Intro:
Hi everyone! I will be posting 30 photographic stories for 30 days- hence the name, 30 Days of Tabije. I was inspired by my cousins, Jordan and Edward, who first worked on this project- Jordan for graphic design and Edward for music production…
Aside from the world issues and events that have taken over this year, I always look to challenge myself in life, no matter what- and this month, my challenge will be with photography. Sometimes, it is easier said than done, but like my hero Kobe Bryant once said,
“You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and keep on rolling.”
These photos will be of previous work. Some of them I consider my best work, while others had a sentimental story that I wanted to share with you. My purpose is to write about why I took a particular photo and what it means to me. I would love to hear your feedback or answer any questions that you might have during this.
Peace and love,
JT
Day 1:
One of my first accomplishments while living in the Bay Area was getting promoted to bartender at P.F. Chang’s in Walnut Creek. Getting this promotion at Chang’s allowed me to balance a second job in San Francisco to bartend for a private club inside the Giants’ baseball stadium called Gotham Club. I was a little hesitant because I am a huge Dodgers fan, but I knew that taking this job would open up many other doors of opportunity- so I took it!
During one of the many games that the Dodgers played in SF, I went in to work early and brought my camera to Gotham Club to take photos of where I worked and to show how close the players are when I’m working.
The 1st photo is my bartop on the right side and then the MLB scoreboard to the left. Behind the scoreboard is the baseball field (2nd photo). The 3rd photo is the Bullpen section where I would also bartend. When Dodgers were in town, I would purposely request to work down there so I can get that live experience and also to interact with the my regulars (PSA- As bartenders- interacting with the customer is 50% of the job). Another cool thing about the bullpen is the fence opens up and you can walk onto the warning track before the game starts. In the 4th photo, the dodgers were warming up hours before the first pitch. This was the best perk of working here- watching the Dodgers come in to town and watching a sea of Dodger blue take over the stadium- Shoutout to Pantone294! This made Giants fans hate them even more.
FYI- 100% of my regulars never knew that I was a Dodger fan but I was always respectful and always stayed professional. To remain incognito, I always talked stats, and never on emotion, so they never questioned anything I said to them, especially when talking about the Dodgers or even the Giants. Also, one of my favorite things about that stadium are the beautiful SF views in every corner of the stadium! Can’t wait to visit again.