Tag Archives: industrial

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Urban/Street

James Grain Co.

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James Grain Co., San Jose
“James Grain Co.” — The worn facade of a repurposed old light industrial building, San Jose.

I am a fan of these old industrial buildings with the corrugated metal walls. I see them all over California in older areas including military bases, factories, agriculture facilities, and more. Most seem to date to a least the mid-20th Century. Some are still in use, by original or successor occupants, while quite a few appear to be abandoned. This is one of many that I pass on long walks.

I’m fascinated by what old surfaces record, from streets in Europe where street art is constantly wearing out and being overlaid with new work, to old buildings that often give hints about their former use. From the looks of it, “James Grain Co,” may have come along a bit later than “Purina Chows,” and who knows what the words say below that. A close look also reveals some fascinating coloration from old paint and decay, ranging from blues to yellow/orange to red.

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

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Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Urban/Street

Loading Dock

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Loading Dock
“Loading Dock” — An old loading dock, closed off with corrugated metal sheets.

This photograph is a companion to another one I recently shared featuring a different part of the same old building. It is a weathered structure with loading docks on both sides that is in a very slowly gentrifying light industrial area of San Jose. It has all the features you’d expect — it is next to an old rail line, it is on a fairly major street, and its exterior features concrete, corrugated metal, and very weathered wood.

I had been thinking about photographing it for a while but never seemed to get around to it, despite going there fairly regularly. There are now some newer businesses in the building that we patronize. I finally remembered to bring a camera as I went out for a long walk that would take me there, and I paused to photograph this old loading dock, now obviously abandoned, with its interesting textures and geometric forms.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

West Coast Rebar Company

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West Coast Rebar Company
The “West Coast Rebar Company” building, San Jose

West Coast Rebar Company. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

The “West Coast Rebar Company” building, San Jose

This photograph probably makes this subject look a bit nicer than it is in reality. It is an old industrial building in an area of such things, these days mostly occupied by auto body repair shops and similar. I’m not at all certain that it is still an actual rebar company — for example, it appears that parts of the facility now house gigantic pots containing young trees.

I have walked past this place many times. (In fact, I’ve known the small street on which it is located for decades.) I’ve also thought about photographing it many times. I’m intrigued by these old metal shop buildings, a type that used to be very common around here and, I would imagine, elsewhere in the country. I see them in older towns and in older areas of more modern communities here in Silicon Valley, but they are gradually being replaced by fancy new office buildings and urban housing developments.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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

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Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

960 Loading Dock

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960 Loading Dock
Loading dock area of a San Francisco building.

960 Loading Dock. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Loading dock area of a San Francisco building.

As life trends slowly back towards a more normal world, I was recently able to join my Studio Nocturne friends (a group of San Francisco Bay Area night photographers) for the resumption of our annual fall “open studio” events in conjunction with the ArtSpan San Francisco Open Studios. The group and its ancestor, The Nocturnes, has shown night photography during this event for a couple of decades. Things were more or less suspended last year, for reasons I hardly need to explain, but this year we were able to offer a very successful open studio event in North Beach, followed by a “pop-up” event in Dogpatch.

So, for the first time in a couple of years, I spent the better part of several full days in San Francisco, showing art, working with my colleagues, talking to visitors about our work. This return to something feeling a bit like the old normal was wonderful. It was also great to once again feel like the life of this city was returning — masked and socially-distanced, yes, but still. The photograph includes the “view” from my location at the pop-up event. As an aside, its composition reminds me of the ubiquitous “chyron” displays on television…

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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.