photography blog of Jean-Philippe Dobrin

THE BLOG HAS MOVED!

2011-03-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

This is no longer my current blog. I've updated to a NEW BLOG over here!

Venice

2010-12-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

Florence

2010-12-14T23:22:00.000-08:00

Soccer in Italy - Calcio Fiorentina Serie A

2010-11-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

For maximum effect play/listen the video while looking at the images. This is not my clip, but I did capture some video and considering doing a short multimedia piece. Had a lot of fun photographing/filming Fiorentina fans (Florence's main soccer team that competes in 'Serie A,' the premiere soccer league in Italy), recorded some great footage/audio that would be fun to mixwith the still images.

Kimochi in Snapixel Magazine

2010-11-22T12:53:00.000-08:00

Snapixel Mag link

Carmelita

2010-11-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

street photography from Siena, Italy

2010-11-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

Assisi, Italy

2010-11-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

The next stop was the small ancient city of Assisi in Italy's Umbria region. FYI, don't arrive here late in the evening, because it is small enough that there are no buses or even taxis running. After missing several trains and buses from Termini in Rome, I was again left without a place to stay at 11:30pm at night at an empty train station. After knocking on several hotels in the area (that looked closed) a manager woke up and gave us a room. Assisi (the touristy part anyways) is located way up on a hill (think ancient walled city) and takes 30 min. to get there by bus up a steep, windy hill.

The city is beautiful and peaceful. You will find excellent gourmet food at reasonable prices, 50+ age tour groups from around the world and overpriced knick-knacks and pastries. Assisi is was the site of religious pilgrimage for many centuries because of St. Francis, who studied/lived/died here. You could probably see everything in a day and a half, maybe one night's stay.

San Francisco Giants World Series parade and celebration

2010-11-03T22:18:00.000-07:00

Rome, Italy

2010-10-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

I was in Italy for the last few weeks. Had quite a few adventures and an overall great time. Strolling around the streets and ended up participating in a socialist party rally. Had some of the best gelato (along with those Catholic priests) at Giollotti, near the Pantheon. I also was left without a place to sleep my last night there which was a big headache. Through the kindness of strangers (and a few Euro) a really nice guy named Musa let me crash at his place (last image).

new website!

2010-08-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Check out the new site! www.jpdobrin.com

The dynamic resizing, full screen mode and info/captions for each image were features that were very important for me.

I'm currently working on a photo essay for a non-profit here in the Bay Area. I'll be uploading new images in the coming weeks!

Tanuj's chess (part 2)

2010-06-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

previous blog entry of Tanuj's chess life and background information about him and his family
earlier photos

Chinatown Memories Shop

2010-06-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

I was invited by Cynthia Tom to document a group installation piece, "Chinatown Memories Shop." It's a beautiful building that the artists helped restore. It was interesting to learn about the history of the building and the antiques that Cynthia recovered.

It's part of a city wide campaign of putting art in storefronts with the San Francisco Arts Commission. Other artists included in the images are Sue Tom and HuWei.

Reception June 11 5-7 pm in Wentworth Alley, right behind 950 Grant bet. Washington and Jackson St

and in the alley Wentworth right behind my building there will be food, etc.

Cynthia Tom
SFAC

upstairs in the men's dormitory

Sue Tom

HuWei

Cynthia Tom

Fairfax day

2010-06-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

on the way to the beach

2010-06-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

transitional living

2010-05-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

From JP Dobrin Photography

haha

2010-04-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

Pulled from the image archive. NYC subway circa 2007

Undeground Rhymes

2010-04-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

Bay Area, CA. rap artists and their rhyme books.

1. Shay the 'deffa heffa' : http://www.myspace.com/deffaheffa

2. yung mars: http://www.yungmars.com

3. Jyei: http://www.myspace.com/calikiddjyei

The Deffa Heffa

2010-03-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

"The Deffa Heffa," a rap artist from the Bay Area, CA.

I first met Shay (Deffa) at a Tent City Peace Movement event in Richmond, CA. I was inspired by her talent, as well as the message in her lyrics. I later learned she was one of the first openly gay rappers, and had been invited to perform at Pride parades across the nation. She's got an incredible work ethic and is wise beyond her years.

http://www.myspace.com/deffaheffa

Tanuj's Chess Chronicles

2010-03-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

    I had the pleasure of meeting Tanuj Vasudeva and his family recently. Tanuj is an 8 year old chess prodigy. At the time of these photographs, he was ranked #1 in the US and #2 in the world for his age class.

     He's an incredibly sweet kid, who is respectful and well-mannered. Which makes sense when you look at his immediate family, who were very welcoming and gracious.

      Prior to meeting the Vasudeva family, I had my preconceptions of the personality and lifestyle of a prodigy. A child that has been pushed by his parents to succeed, narrow minded and even stressed by the pressure of competing at high levels. However, it was quite the opposite.

      Tanuj spends hours studying chess on his own accord. His parents push him very little to do well in chess. His father, Tarun Vasudeva, told me that he has always loved strategy games. His parents want him to do well in school and have a career, rather than only focusing on only succeeding in chess.

       The results are clear with Tanuj, who is a cheerful and inquisitive, just as any 8 year old child should be. Here is a blog Tanuj's father writes for him, about his adventures in chess.

http://tanujchess.blogspot.com/

basketball

2010-01-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

Healing of a Community: Part 5

2010-01-13T19:55:00.000-08:00

This will be the last post for the series. The images below were taken from 2005-2008 at various community events in Richmond, CA. The events were "tent city" and a "Not2Day" banquet for families who had lost a loved one by homicide.All people from around the bay area are welcome at the tent city events. I strongly urge you to go and show your support.

www.tentcitypm.org

www.not2day.org

Healing of a Community: Part 4

2009-11-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

"When I look at the homicides in Richmond, it's a family problem. When you have a problem family, you don't bring outsiders to solve a family problem. You deal with it from within the family. You know who's doing what. You go to them and you chastise them. You correct them. You do what you have to do."

"The whole concept is this, if we don't touch the hearts and minds of these young men and women, we could bring forth all the programming in the world and it's not going to make a difference. You could pour millions of dollars into a community, into a city, and it's not going to make a difference. If you don't touch the hearts and minds, they're going to continue to do what they do."

Excerpts from an interview with Rev. Andre Shumake, a founding member of the Richmond Improvement Association and the Tent City Peace Movement.

"This is my area and we are all family. There were 3 funerals lined up in 3 days... at the last funeral there was a shooting. That's when it (tent city) went from a sit-in to a sleep-in. The older trigger-fingers are getting tired now. But when the youngsters who were in the funeral home... they can't wait to pick up a gun... and they become the new trigger fingers."

Excerpts from an interview with Freddie Jackson, one of the founding members of Tent City.

Coordinators for the 2nd annual tent city in Richmond. Residents successfully curtailed violence by camping out at parks throughout Richmond by creating a presence on the streets. The first tent city went up in 2006. It is now supported by the city and takes place bi-annually.

Healing of a Community, part 3

2009-11-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

"I never have gotten over it. But by me having faith in God. And doing all I can to stop this violence. That’s what keeps me going on. When my son got killed, that’s what got me involved. I wanted to do something to stop all these killing a nd to help all these other family members who were affected by that. Because you know, we tend not to get involved in this violence until it hits our family, then we want to get involved and talk. But then it be too late then. If we had did something in 1993 when we started to stop this violence, you know to get the people involved, we wouldn’t have this violence. This retaliation going on and on and on. And nobody wants to come forward. Only time you want to come forward when it affect your family. And all the faith groups going to do something. Because Jesus said, in Matthew 18,19, 20 go ye thou out into the world. We supposed to not stay in the four walls of the church. We supposed to go out there and help those poor, those lost kids out there. And right now we have a whole lot of lost kids. And those are the ones doing the killing."

Excerpts from an interview with Corrine Phelps.

Corrine Phelps is a resident of South Richmond, CA. Her son, Arthur Lee "Gismo" Phelps was murdered in 1993.

Left: Long abandoned railroad tracks in North Richmond, CA. The "Iron Triangle" neighborhood of Richmond, named for the shape created by various railroad tracks intersecting in the city, has a history of high crime.

"You know Dr. King’s message “let freedom ring?” Well how can freedom ring when these young men, latino men, black men and now the girls are getting shot and the girls are doing just as much as the guys. The city fixes the street and they’re stained again with blood. How can freedom ring? So now it’s incumbent upon me to play my part. I know I can’t stop, no one person can stop these homicides. But we can surely get out there and make an impact, as a community working with youth."

Excerpts from an interview with Jackie Thompson, a longtime resident of Richmond, CA. Thompson is a community activist and a former coordinator of the Tent City Peace Movement.

Healing of a Community: part 2

2009-11-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

Photo of Eugene Williams

"My son.. he was close to his brother. So I think he has a lot of issues. You know.. acting up in school. Me and my older daughter go to grief counseling. My other daughter seems like she ok but I don’t know what goes on in her head. She’s sixteen so she wasn’t able to go with us. They say they have to file something else. I’m seeking help for that. With my son that’s another issue. Getting intro trouble at school. He talk about he don’t care about dying. So far he hasn’t gone. He already got a bad temper. When he get mad, he get in a rage. It’s hard to calm him down. I don’t want him to get in it with anyone on the street. Somebody will shoot him. That’s my baby. He was real close to his brother. He can’t get it together in school. "

Excerpts from an interview with Kim Johnson

"When he got there on the scene. They were turning my son on his back. Actually they told me they took him away in a wagon. But it was his friend they took away. When I got on the scene I was him laying on the ground next to his car. But in front of his car. Close to the corner of 6th st. Just laying on his back.
Two people. Him and his best friend. One was airlifted. The best friend mother, she got to hold her son, she had her son in his arm. Trying to stop the blood. They had shot him in the neck, it had hit an artery. Tried to stop the blood until the ambulance came. Got him and went to the park and flew him to the hospital."

6th Street at Lincoln Ave. Richmond, CA. The corner where Eugene Williams and his best friend Miguel were both fatally shot.

"It’s hard. I have good days and bad days. You know. I cry. But I don’t do too much with that around the kids. I try to do it privately. You know. I be trying. But it’s hard. I really miss my son. He was a good person. He wasn’t a bad kid. He wasn’t into all those drive bys. He made a couple of mistakes but that’s like any other kid. But he was good. He had a good sister. He liked to laugh and joke around."

Excerpts from an interview with Kim Johnson

"Shaking too much. Nervous. Now I be paranoid thinking everybody.. that's bad when you have a baby and you can't go out. I can't live my life now. Ain't no reason to live. Can't go nowhere or do nothing. Because I don't trust nobody. I went to talk to the therapist. I was telling him that I was paranoid. He said it was something to do with depression. I don't feel depressed at all. Nervous at people. Don't trust nobody. Nobody. No friends. I don't got no friends. I don't trust nobody. So i just stay here all day."

Excerpts from an interview with Myzina, 19.

Healing of a Community: part 1

2009-11-09T23:40:00.000-08:00

Richmond, CA has been ranked number one on California's list of dangerous cities per capita in criminal statistics the past several years. The decline of industry and jobs in previous decades contributed to the economic plight of its community today. There has been a surge of violence over the past decade as a result of the same problems that plague other low-income areas in America. Richmond is also close knit community of many longtime residents who grow up together and are often related by blood. Today the senseless murders are a weekly routine in which people within the community are killing each other.

Excerpts from an interview with Kim Johnson, who's son (Eugene Williams) was murdered in Richmond in 2007.

"There some pictures of him right here. Family pictures. Thanksgiving. That was our last family picture together."

"He would come to my house and change clothes. Somebody called me the day he got killed. He was here that morning. He and his girlfriend got into it. He left and came here at 5 am in the morning. He was in the room and when he came out he startled me. His sister had let him in. We talked. He said he was going to get an oil change for his car and that he was going to wash his car. Then me and my kids got up to get ready. We had called him before he left. I didn’t get no answer. Then I got a call… somebody called my mom and said they just killed Eugene. And I’m like what? I know they didn’t. I know nobody had killed my baby. "

2009 IPA's entries

2009-08-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

I was excited to find out that two of my images placed in the 2009 International Photography Awards for non-professionals. I received a 2nd place in Editorial Personality and 1st place in Pets. 6 other images received honorable mentions.

You can view the other winners here

These are the two that placed:

Golfing in the presidio

2009-06-27T17:45:00.001-07:00

Photoshoot at the Presidio Golf Course in San Francisco.

The gentleman is Erik Majzner - the #1 on the Academy of Art golf team.

Travel / Editorial update

2009-05-27T14:58:00.001-07:00

The website was recently updated to include a new editorial travel section (book 3). Also added a few new graphics and polished things up a bit. Let me know what you think.

www.jpdobrin.com

winning photo

2009-05-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

One of my photos was recently chosen for Digital Photo Pro's "Emerging Pros" competition for 2009. I was very happy to be selected as an honorable mention of the competition.

You can read about the article here.

The background was shot in this gymnasium right outside of the Osaka Castle. I came back to the Bay Area with many great images of Japan. I wanted the image into a portrait. I contacted the San Francisco Kendo Dojo- and with their cooperation I was able to photograph one of their sensei's at their dojo. The image was later composited in.