The Real

'Falling Up Into the Promise of Sky' Taken in Berkeley, CA. I got a tip about this amazing warehouse full of graffiti, sanctioned by the owner. Inside was amazing. I almost didn't take this shot. The foreground is too dark, I don't like taking things as angles, it dilutes the power. But this shot kept pulling at me. It was scary and mysterious and calling to me. Because of the darkness, because of the way the angles make me feel unbalanced, that highlights the power of the scene. The graffiti, the color, how the writing is sideways on the wall, writing on the ceiling. Darkness and color, and creativity. It is secret, hidden, brutal. An imperfectly perfect chaos of creativity. Anarchy in writing and color. It makes me feel like Alice in Wonderland falling up into a warehouse corner, into abandoned, graffitied, and beautifully destroyed space.

'Peeping Lake Merritt' Taken In Oakland, CA. If you live in the East Bay you know Lake Merritt. It's highly photographed. I love to walk around it, especially after a meal at a nearby restaurant. I used to take my son here to feed the pigeons and play in the playground. I saw the totem pole being made. Of course Ive eaten at the restaurant there on special occasions. And it became famous for a racially charged BBQ (search BBQ Becky). But this view felt naughty, like I was spying on someone. Like I was seeing someone in a way I wasn't supposed to, without them knowing. But also like I was given a special privilege. Now I have seen the lake in a way most haven't. There's something poignant about standing in an abandoned warehouse, surrounded by decay, and looking through a tear in a blind, to see beautiful Lake Merritt.