Description:  Taken during a lunch photowalk with Thomas Hawk awhile back.  Not much to add to this one.

Location: San Francisco, California
Date Taken: September 4, 2008
Camera: Canon 20D
Exposure: 1/30 second
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 100

Description: This photograph is actually hanging on one of my walls in my apartment.  I made this image a few years ago while walking around Chinatown.  I remember thinking to myself when I saw this person standing over this poster that the poster must have some meaning behind it (though I didn’t know much about it at the time).  More so, I like the unanimity of this picture.  The viewer doesn’t know the story behind it and is therefore forced to analyze it on their own.  When people ask about the person standing on top of this poster, I just respond, “the story is yours to imagine.”

For more information on this poster, read up on Bob Woodward and Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate.

Location: Chinatown, San Francisco
Date Taken: February 5, 2005
Camera: Canon 20D
Exposure: 1/640 second
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 100mm
ISO: 1600

Description: There really isn’t much of a story behind this picture.  I’ve walked around the Embarcadero area in front of the Ferry Building quite a few times now, so I was looking for something new, something different to capture.  As I walked by this sign, I literally walked right by it and then decided to go back.  The contrast of the yellow behind the black and white sign really drew me in.  I made a few frames and after reviewing and processing, decided on posting this one.

I’m still not exactly sure what it is, but there is something I really like about it.  What do you think?

Location: Financial District, San Francisco
Date Taken: February 2, 2009
Camera: Canon 5D
Exposure: 1/100 second
Aperture: f/1.6
Focal Length: 50mm
ISO: 1600

Week: 6/52
Neighborhood: Financial District
Image Title: Sign of Our Times

Again, I’m struggling to get out and take pictures due to long hours at work.  I’m thinking about changing the project up a bit where I won’t restrict myself to the same neighborhood 4 weeks straight, however, at this point, I’m sticking with the plan and trying to power through.

This picture was inspired by the struggling times we are going through.  Shops are closing all over the place and friends are being laid off.  Businesses that are able to make the necessary adjustments will survive and I hope we see improvements soon.  If you have been effected in anyway by the economic slump, I wish you the best and hope you can find the positive in these situations.

You can follow everyone’s progress at the Photography Collaboration Project Group or with a search for the tag PCP:MNYN on Flickr.

This photo is part of my 2009 52 Week Project: My Surrounding Neighborhoods.

Description: Over the past several months, I have grown an interest in neon signs.  I think a big contributing factor is due to hanging out and taking photos with Thomas Hawk and Jeremy Brooks, both of which are huge neon sign fans.  These signs are extremely fun to take pictures of and there are some very unique and interesting neon signs to be found throughout San Francisco (and probably any city).  Unfortunately, due their fragile nature and cost, they have been slowly disappearing from our streets.

Location: North Beach, San Francisco
Date Taken: January 14, 2009
Camera: Canon 20D
Exposure: 1/100 second
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 55mm
ISO: 400

Description: While walking down Broadway, on my way from Embarcadero to Columbus St, this Banana Republic advertisement, back dropped by the Transamerica Building, caught my attention.  Luckily I still had some twilight color left in the sky to provide the deep contrast between the white advertisement and the background.  Like most photographers, shooting during the twilight hours is my absolute favorite time to be out with my camera.

Location: Financial District, San Francisco
Date Taken: August 18, 2008
Camera: Canon 20D
Exposure: 1/80 second
Aperture: f/5
Focal Length: 48mm
ISO:400

Description:  As a photographer, rain can be your worst enemy or your best friend.  Rain provides the opportunity for a dull picture to come alive and the reflections to add new drama to any scene.

Location: Downtown, Sacramento
Date Taken: October 3, 2008
Camera: Canon 20D
Exposure: 1/10 second
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 17mm
ISO: 800

Description: Photowalking.org organized a downtown Sacramento neon photo walk last month that I had the opportunity to attend.  I met up with Thomas Hawk, Trevor Carpenter, and about 40 others (sorry, I’m very bad with names).  We walked all over downtown Sacramento, capturing as much neon as we could possibly handle.  I had a great time and hope to join photowalking.org again in the near future.

You can see my entire set from the evening on Flickr.

Location: Downtown, Sacramento
Date Taken: October 3, 2008
Camera: Canon 20D
Exposure: 1/50 second
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 55mm
ISO: 100

Description: My favorite images are the ones I take and think to myself, this looks interesting in theory, but I don’t think I’ll end up processing or publishing it.  Then I get home and look through them and I get a nice surprise.  This was one of those shots.  The yellow of the exit sign was jumping out at me and the black and white cross walk behind it only sparked my photographic curiosity further.  I selectively desaturated this image keeping only yellow.  I also boosted the yellow saturation a tad to bring the exit sign out a little more.

Location: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Date Taken: September 13, 2008
Camera: Canon 20D
Exposure: 1/30 second
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 20mm
ISO: 800