https://sheilamclaughlinphotography.com/ 2022-12-08 weekly 0.5 https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f0d8119b0bc43ca35100d4a943c82475_hd.jpg Hildy Burns Hildy Burns had just one caveat. Yes, she said, I could photograph her studio as long as she wasn’t in the picture. She was holding a garage sale shortly after I had started this project when we spoke. And I found her very friendly, despite her caveat. She worried, as so many women do, that she looked horrible in pictures. So I agreed to her condition. But once I started shooting she relaxed and we, or at least she, forgot about it. Hildy and I had actually first met years earlier in a writing class but neither of us remembered that. I later recalled that I found her to be a little eccentric and a bit aggrieved that her talents went unrecognized some of it due to her being a woman. I could relate. We’ve spent some time together since taking the photographs, and I learned her son (who is only a few years older than mine) attended the same elementary school. Yet, for 20 years we never knew each other. Her son, in the tradition of both his parents, worked in the film business as a Director of Photography and most recently as a Camera Operator for Duck Dynasty. Now he's teaching at San Jose State and shooting other projects in the San Francisco area. Her daughter owns JCX, a lighting store catering to filmmakers. Hildy worked for many years as a graphic designer and later as an art director for feature films and corporate videos. She has a big studio in her home where she paints and does collage work. Hildy was married for decades but was suddenly divorced. She never saw it coming. She has been ill for the past year and is frail but improving. Hildy is warm and intelligent. I like her. She tells good stories. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c13ec597fcd6c74319b24f15c52ac36a_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/581740b068b426402da323692e1c3166_hd.jpg Camera Obscura https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/83d30a23de9e9d801a693e540053aebf_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/01e2d055c715491ecc593450a9538eeb_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1fbd22e3aa7774b8b6f88f30e96d13bb_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1a53738abc6e93bb3056f480f70259e3_hd.jpg Mort Linder https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/caafd2d4b350fa80ea01230c6b6f3141_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/70e9fe7c52fe9bf4d293f7a54788d259_hd.jpg Burlingame drive-in https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/3385c7aa31807f315d998e71a6ee736f_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/71bcfd6ac92ae2fc090b9147b75990e2_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/ee5ce58a4d618d61f58c1bbaa0d2ee4c_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/cdb29bf2a8657676fe265f6e42b973e1_hd.jpg Virginia Linder https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/b5ade4b50613ac3f215179d2d2f5b208_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/6a948cd352c899defd18c4fe13c7804e_hd.jpg Freight elevator operator, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/33d63dfa7dec69a0ca540e76b908ff22_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/a7a8a86f95f9e4d8bebc9b683bad2344_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/7934b07e2e15a69febec700cadfb3d65_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/4fa94aaa569753e3b80866b64c9661b8_hd.jpg Mort and Virginia Linder https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/84254790926385d7c0ab6499c4e6edb1_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/57c7a544b4949dee67976ae53f2d09ac_hd.jpg Newspaper vendor on Market Street, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/44961b7c0b9f520d2445ada62ca7c5cd_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/61dfcc14120443f140d047312ade3faf_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/bef51286d82ffb6e5c4135dd3f165be6_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/d43e371fce6d6482b70b381c5dad589b_hd.jpg Jonathan Smith Jonathan Smith lived across the street from me for 13 years. We never knew each other existed. When I stopped him to ask about participating in the project, he agreed without hesitation. He was attending San Jose State University and studying to be a social worker at the time. Also, he was a rock musician. His girlfriend lives far away and he was lonely. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/8ca2a78d338dadeddd6a439b205a9d67_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/44c1ebe2b2970ab1e40c5d9aece27081_hd.jpg Priest in confessional, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/fe7ff2677b6fb70f81017ed39650552f_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/959cc211d99b39ce6aada428fb80e62a_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/eb71ece6c8a1de5519eca6ed96cd9ce4_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/d15a1e36af587e61e76ab9f6f4a0ed7c_hd.jpg Jonathan and Anna Here's Jonathan with his wife Anna. Anna returned to S.F. and reunited with Jonathan. They were both bought out of their building when a developer bought the property. They moved to the east bay. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c21de7f88fa253ca640d782da8711461_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/85a78ee8624350a40da7a6d70e80bed0_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/748c66d0a23a2341355e0182c4d54255_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/04524566d56cb109879e97fa773a9b32_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/0da392354c9b37e93c9f20bd3ba4cb5e_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/73515ffa9ac136aafc9ba9495efed13f_hd.jpg Stella Suttner Stella wants to be a Broadway star when she grows up -- and she is well on her way! She has been singing and dancing tap, ballet and jazz since she was five. Apparently that doesn’t keep her busy enough so she takes piano and clarinet lessons, as well. She sings with the San Francisco Girls Chorus every Christmas at Davies Symphony Hall. And she made her debut with the San Francisco Symphony this year, singing along to the soundtrack of Home Alone. She even wrote herself a part in a play performed last year. Clearly this is a vibrant, active 12-year old that loves performing. A happy kid. Renee, her mother, shares in the limelight with a guinea pig, two cats and a snake. Stella has a brother and dad who live with them, as well. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/04586c8b4f05dc8e4c2ad2d443667ce5_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c1a612d4765fd85bfb74c056cc999967_hd.jpg Castro Theater, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c51350ea9f332a3bb1835035548c7adc_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/bbd13dbd2eeddb3f96e3b5994d709afb_hd.jpg Title Here https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/7de81da015c768ad0fe2e117bd4173d0_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/a04f65e4d11dd1ec2acbc8593c95507a_hd.jpg Renee and Stella Suttner https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f534e5273c03f82676c426bb5050e98d_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/2562ca8249623769f384bacfb7df2e0b_hd.jpg Monterrey aquarium https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/42f168d84707ae5967173af4b910f94d_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/ae959eab6a73b8059c55aeb1f0f1d817_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/4f1f43a42e324ff7a016a7e5e6c6c424_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/11349cc2d2f5ebf1cfae2f47fe10f7c6_hd.jpg Dani Spinks Via text messaging I was introduced to Dani by a neighbor named Amy. Amy, who declined to be photographed, enjoys recruiting for Z-one and had introduced me to a couple of other people as well. The day I came over to photograph Dani we stayed in her bright yellow living room as her zombie and alien roommates stood witness to the proceedings, along with her dog, who feigned disinterest. A San Francisco Horror story! She posed with her hand made props created for various stage productions. Dani’s theatrical production, a parody of the TV show, Strangers with Candy, was sold out and running when we met that day. As if in step with her working process I staged a rehearsal. I inadvertently left my lens cap on the entire time my first roll of film was in the camera! Proving to be a good sport about it despite my embarrassment I reloaded and started over. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/6ba675d52090840ad621af1f8b674b9e_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f499fd8482d224ab5138e0b12ff5cd99_hd.jpg The Circus School, San Francisco Contortionists https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/69bfc75e86f5428486cd6a61690fcdf3_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f136719c18a4144cd927a2c705085e87_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/43cdf187e23ab5d91f7fd3592ef30939_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1688ab4e393b702e23ff99413a2b484d_hd.jpg Brian Kemble Brian Kemble loves succulents. His house and garden are filled with them. His wall of books are on all the varied species of plants. He doesn’t trust the internet and prefers books. He’s lived in the Western Addition since the late 70s. When his house burned down he had it renovated. He lives with a roommate, never married, and has no kids. He is the curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden a 3-acre garden of succulents in Walnut Creek. Brain is a specialist and travels the world finding new species. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/985a8e3f39088e580dc4406678aa20fd_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/a852d95dc784cd1bfa5eef5084372203_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/e07303a59a6dceeb66fbc4e7e59ca419_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/64464561c03202602035c30fa8b2a492_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/28f9f0035a82faadc6a0f0c048c96e15_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/79b2860d327ea9f7d5b36bb9d83ec33d_hd.jpg Cathleen Daly Cathleen Daly has been living in the Western Addition since 1979. She tells how once it was a mostly black, working class neighborhood with lots of longshoremen living here. “We bought a building and our 7-year-old son played up and down the block without any difficulties. I worked in my art studio downstairs and Terry (former husband) worked in his writing studio in the upstairs apartment”. Cathleen and I met each other at a corner garage sale. Cathleen is a painter who is exhibits in San Francisco. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/4aee7ca47fef0869c7111dc5b77e41fd_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/150fdbf0a8d7146c9febbd19962192f6_hd.jpg Behind the window in Saks on Union Square https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/425b2669425b5013bc492064808e0a3c_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c13ec597fcd6c74319b24f15c52ac36a_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/8ab5d578696e6f38781e02b428048b00_hd.jpg John This is John. He has been a fixture on Sutter Street for many years. I passed him regularly noticing him only peripherally. A few months ago armed with my new awareness of my neighborhood and who populated it I asked him if he had somewhere to live. He answered robotically an address nearby. I intuited he was afraid I’d report him to police or something unpleasant so I said I was glad and continued on my way. Last week I got up the nerve to speak to him more and he agreed to be photographed. After I explained this project and a previous work shot in Ireland he commented that I was a social documentary photographer. John is no longer around. The community center Booker T. Washington was demolished and the free food program gone with it. John was always found on Tuesdays waiting for his package until this happened. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/b8abf47ccafef9889a507b51ac5eecfc_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f512a9820961521e54c2fdd9c029fb06_hd.jpg Behind the window Saks department store, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/5ced6659fc5e4fb2aef8f0e88b657741_hd.jpg Caroline Swenson Caroline was sixteen and beautiful. She was sleeping when I arrived and I didn’t plan on disturbing her. Mark, in his way, swiftly opened Caroline’s bedroom door, telling her I arrived and she needed to come out and let me photograph her. I mildly protested; she less mildly so. Julie joined Mark in coaxing her, and they soon succeeded in getting her up. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1c5fc9d1bd69b658e3a5607e2496d2da_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/6ee1f9a273de8dc166e82b17c9be7ceb_hd.jpg Saks department store, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/92eac977bfe065f48bf8d36454c3080b_hd.jpg Julie and Mark Swenson- Julie and Mark have been married for 22 years and have four children. Two of them are teens and still live at home:. They lived across the street in a run-down building, which was recently sold. The fate of the occupants was uncertain at that time, but in the current real estate market a new owner could easily and legally evict all the tenants in the building. They were since bought out and moved away. These were my first subjects. I didn’t know what to expect or how to interact when I entered their small apartment. I was a complete stranger in their house holding a medium format camera with a big flash on it, and I felt grateful and respectful and nervous all at the same time. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/2b0a90e9663543d1fb2b9b26c9d4849f_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/98c5350d1a9dc0b250781f4cd67f953e_hd.jpg Vendor on Chestnut Street, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/70daec00edf5c0f19e0ce4d40ade102d_hd.jpg Mark Swenson https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/d36207b062c2c2edf8aa07b9af1c6ed9_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/765984b5cd9082fa027746216bfd0ecd_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/5b11cee309019eea2c27826a6a6e04d4_hd.jpg Caroline and Joseph Swenson Joseph, Caroline's brother, is in middle school and quiet. When I first met him he had chin length hair and the next time it was closely cropped. At first I thought he was their older son, the one I later learned had run away from home. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c82b8b2bcdd630518cbb0837e2752f58_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/35eb3dc527b43fe0f9aaf46823684c1f_hd.jpg Gail Schickele Gail told me “I never knew we had so many artists in the neighborhood until I saw your Z-one slideshow on your website. It’s good to have you bring us together, even if only online, because it gives us all a better sense of community”. Gail is a writer, speaker and works with performing artists. Her work is focused on issues of environmental and social justice. She lives in a house built in the 1880s which stands unchanged inside and out. She has one son Nighttrain who is away at college and she now lives alone. Her husband died 15 years ago. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1eb4046c793ccf111e768f61b5937f35_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/8fd8bdba4fdf5186697a9b18ce107e40_hd.jpg Esther Fishman Esther is not a rabbi as her email address implies. But she does teach at a SF synagogue in addition to her job at the Federal Reserve. I contacted her on Nextdoor and since she’s on disability she had the time to meet me and be photographed. She hails from Kansas and lives alone. She’s happy with her boyfriend and his son and spends most of her time with them. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/26e070bfd07e5a1a9d7a52d54d462db7_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/267b455255abc12f7242d33d6b650d03_hd.jpg Soline, Leslie and Jameson Jameson was the second person I met through NextDoor. It took several months before we actually met but this time I knew he had at least two housemates Soline, a young Parisian and Leslie a transplant from the Midwest who were joining us. On the Sunday afternoon I dropped by to photograph I entered their light filled two story apartment. There’s an atmosphere of impermanence each private bedroom the exception. One room contains only a red felt covered pool table. Another casts a couple of oversized stuffed bears against the wall. There’s a wall size projection screen in the livingroom as well. I feel the male presence of Jameson mostly. He was the original tenant. We discussed city politics in regards to real estate and development – the issues relevant to this project. They are young, friendly upwardly mobile, professional – the new demographic. I look forward to getting to know them better. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/df82e4ce893ebaa3128cf4600d64697f_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/0a11883b6cddfb06e99ae4f3e36f5092_hd.jpg Leslie McMurchie, Jameson Buffmire and Soline Ledésert https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/548b88c3e5ad1dc1f395f751ef18c9f8_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/944a8e98ca92e0e5662c1af7a94d94b8_hd.jpg Alec Wagner and Vince Mills Alec Wagner and Vince Mills Honey Wagner-Mills has a European passport. She is the well-traveled canine companion of Alec Wagner and Vince Mills, and she makes use of her passport when her family leaves their flat on Sutter Street to spend a few months each year in Nice, France. For the twenty years prior to this project, I noticed Vince and Alec walking around the neighborhood hundreds of times but, other than the occasional polite nod, we had never said a word to one another. It’s surprising given how gregarious they are. When I arrived at the front door to photograph them, Alec greeted me with a kiss on each cheek. Vince immediately regaled me with stories. Vince, a retired French teacher and the rare San Francisco native, is a great chef and their immaculate, well-appointed home is a hub of hood, playing host to dinner parties and impromptu cocktail fetes. His own history interconnects with the city, both politically and personally. He is a father of two daughters that he raised as a single parent, one of whom still lives in the Bay Area. Alec, Vince’s husband and a number of years his junior, is a marketing consultant, project manager and self-described “digital nomad" from Virginia. Since last year, they have begun hosting a pasta dinner party twice a month inviting a total of seven people (including me), all neighbors. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/071993aec390205bf560702ea8ab91f4_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/a677b17953a8cc50775be43318960d5d_hd.jpg Honey https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/3e9642c32f6c89b4c1bf840a934609d7_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/86c4c2e2a630584ff87717de2c473648_hd.jpg Todd Richards and YiYi Cathleen Daly beckoned Todd Richards over from her studio doorway the day I photographed her. Todd gave me his phone number and became my next participant. Todd is from Canada. He is a well-respected graphic artist and a photographer in his own right. His work is both beautiful and intelligent. I discovered we both attended the School of Visual Arts albeit 10 years apart but sharing that history. Finding yet another artist living in close proximity who I never set eyes on before was becoming a theme. Todd has created a home that is as quiet and distinguished as he is. Upon climbing to the top of the stairs I entered his sparsely furnished and meticulous surroundings. Amid the designer furnishings hang original paintings and photographs created by his friends or favored artists. He has amassed a large collection of photography books and along with some of his own line the bookcases. We occasionally bump into one other, Todd always with his aging dog YiYi. When we stop to chat we find ourselves laughing together and I for one walk away feeling a little lighter. I’ve been to Todd’s a couple times since photographing him. After my last visit Todd sent me an email saying I woke up this morning to see 3 Champaign corks on the mantle, evidence of a fun evening. I had asked for his advice on publishing a book and hopefully not because of the alcohol he offered to design it. I’m forever grateful and fortunate to have such a talented designer and participant support this project. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/495ee50e69f7092307b04ac73ac4dcf1_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c98956022b5d085b5aa333f455822292_hd.jpg Todd Richards https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/dd58970be1e70b2c42b1d6503fe244ce_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/7fa8ae4a7cb5c8bab96e1d5f4ad8fccc_hd.jpg Linda Linda was the first person I stopped on the street to ask about this project. She was with a friend and though she showed some interest nothing immediately came of it. Later, I bumped into her at the library and offered her a ride home. I broached the subject of photographing her again and she countered with an invitation of her own: dinner. Linda was the first person I stopped on the street to talk to about this project. She was with her friend and we three talked at length but nothing immediately came of it. Later, I bumped into her at the library and offered her a ride home; again I broached the subject of photographing her. She was hesitant but countered with an invitation of her own: lunch. It’s true that not everyone wanted to participate and I accepted it but Linda pursued getting to know me and became more comfortable about being photographed over time. On the occasion she invited me to lunch I brought my camera along and she agreed to be photographed. Linda and I continue to get together. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/514bf88ea6870070a740808466bdb051_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c8a2202f8cea1ad7660f3fa8e17176fa_hd.jpg Emily McLanahan and Murphy Mack I first saw Murphy Mack just as I was being forcibly escorted out of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for taking a bite of a cookie. It was the last day before the museum’s demolition and renovation and I had braved the long line for my last chance to watch The Clock, Christian Marclay’s superb 24-hour long film. The movie’s ever-present clock struck noon, the lunching hour, when I reached into my bag for a bite of the forbidden cookie-there was no eating allowed in the museum that day. Well except for the chocolate making on the roof level and the impromptu restaurant serving food in the lobby. The usher pounced. I was told I had to go. I looked left and right for support in the darkened crowd and caught Murphy’s eye. To my astonishment, I bumped into him only days later and we immediately recognized one another. It turns out we’re neighbors. We bonded over our mutual outrage at the museum incident. He invited me over to photograph. It was then that I met Emily MacLanahan, then his girlfriend, now his fiancé. Murphy proposed to Emily by spelling Marry Me Emily? on his GPS tracks! He physically had to ride his bike up and down and around the streets in a particular order so that when he uploaded the route it spelled out the proposal. Murphy owns SuperPro Racing, a cycling event promotion company as well as bike team and they invited me to go camping with the cycling team as part of an annual mountain bike race in Downieville, CA. I didn’t race. I did help Murphy hand out beer and tequila to the stragglers cresting the huge climb fronting the 29 mile course. Emily and I had driven the round trip together, mostly stuck in traffic. Traffic and strangers can be a dangerous combination. In our case, it worked out well. We have since enjoyed dinners, wine drinking and even costume-making together. She invited me to a Halloween party. We all brought 2015 in together on New Years Eve. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/01cf4ee023223fab39828c39dfb02184_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/d9482e55e8731d095f8371f2db304803_hd.jpg Winsome Delaney and Pouchon Venerin I knew Pouchon Venerin as the man next door who offered compliments. Nice hat, he’d say. Great color. I’d thank him and move along. But now that I was photographing neighbors, stopped to introduce myself. He took my card and said he’d talk to his wife, Winsome, about it. One night, when the two of them were standing outside their building smoking, I stopped and buttonholed them both. The topic of weddings came up and I shared that my son had just became engaged. It was around Election Day and so politics came up, too. I told them that Sophie, my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, worked at the White House. They both wanted to know if Obama would attend their wedding. I said I didn’t expect that would happen. But Winsome had invited Obama to her wedding and she had a signed letter from the White House congratulating her but declining the invitation. She framed the letter and was really proud of it. I said I had to photograph them with that letter. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/82eb374d1baf24376cae00c2d01d544f_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1334caa8c1ecaeb983259d4ef4027156_hd.jpg Joan Bittner I first met Joan Bittner in a memoir-writing class. She is one of the people who reached out to me when she heard about the project. She contacted me after recognizing Todd Richards on my Tumblr blog. She knew of him from his outstanding graphic design reputation. Turned out she now lived nearby. We decided to meet. I have a lousy memory. So even though Joan has an unforgettable personal history, it was lost on me. Joan, without judgment, willingly refreshed my memory. She retold me of how she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and faced many occasions where she might not have survived. But she told me she never doubted that she would make it. She reminded me that she was married at the time and how the marriage didn’t survive her recovery. Joan reinvented herself: a slow and arduous process and a story of loss and renewal. She spent her childhood on a working farm and was no stranger to hard work. Resilience and stamina lie beneath her quiet and gentle personality. These days, she’s training to be a masseuse. She has an innate sense of touch; she’ll make an incredible massage therapist. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/96895b5de5f1358d31dce14ba468b36a_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/097a597e7b4d467f03a9306fe4e44a34_hd.jpg Maureen Scank https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/af1b85bcadfe66830f4fd925d830ede6_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/2b981acb1592a97469b4f6d1fc1cc381_hd.jpg Emily Stauffer Emily is the rare neighbor I knew before this project began. A chemist by trade and a knitter by night, she doesn’t mince words. “Don’t you think if you were going to be successful as a photographer you would have been by now?” she asked me once. I nonetheless asked to photograph her. Emily is from upstate New York, where her family owned a pet store, but she’s embraced San Francisco. She’s a Grateful Dead fanatic and dresses in the long, hippy-styled skirts reminiscent of the heydays in San Francisco of the late 1960s. We first met in a knitting group in 2004 and she can rarely be seen without a ball of yarn dangling from her lap. She’s unraveled a lot of my mistakes during our weekly knitting sessions that went on for a few years in my living room. After she was laid off from her chemist job of 10 years, she turned more to knitting. She teaches at a local knitting shop and is self-publishing her own designs. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/5368067e2115a97bdf4e07a422711982_hd.jpg B.B. The first time I met B.B. was at a salsa class the Neck of the Woods on Clement Street. She was friendly and bought a round of drinks to celebrate the holidays. She was about to leave for England, her native land, to visit her son Jordan who was in school there studying acting. He’s since graduated. The second time we met I saw her car pulling out of her driveway with her daughter Camille behind the wheel. She was learning how to drive. Soon afterwards, B.B agreed to be photographed, provided I only use her initials to identify her. She opened her front door with her large dog, Marley, and showed me around her two-story house. She had a spacious kitchen with her bedroom upstairs containing a huge closet. She told me that this was the smallest house she ever lived in but that it had the largest closet. Since then, we see each other occasionally salsa dancing (she's become quite the pro) and follow each other on Facebook. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/000203d4a78d6e3956fb7ef7f378ce7b_hd.jpg B B https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/5afb18041af3eca291110556a6bebf4c_hd.jpg Gianna and Sandy Emily and Murphy live next door to Sandy and her daughter, and they introduced us to each other. Sandy readily agreed to participate while her shy five year old, Gianna, half hid behind her. Sandy is an Airbnb host, as are Emily and Murphy. She needed some help with guests that were arriving at Emily's in her absence so I started our relationship as a good neighbor. Then we figured out a good time for me to photograph. Not simple given that she is a single working mom, with many events and activities that take up her time. Gianna began choosing some outfits, I was told, before I showed up. Pretty darling. Both were ready to roll when I arrived and we chatted about being single moms, family and work. The basics. Gianna was shy at first but opened up fairly quickly. She secretly started asking her mom out loud how to spell names (mine). Once we went out to the backyard she proudly produced a page in her book with my name on it. When we see each other Sandy is friendly and usually off to pick up Gianna or rushing to work. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/cfcda25d5d8608af053b8eb4dd3ca91d_hd.jpg Patrick Smith I first “met” Patrick Smith online. We connected through NextDoor, a website for people who live in the same neighborhood looking to connect. As I neared his front door, I realized I was about to enter the home of a man I had neither spoken to nor met in person. It was too late to turn around. I texted a friend with Patrick’s name and address, just in case. It felt strange as I followed him into a windowless ground floor apartment. I said as much. He was relaxed, though, and offered to perform by juggling ice cubes or walking on his hands. I said yes both, please. His dog passively watched on. The ice was broken, so to speak. Patrick dived right in. He shared the extraordinary circumstances of his past. His father sexually abused his sister. Because of this abuse, the two siblings moved in with their grandparents until their grandfather also sexually abused his sister. I listened and marveled. First, that he was telling me all this. Second, that he had had done so well in his life. He was the first person in his family to attend college. And he helped build a small business in SF which was written about in an article in the Re/code, an independent tech news and review site. Patrick now has a happier life and a promising future. Still, it was an upsetting story to hear and I felt the need for fresh air. I asked if he had a backyard. There was one. The yard was down a dark hallway with the only light coming in from the window in the door at the end. Hearing his footsteps behind me sent my imagination wild. “This is it. This is when he hits me over the head with a shovel and buries me in the yard.” The yard was open and bright. When I looked up, I noticed steps leading to another apartment. Who lives there? I asked. A couple: white man, black woman, he told me, who always walk around on Geary Street dressed in leather and leading each other by a leash. At first I thought I would like to meet them then thought better of it. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/bb7123e1909a3ebb58525209c4c5d9d1_hd.jpg Patrick Smith https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/e1d5327f4353f15202f449cd2ff113ec_hd.jpg Shelley Schreiber I met Shelley Schreiber on Halloween. I was searching for neighborhood trick or treaters; instead, I found Shelley, leaning on her walker and holding a bowl of candy. There was something familiar about her. I felt as if I already knew her. When I went to her house a few weeks later she was relaxed, as if the feeling was mutual, and she seemed abandoned in the way older people can be about their appearance. She allowed me into her bedroom. A wall was covered with family photographs. When she bent over to lean on the bed, I felt the moment was right to take her portrait. One of her dogs was never far from her the whole time. I learned she had been married to an actor and has two children. Shelley is in her late 70s, a transplanted New York Jew, a psychologist who still works as a teacher twice a week. She gesticulated a lot as she spoke and I liked how she held her hand up while talking. She bought her condo four years ago. It is directly across the street from the oldest projects in San Francisco. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/a8901cb4c75226e5ae274c2ed9599174_hd.jpg Dorka Keehn The front of Dorka Keehn’s home offered a hint of what was to come. A steel artwork spelling out “KOOK ” in vertical lettering is attached to the facade. Barefoot, she beguiled me with hello standing as she wore a casual dress looking as fresh as a newly bloomed flower. Her home was fashionably filled by furniture pieces that were truly hers: she designed them. Not that she mentioned this fact. Dorka’s humility, however, was betrayed by a simple Google search. She’s a mover and shaker in the San Francisco art scene. Her latest piece, Caruso’s Dream, was in production when we met, slated for a San Francisco SOMA highrise. We also talked about the two organizations she co-founded that train women and girls to run for political office. She didn’t rush me. She was gracious and willing to sit, to stand, to lean, to whatever I asked - a character trait most busy women don't necessarily possess... She was gracious and willing to sit, stand or lean wherever I asked her to. She didn’t rush me at all. A character trait most busy women aren’t necessarily in possession. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/7e6165c05748b07504a0c952d4894bde_hd.jpg Dorka Keehn https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/2b34f47fb26e4d9257392aba0352b691_hd.jpg Jim Negri and Doug Hansen Minutes after I arrived at Jim and Doug’s house for the first time, they disappeared for a quick change of clothes. They returned shirtless and wearing fluorescent pink tights – the bottoms of what became pink flamingo outfits. They pranced and posed from room to room, into the yard and to answer the knocks of the mailman (he seemed unfazed). I had first met Jim when we both worked at the University of California. A few years later, I spotted him in my neighborhood and told him about this project. He was eager to participate. In his early 60s, Jim knows to the day when he can retire. Jim comes from a fairly large family of brothers and sisters. All of them are gay- there were four of them Bob, Marge, Liz and Jim. Liz passed away last February from cancer at the age of 52. Doug, his partner of more than two decades, has been designing and sewing costumes for family and friends for over 25 years. Recently, he devoted a year to creating 34 costumes to encompass all of the Wizard of Oz characters. When they lived in the city, they would have occasional tea parties in Golden Gate Park, dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland. Doug had once worked at Disneyland in the character department and in the parades. He’d also served in the Navy. He works at Walgreens in Union Square in San Francisco. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/2d6166fdf4b7cb19f69d04f2822d8d9c_hd.jpg Jim Negri and Doug Hansen https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/345a69a74be3723ccf719c52fe20b489_hd.jpg Jim and Doug as flamingoes https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/e7131ec7d3c44861fd518ac0f18cabb4_hd.jpg Maggie Grainger Maggie Grainger, Marie Kagay and Matt Klingensmith were standing on the curb waiting for a taxi to arrive. Or, these days, more likely an Uber. I quickly introduced myself and told them just enough about this project to get Maggie to allow me to tap her number into my iPhone. Maggie lives in a building that has the two railroad-style apartments sit side by side on each level and, being on the first floor, there isn’t a lot of light. Maggie explained that was her reason for using the front room for her bedroom. We enjoyed getting to know each other and meeting her two friends who were visiting at the time. Now when we see each other on the street we stop to chat. Maggie came to my second cookie exchange this year and brought some delicious homemade red velvet cookies to share. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/34c221f25f00104382d475b382def946_hd.jpg Magie with Marie and Matt Klingensmith https://sheilamclaughlinphotography.com/neighbors-within-reach-2012-2015 2022-12-01 weekly 0.5 https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f0d8119b0bc43ca35100d4a943c82475_hd.jpg Hildy Burns Hildy Burns had just one caveat. Yes, she said, I could photograph her studio as long as she wasn’t in the picture. She was holding a garage sale shortly after I had started this project when we spoke. And I found her very friendly, despite her caveat. She worried, as so many women do, that she looked horrible in pictures. So I agreed to her condition. But once I started shooting she relaxed and we, or at least she, forgot about it. Hildy and I had actually first met years earlier in a writing class but neither of us remembered that. I later recalled that I found her to be a little eccentric and a bit aggrieved that her talents went unrecognized some of it due to her being a woman. I could relate. We’ve spent some time together since taking the photographs, and I learned her son (who is only a few years older than mine) attended the same elementary school. Yet, for 20 years we never knew each other. Her son, in the tradition of both his parents, worked in the film business as a Director of Photography and most recently as a Camera Operator for Duck Dynasty. Now he's teaching at San Jose State and shooting other projects in the San Francisco area. Her daughter owns JCX, a lighting store catering to filmmakers. Hildy worked for many years as a graphic designer and later as an art director for feature films and corporate videos. She has a big studio in her home where she paints and does collage work. Hildy was married for decades but was suddenly divorced. She never saw it coming. She has been ill for the past year and is frail but improving. Hildy is warm and intelligent. I like her. She tells good stories. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1a53738abc6e93bb3056f480f70259e3_hd.jpg Mort Linder https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/cdb29bf2a8657676fe265f6e42b973e1_hd.jpg Virginia Linder https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/4fa94aaa569753e3b80866b64c9661b8_hd.jpg Mort and Virginia Linder https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/d43e371fce6d6482b70b381c5dad589b_hd.jpg Jonathan Smith Jonathan Smith lived across the street from me for 13 years. We never knew each other existed. When I stopped him to ask about participating in the project, he agreed without hesitation. He was attending San Jose State University and studying to be a social worker at the time. Also, he was a rock musician. His girlfriend lives far away and he was lonely. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/d15a1e36af587e61e76ab9f6f4a0ed7c_hd.jpg Jonathan and Anna Here's Jonathan with his wife Anna. Anna returned to S.F. and reunited with Jonathan. They were both bought out of their building when a developer bought the property. They moved to the east bay. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/73515ffa9ac136aafc9ba9495efed13f_hd.jpg Stella Suttner Stella wants to be a Broadway star when she grows up -- and she is well on her way! She has been singing and dancing tap, ballet and jazz since she was five. Apparently that doesn’t keep her busy enough so she takes piano and clarinet lessons, as well. She sings with the San Francisco Girls Chorus every Christmas at Davies Symphony Hall. And she made her debut with the San Francisco Symphony this year, singing along to the soundtrack of Home Alone. She even wrote herself a part in a play performed last year. Clearly this is a vibrant, active 12-year old that loves performing. A happy kid. Renee, her mother, shares in the limelight with a guinea pig, two cats and a snake. Stella has a brother and dad who live with them, as well. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/a04f65e4d11dd1ec2acbc8593c95507a_hd.jpg Renee and Stella Suttner https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/11349cc2d2f5ebf1cfae2f47fe10f7c6_hd.jpg Dani Spinks Via text messaging I was introduced to Dani by a neighbor named Amy. Amy, who declined to be photographed, enjoys recruiting for Z-one and had introduced me to a couple of other people as well. The day I came over to photograph Dani we stayed in her bright yellow living room as her zombie and alien roommates stood witness to the proceedings, along with her dog, who feigned disinterest. A San Francisco Horror story! She posed with her hand made props created for various stage productions. Dani’s theatrical production, a parody of the TV show, Strangers with Candy, was sold out and running when we met that day. As if in step with her working process I staged a rehearsal. I inadvertently left my lens cap on the entire time my first roll of film was in the camera! Proving to be a good sport about it despite my embarrassment I reloaded and started over. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1688ab4e393b702e23ff99413a2b484d_hd.jpg Brian Kemble Brian Kemble loves succulents. His house and garden are filled with them. His wall of books are on all the varied species of plants. He doesn’t trust the internet and prefers books. He’s lived in the Western Addition since the late 70s. When his house burned down he had it renovated. He lives with a roommate, never married, and has no kids. He is the curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden a 3-acre garden of succulents in Walnut Creek. Brain is a specialist and travels the world finding new species. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/79b2860d327ea9f7d5b36bb9d83ec33d_hd.jpg Cathleen Daly Cathleen Daly has been living in the Western Addition since 1979. She tells how once it was a mostly black, working class neighborhood with lots of longshoremen living here. “We bought a building and our 7-year-old son played up and down the block without any difficulties. I worked in my art studio downstairs and Terry (former husband) worked in his writing studio in the upstairs apartment”. Cathleen and I met each other at a corner garage sale. Cathleen is a painter who is exhibits in San Francisco. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/8ab5d578696e6f38781e02b428048b00_hd.jpg John This is John. He has been a fixture on Sutter Street for many years. I passed him regularly noticing him only peripherally. A few months ago armed with my new awareness of my neighborhood and who populated it I asked him if he had somewhere to live. He answered robotically an address nearby. I intuited he was afraid I’d report him to police or something unpleasant so I said I was glad and continued on my way. Last week I got up the nerve to speak to him more and he agreed to be photographed. After I explained this project and a previous work shot in Ireland he commented that I was a social documentary photographer. John is no longer around. The community center Booker T. Washington was demolished and the free food program gone with it. John was always found on Tuesdays waiting for his package until this happened. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/5ced6659fc5e4fb2aef8f0e88b657741_hd.jpg Caroline Swenson Caroline was sixteen and beautiful. She was sleeping when I arrived and I didn’t plan on disturbing her. Mark, in his way, swiftly opened Caroline’s bedroom door, telling her I arrived and she needed to come out and let me photograph her. I mildly protested; she less mildly so. Julie joined Mark in coaxing her, and they soon succeeded in getting her up. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/92eac977bfe065f48bf8d36454c3080b_hd.jpg Julie and Mark Swenson- Julie and Mark have been married for 22 years and have four children. Two of them are teens and still live at home:. They lived across the street in a run-down building, which was recently sold. The fate of the occupants was uncertain at that time, but in the current real estate market a new owner could easily and legally evict all the tenants in the building. They were since bought out and moved away. These were my first subjects. I didn’t know what to expect or how to interact when I entered their small apartment. I was a complete stranger in their house holding a medium format camera with a big flash on it, and I felt grateful and respectful and nervous all at the same time. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/70daec00edf5c0f19e0ce4d40ade102d_hd.jpg Mark Swenson https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/5b11cee309019eea2c27826a6a6e04d4_hd.jpg Caroline and Joseph Swenson Joseph, Caroline's brother, is in middle school and quiet. When I first met him he had chin length hair and the next time it was closely cropped. At first I thought he was their older son, the one I later learned had run away from home. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/35eb3dc527b43fe0f9aaf46823684c1f_hd.jpg Gail Schickele Gail told me “I never knew we had so many artists in the neighborhood until I saw your Z-one slideshow on your website. It’s good to have you bring us together, even if only online, because it gives us all a better sense of community”. Gail is a writer, speaker and works with performing artists. Her work is focused on issues of environmental and social justice. She lives in a house built in the 1880s which stands unchanged inside and out. She has one son Nighttrain who is away at college and she now lives alone. Her husband died 15 years ago. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/8fd8bdba4fdf5186697a9b18ce107e40_hd.jpg Esther Fishman Esther is not a rabbi as her email address implies. But she does teach at a SF synagogue in addition to her job at the Federal Reserve. I contacted her on Nextdoor and since she’s on disability she had the time to meet me and be photographed. She hails from Kansas and lives alone. She’s happy with her boyfriend and his son and spends most of her time with them. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/267b455255abc12f7242d33d6b650d03_hd.jpg Soline, Leslie and Jameson Jameson was the second person I met through NextDoor. It took several months before we actually met but this time I knew he had at least two housemates Soline, a young Parisian and Leslie a transplant from the Midwest who were joining us. On the Sunday afternoon I dropped by to photograph I entered their light filled two story apartment. There’s an atmosphere of impermanence each private bedroom the exception. One room contains only a red felt covered pool table. Another casts a couple of oversized stuffed bears against the wall. There’s a wall size projection screen in the livingroom as well. I feel the male presence of Jameson mostly. He was the original tenant. We discussed city politics in regards to real estate and development – the issues relevant to this project. They are young, friendly upwardly mobile, professional – the new demographic. I look forward to getting to know them better. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/0a11883b6cddfb06e99ae4f3e36f5092_hd.jpg Leslie McMurchie, Jameson Buffmire and Soline Ledésert https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/944a8e98ca92e0e5662c1af7a94d94b8_hd.jpg Alec Wagner and Vince Mills Alec Wagner and Vince Mills Honey Wagner-Mills has a European passport. She is the well-traveled canine companion of Alec Wagner and Vince Mills, and she makes use of her passport when her family leaves their flat on Sutter Street to spend a few months each year in Nice, France. For the twenty years prior to this project, I noticed Vince and Alec walking around the neighborhood hundreds of times but, other than the occasional polite nod, we had never said a word to one another. It’s surprising given how gregarious they are. When I arrived at the front door to photograph them, Alec greeted me with a kiss on each cheek. Vince immediately regaled me with stories. Vince, a retired French teacher and the rare San Francisco native, is a great chef and their immaculate, well-appointed home is a hub of hood, playing host to dinner parties and impromptu cocktail fetes. His own history interconnects with the city, both politically and personally. He is a father of two daughters that he raised as a single parent, one of whom still lives in the Bay Area. Alec, Vince’s husband and a number of years his junior, is a marketing consultant, project manager and self-described “digital nomad" from Virginia. Since last year, they have begun hosting a pasta dinner party twice a month inviting a total of seven people (including me), all neighbors. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/a677b17953a8cc50775be43318960d5d_hd.jpg Honey https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/86c4c2e2a630584ff87717de2c473648_hd.jpg Todd Richards and YiYi Cathleen Daly beckoned Todd Richards over from her studio doorway the day I photographed her. Todd gave me his phone number and became my next participant. Todd is from Canada. He is a well-respected graphic artist and a photographer in his own right. His work is both beautiful and intelligent. I discovered we both attended the School of Visual Arts albeit 10 years apart but sharing that history. Finding yet another artist living in close proximity who I never set eyes on before was becoming a theme. Todd has created a home that is as quiet and distinguished as he is. Upon climbing to the top of the stairs I entered his sparsely furnished and meticulous surroundings. Amid the designer furnishings hang original paintings and photographs created by his friends or favored artists. He has amassed a large collection of photography books and along with some of his own line the bookcases. We occasionally bump into one other, Todd always with his aging dog YiYi. When we stop to chat we find ourselves laughing together and I for one walk away feeling a little lighter. I’ve been to Todd’s a couple times since photographing him. After my last visit Todd sent me an email saying I woke up this morning to see 3 Champaign corks on the mantle, evidence of a fun evening. I had asked for his advice on publishing a book and hopefully not because of the alcohol he offered to design it. I’m forever grateful and fortunate to have such a talented designer and participant support this project. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c98956022b5d085b5aa333f455822292_hd.jpg Todd Richards https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/7fa8ae4a7cb5c8bab96e1d5f4ad8fccc_hd.jpg Linda Linda was the first person I stopped on the street to ask about this project. She was with a friend and though she showed some interest nothing immediately came of it. Later, I bumped into her at the library and offered her a ride home. I broached the subject of photographing her again and she countered with an invitation of her own: dinner. Linda was the first person I stopped on the street to talk to about this project. She was with her friend and we three talked at length but nothing immediately came of it. Later, I bumped into her at the library and offered her a ride home; again I broached the subject of photographing her. She was hesitant but countered with an invitation of her own: lunch. It’s true that not everyone wanted to participate and I accepted it but Linda pursued getting to know me and became more comfortable about being photographed over time. On the occasion she invited me to lunch I brought my camera along and she agreed to be photographed. Linda and I continue to get together. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c8a2202f8cea1ad7660f3fa8e17176fa_hd.jpg Emily McLanahan and Murphy Mack I first saw Murphy Mack just as I was being forcibly escorted out of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for taking a bite of a cookie. It was the last day before the museum’s demolition and renovation and I had braved the long line for my last chance to watch The Clock, Christian Marclay’s superb 24-hour long film. The movie’s ever-present clock struck noon, the lunching hour, when I reached into my bag for a bite of the forbidden cookie-there was no eating allowed in the museum that day. Well except for the chocolate making on the roof level and the impromptu restaurant serving food in the lobby. The usher pounced. I was told I had to go. I looked left and right for support in the darkened crowd and caught Murphy’s eye. To my astonishment, I bumped into him only days later and we immediately recognized one another. It turns out we’re neighbors. We bonded over our mutual outrage at the museum incident. He invited me over to photograph. It was then that I met Emily MacLanahan, then his girlfriend, now his fiancé. Murphy proposed to Emily by spelling Marry Me Emily? on his GPS tracks! He physically had to ride his bike up and down and around the streets in a particular order so that when he uploaded the route it spelled out the proposal. Murphy owns SuperPro Racing, a cycling event promotion company as well as bike team and they invited me to go camping with the cycling team as part of an annual mountain bike race in Downieville, CA. I didn’t race. I did help Murphy hand out beer and tequila to the stragglers cresting the huge climb fronting the 29 mile course. Emily and I had driven the round trip together, mostly stuck in traffic. Traffic and strangers can be a dangerous combination. In our case, it worked out well. We have since enjoyed dinners, wine drinking and even costume-making together. She invited me to a Halloween party. We all brought 2015 in together on New Years Eve. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/d9482e55e8731d095f8371f2db304803_hd.jpg Winsome Delaney and Pouchon Venerin I knew Pouchon Venerin as the man next door who offered compliments. Nice hat, he’d say. Great color. I’d thank him and move along. But now that I was photographing neighbors, stopped to introduce myself. He took my card and said he’d talk to his wife, Winsome, about it. One night, when the two of them were standing outside their building smoking, I stopped and buttonholed them both. The topic of weddings came up and I shared that my son had just became engaged. It was around Election Day and so politics came up, too. I told them that Sophie, my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, worked at the White House. They both wanted to know if Obama would attend their wedding. I said I didn’t expect that would happen. But Winsome had invited Obama to her wedding and she had a signed letter from the White House congratulating her but declining the invitation. She framed the letter and was really proud of it. I said I had to photograph them with that letter. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1334caa8c1ecaeb983259d4ef4027156_hd.jpg Joan Bittner I first met Joan Bittner in a memoir-writing class. She is one of the people who reached out to me when she heard about the project. She contacted me after recognizing Todd Richards on my Tumblr blog. She knew of him from his outstanding graphic design reputation. Turned out she now lived nearby. We decided to meet. I have a lousy memory. So even though Joan has an unforgettable personal history, it was lost on me. Joan, without judgment, willingly refreshed my memory. She retold me of how she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and faced many occasions where she might not have survived. But she told me she never doubted that she would make it. She reminded me that she was married at the time and how the marriage didn’t survive her recovery. Joan reinvented herself: a slow and arduous process and a story of loss and renewal. She spent her childhood on a working farm and was no stranger to hard work. Resilience and stamina lie beneath her quiet and gentle personality. These days, she’s training to be a masseuse. She has an innate sense of touch; she’ll make an incredible massage therapist. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/097a597e7b4d467f03a9306fe4e44a34_hd.jpg Maureen Scank https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/2b981acb1592a97469b4f6d1fc1cc381_hd.jpg Emily Stauffer Emily is the rare neighbor I knew before this project began. A chemist by trade and a knitter by night, she doesn’t mince words. “Don’t you think if you were going to be successful as a photographer you would have been by now?” she asked me once. I nonetheless asked to photograph her. Emily is from upstate New York, where her family owned a pet store, but she’s embraced San Francisco. She’s a Grateful Dead fanatic and dresses in the long, hippy-styled skirts reminiscent of the heydays in San Francisco of the late 1960s. We first met in a knitting group in 2004 and she can rarely be seen without a ball of yarn dangling from her lap. She’s unraveled a lot of my mistakes during our weekly knitting sessions that went on for a few years in my living room. After she was laid off from her chemist job of 10 years, she turned more to knitting. She teaches at a local knitting shop and is self-publishing her own designs. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/5368067e2115a97bdf4e07a422711982_hd.jpg B.B. The first time I met B.B. was at a salsa class the Neck of the Woods on Clement Street. She was friendly and bought a round of drinks to celebrate the holidays. She was about to leave for England, her native land, to visit her son Jordan who was in school there studying acting. He’s since graduated. The second time we met I saw her car pulling out of her driveway with her daughter Camille behind the wheel. She was learning how to drive. Soon afterwards, B.B agreed to be photographed, provided I only use her initials to identify her. She opened her front door with her large dog, Marley, and showed me around her two-story house. She had a spacious kitchen with her bedroom upstairs containing a huge closet. She told me that this was the smallest house she ever lived in but that it had the largest closet. Since then, we see each other occasionally salsa dancing (she's become quite the pro) and follow each other on Facebook. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/000203d4a78d6e3956fb7ef7f378ce7b_hd.jpg B B https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/5afb18041af3eca291110556a6bebf4c_hd.jpg Gianna and Sandy Emily and Murphy live next door to Sandy and her daughter, and they introduced us to each other. Sandy readily agreed to participate while her shy five year old, Gianna, half hid behind her. Sandy is an Airbnb host, as are Emily and Murphy. She needed some help with guests that were arriving at Emily's in her absence so I started our relationship as a good neighbor. Then we figured out a good time for me to photograph. Not simple given that she is a single working mom, with many events and activities that take up her time. Gianna began choosing some outfits, I was told, before I showed up. Pretty darling. Both were ready to roll when I arrived and we chatted about being single moms, family and work. The basics. Gianna was shy at first but opened up fairly quickly. She secretly started asking her mom out loud how to spell names (mine). Once we went out to the backyard she proudly produced a page in her book with my name on it. When we see each other Sandy is friendly and usually off to pick up Gianna or rushing to work. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/cfcda25d5d8608af053b8eb4dd3ca91d_hd.jpg Patrick Smith I first “met” Patrick Smith online. We connected through NextDoor, a website for people who live in the same neighborhood looking to connect. As I neared his front door, I realized I was about to enter the home of a man I had neither spoken to nor met in person. It was too late to turn around. I texted a friend with Patrick’s name and address, just in case. It felt strange as I followed him into a windowless ground floor apartment. I said as much. He was relaxed, though, and offered to perform by juggling ice cubes or walking on his hands. I said yes both, please. His dog passively watched on. The ice was broken, so to speak. Patrick dived right in. He shared the extraordinary circumstances of his past. His father sexually abused his sister. Because of this abuse, the two siblings moved in with their grandparents until their grandfather also sexually abused his sister. I listened and marveled. First, that he was telling me all this. Second, that he had had done so well in his life. He was the first person in his family to attend college. And he helped build a small business in SF which was written about in an article in the Re/code, an independent tech news and review site. Patrick now has a happier life and a promising future. Still, it was an upsetting story to hear and I felt the need for fresh air. I asked if he had a backyard. There was one. The yard was down a dark hallway with the only light coming in from the window in the door at the end. Hearing his footsteps behind me sent my imagination wild. “This is it. This is when he hits me over the head with a shovel and buries me in the yard.” The yard was open and bright. When I looked up, I noticed steps leading to another apartment. Who lives there? I asked. A couple: white man, black woman, he told me, who always walk around on Geary Street dressed in leather and leading each other by a leash. At first I thought I would like to meet them then thought better of it. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/bb7123e1909a3ebb58525209c4c5d9d1_hd.jpg Patrick Smith https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/e1d5327f4353f15202f449cd2ff113ec_hd.jpg Shelley Schreiber I met Shelley Schreiber on Halloween. I was searching for neighborhood trick or treaters; instead, I found Shelley, leaning on her walker and holding a bowl of candy. There was something familiar about her. I felt as if I already knew her. When I went to her house a few weeks later she was relaxed, as if the feeling was mutual, and she seemed abandoned in the way older people can be about their appearance. She allowed me into her bedroom. A wall was covered with family photographs. When she bent over to lean on the bed, I felt the moment was right to take her portrait. One of her dogs was never far from her the whole time. I learned she had been married to an actor and has two children. Shelley is in her late 70s, a transplanted New York Jew, a psychologist who still works as a teacher twice a week. She gesticulated a lot as she spoke and I liked how she held her hand up while talking. She bought her condo four years ago. It is directly across the street from the oldest projects in San Francisco. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/a8901cb4c75226e5ae274c2ed9599174_hd.jpg Dorka Keehn The front of Dorka Keehn’s home offered a hint of what was to come. A steel artwork spelling out “KOOK ” in vertical lettering is attached to the facade. Barefoot, she beguiled me with hello standing as she wore a casual dress looking as fresh as a newly bloomed flower. Her home was fashionably filled by furniture pieces that were truly hers: she designed them. Not that she mentioned this fact. Dorka’s humility, however, was betrayed by a simple Google search. She’s a mover and shaker in the San Francisco art scene. Her latest piece, Caruso’s Dream, was in production when we met, slated for a San Francisco SOMA highrise. We also talked about the two organizations she co-founded that train women and girls to run for political office. She didn’t rush me. She was gracious and willing to sit, to stand, to lean, to whatever I asked - a character trait most busy women don't necessarily possess... She was gracious and willing to sit, stand or lean wherever I asked her to. She didn’t rush me at all. A character trait most busy women aren’t necessarily in possession. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/7e6165c05748b07504a0c952d4894bde_hd.jpg Dorka Keehn https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/2b34f47fb26e4d9257392aba0352b691_hd.jpg Jim Negri and Doug Hansen Minutes after I arrived at Jim and Doug’s house for the first time, they disappeared for a quick change of clothes. They returned shirtless and wearing fluorescent pink tights – the bottoms of what became pink flamingo outfits. They pranced and posed from room to room, into the yard and to answer the knocks of the mailman (he seemed unfazed). I had first met Jim when we both worked at the University of California. A few years later, I spotted him in my neighborhood and told him about this project. He was eager to participate. In his early 60s, Jim knows to the day when he can retire. Jim comes from a fairly large family of brothers and sisters. All of them are gay- there were four of them Bob, Marge, Liz and Jim. Liz passed away last February from cancer at the age of 52. Doug, his partner of more than two decades, has been designing and sewing costumes for family and friends for over 25 years. Recently, he devoted a year to creating 34 costumes to encompass all of the Wizard of Oz characters. When they lived in the city, they would have occasional tea parties in Golden Gate Park, dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland. Doug had once worked at Disneyland in the character department and in the parades. He’d also served in the Navy. He works at Walgreens in Union Square in San Francisco. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/2d6166fdf4b7cb19f69d04f2822d8d9c_hd.jpg Jim Negri and Doug Hansen https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/345a69a74be3723ccf719c52fe20b489_hd.jpg Jim and Doug as flamingoes https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/e7131ec7d3c44861fd518ac0f18cabb4_hd.jpg Maggie Grainger Maggie Grainger, Marie Kagay and Matt Klingensmith were standing on the curb waiting for a taxi to arrive. Or, these days, more likely an Uber. I quickly introduced myself and told them just enough about this project to get Maggie to allow me to tap her number into my iPhone. Maggie lives in a building that has the two railroad-style apartments sit side by side on each level and, being on the first floor, there isn’t a lot of light. Maggie explained that was her reason for using the front room for her bedroom. We enjoyed getting to know each other and meeting her two friends who were visiting at the time. Now when we see each other on the street we stop to chat. Maggie came to my second cookie exchange this year and brought some delicious homemade red velvet cookies to share. https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/34c221f25f00104382d475b382def946_hd.jpg Magie with Marie and Matt Klingensmith https://sheilamclaughlinphotography.com/ireland-2002-2003 2022-12-01 weekly 0.5 https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c13ec597fcd6c74319b24f15c52ac36a_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/caafd2d4b350fa80ea01230c6b6f3141_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/b5ade4b50613ac3f215179d2d2f5b208_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/84254790926385d7c0ab6499c4e6edb1_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/8ca2a78d338dadeddd6a439b205a9d67_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c21de7f88fa253ca640d782da8711461_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/04586c8b4f05dc8e4c2ad2d443667ce5_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f534e5273c03f82676c426bb5050e98d_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/6ba675d52090840ad621af1f8b674b9e_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/985a8e3f39088e580dc4406678aa20fd_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/4aee7ca47fef0869c7111dc5b77e41fd_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/b8abf47ccafef9889a507b51ac5eecfc_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1c5fc9d1bd69b658e3a5607e2496d2da_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/2b0a90e9663543d1fb2b9b26c9d4849f_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/d36207b062c2c2edf8aa07b9af1c6ed9_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c82b8b2bcdd630518cbb0837e2752f58_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1eb4046c793ccf111e768f61b5937f35_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/26e070bfd07e5a1a9d7a52d54d462db7_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/df82e4ce893ebaa3128cf4600d64697f_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/548b88c3e5ad1dc1f395f751ef18c9f8_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/071993aec390205bf560702ea8ab91f4_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/3e9642c32f6c89b4c1bf840a934609d7_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/495ee50e69f7092307b04ac73ac4dcf1_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/dd58970be1e70b2c42b1d6503fe244ce_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/514bf88ea6870070a740808466bdb051_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/01cf4ee023223fab39828c39dfb02184_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/82eb374d1baf24376cae00c2d01d544f_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/96895b5de5f1358d31dce14ba468b36a_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/af1b85bcadfe66830f4fd925d830ede6_hd.jpg https://sheilamclaughlinphotography.com/boxed-in-1998-1999 2022-12-02 weekly 0.5 https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/581740b068b426402da323692e1c3166_hd.jpg Camera Obscura https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/70e9fe7c52fe9bf4d293f7a54788d259_hd.jpg Burlingame drive-in https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/6a948cd352c899defd18c4fe13c7804e_hd.jpg Freight elevator operator, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/57c7a544b4949dee67976ae53f2d09ac_hd.jpg Newspaper vendor on Market Street, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/44c1ebe2b2970ab1e40c5d9aece27081_hd.jpg Priest in confessional, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/85a78ee8624350a40da7a6d70e80bed0_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c1a612d4765fd85bfb74c056cc999967_hd.jpg Castro Theater, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/2562ca8249623769f384bacfb7df2e0b_hd.jpg Monterrey aquarium https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f499fd8482d224ab5138e0b12ff5cd99_hd.jpg The Circus School, San Francisco Contortionists https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/a852d95dc784cd1bfa5eef5084372203_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/150fdbf0a8d7146c9febbd19962192f6_hd.jpg Behind the window in Saks on Union Square https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f512a9820961521e54c2fdd9c029fb06_hd.jpg Behind the window Saks department store, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/6ee1f9a273de8dc166e82b17c9be7ceb_hd.jpg Saks department store, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/98c5350d1a9dc0b250781f4cd67f953e_hd.jpg Vendor on Chestnut Street, San Francisco https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/765984b5cd9082fa027746216bfd0ecd_hd.jpg https://sheilamclaughlinphotography.com/family-projections-1980s 2022-12-01 weekly 0.5 https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/83d30a23de9e9d801a693e540053aebf_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/3385c7aa31807f315d998e71a6ee736f_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/33d63dfa7dec69a0ca540e76b908ff22_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/44961b7c0b9f520d2445ada62ca7c5cd_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/fe7ff2677b6fb70f81017ed39650552f_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/748c66d0a23a2341355e0182c4d54255_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c51350ea9f332a3bb1835035548c7adc_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/42f168d84707ae5967173af4b910f94d_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/69bfc75e86f5428486cd6a61690fcdf3_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/e07303a59a6dceeb66fbc4e7e59ca419_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/425b2669425b5013bc492064808e0a3c_hd.jpg https://sheilamclaughlinphotography.com/new-york-and-paris-1978-79 2022-12-01 weekly 0.5 https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/01e2d055c715491ecc593450a9538eeb_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/71bcfd6ac92ae2fc090b9147b75990e2_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/a7a8a86f95f9e4d8bebc9b683bad2344_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/61dfcc14120443f140d047312ade3faf_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/959cc211d99b39ce6aada428fb80e62a_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/04524566d56cb109879e97fa773a9b32_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/bbd13dbd2eeddb3f96e3b5994d709afb_hd.jpg Title Here https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/ae959eab6a73b8059c55aeb1f0f1d817_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f136719c18a4144cd927a2c705085e87_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/64464561c03202602035c30fa8b2a492_hd.jpg https://sheilamclaughlinphotography.com/hayes-family 2022-12-14 weekly 0.5 https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/1fbd22e3aa7774b8b6f88f30e96d13bb_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/ee5ce58a4d618d61f58c1bbaa0d2ee4c_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/7934b07e2e15a69febec700cadfb3d65_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/bef51286d82ffb6e5c4135dd3f165be6_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/eb71ece6c8a1de5519eca6ed96cd9ce4_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/0da392354c9b37e93c9f20bd3ba4cb5e_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/7de81da015c768ad0fe2e117bd4173d0_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/4f1f43a42e324ff7a016a7e5e6c6c424_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/43cdf187e23ab5d91f7fd3592ef30939_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/28f9f0035a82faadc6a0f0c048c96e15_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/c13ec597fcd6c74319b24f15c52ac36a_hd.jpg https://sheilamclaughlinphotography.com/contact 2022-12-02 weekly 0.5 https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/787d514baf3b3fe2d461c0496403e77b_hd.jpg https://imageproxy.viewbook.com/f7dd1f20afaf9c1400c562228479cf2c_hd.jpg Joan Bittner https://sheilamclaughlinphotography.com/about-1 2025-08-20 weekly 0.5 https://sheilamclaughlinphotography.com/home-old 2022-12-01 weekly 0.5