Available 06.01.13 

Book Preview, Spread from my book,  joSon:INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF NATURE  Coming next month.  

New Work:

this is a set of three prints. the prints size are around 4 by 6 feet. it’s so cool seeing it large in person.

show here: “abstract light 2”  and “abstract light 3” 

Swimming under the Golden Gate Bridge  

Last Sunday I had a front row seat watching swimmers from The Dolphin Club of San Francisco as they swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, approximately 1.6 miles, clad in only speedos and bikinis.  As the fog rolled in above them they shared the freezing water with real live dolphins visible in the far distance.  Excitement and laughter filled the crisp morning air along with a loud fog horn.  As the countdown ended, one by one the swimmers—ranging from 25 to 75 years of age!—jumped from a boat into what I personally considered to be ice cold water (and that was after dipping just my hand in for only a few moments). Some of the swimmers told me, over hot soup and fresh fruit at the club afterwards, “Oh, it’s not that bad at all…. It’s warm today, around 60 degrees.”  Reuben Hechanove, the current Club president, a member of the club for over 25 years, who has swum the same length of the bridge over a dozen times, agreed that today was actually a relatively warm day.   Reuben, who was driving Arias — the rescue boat where I was sitting — also told me that there are times when the water can be as cold as 50 degrees or less.  

In case you are curious, while there is no official record keeping, the fastest time for the swim on Sunday was around 23 minutes  (the unofficial record is 18:25, set by Mike Garabaldi back in 1985).

Check out a few images I shot from the event, special thanks to Reuben and The Dolphin Club. Check out their website.

photos © joSon photo llc.

A new series of images documenting life at the beach from the air

Gallery print 28” by 41” edition of 7 and 1 art proof.

“Beach” 

A new series of images documenting life at the beach from the air 

images size 26 by 40 inches.

“Bamboo”

During my last trip to Japan, I visited the bamboo garden in the Hokokuji temple that reminded me of my youth.

Now that I’m living in the Bay Area,  when I see or hear of the word ‘bamboo’ it reminds me of my bamboo hardwood floor in my loft, the cutting board in my kitchen,  and the waste basket in my bathroom.  Of course, they have been processed and transformed into smooth and beautiful objects that no longer resemble the plant I once knew as  a child.  I buy them anyway in the hope that they may remind of my childhood.  I recal up in the temple in Asia, bamboo shoots was one of those vegetables that I found in every dish I ate.  Like tofu,  bamboo is able to take on the  flavor of the dish and still remain a whole vegetable without overwhelming the diswith its own aroma. As a monk, vegetables and grains are our main source for nutrition; so I was told bamboo has a lot of nutrients. So use your bamboo chopsticks and eat away.  Outside of the kitchen, bamboo played a much more significant role in most kids’ lives whether they knew it or not. The bed and the mattress they slept on, the chairs and table from the living room to the garden, the baskets that they carried things in from one place to another,  the fishing pole, the water cup… all were made out of bamboo. Such a wonder grass we may say. Very few grasses or plants provide such great flexibility.   

Here are a few fun facts about bamboo that you may not know… Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth with reported growth rates of  39 in. in 24 hours. It is also the tallest and strongest grass plant we know of.  This grass plays a very important role in human daily life. As a food source young bamboo shoots,  both fresh and dry, are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths and as a vegetable that can be eaten year round. Building materials and furniture made from bamboo are a new trend in the West as of the last 15 to 20 years but it has been part of Asian decor for thousands of years.

images: Ancient Giant bamboo grove,  Kanagawa,  Japan, print size : 40 by 40in.  set of 4, two are sample here.  open edition are available at  Grand Images. photos: ©2012, by joSon 

Something to remember….

Shot this set of images on Sunday at the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The world’s most famous bridge, the Golden Gate, celebrated her 75th birthday on the evening of May 27th with a stunning fireworks show that completely stunned and amazed every one who saw it.

Fireworks illuminated and jumped off the structure of the bridge as several barges provided background fireworks and a light show like San Francisco has never seen before and will never see for a long time to come.  

Seeing the fireworks cascading down from the bridge like waterfalls and light up the calm waves was such an amazing experience. Definitely something to remember.    

© joSon