I have included a collection of images that best represent the truth of life in San
Francisco. I went to different neighborhoods in the city: the Tenderloin, the Castro, Haight-
Ashbury, and the Design District to capture the city’s overwhelming homeless, intoxicated, and
mentally ill population that has continued to be ignored.
Growing up in San Francisco, I held memories of the ocean, the beaches, the heavy fog,
the great food, and generally kind strangers. Returning to San Francisco after eight years away, I
have not been able to recognize anything from before I moved to Utah.
I used this collection of images for self-reflection to mourn the loss of my childhood
memories but also to understand how much of what I have seen online and heard from others
about the lack of safety, increased crime, and increased homeless population was true. Sadly,
what I uncovered in San Francisco was far worse than what has been publicly reported.
Anytime I took a photo of an individual for this collection, I asked their permission first, giving
them a water kit, granola bars, and Purell hand wipes. I was surprised how often I was told I did
not have permission to take a photo.
I used my Canon R5 Mirrorless camera with a 24-70mm lens for this assignment, which I
quickly learned painted me as a target for theft. I was chased more than half a dozen times by
individuals looking to take my camera setup and sell it. For my safety, I captured the images for
this assignment quickly by using a fast shutter speed to stay moving and remain safe. In postproduction,
I mainly evened the brightness of the photos. I created adjustment masks for the
subjects to compensate for the intense glare the California sun produced through the heavy fog.
After completing this final collection of images, I am now more than ever motivated to
continue taking images of San Francisco that show anyone who looks at the fear, worry, and
sadness I experienced in the city. For change to be accomplished to restore the city to what it was
in the past, the truth needs to be revealed and introduced in conversation, which is what I hope to
accomplish going forward.
