A project utilizing the medium of street photography and interviews to capture the living creature that is San Francisco.
As I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge that led from our comfortable suburb into the colorful neighborhoods of San Francisco, I felt invigorated by vibrant chaos.
I park in the thick of an urban environment, senses assailed by rapid-fire bargaining and shrill, thousand-year-old street instruments. I turn into an alleyway and happen upon a small shop-front jutting into the street; the vendor sits in quiet but vigilant sentry.
"Hi! Excuse me, Ma’am. May I take your portrait?" I begin hesitantly but with typical enthusiasm. She looks around cautiously, patting her wallet in uncertain strokes as she assesses her level of safety via my propensity for mischief, here in her Chinatown alleyway: Tourist? Scammer? New variety of young miscreant? I can see her thoughts. “Student!” I offer earnestly.
"Sorry, but what is this for?" She asks in Mandarin. Delighted by the switch to my mother tongue as perhaps my “in”, I explain the premise of my project. Inspired by Brandon Stanton and the Humans of Ithaca initiative I started over the summer, I designed a project utilizing the medium of street photography and interviews to capture the living creature that is San Francisco. Elusive, intriguing, and often misunderstood, San Francisco would be presented on her own terms by her own people, through my open eyes and ears.
Each day, I start with a simple question. I approach street cleaners, shopkeepers, businesspeople, the homeless, pedestrians, and everyone in between. I see San Francisco winking at me through its idiosyncratic denizens, each a microcosm of the world.
And to you, I offer these stories as a conversation starter, a multicolor lens to discover the commonalities that bind our collective experiences, and to comprehend the divisive differences that further misunderstanding. Through this experience, we are each a face saved from anonymity—street photographer, subject, and audience alike.
I would like to thank the CCDC for sponsoring this project, Brandon Stanton for inspiration, and the people of San Francisco for lending their time and support.
I park in the thick of an urban environment, senses assailed by rapid-fire bargaining and shrill, thousand-year-old street instruments. I turn into an alleyway and happen upon a small shop-front jutting into the street; the vendor sits in quiet but vigilant sentry.
"Hi! Excuse me, Ma’am. May I take your portrait?" I begin hesitantly but with typical enthusiasm. She looks around cautiously, patting her wallet in uncertain strokes as she assesses her level of safety via my propensity for mischief, here in her Chinatown alleyway: Tourist? Scammer? New variety of young miscreant? I can see her thoughts. “Student!” I offer earnestly.
"Sorry, but what is this for?" She asks in Mandarin. Delighted by the switch to my mother tongue as perhaps my “in”, I explain the premise of my project. Inspired by Brandon Stanton and the Humans of Ithaca initiative I started over the summer, I designed a project utilizing the medium of street photography and interviews to capture the living creature that is San Francisco. Elusive, intriguing, and often misunderstood, San Francisco would be presented on her own terms by her own people, through my open eyes and ears.
Each day, I start with a simple question. I approach street cleaners, shopkeepers, businesspeople, the homeless, pedestrians, and everyone in between. I see San Francisco winking at me through its idiosyncratic denizens, each a microcosm of the world.
And to you, I offer these stories as a conversation starter, a multicolor lens to discover the commonalities that bind our collective experiences, and to comprehend the divisive differences that further misunderstanding. Through this experience, we are each a face saved from anonymity—street photographer, subject, and audience alike.
I would like to thank the CCDC for sponsoring this project, Brandon Stanton for inspiration, and the people of San Francisco for lending their time and support.
About the creator:
Maxwell Wang is a Taiwanese-American student at Cornell University. Besides exploring the streets of San Francisco, he enjoys rowing, reading, and learning different languages. He hopes to continue his passion of advocating for social change and bridging culture gaps in college and beyond.
With help from fellow contributors
Alan Han
Alan Han is a sophomore at The Branson School. Born and raised in China and now living in the US, he is uniquely accustomed to both cultures. He is passionate about traveling and meeting new people, and he enjoys golfing and learning foreign languages. By exploring different facets of society, he wants to advocate for economic improvements in the future.
Angelica Vohland
Angelica Vohland is a Jewish-American student that is currently attending Redwood High School as a junior. A Bay Area local, Angelica absolutely loves exploring the sights and sounds of the city. Her interests include ballet, photography, theater, politics, and Jewish culture.