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57º | Mostly sunny | 5% chance of rain | Sunrise: 7:22 a.m. | Sunset: 5:06 p.m.

Going behind the lens

Going behind the lens: Three local San Jose photographers talk their favorite shots

Three photos taken of The Alameda, a plane between Downtown San Jose buildings, and Mt. Lick Observatory.

Let’s talk to the photographers behind the lens of these beautiful shots. | Photos via @steezc, @danieldentone_, @bennys_journey

We’re tired of hearing the generalization that San Jose is ugly, because that could not be further from the truth.

Since kickstarting SJtoday, our team has worked to find all the beautiful, amazing, and fun aspects of the great 408 to share with you. But, we weren’t the first ones to do that. In fact, much of the breathtaking imagery on our profile can be credited to local photographers who have been documenting our city’s true beauty.

We sat down with three photographers who we regularly interact with and asked them to share their favorite images, their processes behind taking them, and what advice they have for a beginner photographers.

These quotes have been condensed for formatting purposes — the full text can be read on our website.

A graphic of the photo of The Alameda that Chris Ho took, next to a photography tip from him saying, "Amazing things are done by ordinary people doing ordinary things an extraordinary number of times. So, my one tip to aspiring photographers, “Explore. Create. Inspire.” — Meet: Chris Ho.
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Photo via @steezc

📸 Chris Ho | @steezc

“There’s a sort of beauty yet melancholy invoked from this picture. The alluring sky, interjected by the tops of flowing palm trees. The antique building and the SAP center in the background. Juxtaposed by a empty road in the foreground that seemingly leads to more emptiness. The golden hour with not one subject to capture.

This shot was taken on Highway 87, which for the time was also considerably empty. It encapsulates a time of uncertainty, but also brings forth some things we take for granted. Like how beautiful our surroundings would be, something we would overlook on our regular commutes in our busy lives. This picture has empowered me to explore more shots similar to this and many more like it would come — my silver lining for the time.”

A graphic with Daniel Dentone's photo and a quote from him saying, "Always view and capture your subjects from a variety of perspectives." — Meet: Daniel Dentone.
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Photo via @danieldentone_

📸 Daniel Dentone | @danieldentone_

“Maybe it’s a tree in a weird spot, the cycles of the moon and sun, the way light or shadows are cast, changing of seasons, curves in the road, colors, frames and lines, traffic, people, shapes, architecture, signs, lettering on a storefront, landmarks, landscapes, reflections, and the wide and macro views of our daily surroundings, from all perspectives. Essentially, it boils down to the old saying of being in the right place at the right time.

Of course, it also helps to have your camera with you and knowing how to use it. The other half, and equally important part of the process, comes down to taking your time to develop/edit your photos to bring your vision to life.”

One more photographer

Events

Monday, May 29

“Suzume” | Monday, May 29 | 4:30 + 8 p.m. | The Tech Interactive, 201 S. Market St., San Jose | $18-$20 | The 17-year-old protagonist must close mysterious doors causing devastation across disaster-stricken Japan.
Trivia Night | Monday, May 29 | 6:30 p.m. | Park Station Hashery, 1701 Park Ave., San Jose | Free | Grab a team of up to six at this weekly event hosted by local comedians.

Tuesday, May 30

Pow Wow Song & Dance Classes | Tuesday, May 30 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Roosevelt Community Center, 901 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose | Free | The Indian Health Center hosts lessons to inspire cultural pride and connection.
Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night | Tuesday, May 30 | 7-9 p.m. | Loma Brewing Company, 130 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Ste. G, Los Gatos | Free | Bring a group of up to six to answer questions about everything from the Billboard Hot 100 to “Better Call Saul.”

Wednesday, May 31

Conner O’Malley | Wednesday, May 31 | 8 p.m. | San Jose Improv, 62 S. Second St., San Jose | $25-$75 | This comic’s live show explores revolutionary AI stand-up comedy products developed in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Finance

Kim, Kylie, and Kris invest in this $1.7 trillion market, and now you can, too

Masterworks’ goal is to democratize art investing. | Photo by Masterworks

They know how to make smart money moves, and so do you. That’s why you’ll love this.

Masterworks is a platform that helps you invest in multi-million dollar art by names like Basquiat and Picasso — yep, the very same artists in their collections — for a fraction of the cost.

Not convinced? Masterworks investors enjoyed three recent sales where they earned 10.4%, 13.9%, and 35.0% net annualized returns — AKA real numbers, real returns.*

Skip the waitlist

News Notes

Today Is

Memorial Day, honoring U.S. military personnel who died in the line of duty. It is a federal holiday, meaning civic offices, most state offices, banks, and public libraries will be closed. Find a list of closures on the city’s website.

Development

A six-story affordable housing project received approval this week to be built at 551 Keyes St. “The Charles” will be a mixed-use development featuring 78 units — studio, 1-3 BD, and Rapid Rehousing apartments. The construction timeline has not been announced. (SF Yimby)

San Josean

Recent San Jose State University graduate Nina Chuang was recognized with the President’s Governance Award for her advocacy work to open the school’s Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment. The cross-cultural center supports AAPI students — which is about 34% of the university’s population. (KTVU Fox 2 News)

Number

915. That is the number of animals that the San Jose Animal Care and Services Center currently holds. To be exact, 255 dogs and puppies, 598 cats and kittens, and 62 other pets. As they experience this record-high capacity, the shelter is urging the community to consider adopting or fostering. (KRON 4 News)

Award

Notre Dame High School senior Anna Yang was one of 150 students honored with a $20,000 award from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for her dedication to academics + community service. Anna — who is currently the Youth Poet Laureate for Santa Clara County — is the only honoree from the region. (The Mercury News)

Edu

Foothill De Anza-Community College District has selected its new chancellor, Lee Lambert, after a long search that began at the end of last year. Lee will leave his chancellor position from an Arizona community college and begin his term in August, when current Chancellor Judy C. Miner retires. (San José Spotlight)

Regional

BART recently introduced five BART and Bay Area-themed anime mascots to help promote public transportation use among young riders, which it says is a growing ridership demographic. The mascots made their formal debut at last weekend’s FanimeCon at the McEnery Convention Center.

Kids

Looking for a week of enrichment for your kids this summer? Sur La Table has cooking camps little chefs will love, teaching everything from rolling sushi to kneading homemade pizza dough. Camps run June through August — browse and sign up.*

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Alyson

From the editor

I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend. While I didn’t make any grand plans, I’ve enjoyed sleeping in until noon, working out in an empty gym, and snagging an extra day to hang out with my partner.

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