There was no agenda on this day. It was simply a day to explore an old remnant of San Francisco history. That this trip produced these images was simply luck, though I believe luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

Alcatraz is packed with tourists, but I wanted to find ways of capturing the isolation of this small island just off the coast of San Francisco. This former prison now a national park is itself a snapshot into the lives of the inmates and guards that once roamed its halls. To see how they once lived was a trip to the past, and one I am glad to have experienced and captured.

Perfect moments presented themselves as crowds shuffled away, leaving the view from the prison empty if only for a moment. The lens was aimed for simplicity; straight on flat shots that contrasted with the background, shots angled upward with leading lines to guide the eye, and centered shots that put the subjects right in the middle.

The blues of the sky and ocean were emphasized to contrast with the oranges and browns of the buildings interiors and exteriors. The combination of colors leans into the trip to the past we make as we step off the boat and onto the island itself.

The prison is a living photograph. At any turn it feels as if you will run into a prisoner heading for the shower or a fresh set of clothes. The cells are empty, small, and cold feeling cubes. It is a wonder that anyone ever inhabited these small spaces.

Everything here is frozen in time, preserved only so much to keep Alcatraz standing. In the cafeteria the meal board has remained the same for over five decades, presenting the meal for the last day of operation.

Outside towers, lighthouses, and exhaust pipes loomed into the deep blue sky. Over and over the lens found its way up to this contrast where earth meets sky. I wondered how often the prisoners found themselves looking the same way, past the chain link fence and barbed wire.

From a few vantage points the contrast between the crumbling prison and rising city were stunning. It was past and future coexisting in the bay.

The trip winded down and everyone was back on the boat. Centered on the deck I looked for those cracks through which I could see the landmarks. There were others in the way and so I leaned into their perspective, seeing the landmarks as they were.