Scrapbook

August 2000

This area is mostly for my friends & family. Photos were taken with a Kodak DC20 or a Kodak DC120 Zoom.

August saw some tumult: My first month commuting to Palo Alto. Two hours door to door taking a train. It's an inevitability that scenes from my commute will pop up in the scrapbook pages.
Also found a new insect origami book.

The view out the train - 4th & Townsend.

My view 5 days a week. Ever notice how a scene composes itself in interesting ways when viewed through long skinny windows?

Clay somewhere about Stockton.

Liked the colors & got a decent composition.

Audience: Had to wait for so many people to walk by that I got impatient. Decided to take the photo in a gap of pedestrians. Result: A bunch of people trying to figure out what was worth taking a picture of here.

Sacramento at Leidesdorf.

Door to a Pacific Gas & Electric station. Sometimes when you walk down the alley behind this building, they'll have the doors open & there's all this huge power equipment in it. The equipment all looks old as heck, like something out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Head-sized analog meters on the sides of big free-standing rectangular boxes... Buncha PG&E employees, mostly older men, sitting on benches eating sandwiches, watching you go by...

Commercial around Kearny. Chinatown.

Another colorful garden-level door. In an alley.

Audience: Two business-dressed people (a woman & a man) came out of this building while I was figuring out how to get this shot, and looked at me suspiciously. Like maybe I was a building inspector or something. When things like this happen people always look me up and down, trying to figure out who I am & what I'm doing. "Don't mind me! Just an artist! Sorry." Click.

Origami Hercules Giant Beetle - front.

Went to Japantown recently & found a new insect origami book. Beetles are my favorite kind of origami and this book has nine different beetle designs, among other things.

The design in these three photos is by Seiji Nishikawa. This was the result of my third attempt at this beetle, and was folded out of foil-backed paper.

Origami Hercules Giant Beetle - top.

A model like this can take an hour or two to fold, which makes it a good thing to do on the train during my daily commute.

Origami Hercules Giant Beetle - side.

Broadway at Kearny.

Another decorative sidewalk.

Audience: Just about an entire cafe next door. Once again, a million people trying to figure out what I'm doing.

Origami Japanese Horned Beetle - top

Another design by Seiji Nishikawa. This is my second try at it & I think it came out really well. Nishikawa came up with a very nice design for this one.

Origami Japanese Horned Beetle - side & behind

Folded from kraft packing paper, which I cut into washi.

Various beetles

Figured I would throw in a photo to show the scale of the origami. The Japanese horned beetle there is sitting on a BART pass, which is credit-card sized. On the top right you can see one of my earlier attempts at the Hercules beetle & how it's kind of crinkled up. On the bottom left is my first try at the Eupatorus horned beetle. Looks like it got hit by a truck.

Dunno where this is. Somewhere in South San Francisco? Been carrying the Kodak DC20 around because it's only a little bigger than a deck of cards, and is easier on my commute. One of my coworkers, Mr. Don, gives me rides back to the city every once in awhile.

We were driving around and the lighting situation got interesting at some point. Figuring an op would present itself, I just pulled my camera out. Right then I saw this and shot it. Moving along at maybe 40. Didn't even really have time to compose the shot. As usual, managed to flip out the person with me, whipping out a camera suddenly. Don said: "You must be a spy or something."

El Camino Real in Palo Alto

Maybe I just got excited about this one because I live in the city, and it isn't a pidgeon, rat, cockroach, or not made from concrete and glass. This mushroom was huge, and must've popped out of the ground there just before I took this photo.

Train stop: 22nd Street in San Francisco.

Shot this one just because it said "bent." Got a nice composition in the deal.

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All photos copyright, 2000 Dave Benz

	The view out the train - 4th & Townsend. My view 5 days a week. Ever notice how a scene composes itself in interesting ways when viewed through long skinny windows?
	Clay somewhere about Stockton. Liked the colors & got a decent composition. Audience: Had to wait for so many people to walk by that I got impatient. Decided to take the photo in a gap of pedestrians. Result: A bunch of people trying to figure out what was worth taking a picture of here.
	Sacramento at Leidesdorf. Door to a Pacific Gas & Electric station. Sometimes when you walk down the alley behind this building, they'll have the doors open & there's all this huge power equipment in it. The equipment all looks old as heck, like something out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Head-sized analog meters on the sides of big free-standing rectangular boxes... Buncha PG&E employees, mostly older men, sitting on benches eating sandwiches, watching you go by...
	Commercial around Kearny. Chinatown. Another colorful garden-level door. In an alley. Audience: Two business-dressed people (a woman & a man) came out of this building while I was figuring out how to get this shot, and looked at me suspiciously. Like maybe I was a building inspector or something. When things like this happen people always look me up and down, trying to figure out who I am & what I'm doing. "Don't mind me! Just an artist! Sorry." Click.
	Origami Hercules Giant Beetle - front. Went to Japantown recently & found a new insect origami book. Beetles are my favorite kind of origami and this book has nine different beetle designs, among other things. The design in these three photos is by Seiji Nishikawa. This was the result of my third attempt at this beetle, and was folded out of foil-backed paper.
	Origami Hercules Giant Beetle - top. A model like this can take an hour or two to fold, which makes it a good thing to do on the train during my daily commute.
	Origami Hercules Giant Beetle - side.
	Broadway at Kearny. Another decorative sidewalk. Audience: Just about an entire cafe next door. Once again, a million people trying to figure out what I'm doing.
	Origami Japanese Horned Beetle - top Another design by Seiji Nishikawa. This is my second try at it & I think it came out really well. Nishikawa came up with a very nice design for this one.
	Origami Japanese Horned Beetle - side & behind Folded from kraft packing paper, which I cut into washi.
	Various beetles Figured I would throw in a photo to show the scale of the origami. The Japanese horned beetle there is sitting on a BART pass, which is credit-card sized. On the top right you can see one of my earlier attempts at the Hercules beetle & how it's kind of crinkled up. On the bottom left is my first try at the Eupatorus horned beetle. Looks like it got hit by a truck.
	Dunno where this is. Somewhere in South San Francisco? Been carrying the Kodak DC20 around because it's only a little bigger than a deck of cards, and is easier on my commute. One of my coworkers, Mr. Don, gives me rides back to the city every once in awhile. We were driving around and the lighting situation got interesting at some point. Figuring an op would present itself, I just pulled my camera out. Right then I saw this and shot it. Moving along at maybe 40. Didn't even really have time to compose the shot. As usual, managed to flip out the person with me, whipping out a camera suddenly. Don said: "You must be a spy or something."
	El Camino Real in Palo Alto Maybe I just got excited about this one because I live in the city, and it isn't a pidgeon, rat, cockroach, or not made from concrete and glass. This mushroom was huge, and must've popped out of the ground there just before I took this photo.
	Train stop: 22nd Street in San Francisco. Shot this one just because it said "bent." Got a nice composition in the deal.