For the fifth year, I went to Carnaval in San Francisco over Memorial Day weekend. It's ideal for street portraiture and event photography. The participants are in colorful costumes and are all willing to pose for pictures. Despite that, there are challenges. The overcast day provides even, soft light, but it's also a flat, dull [...]
Here's a second set of images from New York City, some shot at night, some in the day. Times Square, around midnight on Friday night. This Fordham basketball player was posing for publicity shots. Lots of interesting people out at midnight in Times Square. Same location (more or less), early on Saturday morning. Admiring the [...]
Last Sunday I went into San Francisco to photograph Carnaval. I've done it four times before, and each time I learn something I can apply for next time. The event always yields great photos, including portraits of the performers before the parade, performers during the parade, the backdrop of the Mission District, and [...]
I know the Tenderloin isn't the most photogenic, or safest, neighborhood in San Francisco. But it borders Civic Center, where I often go to photograph the government buildings and walk up and down Market Street. This past Sunday, instead of heading "down" to Market St., I headed "up" from Civic Center into the Tenderloin. I [...]
I've visited Martinez many times because it's close, the downtown is picturesque and uncrowded (especially on a Sunday afternoon), and all the picture-worthy sites are within walking distance of each other. Incorporated in 1876 (!), the town has lots of history (birthplace of Joe DiMaggio) and well-preserved historic buildings, like the John Muir National Historic [...]
Very early last Sunday morning, I walked to the end of Pier 14 in San Francisco. It's a good spot for capturing the city skyline, and I've done that many times. On that day, I found this young man with his guitar looking out at the bay. I liked the composition from behind, so I [...]
For my Sunday morning outing, I went into San Francisco to walk the Embarcadero. More and more often, I'm heading into the city, because it provides the most variety of subjects and the most photogenic environment. And I get there so early—at sunrise—that it's easy to walk around and come across very few people, which [...]
I drove to Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland this past weekend, intending to look for street photos there, but when I arrived, I saw there were lots of booths set up around the shore of Lake Merritt. Apparently, every weekend since the pandemic started, this has been taking place: kind of an ad hoc street [...]
I was walking around Balboa Park in San Diego near sunset, looking for street photos, and finding nothing worth shooting. I took one last walk down the main pathway and, at the end, found a woman practicing what I later found out, by talking to her, are her circus routines. In a strong eastern European [...]
I went into Oakland this past Sunday, more to get out of the house than with any specific photo plans. I drove downtown and began walking around the area of Broadway and 14th through 18th. I came across this young man painting a mural, talked to him for couple of minutes, then asked to take [...]