Day 57: Bayview Rise
Day 57: February 26, 2014: Pier 92. Conditions: Moist.
Tonight was the opening night for Bayview Rise, a new lighted mural installation on Pier 92 in the Bayview. It was also a very very rainy night when I found myself on the bridge over Islais Creek with a tripod and an umbrella and soggy clothing. By this point, the wind was basically blowing in sideways at me, so the umbrella was a complete failure, and I gave up on trying to get a shot with the SLR out of fear of completely water logging it. With no other options, I strapped one of the theoretically-waterproof Canon Sureshot A1 snow leopard cameras onto the tripod and tricked it into running a long exposure for a couple shots. Not too shabby for a camera that isn’t supposed to do such things.
It’s a pretty cool piece, reaching 178 feet up the side of a long-abandoned grain elevator next to the bay. With it’s large scale, the installation is visible from many hilltops around the city, and at night is lit with alternating colors of LED lighting, with each color emphasizing different elements of the image. Lights, colors, and abandoned stuff? These are a few of my favorite things!
(Fuji Superia 200 in Canon Sureshot A1 SLC P20)
Day 56: Church and Market, Again
Day 56: February 25, 2014: Church and Market, again
Another film day. Picking up or dropping off, I can’t remember now, but I was here. More film, more Muni, more of all of the things!
Seriously, though, go check out Photoworks.
(Kodak Portra 400 in the Canon EOS 3)
Day 55: Sunset Over Los Farallones
Day 55: February 24, 2014: Sutro Baths
Today was a day. oy. Still recovering from whatever sickness I had, and a bit overwhelmed by the world, I hopped on the motorcycle for a ride around town to clear my head.
Well, what do you know? As I approached the beach, the sun was sinking low in the sky and providing me with some lovely colors. I popped over to the parking lot above Sutro Baths for a second and was pleasantly surprised to see the sun setting behind the Farallones on the horizon. One more little lesson in how a small change of scenery can completely change my viewpoint. Thanks for the reminder, SF. 🙂
(Kodak Portra 400 in the EOS 3)
Day 54: Caruso’s Dream
Day 54: February 24, 2014: Ninth Street
I posted way back when with some digital shots from the opening of Caruso’s Dream on 9th Street.
Well, here is the film version. Both of these were taken while it was still fairly bright in the twilight hours, as the actual performance that I caught with the digital was far too dark to catch on any of the film I had on hand. I was only carrying 400 speed film, while the digital was taken at 6400, as a reference. For those unfamiliar with speeds, basically that means I can would need it to be about 16 times brighter outside to catch the same shot on 400 speed film as I can get on 6400 ISO. That’s a huge difference. Even my old digital camera could only really go up to 1600, so the new one is amazingly good in low light.
Technical blabber aside, the building across the street is the Edith Witt Senior Community building, where crowds gathered on every floor to watch the show outside.
(Top photo 35mm Portra 400 converted to black and white, bottom is good old fashioned expired Tri-X 400 in the Yashicaflex C TLR)
Day 53: Market Street
Day 53: February 22, 2014: Market Street
One of the interesting things that has happened since starting this film project is that I keep acquiring new film cameras without even trying. A fair number of them I’ve sought out, but the TLR, my Pentax K1000, and now this Minolta have just ended up in my lap once people found out I was using film.
This particular camera comes courtesy of my roommate Eric, who hadn’t used it in a number of years and couldn’t remember what was on the mostly used roll of film inside. Already carrying several cameras around most days, I set it aside for a while and finally picked it up today to finish the roll on my walk down to Photoworks to drop off some other film. As you can see, I mostly used it for stalking people across the street…as I occasionally do when handed a small camera with a long zoom.
It turned out the rest of the roll was shot at the Mavericks surf competition in early 2010, so I feel like the film held up fairly well for sitting around half used in the camera for several years.
(Kodak Gold 200 in a borrowed Minolta Maxxum 3xi, first 20 shots taken in 2010, the last 4 taken today, February 22, 2014)
Day 52: On the Street
Day 52: February 21, 2014: Castro
Turns out today was one of those one quick photo type of days. I can’t remember where I was heading, but likely just down to the Castro to find some food, when I came by this scene. Mostly I just liked the way the car matched the building, and it is one more photo recorded on film for one more day, so that’s about all I have to say about that one. 🙂
(Walgreens-aquired Fuji Superia 200 in the Canon Sureshot A1 SLC P20)
Day 51: Bernal Hill
Day 51: February 20, 2014: Bernal Hill
Perhaps it makes me a terrible San Franciscan, or at the very least a terrible hilltop enthusiast, but I must admit that this was my first ever trip to the top of Bernal Hill. I’m not sure how that happened, but after all of these years, I’ve finally made it!
What can I say? The light was beautiful, the view was great, the dogs were friendly, this hilltop has it all! 🙂
I shall be back.
(Walgreens-aquired Fuji Superia 200 in the Canon Sureshot A1 SLC P20)
Day 50: High Centered
Day 50: February 19, 2014: Upper Market
Today was a sick day for me, but I wasn’t having the worst day in the neighborhood. My doctor told me that my symptoms matched everyone else who came in sick lately, and that I’d probably get worse for a few days, lose my voice, then be sick for another week or so. Sounded lovely. So I stayed home today to rest and do some computer work.
Eventually, I needed to get a break from the house, so I walked over to Kite Hill for a bit of fresh air. There I came across this sight. Apparently this truck was a bit too low to make it over the hill and got high centered. They were still there trying to free it when I walked back by a half hour or so later, but apparently another tow truck was on the way. I’m not sure how the situation resolved itself, but the truck was gone by the next morning, so I assume they figured something out.
Careful on those hills.
(Arista EDU 400 black and white in the Sureshot SLC P22 and Fuji Superia 200 in one of the other snow leopard cams, SLC P20)
Day 49: Church and Market
Day 49: February 18, 2014: Church and Market
This project has me spending a lot of time in the vicinity of Church and Market this year. Why? Well, that just happens to be where you can find Photoworks, the shop that I’ve been trusting all of my film with these days. I tend to be dropping off or picking up at least once a week after work, and the light in February at those times was always just right to take a few photos for the day before heading to the shop. We’re lucky in this city to have several film shops still in operation, so I ended up at Photoworks the first time around mostly because they’re close to my house. I haven’t checked out many of the others, but they’ve always done me right there, so I keep turning up, week after week. If you’re looking to play with film, SF is the right place to do it, and you probably can’t go wrong with any of the shops in town, but I’d recommend giving Photoworks a try. Also a great place to get prints made, locally with care. I’m a big fan of supporting the local shops, and you should be as well. 🙂
The top photo was taken on a wander through Church Street Station and is from one of my ebay-acquired Canon waterproof point and shoot cams that used to live in the Himalayas in a past life. Interestingly, I watched the early 80’s Eddie Murphy movie 48 hrs not too long ago, and discovered that a portion of it was filmed in this Muni Station. Apart from the trains and the ads, it looks exactly the same today.
(Top: Arista EDU black and white 400 film in the snow leopard Sureshot A1 SLC P22, bottom: Kodak Portra 400 in the EOS 3 SLR)
Day 48: Ocean Beach
Day 48: February 17, 2014: Ocean Beach
A quick trip to the beach for sunset to clear my head. What is it like to not be able to watch a sunset over the water? I forget after all of this time on the west coast. All my life, I’ve been able to see this at least once a year, and much more often since I moved to California.
I’m not really sure what it’s like to not live near water, and honestly, I don’t know how I would handle it. This grounds me. At the end of a long day, a frustrating day, the waves are there if I need an escape (and sometimes when the fog stays away there’s a sunset too!).
I don’t always realize it, but when I stop to think about it, this is something I need.
What is it that grounds you? How do you get all of the mess of everyday life to quiet down in your head? Me, I listen to the waves, or just find a lonely spot to sit in the fog and get away from it all.
(Expired Kodak Portra 400 in the Yashicaflex TLR above, fresh Portra 400 in the EOS 3 below)
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