The Night In San Francisco

These are images of San Francisco captured at night.



I love San Francisco, living here for 33 years. I am still amazed at its beauty and its incredible mix of cultures and communities. In the last few years, photography has helped me to see the City anew. I have tried to capture some of the wonder that I feel and hope that others can feel when viewing my photographs.



Photographers seem to be at least in part solitary individuals. For me the night seems to fit this nature. Personally, I'm drawn to night photography. I do my best work at night and find shooting at night to be exciting. Since coming here in the late 1970's, I have many memories of walking around San Francisco after dark, especially the SOMA, Haight, Mission and Castro neighborhoods. Photographs of the urban night capture the sense of excitement and drama held in my memories.



At sunset, the City changes. Colors are more vivid, Things can happen. People meet in the shadows. Occasionally a chill might run through me as I walk the darkened streets. In the evening, solitude might be broken by the passing of a stranger or a car speeding by. There is a tension at night between light and darkness, fear and wonder, excitement and stillness.

This book has three sections: Places that the casual observer might encounter. Then, we move east of the city's shorelines to Oakland and Alcatraz. Last, we explore the neon, lights, graffiti and street art that I find myself drawn to over and over.



I hope that you enjoy these images as much as I did creating them.



Grahame Perry

July 2011