Alameda On Camera Artists' Statements
David Bock
It seemed like 14th annual AOC would be more exciting if I used a new camera, new photo processing software and a new printer. The 2 before/after photos, shoot on a Nikon Z50 and modified with DxO Photolab, appealed to me because they both seemed to have a strong non-Alameda feel about them.
Chris Adamson
AOC 2020, Area 27 (year 9 for me)
The weather, as usual for the AOC weekend, was beautiful – both Saturday and Sunday sunny and a few clouds. Another record dry February!
Area 27 is on the estuary. Chestnut St. to the west, Walnut St. to the east. The estuary is the north border, and Lincoln St. is the south border.
Area 27 is mostly residential, but along Clement St. there are warehouses, and one entrance to the marina. This year I took about 150 photos on Saturday. I felt good with the choices from Saturday’s photos, so, this year, I did not photograph on Sunday.
I hope you enjoy my photos – there are 2 – “Hearts” and “A Shadow and Light Show”.
Jim DuPont
Process
Alameda on Camera was an amazing learning experience from applying, taking the pictures, to presenting a finished piece of art.
After a class at Looking Glass Photo a few months ago, I turned off the automatic feature on my camera and started using the manual settings. I bought lightroom two weeks before the contest started.
I was learning the technical skills of photography and trying to catch the beauty of Alameda. Luckily, Alameda is an easy subject.
The editing process was very new and meant watching lots of tutorials.
Every element was frustrating, challenging and fun.
Robin Young
The 48 hours were interesting in that I was very distracted due to the fact my mom and older sibling were both in the hospital at the time. My mom had fallen in December and her health was rapidly declining. She was 96 and very close to passing. My sister that was only 2 years older than myself had come down with pneumonia and was on a ventilator. She had Parkinson’s disease as well. I had never explored my section of Alameda and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I had lived in my area in 1975. My process is pretty must take as many photos that I inspire me and then crop and/or color adjust.
Ginnie Chabre
Dissembled assemblages. Pieces and parts waiting to be put together into a whole. I walked the lovely tree-lined streets of Area 34 and began to wonder what I would see from inside one of these old, graceful homes if I were looking outside.
Shannon McCook
I'm a portrait and environmental photographer by trade, so I approach much of my work if I were photographing a person -- no matter the subject. However, throughout the day I found it interesting that while my space and time were limited, I found cars interrupting my shot. You'll see I embraced it, and I expanded this idea into some of my other work.
Jared Elizares
All of the images are uncropped panoramas shot with a wide-format camera on 35mm film. I appreciate the cinematic look of the aspect ratio!
Melanie McMullen
Shooting this year in Alameda on Camera was its usual interesting and fun adventure. The weather was stunning, and I ran into dozens of chatty residents who wanted to learn more about the exhibit. One ambitious man who lived on one of the boats in my section told me how he planned on leaving the following month to sail around the world, and he even talked about the challenge of being isolated on his journey. In retrospect, his knowledge of what it felt like to not be able to talk with family, hang out in a coffee shop, or go to a bar with friends was something that I would (soon) long for myself. So I was glad I listened to his advice on coping.
Mark Brueckman
Mark Brueckman is a self-taught photographer who has live in Alameda, San Francisco, New Orleans and Buffalo. He is especially interested in candid and spontaneous images of people and their everyday situations – working, playing, foraging and just being. Mark uses a Sony a6300 camera and an iPhone 8 Plus.
Gerard Hughes
I drew Area 26. Although next to where I live I still found sights I’d never seen. In those few blocks there were many stories and lives to be remembered.
Brandon Meins
As a resident of Alameda, my 48-hour shoot consisted of going on a bike ride to the East end of town and riding around scoping out what I might want to shoot. I biked the perimeter of my square section (#10) first and then worked my way in while stopping when I saw something I wanted to capture. Due to this crazy time that we were entering as lockdown and shelter in place were starting to take hold, I decided to look for dark and moody vibes. I was lucky enough to be able to find a handful of old trucks and some run houses that need work. I decided the images would be black and white to give off a gritty and dark mood to relate to what is going on in the world at the moment. This is a very difficult and weird time for all of us humans and I felt that a mysterious and moody image would fit. The image I made with the toaster oven, handheld vacuum and an urban survival bug out box was very fitting for this chaotic time we are all experiencing.
It seemed like 14th annual AOC would be more exciting if I used a new camera, new photo processing software and a new printer. The 2 before/after photos, shoot on a Nikon Z50 and modified with DxO Photolab, appealed to me because they both seemed to have a strong non-Alameda feel about them.
Chris Adamson
AOC 2020, Area 27 (year 9 for me)
The weather, as usual for the AOC weekend, was beautiful – both Saturday and Sunday sunny and a few clouds. Another record dry February!
Area 27 is on the estuary. Chestnut St. to the west, Walnut St. to the east. The estuary is the north border, and Lincoln St. is the south border.
Area 27 is mostly residential, but along Clement St. there are warehouses, and one entrance to the marina. This year I took about 150 photos on Saturday. I felt good with the choices from Saturday’s photos, so, this year, I did not photograph on Sunday.
I hope you enjoy my photos – there are 2 – “Hearts” and “A Shadow and Light Show”.
Jim DuPont
Process
Alameda on Camera was an amazing learning experience from applying, taking the pictures, to presenting a finished piece of art.
After a class at Looking Glass Photo a few months ago, I turned off the automatic feature on my camera and started using the manual settings. I bought lightroom two weeks before the contest started.
I was learning the technical skills of photography and trying to catch the beauty of Alameda. Luckily, Alameda is an easy subject.
The editing process was very new and meant watching lots of tutorials.
Every element was frustrating, challenging and fun.
Robin Young
The 48 hours were interesting in that I was very distracted due to the fact my mom and older sibling were both in the hospital at the time. My mom had fallen in December and her health was rapidly declining. She was 96 and very close to passing. My sister that was only 2 years older than myself had come down with pneumonia and was on a ventilator. She had Parkinson’s disease as well. I had never explored my section of Alameda and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I had lived in my area in 1975. My process is pretty must take as many photos that I inspire me and then crop and/or color adjust.
Ginnie Chabre
Dissembled assemblages. Pieces and parts waiting to be put together into a whole. I walked the lovely tree-lined streets of Area 34 and began to wonder what I would see from inside one of these old, graceful homes if I were looking outside.
Shannon McCook
I'm a portrait and environmental photographer by trade, so I approach much of my work if I were photographing a person -- no matter the subject. However, throughout the day I found it interesting that while my space and time were limited, I found cars interrupting my shot. You'll see I embraced it, and I expanded this idea into some of my other work.
Jared Elizares
All of the images are uncropped panoramas shot with a wide-format camera on 35mm film. I appreciate the cinematic look of the aspect ratio!
Melanie McMullen
Shooting this year in Alameda on Camera was its usual interesting and fun adventure. The weather was stunning, and I ran into dozens of chatty residents who wanted to learn more about the exhibit. One ambitious man who lived on one of the boats in my section told me how he planned on leaving the following month to sail around the world, and he even talked about the challenge of being isolated on his journey. In retrospect, his knowledge of what it felt like to not be able to talk with family, hang out in a coffee shop, or go to a bar with friends was something that I would (soon) long for myself. So I was glad I listened to his advice on coping.
Mark Brueckman
Mark Brueckman is a self-taught photographer who has live in Alameda, San Francisco, New Orleans and Buffalo. He is especially interested in candid and spontaneous images of people and their everyday situations – working, playing, foraging and just being. Mark uses a Sony a6300 camera and an iPhone 8 Plus.
Gerard Hughes
I drew Area 26. Although next to where I live I still found sights I’d never seen. In those few blocks there were many stories and lives to be remembered.
Brandon Meins
As a resident of Alameda, my 48-hour shoot consisted of going on a bike ride to the East end of town and riding around scoping out what I might want to shoot. I biked the perimeter of my square section (#10) first and then worked my way in while stopping when I saw something I wanted to capture. Due to this crazy time that we were entering as lockdown and shelter in place were starting to take hold, I decided to look for dark and moody vibes. I was lucky enough to be able to find a handful of old trucks and some run houses that need work. I decided the images would be black and white to give off a gritty and dark mood to relate to what is going on in the world at the moment. This is a very difficult and weird time for all of us humans and I felt that a mysterious and moody image would fit. The image I made with the toaster oven, handheld vacuum and an urban survival bug out box was very fitting for this chaotic time we are all experiencing.