen by more than one publication as San Francisco restaurant of the year. It was sadly just before time for them to open otherwise we would have popped in for glass of wine, a snack, and some photos. We will be back so stay tuned for that post. The light was near perfect for this image and I think Hipstamatic should hire me at this point.

Near the lovely Yerba Buena Gardens Juliet spotted this grove of trees. I love the detail of the bark and the mystery of what lies on the other side. That mystery drives me. What does this taste like, look like, what's down there, what's over there, how is that place? Curiosity...this blog could be called that just as easily as The Blissful Adventurer.

As the light began to fade the mysteries got broader and the criminals began to eye my wife. At one point in time I am certain I got a premonition that a young man crossing the street with us was armed. It was almost fight or flight and you know if I am typing this today which one I would have chosen.

Through a window I caught this sushi chef prepping for his evening. He also spotted me and ducked his head. Don't be scared, be proud of what you do. No need to hide, just cut me some fish and let's be friends.

Our walk continued into the darkness. We reached the fabled Civic Center and caught this lonely lamp-post outside of city hall. I love this lens combo on Hipstamatic and it danced well in the Old Photo Pro app. When I am out here this is a painting for me. This is the way I want to live. I am alive when I am experiencing and almost dead when I am not.

We stopped long enough earlier in the walk to take this self-portrait. I have the arms of someone nearly 7 feet tall so I can capture unique angles and perspective. Juliet was standing on a 14 inch rise and it felt amazing to have her so close to my eyes. We walk this world and we relay what we find.

Cheers to Sunday walks in San Francisco.