More great graffiti from 6th and Howard Street (click for bigger view)

Street Art: Signed Bode (left, middle and right), TNS and Stan 153 (middle)  

Photo: © Eric W. Hiss 2008 Camera: Rollei 6008/p20

Here's the whole wall of graffiti just around the corner from the previous image - On Howard St. @ 6th. 

This is 11 photos stitched together....   Click on the image to view a larger version.

"Live with Real Purpose" more SF graffiti

Photo: © 2008  Eric W. Hiss   Camera: Rollei 6008 AF / Phase P20 / Schneider 40mm f/3.5

Street Artist: Unknown

While driving on my way to the bay bridge to get to my studio, I spotted a lot of wonderful Grafitti at the intersection of 6th and Howard streets.     In a lot of ways, street art is the most free and evocative of all arts.  It's definitely done to communicate and share (on many levels which I'll get to in a second).  Its not sold, not done for money, so its pure.  I have heard that for art, the higher the price, the lower the quality of the content.  Don't know that's really true, but if you have visited some of the museums around the world lately you might have wondered a bit about that.   For example, here in SF at the de Young, we've had already two retrospectives on Fashion.  I'm not saying Fashion isn't art per se,  just that it isn't automatically, and certainly a  show of a designer's work that is still in business is not appropriate for a public museum.  Yes, let's use public money to market a brand.   Seems to be a sell out to me. If that isn't enough insult, after you visit the show you are obliged to walk past long tables of items designed by the said fashion house that are for sale. 

That's why I really appreciate the street art.  I don't have to pay admission for the privilege of being subject to marketing brain wash for one but also because some of the street art is beautiful and makes you think.  Like the picture above.  I really think this is interesting.  Love to hear your thoughts.

While I was taking pictures, a young man approached me.  It seemed he might have been a street artist himself. I asked him if he could direct me to some of his favorite stuff, and he replied that he would like to but as he was from the South he could not or he'd get his A** kicked.    I inferred that some of the street art is gang related? Still beautiful stuff, but perhaps they are hitting on many levels.

Briones Regioinal Park

Photo: © Eric W. Hiss 2007    Camera: Rollei 6008 AF / P20  90mm macro lens

While I'm trying to keep my photo blog mostly about San Francisco, I'm posting a photo from Briones Regional Park which is less than a hours drive East from San Francisco.  It's a beautiful park with lots of trails and different activities.  I used to come here a lot more when I was going to Cal (UC Berkeley).     I drove to the North side of the park this time and took the Diablo View Trail  (see map) which starts off near the parking lot. The park is really hilly and some times  a bit of a hike, but the views are worth the effort.  Be warned that a lot of the trails are dirt and can be quite muddy and slippery during the rainy season.  

Beautiful sunset tonight

photo: © 2007 Eric W. Hiss     camera: Rollei 6008AF / P20

I was in my Richmond Studio today and decided to come back over the Golden Gate Bridge so that I could stop and buy some toys for Finn in San Rafael - lucky thing that I did as it the sun was just starting to go down as I approached the bridge.  I had my camera with me and took a couple quick shots before the battery died in the camera.   

Okay here's a more standard picture of the painted ladies

photo: © 2007 Eric W. Hiss   camera: Rollei 6008AF / P20 back /110mm

Definitely a better shot would be earlier in the day when  its not misty/foggy and the sun is shining on both the wonderful old Victorian homes along Steiner St by Alamo Square park and also on the buildings downtown but hey you'll have to come to SF to take your own!    Even though I live just across the park, I never manage to get over here early enough to get that shot.    

One thing to know about Alamo Square Park is that its a great place to take your dog out for a run. Notice the black dog in the grass on the picture above?   More than 2/3rds of the park is open for dogs which can run around and play off leash.    We don't actually have a dog - we were thinking about one but decided to have kids instead when we learned how much time and energy you really need to give a dog.  In some ways San Franciscans seem to love dogs more than kids since most of the parks are more dog friendly than kid friendly.  Most of the dog owners are pretty good about keeping their dogs out of the way of kids/babies but a few just don't understand why parents might be concerned if their dog knocks over their kid.   Most of the dog owners pick up after their dogs too, but not all.  I guess the dogs are still doing better than the homeless anyhow.  But weighing in for the children's side, the city just built a beautiful playground for kids here that has an awesome view. There's two tennis courts too if you like to play.     Its a great park and the park is at the crest of a hill so you get good views of the city in all directions.  There's several great places to go get a coffee, beer or food actually in all directions.  The lower Haight is just a 4 blocks to the South, and Hayes Valley is just down the hill to the East, and then there's what's being labeled by real estate people as the Divisadero corridor just a block to the West of the park.   The shops on Fillmore St. to the North are a bit further but still an easy walk, maybe 10-15 minutes?  Probably if you start anywhere you want in the city and you head off in one direction you'll come to some place cool, but Alamo Square is tops in my book.   Good food/drink to be quickly found in every direction.

Rainy Day in San Francisco

Photo: © Eric W. Hiss 2007   Camera: Rollei 6008 AF / P20 back / 110mm f/2.0

It did rain but its still nice out.  Here's a not so typical picture of the famous Painted Ladies from Alamo Square park showing a bit of fall color.  

The Great American Music Hall, a San Francisco Jewel

Camera: Canon 5D ISO 3200    Photos: Eric W. Hiss 

A few weeks ago, we went to a fun show called the Dark Kabaret at The Great American Music Hall on Ofarrell Street near Van Ness.   Wow what a beautiful old building and there are some fantastic shows here. This is one of our favorite places to hear music and see performances like Vaude de Vire society or Rosin Covin.

You can get food here too for some events.  I took a few pictures (not the best because it was really dark in there, but you can get a feeling for the beautiful decor.  The manager there is a familiar face from my Berkeley days - I think his name is Kiran...  Anyhow whenever we go its like transporting ourselves back in time to the days when San Francisco was just getting started.  Really a must see and do...