City on a Hill Press » Through Our Lens

Through our Pens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:23:52 +0000

Through our Lens

Tim Lindvall — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:45:45 +0000

When I was growing up, my mom spent a lot of time flying, and was away from home for a couple of days to a week at a time. Although it appeared to be a luxury to travel and wander around new cities, she constantly reminded me it is her job.

My mom is a flight attendant who travels to a variety of places on a schedule that is not very consistent. Recently, I got to accompany her on a layover in Seattle, Wash. When I met her in Washington, she showed me Pike’s Market, the Space Needle, the wharf, and the shopping district in the city. As the day ended, we went back to the hotel for the night, but my mom did not get to relax. Instead was preparing for a trip to Fairbanks, Ala. and would return to Seattle in the same night.

Through what my mom showed me in Seattle, I captured part of the flight attendant experience. As flight attendants travel they evolve into unique transient locals to the cities they visit, with knowledge of the hidden treasures and treats. However, sometimes after a long flight it’s appealing to spend the day relaxing in a hotel room and catching up on missed sleep. The flight attendant lifestyle is about the all too short layovers that introduce a city, but never give enough time to get completely comfortable in one place before departing for the next.

Through our Pens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:33:13 +0000

This week, our illustrators offer comic relief in the face of issues students are up against. With police brutality against the Occupy movement — including the categorization of arms linked in protest as “violent” by the UCPD — the fleeing regents, and the tuition hike proposal that they’re dodging, we still have the funnies, right?

Oakland Occupied

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:29:20 +0000

Thousands of individuals marched and succeeded in shutting down the port of Oakland yesterday, Nov. 2. The port of Oakland is the fifth busiest port in the United States, and nearly one hundred of semi trucks sat idle, unable to pick up or drop off their containers. The actions throughout the day resulted in numerous business closures, including Wells Fargo, and culminated in the crowd of more than five thousand shutting down the ports in the evening. Factions of the Occupy movement broke off and blocked various ports. The march to the ports saw hundreds of critical mass bicyclists and 300 teachers from the Oakland Unified School District. This day of action follows last week’s police raid where Scott Olsen, a 24-year-old Iraq War veteran, was hospitalized after being struck in the head by a projectile during the raid. Police presence during the day was minimal until around midnight, when numerous police officers weilding guns filled with rubber bullets approached 14th and Broadway.

Through Our Lens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 05:04:58 +0000

Recently I was given the opportunity to accompany a College Eight Core Course on a field trip to Fort Ord Natural Reserve, which, according to their website, “was created from 600 acres of the former army base on the Monterey Peninsula. Fort Ord Natural Reserve gives students, scientists, and the general public a chance “to learn about rare species and habitats, land management, and conservation biology.” The field trip gave freshman students a chance to learn about the resources UCSC has to offer and about the specific ecosystem of the Fort Ord Natural Reserve. Personally, the field trip gave me the chance to see new UCSC students grow closer to one another and bond over an experience unique to their class. It was inspiring, especially in today’s technology-driven world, to see them do some hands-on work and come out smiling at the end of the day.

Through Our Lens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:04:05 +0000

Occupy Santa Cruz (OSC) activists have held their post at the courthouse steps for nearly 25 days now. They have several tables lined with occupation literature and are easily visible to anyone traveling down Water Street. Their ideals resonate with most people who pass by and throughout the day drivers will shout and honk in support. It is also common to see pedestrians interrupt their walks to curiously approach the site where they engage in dialogue with occupiers, which sometimes results in them holding up a sign and helping out.

Open to new members as well as old, OSC holds daily general assemblies to discuss strategies, progress and to address the concerns of members and citizens. At these meetings, people take turns discussing issues and produce solutions that are voted on and recorded.

Not only do they listen to each other, but they regulate themselves as well. If a member of the group disrupts a meeting or acts inappropriately, members will band together to approach that person nonviolently and either convince them to stop or make them leave.

Self-regulation does not ease tensions with the police, though. Officers occasionally come by with digital cameras to monitor the occupation and have made threats of raiding the camp for drugs and other illegal items. Occupy sites in Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose have already been subject to raids, leading to many arrests. It seems that a raid in Santa Cruz is imminent, but the OSC members are aware of mounting governmental pressure and have discussed plans of action in the case of a raid.

As time passes, the movement only grows stronger; eventually the 1 percent will be forced to confront everyone else.

Through our Pens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:52:26 +0000

This week, our illustrators breathe life into cats, ghouls and monsters in preparation for All Hallows’ Eve. As we lean over our work, a chill across our backs reminds us that the mischief is nigh as the witching hour approaches.

Click a thumbnail below to view full size.

Through Our Lens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:00:05 +0000

After leaving the poker rooms and the packed windowless casinos hotboxed with cigarette smoke, we jetted on, windows down. We charged away from the claustrophobic clang of slot machines and onto the open road. Arizona, New Mexico, Texas. We kept driving. On the road, there are only two ways to go — bomb straight through or take your time. We bombed. And it was spectacular. There was the simplicity of desert driving — flat, straight, two lanes, three best friends. We drove through the day, the night, into sunrise, then waded through the blistering 111-degree heat of Oklahoma. We drove through the Arkansas Ozarks, Little Rock and Memphis, and by midnight we made it to Nashville, Tennesee — the “Buckle of the Bible Belt.”

Photographer Robert Doisneau once said, “A hundredth of a second here, a hundredth of a second there — even if you put them end to end, they still only add up to one, two, perhaps three seconds, snatched from eternity.” Capturing only glimpses of my journey into the heart of America, this was my roadtrip — a moment of the eroding arches, a moment of Detroit, overgrown and still crumbling, a moment of the New Mexican landscape out the window, rushing by at 80 miles an hour.

Through Our Lens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:36:23 +0000

I knew I was in for a hell of a weekend when our caravan got pulled over waiting in a line of cars leading to the front gate of Sasquatch! Music Festival. The Washington police department seemed less than pleased with our impromptu dance party. After a strict lecture about roadside safety, we were free to claim our camping spot and join tens of thousands of fans in the most spectacular venue I’ve set foot in. The next four days were filled with some of the best music of our generation. Whether I was drenched in the sweat of Flogging Molly fans or shaking from the cold during Death Cab for Cutie’s half-hour encore, nothing could quell the excitement that a year of anticipation had built for this year’s Sasquatch!

Through Our Pens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 26 May 2011 10:55:33 +0000

As illustrators, we are put to work to interpret words into images. Lines, shapes and colors represent ideas, opinions and conclusions — the visual crux of a story. Though we often yield to communicate factual information, we yearn for disruptions of the ordinary and predictable. In this issue, our staff chooses literary quotations to reinterpret with our own humorous twists. Hunker down with the non sequiturs and explore the curious nature of an illustrator’s mind.

Through Our Lens

Morgan Grana — Thu, 19 May 2011 10:54:17 +0000

My love affair with food began the day I grew out of being a picky eater. As a child, I tended to move my veggies to the side of my plate and preferred the label fast food over foodie. Since moving to Santa Cruz, I have learned to embrace foods of all shapes and sizes. I now greet kale with a smile and melt at the thought of a perfectly poached egg. Through photography, I have found a way to celebrate the intricacies and simple beauty of food, whether that be the seeds of a strawberry, the sheen of a freshly sliced tomato, the fuzz on a peach. These photos are an homage to my adoration with all things food: the elements, the process, and the always delicious results. Bon appétit!

Through Our Lens

Prescott Watson — Thu, 19 May 2011 10:54:10 +0000

Driving into the Santa Cruz Mountains it is often safer to focus on the winding road ahead than to look around you. But through the forest to either side of the highway is dispersed a vibrant community of viticulturalists and vintners involved in a renowned wine industry. Winemaking in the Santa Cruz Mountains started in the mid 1800’s when homesteaders planted vineyards where patches of the redwood forest had been logged. Santa Cruz Mountain wines rose in global prominence and in the 1960s and 70s the regional premium wine industry took off.

In 1981 areas from Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo were classified as the first mountainous American Viticultural Area. The appellation, a defined geographic area in which vines can be grown, is very diverse. The changing elevations, Pacific Ocean, San Francisco Bay, and warm inland all contribute to microclimates which allow vineyards to produce surprisingly diverse grapes.

To learn more I traveled to Muns Vineyard, which is situated 20 minutes east of Highway 17 near Loma Prieta at 2600 feet. Their high elevation keeps them above fog and allows them to grow cool-climate grapes like their popular Pinot Noir. Almost entirely a vineyard, Muns processes its grapes into wine at wineries around the summit area.

Situated lower down at 400 feet between large slopes to the west and east is Hallcrest Vineyards in Felton. Much older than Muns, Hallcrest was one of the largest wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the 1940s. In 1987 the Schumacher family bought the site, revived the vineyards, and started producing popular wines from grapes across the appellation.

There are many vineyards ranging from large productions to backyard projects and over 70 wineries in the Mountains.

Muns Vineyard is located off Summit Road in Los Gatos. They produce Pinot Noir and Syrah and at 2600′ are the highest Pinot Noir vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. You can find their website here and their Facebook profile here.

Hallcrest Vineyards is located off Felton Empire Road in Felton. They produce wines from an array of different vineyards and offer tastings M-F, 12-5 PM for $7. You can find their website here.

Through Our Lens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:52:55 +0000

Manhattan. Skyscraper National Park. Kurt Vonnegut probably said it cynically, but there is some peace and grandeur in these monolithic hulks of metal. Amidst throngs of people buzzing and pressing and plowing past me on the street level, I tilted my camera upwards. It’s quieter up there. I hiked 100 blocks, looking above me toward a silent forest of silver towers.

Seven rolls of film later, I finished my journey, hundreds of these giants immortalized, and tucked away in my pockets.

Through Our Lens

Morgan Grana — Thu, 05 May 2011 10:19:06 +0000

When looking for a more defined tone from singer Josh Montoya, Gadgetbox Studios owner Andy Zenczack told him, “Drop and give me 20.” After reluctantly doing the push-ups, Montoya sang into the mic again, this time with the rough sound they were looking for. It’s not the access to professional Auto-Tuning you pay for at Gadgetbox, it’s the inspiration Zenczack and his studio bring to the mix. When Zenczack noticed Montoya was losing confidence in his voice, he sent for a little Irish Whiskey. After a couple songs on Zenczack’s “one track, one shot” plan, Montoya’s bravado saturated the mic. As track after track went down, I realized how important a musician’s environment is to making their art. With guitars lining the walls and exotic instruments like a finger piano lying around, it’s easy to get creative even while taking a break. Not everyone can afford a studio, but it is well worth the money. Montoya’s band, The Taxi Project, uses a micro-financing website to get around working with controlling labels while still working with talented people like those at Gadgetbox Studios.

Through Our Lens

Morgan Grana — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:28:18 +0000

As I walked toward the piers along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, I could feel the weight of my backpack pulling at my shoulders. I had filled my backpack with two cameras, a wide angle lens, memory cards and several rolls of black and white film. That morning I could not decide whether I wanted to shoot with my film or my digital camera. When I was near the Ferry Building, I made the decision to shoot only with my film camera. The foot traffic on the pier was a diverse mix: some walked to work, some were out for a run and others were taking in the city sites. People who live in and visit the city can take a short walk along the piers and end up anywhere. As one walks down the Embarcadero, there are plenty of places to stop and take in the beauty of the city and to notice the details of what the city have to offer. What one does in the city is truly a matter of making a decision and enjoying the outcome, no matter what happens.

Through Our Pens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:50:25 +0000

Through Our Lens

Salvador Ingram — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:27:41 +0000

Those of us who are lucky enough to live in Santa Cruz are no strangers to natural beauty. However, our familiarity with this luxury can lead to a lack of appreciation and respect for the environment we get to be a part of. I wanted to take a closer look at the animals around the campus and city of Santa Cruz. Taking time to stop and admire the wildlife led to a greater respect for the beautiful area we live in. During this time, I took a trip down to southern California, where I found a big surprise! In the hills of Los Angeles, even exotic birds run wild. California truly is an amazing place.

Through Our Lens

Molly Solomon — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:09:10 +0000

We arrive at Pier 38 and it’s still dark out. The crisp air of the refrigerated room makes me shiver. Men wearing down jackets and knee-high rubber boots shovel ice onto the fish being unloaded from the docks. A bell rings as the clock strikes 5:30 a.m. and a continuous stream of numbers and fast-talking negotiations ensue. I look around and think to myself, where am I? Few would guess I’m vacationing in sunny Hawaii. On a whim, I decide to check out the Honolulu Fish Auction, the only daily fish auction of its kind in the United States. Modeled after the famous Tsukiji fish auction in Japan, the auction allows independent fishermen to sell their catch to the buyer with the highest bid. The buyers on this early Saturday morning ranged from worldwide fish distributors to local restaurant chefs. Keeping up with the fast-paced crowd of bidders while trying not to get run over by the dockworkers pushing pallets of 200-pound bigeye tuna was certainly an adventure.

Through Our Lens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:37:28 +0000

City on a Hill Press photographers offer a glimpse into the beautiful scenes that they encountered during spring break. From the Port of San Francisco to the islands of Hawaii, each photographer shares some of the most memorable moments of their travels.

Through Our Lens

Nick Paris — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:01:37 +0000

As a young boy, I would meander down the train tracks of my hometown — sometimes to pass summer days with friends, sometimes to think and spend time alone. It wasn’t dangerous, because the Novato train station hadn’t seen a single train come by since it burned down.

It’s been a long time since then and my last ride on the rails. Then I planned a trip, a trek to the next town using Google Maps to see how far it was and if it indeed went where I thought it would.

I never took that trip. At the time, it seemed pointless. If I knew exactly where I was going and roughly how long it would take, what was the point? The magic of the rails is in the mystery, the new things to see and the pointlessness of it all.

After having seen many people walking down the tracks recently I was reminded of my love of wandering and decided to have a mini-adventure. On my journey, I saw many other track travelers and artifacts of travelers past. At the end of my trip, I was surprised and delighted to find a note stuffed away in the tracks. In the note the author says, “[It] feels like I am wondering through life lost like a lost soul” and that the author is “wandering aimlessly.”

To the author of that note I have this to say: It’s OK to feel aimless. Purpose often comes out of unexpected avenues. But you have to put yourself out there on the tracks and keep going. Otherwise, you will stay stuck forever.

Life is just a four-letter word, synonymous with mystery.

You make it what you want.

Through Our Lens

Kyan Mahzouf — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:52:58 +0000

From the dense, monarch-laden eucalyptus trees to the rocky shoreline blanketed with barnacles and tide pools, Natural Bridges State Park’s pristine macrocosm captured my attention as my camera captured the images for hours. Throughout the quarter I made my way to the park on several occasions, each time with a different subject in mind. I pieced together this compilation, hoping to encapsulate the rich diversity and unique geography that make our stretch of the California coastline so revered.

Through Our Lens

Ryan Tuttle — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:16:51 +0000

The Great American Music Hall welcomed Florida-based rock band Boyce Avenue on Feb. 15. At the sold-out show, the three brothers played a mix of originals and cover songs, like Oasis’ “Wonderwall” and Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” The group began posting live cover versions of popular songs on YouTube, uploading a new tune to their page every week in 2007. After gaining momentum from covers, Boyce Avenue began revealing original music. The band members’ undeniable love for music is the primary force behind the group’s continued success. The group’s YouTube channel has over 250 million views. It is clear the band has no intentions of slowing down.

Through Our Lens

Prescott Watson — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:53:42 +0000

Friday night, I hitched a ride with a friend to San Francisco. I was looking forward to starting early and traveling light to see as much of the city as possible. I brought just one shoulder bag carrying my camera, two lenses and a notebook. I wanted to capture the city through the experiences of individuals. Coffee joints were full of well oiled, tightly wound but totally relaxed people. The chef at Fresca was a modest man whose skill was to fade into the background as his skillets took prominence. Later I passed men thumbing for work on the side of the road and talked with Egyptians celebrating former president Hosni Mubarak’s abdication only hours after the news broke. Twelve hours later I was on a train back to UCSC. Travel in the Bay Area is surprisingly easy, can be cheap and is a good stress combatant. If you ever need someone to go with, you can find me on the staff list.

Through Our Lens

Isaac Miller — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:32:49 +0000

My relationship with digital photography has been tumultuous at best. On one hand, digital compromises the integrity of photography as an art, diluting its truth-telling faculties. On the other, new software and cameras offer new and interesting ways of creating images. High-dynamic-range (HDR) photography uses a combination of three versions of the exact same image: one correctly exposed, one overexposed by three stops and one underexposed by three stops. The images are then combined in Photoshop, so every inch of the image has the best possible exposure. Colors and lighting can be adjusted to create an extremely surrealistic effect. I chose to photograph some of the interesting houses in Santa Cruz and to push the HDR to the point where the houses look cartoonish. This time technology worked in my favor, making it possible for me to depict these buildings in a way that reflects my memory of them.

Through Our Pens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:32:48 +0000

For our special themed issue, our team of illustrators contribute their interpretations of love — in all its variations.

Through Our Lens

Morgan Grana — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:22:12 +0000

After a long drive I stepped out of the car, and could immediately feel the cold snow through my Vans. Winter in Yosemite National Park has plenty of snow to offer, and overall it is difficult to take in the whole park at once. As the morning fog quickly disappeared, I began my day of traveling around the park in hopes of finally piecing together all the aspects of it. The beauty of this park led me to see and capture nature in a new way. During the two days I was in Yosemite I found myself constantly admiring all the trees, the waterfalls and the grand scheme of the larger landscapes. Towards the end of my trip, I walked off of a small path and found myself completely alone, and looking around, I felt small. I lost myself at Yosemite. There, I became lost in a natural splendor and also learned to take my time in capturing the small details in life and placing them into the larger picture.

Through Our Lens

Molly Solomon — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 10:37:44 +0000

Nestled among the redwoods above Kresge College lies a hidden Santa Cruz gem. The UC Santa Cruz trailer park is an oasis that stands alone as one of the most unique college living arrangements around. On a quiet Tuesday morning, sunshine trickles in through the branches as the park’s residents begin to wake up. Neighbors meet for tea and conversation before heading out to class. A student works on an art project in the common space outside the community bathrooms. Bicycles and hammocks abound in the plentiful open space. Every trailer embodies artistic design and reflects the creativity of each owner that inherits and inhabits it. Campers have been painted with bright colors and murals. Small gardens and streams of Tibetan flags decorate the front porches. A sense of calm runs through me as I walk around the tight-knit community. I inhale deeply and breathe in the smell of fresh redwoods and breakfast in the works: Even the air smells fresher up here.

Through Our Lens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:06:41 +0000

On a recent trip to Nepal, I found portrait photography heaven. Every face was so unique, as was their clothing. The people, coupled with consistently overcast weather and a 105mm manual focus macro lens, helped me shoot a collection of photos that has since become my personal favorite.

Through Our Lens

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:56:50 +0000

Through Our Lens

Morgan Grana — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:21:11 +0000

Landscapes are probably the hardest images to capture. People work wonders: Introducing them quickly brings depth and a story to the piece.

Portraits are challenging because, like spices, people often need to be presented carefully to show their character. In a way, the photographer needs to be the salt that compliments and highlights the subjects’ personality and characteristics.

These are some people I’ve photographed recently.