Los Altos, California
August, 2013
Somehow I managed a free afternoon, a car, and all of my gear. And in a new place with just enough time to find a good view for the sunset.
The Stanford Dish was close by and a nice little hike; I started driving. A few wrong turns later and I was on a country road heading somewhere else. I kept driving, the sun kept setting. I began to worry that I’d be stuck without a view as the last light faded.
I turn again, nothing. I drive up a hill; nowhere to stop. Suddenly I’m on the highway again; the sun is setting fast. I take the next exit, turn down a street and fully expect that this is going to be a bust. It is; I three point turn and am about to backtrack when I see this: this house.
It’s utterly depressing. Alone, on a hill, away from the street. The yard is brown, unloved. The light is fading, but it’s perfect here. A hint of color tints the otherwise bland wall.
After covering my bases with the Hasselblad, I get up enough nerve to pull out the 4x5 to shoot with the P25. It’s an awkward process; so many things to do, so many parts to keep track of. But the image! I’m going to do this again.
