Send Help (Trip to San Francisco - 35mm)

            Anyone who knows me personally will vouch for my spontaneity. It seems to be a reoccurring theme in my life, especially when it comes to moving and traveling. My recent trip to SF was no exception to the tendency. With hardly any advance, I suggested to my girlfriend and best friend that we send it to San Francisco to stay at my sister’s place for a few weeks. They both said yes without hesitation. (Life works out nicely when you surround yourself with people as impulsive as you are)

            We were nonstop the entire time, taking advantage of everything we could. Instead of going into details, I'm going to let the photographs tell some of the stories. I left my digital gear at home and shot the entire trip on 35mm film. (Portra 400, for those wondering).

            After living in the Bay Area and now revisiting a few times, I fully understand where Tony Bennett was coming from when he wrote the song “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.” I feel it too. The diversity of the culture and the immensity of the landscapes diminish you, making you feel small and unimportant- but in the most liberating way. The Bay Area is truly a special place. 

            Thanks to my sister Tianna for hosting us, Booth and Morgan for joining me on this excursion, and to all of our California friends who connected with us on the journey.   

"Aboard the F/V Johnny B" - Whalebone Magazine

Thank you to the rad people at Whalebone Magazine for the opportunity to share my photos and words. Check out the piece and everything else they have going on by clicking the link below!  

Whalebone Magazine

Lessons From Shooting Film- July 2017

   At the start of June, I dusted off my 35mm camera and ordered a few rolls of film. It’s been something I’ve wanted to get back in touch with for a long time- especially since I started documenting the fishing industry. The aesthetic and quality of film photograph’s drives the same feeling that I get from working on a fishing boat- a sense of timelessness, along with both being raw, gritty, and dirty.

   Beyond the aesthetic is the process of shooting film. It causes you to slow down. You must really come out of your mind and into what’s happening in front of you- your subjects, the light, and your environment. With no LCD screen to check, all your focus lands on the moment and what’s before your eyes. I have always said that photography brings me into the present more than anything else, and film photography does that twofold. Not to mention that the postproduction is super minimal, since each film stock is formulated to have its own set of unique colors and tones. And lets be honest, the less time spent editing behind a computer, the better.

To summarize- lessons I learned from shooting film:

Slow down.

Spend more time observing than you do shooting.

Focusing on your environment (and not on a screen) will allow you to better anticipate the moments you’re trying to capture.

Imperfections can be your greatest advantages.

Less is more.

The quality of your photographs comes from what it is you’re trying to say- not how you say it.

I think I’ll be sticking with the 35mm for a bit (until it drains my bank account).

Thanks for stopping by.

(All images shot on Portra 400 and T-max 400. Overexposed and pulled one stop)