sunset at fort miley/

It seems to strange to start the week with a sunset but yesterday's sunset at Fort Miley was truly spectacular. I had to share this...

serena mitnik-miller/general store

I happened upon this lovely room the other day as I was browsing the vintage clothing selection at General Store in the Sunset. I  was directed to the fitting room behind the curtain and as I pulled it back, this is what I saw. Something about how the light was coming in the window....well I was compelled to pull out my iphone and take these two shots. It turns out this is the studio of artist Serena Mitnik Miller. She is one of the owners of General Store as well as an artist. I am toying with the idea of going back and documenting this space in more depth if she will let me and I can find some time. But maybe that is me just wanting to spend more than a few second in this lovely back room studio. The front of General Store is pretty damn great as well. When I want an afternoon coffee and a little breather, I head out to Trouble Coffee, which is next door, and then I browse around General Store and head out to their back garden to finish my coffee. Not sure if I am supposed to do that, but this place makes you want to linger...and I never leave without buying a little something.

stanford medicine magazine/

Yesterday I shot another issue of Stanford Medicine Magazine. SMM was one of my first clients when I began shooting and it has remained one of my favorites. I can't tell you how many things I have seen and learned that I would never have been able to. Luckily I don't get squeamish, so I've been able to photograph brain surgeries and liver transplants, as well as meet and take portraits of some very inspiring people changing the face of medicine and science.
This image today, of Dr. Jill Helms, is one of my favorite portraits for SMM from awhile ago. Her work involved craniofacial development/morphogenesis and regenerative medicine. I dragged her way out to a pigeon farm because her research involved them. She was a really good sport, though, as you can see. It was not the sweetest smelling place...  

kay sekimachi/collections

a couple more images of Kay Sekimachi's collections. I have to say, I find people's collections fascinating. And with Kay, she takes so much care in the way she stores and displays them, that I feel like they are an extension of her artwork. It shows how she thinks.

kay sekimachi/

Yesterday I mentioned Kay Sekimachi's wasp nest in her living room. But look what she can do with the paper from a wasp's nest. I love this picture because it one of Kay's wasp paper bowl's with one of her late husband, Bob Stocksdale's hand turned wood bowls. I think of it as kind of a portrait of both of them. And I added another image of more of Kay's work just for fun...

kay sekimachi/

I've been thinking about Kay Sekimachi's home lately because of this comfortable little nook under the stairs. It seem like the perfect place to curl up, which no doubt, kay does. Yes, that is a massive wasp's nest hanging on the right - a gift to Kay from friends in Vermont (?). Kay's collections of beautiful rocks, shells and such is rather remarkable. But this wasp's nest is the prize of her collection I daresay.

the pacific/

I shot this image this past weekend at Pigeon Pt. It was on my iphone so I almost didn't post it (image quality, etc.) but there is something wistful and peaceful about it and I have found myself looking repeatedly. Thought I would share. Have a good weekend everyone.

henry varnum poor/crow house

not too many words today. I just love this picture. Especially all the rectangular rusted tins in a row on that shelf. 

peace and quiet/

So much is happening lately  and I find myself just craving some moments of quiet to contemplate the last few months of my life. I think my choice of images for the blog is reflecting that. Like this one from Henry Varnum Poor's house. I have paused on it before, but today, I want to climb in, peel back the curtain and just stare out the window awhile.

dreaming of summer/

the weather is so beautiful in San Francisco today the I plum forgot to post on my blog this morning. I am just dreaming of summer....

pigeon pt. lighthouse/

I have been a bit antsy for a road trip lately, so I took a drive down Hwy. 1 this weekend. It was gorgeous and windy at Pigeon Pt.

handcrafted modern/outtakes/blunk

I figured I would end the week with a few of the details I tend to get lost in. More details of JB Blunk's studio.

handcrafted modern/outtakes/zeisel

Another workshop shot - this one at Eva Zeisel's country house. I was really surprised to find a full woodshop at her studio. It conjured up visions of Eva with a jigsaw and made me see her as more of a badass. Of course she was 101 when I was there photographing her home, but still...total badass. The bagged up wood pieces were from a new piece of furniture she was working on, I believe.

handcrafted modern/outtakes/kapel

I guess it is because of yesterday's post, but I find myself thinking about all the workshops and studios that were not in Handcrafted Modern. This is another view of John Kapel's workshop in his basement. He is incredibly tidy, as you can see. I really love that sculpture. It is an early piece. I believe it is made of particle board. Wish I could have taken it home, frankly.

handcrafted modern/outtakes/blunk

One thing that got edited out of Handcrafted Modern in a couple of chapters is the workspaces and studios. In JB Blunk's chapter especially, there just was not enough pages to fit JB's studio. Here are a couple of my favorites. I love all the stones he collected.

handcrafted modern/outtakes/blunk

There was a really nice article about me in the Chronicle yesterday. Kind of surprising to see a picture of me on the front of the newspaper, but I thought I would share this picture at JB Blunk's house as I mentioned it in the article. This is the picture I shot at sunrise at JB Blunk's home. I really adore this picture but it did not make it in the book. For some reason I thought I had shared it before, but I don't see it in past blogs. There are still so many outtakes to share. I guess I'll just keep going.

On another note, I would love any feedback from you all on how I can make my blog better. I am not the most savvy at integrating all these social media things. My blog is on Networked blogs if you'd like to follow that way. And I have a fan page on Facebook that posts the blog daily. On Facebook my fan page is Leslie Williamson Photo. I look forward to hearing from you!

handcrafted modern/outtakes/blunk

I mentioned in JB Blunk's chapter of Handcrafted Modern that I have a bit of a soft spot for JB Blunk's house because I got to stay there. Well here is what I woke up to. Another couple of shots off my phone, but I think you all understand now. Absolutely sublime.

handcrafted modern/outtakes/esherick

I have been trying to gather up ALL the images I shot from Handcrafted Modern lately - even the ones on my cell phone. I ran across this one yesterday. This was an original "pic of the day" when I sent it out to about 20 of my friends and family. It is a view looking into Wharton Esherick's bathroom. I really like how you can see detail of the floor. I regret I don't have this one on film since this is low res and not fantastic quality. But it captures something important about the house.

my current obsession/june schwarcz

While I was printing in the darkroom the past few weeks I printed up this one for me. It is in June Schwarcz's bathroom. I can't stop staring at it. I love June's enamel piece in the upper left and the textile piece (wish I could remember who it is by!) on the right, but for some reason, I think the composition is made by that mirror and the fact that what is in the mirror is out of focus. What do you think?

jb blunk residency/benjamin britton

Another nice shot of Benjamin Britton. He was working on some drawings in his journal here.

happy 2011/remembrance of things past

Happy New Year everyone!!
Hope you all enjoyed a little rest and relaxation this past week.
To start off the new year, I thought I would acknowledge my past a little bit. I have been printing in the darkroom for friends over the holidays and I found myself working on this image. I shot this image a long time ago for the Surface Avant Guardian issue. I think it was the first ever Avant Guardian issue and it was not like it is run now. I was asked to participate, which was completely flattering, and a first for me at that point in my career. Anyhow, the other day in the darkroom, I found it very satisfying to realize I still really like this picture. It holds up, even after what...10 years? It puts me back in touch with the wistful, romantic girl I was at the very beginning of my career. I am still that girl today in a lot of ways, but the work evolves as it is supposed to.