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’soverwhelming 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, andgenerally 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 tounderstand how much of what I have seen online and heard from others about the lack of safety, increased crime, andincreased 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 post- production, 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 beaccomplished 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.
