Category Archives: Photographs: San Francisco

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

Doorway 776

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Doorway 776
A colorful doorway in San Francisco’s Chinatown district.

Doorway 776. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A colorful doorway in San Francisco’s Chinatown district.

For the most part, the fronts of buildings in dense urban areas like San Francisco are not generally beautiful. As I photograph in such places I feel like the insides of such buildings may be interesting and feel like home, but that the outsides are often left in a more utilitarian state, with little attention to beautification or personalization. I see this in San Francisco, but I also see it in other major American urban areas and even in other countries that I’ve visited.

All of that makes the occasional exceptions even more notable. I’ve gotten to know a few of them found here and there in San Francisco areas that might be regarded as a bit “gritty.” This wildly colorful front entrance is on a Chinatown side street, not far from the hustle and bustle of one of the busiest streets.

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” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

Columns

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Columns
Columns of a San Franicisco building.

Columns. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Columns of a San Franicisco building.

One of my photographic habits is to take the train up to San Francisco and then walk for miles through its rich environment while I photograph people, buildings, and anything else I can find. The visual diversity there — and in similar urban places — is astonishing. At some point I almost always find myself photographing details abstracted from their surroundings. I have photographed these columns several times, but this time I decided to take that approach and divorce them entirely from their surroundings.

Many of us depend on travel to make our photographs — from relatively short jaunts like my train ride to The City to much longer expeditions. The necessity of doing our part to slow the spread of the corona virus has pretty much eliminated travel beyond our neighborhoods. But when I look more closely I can find similar subjects within walking distance of my home. How about you?

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” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.

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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

Blue

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Blue
A man walks past a San Francisco construction zone.

Blue. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A man walks past a San Francisco construction zone.

The scene is along a San Francisco street torn up for the construction of the new underground rail route from near the Caltrain station to the Chinatown District. Although this is often a crowded area, filled with commuters walking between the train station and downtown destinations, I found a moment in January 2019 when only a single figure appeared in the scene. (And while this evokes the empty quality of downtown areas today during the corona virus emergency, this photograph was made a year ago.)

You can look at this photograph (or not!?) in a variety of ways. The first things that caught my attention were geometries and colors. (Obvious) hint: lots of rectangles, horizontal lines, and reddish tones. I waited for the solitary figure to walk through the scene. If you look closely enough to see him you can find one of the several possible reasons for the title of the photograph, and perhaps you might intuit at least one more.

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” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

Emergency Exit Only

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Emergency Exit Only
Two trash containers in the doorway of a San Francisco building, with “Emergency Exit Only” signs.

Emergency Exit Only. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two trash containers in the doorway of a San Francisco building, with “Emergency Exit Only” signs.

So, yes, trash bins in the doorway of a San Francisco business — photographed on one of my street photography walks in The City. I’m tempted to just leave that there with no further explanation.

OK, a few hints. You could just look at it as two trash bins in a doorway — after all, that is what you see here. But if you enjoy such things, you could look at it in a variety of other ways, ranging from the mundane (code violations?) to more metaphorical. Your choice.

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” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.