Visual Journal: Burlingame Project Preview

Burlingame has a lot of mid-century architecture. Some of it is worn and showing patina, but others, like this apartment building, show the love and care that’s gone into keeping the buildings going.

It’s been a few weeks since I posted, mostly because I felt like I hadn’t shot much. But when I opened Lightroom and reviewed what I shot since my Wyoming trip, I found a bunch of photos worth sharing.

These were all taken along my regular neighborhood walking route. Since moving here five years ago, I’ve walked this area with my camera multiple times per week and shot around 4,500 photos.

Over the past few months, I’ve been sorting through them — looking for patterns, recurring themes, and trying to understand what I’ve been drawn to. Many of the buildings appear multiple times, so one of the hardest parts is choosing the image that best reflects what caught my eye. Sometimes it’s hard to resist including more than one shot of the same subject — but I’m trying.

Once I narrow the selections, the next step is deciding how to present the project. Should it live as a Substack post? On my website? As a zine, a book, or even an exhibit? Probably a bit of all of these.

There’s also a conceptual challenge I’ve been thinking about: Burlingame’s public image is polished and upscale—Burlingame Avenue, with its Apple Store, Sephora, and other familiar brands, looks like an outdoor luxury mall. But that’s not the Burlingame I’ve been photographing. My images show a different side of the town—quieter, more textured, sometimes a little worn. I worry that this perspective might turn off local viewers, especially those who might see it as unflattering or out of step with the town’s curated identity.

But my hope is the opposite: that these photos encourage people—especially those who live here—to slow down and notice the overlooked beauty in our surroundings. Rust, patina, shadows, empty spaces—these all tell part of the story, too. I’m still figuring out how to present that story in a way that invites curiosity instead of resistance.

If you’ve worked on long-term photo projects or have faced similar questions of representation, I’d love to hear how you approached them. And as always, I welcome your thoughts—and critiques—on the photos.

Warmly,
josh

Stairways will definitely have a place in the final project.