Category Archives: Photographs: Central California

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Tire Shop, Willow Street

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Tire Shop, Willow Street

Tire Shop, Willow Street. San Jose, California. December 26, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Entrance and front wall of an old Tire Shop on Willow Steet in San Jose California.

Another example of a functioning but dilapidated urban business in San Jose, California – and also photographed on an urban photography walk. I think of this, to some extent, as a counterpoint to the Hub Cap City photograph I posted earlier – they possess some obvious similarities and some obvious differences. One similarity that interests me, but not the only one, is that they both reflect the occupants more than a typical modern business; the hand painted signs and the personalized decoration (here very simple and almost absent, but at Hub Cap City almost completely over the top) have allowed the buildings to take on individual character from their occupants.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: tire, shop, wheel, picture, wall, 2888694, door, inside, dark, window, boarded up, tin, roof, corrugated, gray, wall, frame, sidewalk, driveway, willow, street, san Jose, california, usa, urban, structure, old, roof, sky, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Urban/Street

Twilight in the Urban Forest

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Twilight in the Urban Forest

Twilight in the Urban Forest. San Jose, California. January 4, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Trees and the side of an office building are illuminated by evening light reflected from the windows of a nearby building.

There is more than meets the eye in this photograph, and even when you think you have figured out why there is more than meets the eye I think there will still be more that you may not yet have noticed. I’ll continue to be enigmatic and say that “all is not what it seems in this photograph.” :-)

I will say that I made the photograph while wandering around downtown San Jose, California on an “urban photo walk” over the weekend, hunting for interesting street and urban images. This and all the photos I made that afternoon and evening were made in traditional “street” style using a 35mm prime.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: afternoon, building, california, city, county, downtown, evening, san jose, santa clara, urban, tree, forest, reflection, shadow, building, office, windows, side, sidewalk, plant, evening, golden hour, stock, illusion, twilight

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Hub Cap City

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Hub Cap City
“Hub Cap City” — The Hub Cap City store in San Jose, California

The Hub Cap City has been a landmark of sorts on old San Carlos Street west of downtown San Jose for many years. I think it is easy to see why… :-)

(Update 2026: Sadly this storefront is no more. “Hubcap City” lives on, but in a different location, where it is now more or less a lot full of old stuff on a nondescript street corner.)

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Front Yard After Rain

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Front Yard After Rain

Front Yard After Rain. San Jose, California. January 2, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white photograph of an urban home and front yard after rain, San Jose, California.

Continuing with the “urban landscape” theme – and there are quite a few more of these in the pipeline – this is the front of an older home in a San Jose neighborhood, photographed in the early evening after rain had just cleared.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: san jose, california, usa, willow glen, neighborhood, urban, suburban, street, home, house, residence, yard, front, lawn, sidewalk, steps, entry, door, window, arch, light, address, plant, garden, roof, blinds, reflections, shadow, architecture, stock