Photography is one of my favorite ways to see the world.

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    • Three in the Tenderloin

      Published on Invalid DateTime

      Look up any travel information for San Francisco and 'helpful' people will tell you: avoid the Tenderloin! It's not safe! There's lots of.. stuff we don't like!

      Well, I live there. By choice. I won't downplay the issues we face here: the living conditions on the streets are dire. They are maybe comparable to some other places in the world when you think of 'squalor'. It's not befitting of one of the richest cities, in one of the richest countries, in the world. But the squalor is there for a reason (historical and other neglect). There are few effective ways to 'improve' it (short of building more housing and providing more services), and certainly few that I personally support. I do not want to put more people behind bars simply for being so poor they no longer have a home. At the same time, many Tenderloin-dislikers have disingenuous reasons for singling out this neighborhood. We have different politics. Beyond politics, a fundamental disagreement about how we should treat people without homes.

      Personally, I enjoy this neighborhood's diversity and density. I have never lived somewhere less dense; the TL was literally the only place in the city that felt like home (in terms of taller buildings, and no of people). I don't do well in the suburbs. I struggle mentally and emotionally with the suburbs. I am happy being among people. And buildings. And great food.

      a scan of a black and white photograph of a person crossing a street in front of UC Law in San Francisco Civic Center

      Sun set in the Civic Center area of San Francisco

      a scan of a black and white photograph of a hotel neon sign in Civic Center San Francisco

      This part of the city is full of historical hotels like these. Some of these are now student housing, others are homeless support housing. Others are still rented out by the day. The conditions are not always acceptable.

      a scan of a black and white photograph of a person walking down a street in downtown San Francisco, there are streaks of light around the film negative scan

      I have never lived too far from transit. So being in this neighborhood is great because I can go anywhere by transit, if I am not biking. Light streaks and dust on negatives on this frame, but I quite like the character it imparts.

      I have not always been confident about taking film photos at night. But in rolling my own bulk film (Kentmere Pan 400) and developing and scanning at home, I feel a little more confident about it since it costs less, and I can see the results faster. These photos were taken with a Minolta Hi-Matic 7S II, with Kentmere 400, developed in D76 1:1 for 14 minutes, and scanned on a Noritsu LS-600.

    • Taking the train during the rain

      Published on Invalid DateTime

      While my primary mode of transportation in San Francisco is my bike, I do find myself enjoying the varied modes of transit here as well. They are especially useful during the rain: it has been pouring, for days at a time, during the 'atmospheric rivers' that we are currently facing in California.

      When that happens, I don't love being on my bike. Not only are roads slick, but drivers are also worse than they usually are (and they are usually awful).

      a scan of a black and white photograph of a train arriving in a tunnel in Muni Metro Civic Center station San Francisco

      The train I take the most is the N.

      There are so many transit systems and agencies here that it took me a while to learn all of them. I wish someone had told me at the start, when I was a tourist, that the 'tram' is a 'train' (trains were only subways to me) or a 'streetcar', and that they all have letters; whereas Muni local buses have numbers, like 38, 49, 5.

      a scan of a black and white photograph of a train station signs and lights from inside a train

      View of an underground station from inside the N.

      a scan of a black and white photograph of woman holding an umbrella standing at Duboce Park waiting for a train in the rain

      These days, I most frequently take the N to get to the Harvey Milk Photo Center.

      The Harvey Milk Photo Center is a darkroom and photo center run by the city of San Francisco. It is also one of the largest darkrooms in the west coast of the United States. The darkroom has something like 30 different enlargers; they also have a cool set up where you can go in, as a member, to enlarge and develop prints, and they take care of the chemicals and wash for you. I took a few lessons there this past month, and love going there to learn and to spend time with like-minded photography enthusiasts.

      Since this roll of film was also developed and scanned on my own, I feel like I have made some large leaps where film skills are concerned: going to HPMC has been a large part of that journey.

      All photos taken on Olympus XA2, Tri-X 400, developed in D76 1:1, scanned with a Noritsu LS-600 and edited for dust and contrast.

    • My favorite place in San Francisco

      Published on March 23, 2023

      I love running or biking towards the Golden Gate Bridge. I come here far more than I go to Golden Gate Park (which many of my friends prefer). They're both the same distance, but I come here more because as an island girl I need to see the ocean. (Also, I don't have to go uphill too much)

      Recently, I caught Covid-19 after three and a half years of avoiding it. Once I felt better, I had to come here again: I grabbed my medium format camera and some Portra and headed to Crissy Fields / Presidio.

      Depending on my mood, and how much time I have, I either stop right at the marina and head back, or I do the whole stretch to Fort Point (under the bridge) and back. Or, I might take a detour into the Presidio if I want to do a trail run, or visit friends who live there.

      Sometimes I take the 22 from here and head to Japantown to get groceries. Or I head back to Van Ness and take the 49 BRT, which I love. (So much faster along upper Van Ness these days, with the rapid bus lanes)

      I never get bored of this place, rain or shine.

      a scan of a medium format film photograph of some boats on the water at Fort Mason

      Boats in the marina.

      a scan of a medium format film photograph of Fort Mason and some boats from behind some plants

      Fort Mason from behind some plants.

      a scan of a medium format film photograph of sunset over golden gate bridge with a kite in the middle of the frame

      Sunset over Golden Gate Bridge, tiny kite in the sky.

      All photos taken on Fuji GW690II, probably Portra 800, and processed by Robert over at Brooktree.

    • St Patrick's Day in San Francisco

      Published on Invalid DateTime

      Some photos from the first roll of film I developed and scanned myself.

      I have been wanting to learn how to dev and scan for many years now. The sheer number of items and chemicals to procure left me dizzy, and I never did. I'm lucky to be near the city-run community darkroom and photo center, Harvey Milk Photo Center. For a reasonable price ($193 for 6 months, you can have unlimited access to the developing chemicals, equipment, and darkroom and digital lab.

      While walking to a black and white film development class, I came upon the St Patrick's Day parade that the mayor of Cork and the mayor of San Francisco took part in. I took some photos, and less than an hour later (including transportation to the darkroom, and learning how to load film into reels for developing.. challenging for a person like me with dexterity issues), I was able to see how the photos turned out, on a light table.

      It took some more time to scan. I am still figuring out my dev and scan workflow, and will keep trying different things until I find something I feel I can stick with.

      a scan of a black and white photograph of the mayor of cork, ireland, in a car in San Francisco's St Patrick's Day parade

      The mayor of Cork, Ireland, was visiting San Francisco and took part in the 2023 St Patrick's Day parade.

      a scan of a black and white photograph of a group of people participating in the St Patrick's Day parade in San Francisco

      Many people participated, in spite of the weather (the 10th or 11th atmospheric river event in San Francisco!)

      a scan of a black and white photograph of a bus that says Galway Association of San Francisco with people in it, and a person walking alongside the bus with a poncho

      Rain or shine.

      All photos taken on Olympus XA2 and Tri-X 400, developed in Kodak D76 1:1 for 9 min 45 seconds, and scanned on Nikon LS-40.

    • A Singapore Story

      Published on March 17, 2023

      I have been away from 'home' full time for almost five years now. Even though I've lived in other countries in the past, I never stopped seeing Singapore as 'home'. 'Home' was where my family, childhood home, friends, food, favorite places, and memories were. I was afloat, in that I was quite literally all over the world, but I was rooted. Every once in a while I floated my way 'home'.

      This time it's different. I've built a home elsewhere, in San Francisco, with my wife. We have a life here. We have two senior pets, who we love very much. Our home, in the literal sense, is a comfortable apartment in the center of San Francisco. It is perhaps one of the first 'homes' my wife has had, but I am feeling.. no, struggling, with the idea that I never quite got to say goodbye to my 'home'.

      For Singaporeans abroad, it usually means home in a literal sense shifts from under your feet. Our little island city state country where the capital of Singapore is Singapore moves on and on without you. Buildings change. Entire neighborhoods emerge. Two new train lines appear, like mushrooms after the rains. You needn't even have been gone for very long. It just happens. That's how it is. (I've examined this many, many times in the past, with no conclusion.)

      The neighborhood I ran around in as a child, after Sunday school, and as an adult, as I lived there, is now gone. Most of it, anyway. They moved most people out of Tanglin Halt, the neighborhood that was home to Singapore's first high rise public housing apartments, to build even taller ones. Even today, you can get into a cab and tell the driver (of any ethnicity) that you want to go to zap lau (ten floors, in Hokkien) and they know exactly where to take you. To Tanglin Halt, the site of Singapore's very first ten story tall public housing buildings.

      a color photograph of an old neighborhood in Singapore with people walking past food sellers in a low rise building

      Tanglin Halt food stalls I have been eating at since I was a child.

      a color photograph of shuttered shops on the ground floor of a deserted building

      My favorite old school Chinese bakery with the best donuts and Hai Lam bread is gone.

      a color photograph of a Singapore subway train station above ground, with tropical plants in the foreground

      A friend of mine lived in a newer building in Tanglin Halt. On the 25th floor. We went to that house in May. When we visited again in October, he had moved down the street to another neighborhood with even taller buildings. He now lives on the 40th floor.

      This is the neighborhood I lived in since I was born. While I was away, my parents moved to the 25th floor of brand new public housing apartments 7 minutes away, right next to the train station. It was their wish to be close to a mall and a train station in their old age so they don't feel too isolated as they get older. In October, I said bye to the home and the neighborhood knowing I will probably rarely go there again. Which is a weird thought, since it was all I'd known as 'home'.

      a color photograph of some tropical plants in the foreground and red and white colored apartments in the background

      I noticed things I never did when I actually lived there. Like all of the plants in front of my 'block'.

      a color photograph of a view from a window that looks into tall buildings. a metal piece that looks strange is attached to a window.

      The view from my mum's old kitchen. The metal stuff sticking out of the kitchen window is a laundry pole holder. We put our clothes on bamboo sticks, then stick the stick into the laundry pole holder, and air dry clothes that way. The traditional way. Nicer than a dryer.

      My apartment overlooked a bad mall. But it was where I went to spend all my money at the arcade (Time Crisis 2, I still resent you); meet dates, grab food, shop for groceries. It was my bad mall. I don't think I will miss it. But it will be weird to not longer have it in my life.

      a color photograph of a view of a Singapore mall next to a canal and tall buildings around it

      Farewell, West Coast Plaza.

      I am frequently traipsing around in the green bits of Singapore. There's quite a lot of it, actually. Many of the 'wilder' bits I used to walk around in for fun, now have names and signs and sometimes, buildings. Like the Green Corridor. I liked the tropical forest. I even lived in one for a while.

      a color photograph of some green trees and blue skies in Singapore

      Some trees near Queensway. View from the road. I lived in an old house deep inside, which could be accessed via a shortcut through this bit of green. They're building on it now.

      a color photograph of a queer couple in wedding clothes walking along a bridge that is in a forest in Singapore

      I like the trees so much, I even had my wedding photos taken there. These were the former railway tracks to Malaysia.

      In the end, I'm just but a small cog in the wheel that is Singapore, that keeps turning. My memories and my life there fade every year. It's the same, but different (for me). When we took that photo in our wedding whites at the train tracks in Bukit Timah, we were about to move to the United States. I guess intellectually I knew what was going to happen. But emotionally? I was never ready. Maybe I still am not.

      All photos taken on Ricoh GR III

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