San Francisco Dogpatch - A Hipstamatic Tour

Abandoned Warehouse Through A Broken Barrier

San Francisco Dogpatch - A Hipstamatic Tour is a portrait of  a neighborhood right along the bay and down from Potrero Hill. The name is theorized to have been derived from either the proliferation of Dog Fennel that once dominated the area (and still grows in pockets) or packs of wild dogs that used to wait outside the slaughterhouses for scraps. Until recently I had spent little time in this hood say for the occasional Muni ride to a baseball game back in 2005. Now I have a good friend who calls the place home. Dogpatch is a “cool” place to be now with flashy new lofts, great restaurants, and many artisan shops. However, the beauty here lies in the abandoned warehouses along the water which still dominate the acreage of the area and are some of the most starkly beautiful places I have ever seen.

These first two shots are the interior and exterior of the same abandoned warehouse. The exterior shot shows the myriad of broken windows intermingled with those intact. The fence in the foreground was 8 feet high and covered in razor wire which you may see in more detail if you click for the full-size image. On the far left of this shot and down out of the frame was a small crawl space where I was able to sneak through and find a section of iron grating that had been removed giving me access to the inside with my camera lens. The above interior shot would not have been possible with a DSLR cam as the opening was too small for a lens to have fit. The lighting inside and out on this day was spectacular.

(Both images were shot with iPhone 5 – Hipstamtic Jane Lens and Ina 1982 Film – Processed through Phototoaster and again on Snapseed)

Breakfast in Still Life

As usual my day of shooting begins with a wonderful breakfast. This orange cake and cappuccino fueled my curiosity and so I decided they should be photographed at the stage which I recognized their greatness.

(Image shot with iPhone 5 – Hipstamatic Foxy Lens and Inas 1982 film – edited on Snapseed)

Waterfront Crane

From the rooftop deck of my friend’s brand new apartment I am always drawn to this crane. It is dilapidated, covered in graffiti, and appears too far from the water to have ever been much use. In this image I try to restore its glory and bring it back to a time when it was loading and unloading containers of goods and providing income to a local family. I think I did it proud here shooting from iPhone 5 with Hipstamatic Jane Lens and Ina’s 82 Film – processed on snapseed and then once again on Old Photo Pro.

Making my dinner selection

Just around the corner from the crane is the finest butcher in San Francisco, Olivier’s Butchery. Olivier hails from France and sources only the finest grass-fed cows from local ranches here in California. He then butchers the animals using traditional French methods to create cuts that are wondrous and lesser known here in the US. I chose the 4th hanging steak from the left in the background. This rare piece cut from the shoulder is known as a Merlan because it has the shape of the fish of the same name. The butcher butterflied the entire piece and scored it crosswise. I cooked it in butter and olive oil for less than 4 minutes total and served with an arugula salad and a nice Chinon wine from France’s Loire Valley.

Lunch

Of course after buying steak (and some cheese) for dinner we were starving and headed over to the brilliant Serpentine for lunch. This restaurant was really the first to have the guts to open in Dogpatch and others have followed their lead. This gorgeous rock cod with crisped skin was served with rapini, broccoli romanesco, and this smear of butternut squash. At $13.95 this is one of the most elegant lunches for the money in SF. (Shot with iPhone 5 Hipstamatic – Jane Lens – and Ina’s 82 film – minimal processing on snapseed)

This One is Working

After lunch we dove into the warehouse district on our way to a “park”. The building above was clearly still in operation and while the signs make a nice symmetrical touch to my image I think they are a little redundant with the 8 foot fence and topping of razor wire. Every building down here was like Shawshank. (iPhone 5 Hipstamatic with Jane Lens and Pistil Film – Edited on Phototoaster and Snapseed)

This is a Park?

The signs pointed to “Warm Water Cove Park” upon arriving the signs suggested a cold water shit hole. A few downtrodden men sat along the water’s edge and puffed on reefer. Seagulls made futile fecal dives into the mire only to come up empty and fly in unison the hell out. What the hell is happening here in one of the richest cities on the planet? My images are intended to suggest an era long since past but sadly, these are last week. (iPhone 5 Hipstamatic Jane Lens and Pistil Film – edited on Phototoaster and Snapseed)

Shipwreck

I do enjoy the texture from the mud and the channels in the sand from the tide. I did my best here to create stark and interesting images from an environmental fiasco. I would love for these images to be the last of this park in this condition. (iPhone 5 Hipstamatic Wonder Lens and W40 film – edited with snapseed)

3rd Street Residence

Walking back along the grittiest section of 3rd street I encountered a bevy of mobile homes/RVs that were clearly occupied and forever in flux. This was just one of the many signs intended to give the casual viewer a sense of the political frustrations of the local “tenants” (iPhone 5 Hipstamatic Jane Lens Pistil Film edited with phototoaster and snapseed)

Metaphor?

This was the final shot I captured of our walk. Sitting on a lonesome corner atop a 5 gallon bucket was this CD compilation. You think Jerry was watching? (iPhone 5 Hipstamatic Jane Lens – Pistil Film – edited in Phototoaster and Snapseed)

More images from Dogpatch from other iPhone apps coming soon.

Cheers,

M

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