Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The Strand

A Fool on a Bike

I, for better or worse, ride on Market Street everyday. Sometimes when it rains, it can be dangerous. But if you go slow and use good judgment you'll be fine. Sometimes you'll learn a lesson (like the one learned a couple weeks ago). This is what it looks like to shave your legs with a fixed gear.

I ride by 1127 Market Street, formerly the Strand Theater, everyday and have become fascinated with it. The Strand was raided and shut-down by the DEA and SF vice cops in 2003 and was once hipster central in its many incarnations in addition to being a theater. I've become even more curious since I get only a few seconds to take a cursory look at it as I try not to become a smear on the way to work.

With the recent daylight savings change, I now get to commute in the dusk, rather than the dark on the way home. On the way home recently, I realized that the north-western-facing side of Market gets great light at dusk. The kind of light where you don't need the post-production step.

It's not that I do a lot of post-production, but I do like to get the shot to look the way I want it when I can. Still there are a bunch I'll post with nothing more than saving it as a jpeg in photo-chop. Sometimes when you're traveling you don't have time for the p'chop so you're forced to get it as right as you can in your camera. Only a few of these will be good, but it's worth getting them. Most of the time it's about getting lucky, but a lot of the time it's about acting on a moment.

STRAND SF

It only takes a few minutes to shoot something and seeing something while not trying to eat sh*t is quite satisfying in the right light. Details emerge and wonderful things are found and the moment of discovery is fun and exciting.

Papercraft

71.2 °F
50.9 °F

A great spring day.

Everyday Scene

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