Citysnaps

Announcing Street Sauce Photo Journal

I can’t believe it’s been three years since I published Citysnaps Magazine. So I’d like to let people know I just wrapped up putting together a new photo journal of my street photography and street portraiture, titled Street Sauce Photo Journal.

Street Sauce is the result of wandering the streets of San Francisco, snagging a little of this and a little of that with camera in hand. Its creation was prompted by MagCloud’s recent offer to try out their new square format in beta before it was released to the public. That was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

Street Sauce Photo Journal is not the result of a special project like Tenderloin USA or #iSnapSF. Rather, it’s a well-edited sequenced collection of 44 B&W photographs over 48 pages that I think work well together, capturing San Francisco’s uniqueness, humor, and energy.

Street Sauce’s message is simple:  Street photography is all about being out there, soaking up the rhythm and energy of the street, immersing yourself in its dynamics. And then with an open mind and receptive eye, capturing those special moments with your camera.

It’s been great designing and editing a square format publication. I really like how well square works with a variety of bordered and full/partial bleed photo placements. And I can definitely see going square for upcoming projects…

>>> Click here to preview and see what Street Sauce is all about

Waiting at Neiman’s

Photojournalism Documentary this Thursday in San Francisco

Any photographers out there curious about photojournalism, wondering what it’s like out there covering an important news event?

This Thursday, May 17th, photojournalist, SFSU professor, and author Ken Kobré will be screening his documentary Deadline Every Second. It’s about Kobré working along side twelve Associated Press photojournalists on assignment shooting various events around the world, revealing what it’s like covering stories in challenging conditions.

The documentary will be shown at San Francisco’s beautiful City Club; details are at the left.

More info can be found at: www.deadlineeverysecond.com

It’s free, but to attend you need to RSVP at: mary@thorsby.com

Looks pretty neat – I’m definitely going to check it out…

In the Mission, posing questions…

It goes without saying I much prefer photographs that are a little ambiguous and hold back some information. That’s where not everything is revealed, but rather questions are posed. That adds mystery and lets my mind and eyes wander, allowing me to conjure my own narrative to complete the story. And hopefully the viewer’s if I’m the one taking and showing the photograph.

In the end it’s about posing questions. Not providing all of the answers…

It’s about time…

Well, it finally happened – I snagged a candid street photo in downtown San Jose!

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours in the downtown looking for some street pix. I do that maybe once or twice a year, but always go home empty handed. Seems the San Jose downtown has the right urban flavor, concrete, and buildings – somewhat similar to San Francisco. But what I’ve always found missing is “the energy of the street.” Compared to San Francisco it’s just plain missing. It’s like nothing is happening. And it’s tough getting jazzed shooting on the street when that energy is nowhere to be found.

In any event, I did come home with the above shot and am pretty happy with that. If I manage to do that again in six months I figure I’ll be on a roll!

Street pic: Hair

She was just there as I was walking by. Still as can be. Strange.  On Market Street in the downtown…

1098 – 1062

Time goes by so quickly… It’s been a year since I started designing the layout of Tenderloin USA Photo Journal with co-author Travis Jensen. Multiple layout designs and a couple months of editing photos, writing stories, and what seemed like endless revisions and many prototype printings got us to our journal launch in July 2011.

The photo above is one that I particularly like. It was printed as a full-bleed two-page  spread in the journal and was one of a several I placed throughout the journal to breakup the many engaged portraits and corresponding stories. These un-catptioned spreads provide a visual resting place for the benefit of the reader’s eyes.

If you haven’t yet checked out Tenderloin USA, please take a look. All proceeds beyond printing costs go directly to Larkin Street Youth Services. That’s a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that focuses on helping at-risk youth living on the streets with emergency shelter, counseling, job training, meals, and other needed services.

You can preview Tenderloin USA Photo Journal here.  Note: MagCloud, our journal printer, is currently having a 25% off printing costs spring sale, but with the same pre-sale proceeds going to Larkin Street to help kids on the street.

Mavericks

Seen and snapped in San Francisco’s Mission District. One of the best places around for hanging around…

Street portrait: Cruz

I encountered Cruz in San Francisco’s Mission District, in Clarion Alley. Asked him if I could take a few pix, he said sure. I posed him against a hydrant outlet and took a few snaps. He was a great guy and very accommodating. I’ll make a small print to cary in my bag in case I see him again. People love being surprised and getting prints unexpectedly!

San Francisco street photo

What I like most about this candid street photo is the arrangement of people; from the main subject in the front, to the other people trailing in the background. Eye contact is good too, something I aim for when it’s appropriate.

So cute…

Mission faces

This photo was snapped in San Francisco’s Mission District, on 21st Street. The Mission is a neighborhood I never tire shooting in. Whether it’s street portraits or street photography, I always come home with a few photos I like.

March Bride

Brides of March is coming up tomorrow, Sunday, March 18th.That’s one of the few San Francisco events I really look forward to. I’ll bring my dSLR as well as my cellphone for shooting, but have a feeling I’ll go with one or the other over the event. Hopefully the day will be without rain…

The photo above is from the 2011 Brides of March, and that’s Diana.

Street snap

Street pic: Skaters

Snapped in the Tenderloin…

SFPD Shout

That’s Officer Kelvin Tso. I ran into him last week shooting in the Mission last week with a couple friends. He’s been on the force for 23 years, is a heck of a nice guy, and is also a poet. I’ve probably photographed close to 100 SFPD officers and it’s always a pleasure!

Tags: SFPD

#iSnapSF Field Journal Launch Party!

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If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, please stop by and say hello. Expecting a ton of people – it will be a lot of fun!

2/25/12 Update:

The reception and launch party Thursday night at Haus of Hipstamatic was awesome!  The place was packed and the exhibition looked amazing. Big thanks to everyone who came out for the evening! And huge thanks to Synthetic Corp., the Hipstamatic iPhone app developer, for making it all possible sharing their beautiful headquarters, and setting everything up! They rock! 

Street Photography Talk at the San Francisco Apple Store

Wanted to let people know that Travis Jensen and I will be giving a talk at the San Francisco Apple Store about street photography, street portraiture, editing, and putting together a project journal whose net proceeds helps a local non-profit organization assist at-risk youth living on the street.

The talk will be on Sunday, Feb 19th at 3pm. The Apple Store is located at One Stockton Street (near Market), San Francisco, CA 94108. Phone: (415) 392-0202

If you’re in the SF Bay Area, please stop by and cheer us on! Smirks are cool too…

Check out our latest publication, #iSnapSF Field Journal at: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/334270

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2/20/12 Update: 

Just want to give a big shout and say THANK YOU to all the people who turned out for our talk. It was standing room only after the theater seats were filled! Also, a big THANK YOU to the San Francisco Apple Store who made it possible!

Travis and I had a great time. Although we had close to 50 slides, we tried to keep the presentation on the informal side, relating interesting stories on the street, and engaging the audience as much as possible. Most important of all, we had a lot of fun – and think the audience did as well. 

It’s here: #iSnapSF Field Journal

Travis Jensen and I are proud to announce the release of #iSnapSF Photo Journal. We’ve been doing a ton of iPhone street and portraiture shooting in San Francisco and thought it would be nice sharing some of our best photos.

We designed #iSnapSF in the form of a field journal. The design speaks to shooting on the street, collecting photos, and writing personal notes about the captured images. Its organization was inspired by Robert Frank’s book Come Again, and Laura Wilson’s Avedon at Work. Those are two of my favorite photo books and I thought it would be great creating #iSnapSF drawing from the best attributes of both.

Like our previous photo journal Tenderloin USA, all proceeds beyond printing costs go directly to Larkin Street Youth Services. They’re an amazing San Francisco-based non-profit organization that helps at-risk youth aged 12-24 living on the street.

Please Click Here to view the #iSnapSF Photo Journal news release and information about our upcoming exhibition and reception.

Or Click Here to directly preview or purchase the journal. Thanks for looking!

Moment of silence

Square street

It seems with my foray into iPhone photography most of my captures have been street portraiture. That’s in my blood, enjoying the process and excitement of the approach and engagement as a photographer, and usually learning something new from a subject as a result. That aspect of photography  will be with me forever.

For 2012, however, my goal is to try and balance that out a bit seeking more candid street photos. I always seem to bounce between the extremes of candid street photography and street portraiture. This year, with a more concerted effort, and not being so quick to reflexively snag portraits of subjects that seem interesting, I’m hoping to come back with more candid street photos.

The pic above was snapped at the Jewish Contemporary Museum in San Francisco. I’ve shot in that same area many times before with my dSLR, but in the past have always tried to include much more of the building and it’s dramatic architecture. This time I was looking for just a hint of the building and think the above photo turned out much better.

Excelsior streets

Life on the street…

This is one of my last 2011 photos. It was taken Saturday afternoon, Dec. 31st while prowling San Francisco’s Excelsior district. That’s a new neighborhood for me. There are parts of the area where it feels time has stood still. The energy there is great. Ended up getting three or four photos I’m happy with and will definitely be exploring more there in the near future.

Thinking back on my treks and picture-making in 2011, I came to a realization about why I shoot:  Picture making for me is both an enabler and byproduct, almost a consequence, of experiencing life on the street. I think that sums it up pretty well!

Hope everyone has a productive and peaceful 2012!

Thank You for helping!

Frankki and companion Bruiser • Tenderloin, San Francisco

Almost two weeks ago Travis Jensen and I reached our goal of selling 300 copies of Tenderloin USA Photo Journal. Currently the number is at 311 copies. Altogether, that represents $2,916 going to San Francisco’s Larkin Street Youth Services to provide meals, counseling, housing, educational, and medical services to at-risk youth between the ages of 12 and 24 living on the street.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who purchased a copy! We’re hoping to hit the $3,000 mark real soon…

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Gibson: Another street portrait…

I’ve been shooting exclusively with my iPhone 4, both street photography and street portraiture for about the last four months. I’m having a blast! It’s really liberating not carrying a heavy camera and lens plus bag…

A gathering…

Occupy Saks

Snapped on Black Friday in San Francisco.

Hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving!

On the street…

Stylin…

Unscheduled maintenance

Street Portrait: Gibson

 That’s Gibson. Lives in Oakland, but snapped him in downtown San Francisco…

Nevada Bound: A six day desert road trip — Available now…

Nevada Bound Photo Journal is the result of a six-day, 1,600 mile “On the Road” / “Easy Rider” style adventure across Nevada’s vast desert and back.

Authored by photographers Brad Evans and Travis Jensen, the 60-page journal speaks to the freedom experienced hitting the open road, exploring new ground, and making decisions on the fly with no set agenda, all while photographed from a street photographers perspective and sensibility.

Priced at $15, Nevada Bound features 70 photographs, representing a diverse mix of color and black-and-white landscapes, candid scenes, portraiture, and desert oddities that are somewhat hard to classify.

Select photographs from Nevada Bound will also be available for purchase in limited runs, printed on Kodak Endura Metallic paper. Ordering info and pricing can be found in the back of the journal.

The official Nevada Bound launch party will be held on Thursday, October 27, at 6pm in the banquet room at Schroeder’s Restaurant, 240 Front Street (a half block from Two Embarcadero) in San Francisco’s Financial District.

Please click here to check out and/or purchase Nevada Bound Photo Journal.

Big thanks for your support!

-Travis and Brad

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Note:  MagCloud is offering a Halloween Trick or Treat 25% discount on the printing costs of all journals starting today, and running until October 31st. Because of that, Nevada Bound is priced at $11.65 during this period.

Occupy SF in ten

After going through and editing all my captures, I put togtether a short photoessay of ten images. Click the displayed image to advance to the next…

Portraiture

Mission in Ten photoessay

Lately I’ve been shooting with just my iPhone, with the last couple of outings being in San Francisco’s Mission district. My big camera is mostly staying in my bag. Needles to say, I’m really enjoying the experience. And am liking the square format more and more.

I put together a 10 photograph Mission photoessay - Click the displayed image to advance to the next…

The above photos were taken on Mission St, within a block or so…

16th and Mission

2011 Folsom Street Fair, in Square

The 2011 Folsom Street Fair was last Sunday, as many in San Francisco already know. The fair usually brings out lots of photographers, though I haven’t been shooting many events lately.

But… Since overcast and light rain were forecast for the day, the opportunity was too good to pass up. Previous years were awful with harsh light that made shooting difficult at best.

This time I decided to leave my dSLR in my bag and experiment shooting with my cellphone cam. That is, until my phone’s battery died later in the afternoon. Today I purchased an external battery that will in the future let me shoot for extended periods.

Click the displayed image to advance to the next… Warning, some are NSFW…

Folsom Street 2011

On Geary

In the Tenderloin…

Snuggles

In the Tenderloin. Where else?

Suits

Desert bound

A week ago Travis Jensen and I returned from a 1,600 mile, six day no-agenda-in-mind photo road trip through Nevada’s desert. It was one of the best road trips I’ve ever been on.

Hitting the road August 13 with a Dodge Charger rented at SFO, we cruised east on Highway 80 with our first day’s driving ending in Lovelock, Nevada. There, and along the way, we took a lot of photos and met some really great people at Pershing’s Pub. Then next day was on to Winnemuca for the second night, with more photos snapped at some really interesting spots. The next morning it was back on 80 driving through Battle Mountain, Elko, and Wells, and then heading south down Highway 93. We stayed in Ely, where the following day we picked up Highway 50 (“America’s Loneliest Road”) for the return west. More small towns and a diversion on Highways 722 and 95, an Indian reservation, a stay in Fallon, and then up to Reno for two days. It was an amazing trip!

We’re still going through our photos, but so far we’re really digging what we snagged…

Yada yada yada

Loading Zone

Street portrait: Marcos

That’s Marcos up above. I met him and a few other people while attending a friend’s exhibition in downtown Oakland a few weeks ago. It was a good opportunity to take a few portraits. Here’s another portrait I posted on All City…

Thank you!

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who came out to the Tenderloin USA launch party last week. With around 300 people stopping by over the evening, and selling out of our on-hand stock of Tenderloin USA Photo Journals, we’re calling the event a huge success!

Also wanted to let everyone know that so far we’ve raised more than $2,300 for Larkin Street Youth Services. And that’s what really has made the project great!

Togetherness

Tenderloin USA Photo Journal Launch Party

We’re having a party to celebrate the launch of Tenderloin USA Photo Journal. It will be at Ever Gold Gallery, 441 O’Farrell St. (between Taylor and Jones), on Wednesday, August 10th, between 6 and 10pm. There’s a parking garage on O’Farrell and Taylor, just a half a block away. Hope to see you there!

Read the rest of this entry »

Tenderloin USA Featured in San Francisco Chronicle

About a week ago, Travis and I hooked up with San Francisco Chronicle writer David Wagner for lunch at Little Henry’s restaurant on Larkin Street for an interview about our Tenderloin USA project. We figured the story would end up as a small piece somewhere in the paper’s Datebook section, but come Saturday morning were shocked to discover it made the cover – and the story was substantial! Check out the online version here.

Pictured above are Ashley, her dog Diamond, and Kenny, holding up the paper for the shot. They live in a building near Geary and Hyde along with a handful of other individuals we’ve photographed in the past, two of which are featured in our journal.

We’re now halfway past our goal of selling 300 journals and are stoked about the money we’re raising for Larkin Street Youth Services. To review or purchase Tenderloin USA Photo Journal, please click here.

Also, we’ll be having an official launch party for Tenderloin USA on Wednesday, August 10, from 6-10pm at Ever Gold Gallery, located at 441 O’Farrell St (between Taylor and Jones). A flier will be posted soon. Please stop by if you’re in the area!

Someday…

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Giving Back

Now that Tenderloin USA Photo Journal has launched, I thought it would be good to talk about an important element of our project.

For some background, Tenderloin USA did not start off as an official “project.” Rather, it slowly morphed into one during our exploration of the Tenderloin over the past year. Through the process of engaging dozens of people in the neighborhood it became clear we had a story to tell through our photographs, subject stories, and personal anecdotes. And it was something we thought could be shared with others. Tenderloin USA was thus born.

Not long after that, from thinking about project and publication possibilities, we decided that giving back to the community we spent so much time in would not only be a great thing to do, but the right thing to do. Particularly, if that could somehow benefit one of the most vulnerable segments in the neighborhood; at-risk youth. That was on Travis’ mind right from the beginning. Both Travis and I are really proud that we decided to make giving back to the community that we regularly take from one of the foundations of our project.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tenderloin USA Photo Journal – Available now!

After a year of shooting in the neighborhood at all hours of the day, and after a ton of edits and revisions, Travis Jensen and I are proud to announce the availability of Tenderloin USA Photo Journal.

Our 50 page perfect-bound journal is a photographer’s view into the the process of engagement through photographing and talking to dozens of people inside one of San Francisco’s most vibrant neighborhoods, The Tenderloin. It has been an amazing experience for us and one we’d like to share through our publication. We’re very pleased with the way it has turned out; the photographss we’ve taken, the short stories we gathered, our personal anecdotes, and the overall journal design. We think you’ll like it too!

And, as a way of giving back to the community we’ve spent so much time in, all proceeds in excess of printing costs will go directly to Larkin Street Youth Services, a SF youth services organization providing shelter, medical and other services to at-risk and homeless youth between the ages of 12 and 24.

Tenderloin USA Photo Journal can be previewed and ordered here:  http://tenderloin.magcloud.com

Please check it out when you have a moment!

Tenderloin USA

At 50 pages, Tenderloin USA is a black-and-white photojournalistic odyssey of discovery and exploration through one of San Francisco’s most vibrant yet often overlooked neighborhoods, the Tenderloin, a.k.a. “The TL,” a.k.a. “The Loin.”

Authored by local photographers Brad Evans and Travis Jensen, Tenderloin USA takes readers on a photographic journey deep into the heart of the Tenderloin, with focus on the folks who live, work, own businesses, hang out, and raise families in the culturally diverse neighborhood.

With a shared love for people and the process of engagement, Evans and Jensen’s goal when photographing in the neighborhood is to portray the individuals they meet with respect and dignity.  They believe it would have been far to easy and inaccurate to paint the Tenderloin in a negative light, so instead focused their project on the neighborhood’s more positive aspects, mixed with a little of in-between.

Priced at $20, all proceeds after printing costs from Tenderloin USA will go directly to Larkin Street Youth Services, a San Francisco-based charity organization, which provides homeless, runaway and at-risk kids between the ages of 12 and 24 with various support services, including emergency shelter, primary medical care, transitional housing, job training and scholarship assistance.

Tenderloin USA is slated for release on Monday, July 11, 2011.

– Travis Jensen

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7/23/11 edit:  Tenderloin USA is now available. Click HERE to preview or purchase a copy.

Just some guys

My Vlad shot

I don’t take many vertical street shots of people on the sidewalk. That’s something that Vlad has pretty much nailed. But mine up above feels like it could have been one of his.

Funnily enough though, I was bs-ing with Vlad about cameras, leaning against the wall of the Westfield shopping mall on Market street last Saturday when I took this. I saw her zipping down the sidewalk at a decent clip and when she was about 10-15 feet from us I said (to Vlad), “Hold on,” stepped out in her path, crouched and framed up the shot in the viewfinder, snapped, and then was back to the wall with Vlad. Without missing a beat and all in about a second or so. I think he was impressed.  Though he feels his presence was an enabling factor. No doubt there was some inspiration!

To tell you the truth, the photo is not something I’m all that stoked about, though Vlad seems to like it. He did say it was a pity it was wasted on pixels, though. But it was an interesting exercise in reflexes! Maybe I’ve earned the right to shoot with an M2 now?

Street portrait: SFPD Officer Alex Gonzalez

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted up a San Francisco Police Department officer street portrait…  I took the above photo of Officer Alex Gonzalez back in January in the downtown at Powell and Market. He’s attached to the Southern Station precinct. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts I’m always glad to see them on the street. And they’re always great to converse with. If you see them out there, give ‘em a nod!

Tags: SFPD

Shuron and Jasmine

Tenderloin USA…

Bumping into past subjects

Yesterday I hooked up with photobud Travis Jensen at 6:30am for another morning of Tenderloin shooting. We met a few interesting people and had some interesting conversations with subjects while taking their portraits. The light is super at that hour and the neighborhood energy much different than in the afternoon.

We’ve been shooting in the neighborhood for quite awhile now and have slowly built up a nice body of work. What’s great is we now regularly run into people who recognize us. Catching up with people is satisfying – I think we’re slowly being accepted as “the photographers,” out doing our thing. It’s also a good time to  give prints back to subjects previously photographed.

Up at the top is Julius holding a couple photos I just gave him, shot last year a few blocks away. He was really stoked receiving them. Several times during yesterday’s encounter he said getting the prints made his day. Hearing those words made mine as well!

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Street portrait: Jerome

Snapped in San Francisco’s downtown…