Aaron Lui

Project: Downtown Berkeley through a Panoramic View

Year: 2008
Major: Geography
Hometown: Granite Bay, California

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
In the future I plan to integrate photography and critical thinking about landscapes that I have acquired in the geography program at Cal. The goal would be to make a living through creativity, stay moving, and bring an awareness about new ideas through geography and photography. Both of these studies have become central in my academic life and I hope to take them much farther.

Learned from this project:
During this project I learned how to approach subjects confidently to take better photographs in more intimate settings. Working with a group towards the same goal on different paths has also taught me to value each approach to better a collaborative project.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
My hope for Downtown is that the Center St. project among others transforms the vitality of the area, but maintains the true unique qualities of Downtown that we have captured in our photographs.

John Viet

Project: Behind the Counter

Year: 2009
Major: Architecture
Hometown: Cupertino, California

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
I plan to live in Vietnam for a year, teaching English, volunteering and taking pictures. Afterwards, I want to pursue working for non-profit organizations that fight for causes I believe in with community work, organization and graphic design. I will live modestly, doing what makes me happy until I decide to grow up and go to graduate school for something.

Learned from this project:
That taking pictures of people isn't a bad thing... that we aren't taking their souls away. I learned how to talk to people, to interact with strangers and to compose pictures in quick situations.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
I hope that the shopkeepers will be considered when Berkeley makes planning decisions. The shopkeepers are essential in defining the character of Berkeley and it would be sad to see them have to leave.

Patrici Flores

Project: Life on the Streets

Year: 2008
Major: Psychology
Hometown: El Sobrante, California

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
Go to art school to learn animation and motion graphic design. Travel and write and be a good role model of style and perfection for my young sister, who wants to be a photographer/fashion designer.

Learned from this project:
I learned that when randomly walking up to someone to take their picture, they probably feel more vulnerable than you do. The people you meet on the streets have a lot to share if you just reach out. I also learned how to use a camera, sort of.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
I hope that more deliciously cheap eateries pop up.

Aileen Zhao

Project: Homelessness: The Service Providers

Year: 2008
Major: English
Hometown: Alhambra, California

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
Become a mommy, stay close to my family and friends.

Learned from this project:
You instantly feel closer to someone when you put your camera two inches from their face.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
More nightlife!

Barton Ching

Project: The Aberrant Nature of Buildings

Year: 2008
Major: Architecture
Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
I plan to work for 2-3 years as a slave draftsman, apply for and attend a top notch grad school, and then live poorly as a working architect for the rest of my life.

Learned from this project:
A building will never pose for you, but everyone and everything else wants to be in the picture.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
I hope that Berkeley will become more of a living, local, self-sustainable city. I hope that grocery stores, more housing, and families as well as working professionals will move into the downtown area.

Justin Syren

Project: A Reason

Year: 2010
Major: Architecture
Hometown: El Cerrito, CA

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
I have no plans or aspirations. I feel like having goals or direction is very limiting to creativity in life. My plan is to develop a solid background--a place to fall back on--and do something completely reckless.

Learned from this project:
I learned how to make people smile. I learned how to approach people. I learned to respect. I learned how to use the camera as a mediation device between two people. I learned how to smile.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
I would to see the downtown develop a more distinct characteristic, a different sense of place in Berkeley landscape. It would be nice for the downtown to develop a lively nightlife and become a place where individuality and local retail can flourish.

So Rae Yoo

Project: The Empty Spirit in Vacant Spaces

Year: 2007
Major: Architecture
Hometown: Seoul, Korea

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
It's hard to predict future. However, I am be with Un...

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
I like Downtown Berkeley itself. I hope it does not change according to time.

Salgu Wissmath

Project: Moving Through Downtown: The Case for Bikes and Buses

Year: 2009
Major: Linguistics
Hometown: Sacramento, California

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
I plan to stay in school as long as possible. Then I want to travel the world, learning as many new languages as I can along the way. Perhaps I will continue to photograph different forms of transportation while I travel.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
I want to see mass transit on the same large scale and frequency as in big cities in other countries like London or Seoul.

Something else about me:
I was born on Earth Day. I think this has made me more conscious about the environment. I try to do my small part everyday, like recycling paper, old homework, and apple juice bottles. This year an archbishop mentioned in an interview that "polluting the Earth" should be considered a modern form of social sin. After riding the bus for this project, and probing people about why they don't ride public transportation more, I'm more aware of how I get around daily. Right now I am inspired to buy a bike.

Chanel Leaf

Project: Inside Berkeley High

Year: 2010
Major: Mass Communications
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, California

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
Following graduation I intend to receive a master’s degree in the field of Integrated Communications and Marketing. I ideally would like to permanently reside in the Bay Area and work for the marketing and advertising sector of a corporation. In 10 years I hope to have an established career while on the side volunteering my time to a non-profit organization as well as parenting an adopted child.

Learned from this project:
This project allowed me to re-visit the lifestyle and dynamic relationships of high school teenagers. By interacting with Berkeley High students I was able to reflect back on my own high school experience, while photographing theirs from a new and different perspective.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
Within the next several years I hope to see the Center Street project put into fruition. I especially look forward to the implementation of the daylight proposal of Strawberry Creek so it will openly run along Center Street, which will help beautify the city.

Ivana Goldstein

Project: Dining Downtown

Year: 2008
Major: Mass Communications
Hometown: Prague, Czech Republic

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
Travel around the world; in addition to my knowledge of Czech, English and French language, I would like to speak Spanish and Italian; Pursue photography; Have a big family with lots of kids around me; Own an Artist Hotel.

Learned from this project:
You can do anything you decide to do. Even without being able to use external flash, you can still make good photographs. It sometimes helps to talk to people before you take their picture. Not to get discourage if somebody gets negative about you wanting to take their pictures - even if you asked them nicely.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
To get more customers!

Anna Hiatt

Project: The Sound of Downtown

Year: 2010
Major: History
Hometown: Washington, DC

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
I look forward to graduating, and I would love to have opportunity to work as a photojournalist.

Learned from this project:
I have had a great time learning how to do an extended project, photographing the Downtown Arts District all semester. It can be hard to stick with one topic and this class was definitely a practice in discipline.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
I look forward to the opening of Freight and Salvage and other venues on Addison Street. I cannot wait to see how the Arts District evolves.

Michael Zhang

Project: Nighttime

Year: 2009
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Davis, California

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
Get a MS in computer science, do some entrepreneurship, and live for God.

Learned from this project:
I learn a lot about taking photographs in environments with difficult lighting, and how to secretly take photographs using a remote shutter release. I also learned a lot about the history of photography and the work of famous photographers.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
That the sidewalks become a livelier place to be at night.

Lauren Wynveen

Project: Cracks and Cavities | Alleyways

Year: 2009
Major: Architecture
Hometown: San Diego, California

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
Live simply, learn, travel, and continue my pursuit for immortality.

Learned from this project:
I refined my craft with the camera and in the darkroom. I learned how to print on fiber. I also discovered a lot of narrow Berkeley alleyways I never knew existed.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
I would like to see more small business, and ideally small businesses that stay open later than 9 or 10 pm. It'd also be great to see a really delicious Mexican restaurant open in Downtown Berkeley!

Unchung Na

Project: A Landmark: From the Building

Year: 2007
Major: Architecture
Hometown: Seoul, Korea

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
After graduation, I will make some money. And then I will be an architect.

Learned from this project:
World of view camera.

Janet Delaney

Major: Art
Hometown: Compton, CA

Plan for the next 5 to 10 years:
I try to have something to do with art everyday. In the next few years I hope to be able to spend more time making my own work. I want to wander in the forest with my Hasselblad and spend long days meandering through very large cities with my Rolifex. I love film, but I am going digital, not fun, but challenging and necessary.

Learned from this project:
Teaching this class has been very educational. I learned how students see Downtown Berkeley. I learned that they mainly saw the homeless, the buses and a very lonely town.

Hopes for Downtown Berkeley:
I am a big proponent of increasing the population of downtown Berkeley. We need to really encourage more housing and with that will come more foot traffic and more businesses. We need to be thoughtful about scale, but not inflexible. We should really encourage independent businesses over chains to maintain the eclectic nature of this town.