Growth

The Presidio of San Francisco was originally the site of a Spanish fort, built 1776. Seized by the gringos during Manifest Destiny in 1848, the Presidio remained a military base for the next 147 years, making it the longest continuously-operated base in the United States.

Now in the hands of the Presidio Trust in conjunction with the National Park System, the Presidio is undergoing a transformation. Sections have been converted into commercial spaces, like the old Letterman hospital has become the home of the Letterman Digital Arts Center and Lucasfilm. The Presidio today is a balancing act between being financially self sufficient and an open public space.

Walking in the door to the Officer’s Club is like entering a ghost town, so I wander around thinking of how best to photograph a group of 75. I suddenly realized as I take a few snapshots of the room, how much I have grown as a photographer. Much like the Presidio I have transformed myself into something half commercial and half artistic.

X-rays, Pat-Downs and Beyond

Family law court is always a nice change of pace from the usual parade of (cha-ching) attorneys in the Valley. During the drive to Sacramento, I can't stop thinking about taking lunch and buying some olive-oil bottles and checking out a mandoline slicer.

I am about a half an hour early and I enter the courtroom at the tail end of the “calendar.” The last case is reminiscent of Kramer v. Kramer without the kid and without the humor. Ok, so it’s nothing at all like the movie, but the mom is asking the judge to extend her restraining order against the dad. The judge spends the next five minutes citing all the different things that would violate the order and then asks the dad if he’s ok with that. He says “Yeah” and exits visibly upset.

After some photos of the judge, I head over to the Third District Court of Appeal, where the security is lax and the judges are high profile. I am amazed at the disparity in security at courthouses. At the family law court, I am scanning my baggage and being questioned; now I am simply telling the lone, bored guard that I’m here to shoot photos of so-and-so. My bags don’t even get noticed as I am led upstairs and ushered into the judge's chambers.