For my final project I want to show San Pablo Avenue in a more wholistic light. I find that when I am out taking photos I am drawn to the things that are falling apart because they can make for an easy interesting photo. But as I begin to look back on the photos I have taken and then compare that to the experiences I have had I realize that they don’t always align. Yes, there are some spots among San Pablo Ave that are a little more run down. But in reality San Pablo is a bustling and vibrant community with many different communities and cultures coming together to make that street their home. As I start to assemble my final images, I want to remember who makes up San Pablo Ave (by adding more portraits) rather than focusing on the disrepair that is happening in certain areas.
Although I think it is important to look at the good of these places, I think it is also vital to this class to look at the gentrification efforts that are taking place all along San Pablo. We can already see the historical flower markets being shut down and instead being replaced by condos and coffee shops. You can talk to a local and they will tell you about how their favorite hole in the wall Mexican restaurant is being replaced by an artisanal coffee shop. This too is important to note because this tells the current story of San Pablo Ave. In my eyes it is the beginning to the end. We are seeing an erasure of the rich culture that exists in the East Bay all the while new developments are moving in. This is what I want to show in my photographs, I wish to show that San Pablo has- and most likely will be- ever changing.
I have noticed now that we have done many fieldtrips, that I have developed a method to capturing my desired photographs. If it is a portrait, I will begin to talk to the desired subject first, making them acquainted with our class and the work we are doing. Once they seem comfortable enough that is when I ask them for their photo. If it is a landscape shot however, I find that I tend to take a step back to get a fuller photo, and I put the main subject of my photograph out of center. I am not sure why that is, but I find I like the photos better when I do so. I think it is important to get a variety of photos, but to me stepping back and seeing the bigger picture (quite literally) allows for a greater story to be told about San Pablo Avenue.
The photo that I have found very influential in shaping my artistic process was early on in our photography class. We were in Emeryville or Berkeley I believe, and we were walking along the street when we saw an older South East Asian woman leaning against her yellow motorcycle. After talking with her (somewhat successfully) we got her photo. I think this exemplifies both process I had talked about in the previous paragraph. Within this example I was able to talk to the subject and her husband, trying to get them familiar with the type of work we are doing and if we could get her photo taken. Then when it was time for the photo to be done I found myself stepping back and then putting her to the side of the camera, capturing not only her and her motorcycle but the corner store to her left and the martial arts studio to her right.
Overall, I have learned not only how to become a better photographer (and how to work a digital camera for that matter) but I think this class has made me a slightly more confident person too. I notice as time goes on I feel less sheepish when asking people for photos, or even when it comes to just walking around in a large group with cameras around our necks. I think this class has definitely taught me to just own up to it. Own up to the photos you take, take them with pride and with direction. But also own up to taking up space, this is something that I’ve been working on in my day to day life and I feel like this class has definitely taught me that and it even shows in my photos too. Throughout the class I am finding I am getting more portraits, I am taking more shots when we are out in the open, and I am finding ways to assert myself in the lives of those who live and work on San Pablo Avenue.
One other thing I have learned is that photography is a patient persons practice. And I have never considered myself patient. To take a good photo you must be still, you have to take your time in setting the shot up, and you have to have a clear sense of what you want in your mind or else the photo wont turn out. You cant just stand and point your camera- this is another thing that I am still learning.
But perhaps the most important lesson, and I have brought this up in other reflections, is that the East Bay is a rich and diverse place to live, work, visit, etc. And many people don’t realize that I think. At least coming from me, a girl who has lived in Southern California most of her life. I think places like Oakland get a bad reputation, whereas in reality the city is vibrant, hosting a variety of different types of people, cultures, and businesses. I am glad that I was able to take this class and rethink the way I have always thought of The Bay and the communities that exist within it.