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East Bay Street Photographers Want You to Take ‘Notice’

Pendarvis Harshaw
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People gather outside of an event at the Oakland Photo Workshop headquarters in Oakland's Chinatown.
People gather outside of an event at the Oakland Photo Workshop headquarters in Oakland's Chinatown.  (Malcolm Wallace)

When photographers come together to show their work, the stories flow.

That’s sure to be the case at the Oakland Photo Workshop on Friday, May 3, as the Oakland Street Photography Collective and the East Bay Photo Collective host “NOTICE.” The event will feature work from top-tier Bay Area street photographers from the Oakland Street Photography Collective, and is curated by pablo circa and Demondre Ward (who are also members of the Oakland Street Photography Collective).

In addition to celebrating the visual art mounted on the walls of the community gallery space in Oakland’s Chinatown, the event will see the group releasing a new zine and partying to the sounds of a DJ set from OVRKAST.

A social media post describing the show explains, “Through the lens of talented photographers, ‘NOTICE’ prompts us to reconsider our perspectives and appreciate the intricate details that often elude our attention.”

A person in a bucket hat and dress shirt hold up a printed photo of themselves.
An attendee at an East Bay Photo Collective event called “Swaptastic,” holds up a printed portrait of themselves. (Malcolm Wallace)

On display that evening will be the artwork of photographers pablo circa, Brandon Ruffin, Ariel Mason, Bradley Fowl, Elvin Catley Tare Sang, Rudi Tcruz, Demondre Ward and Kristian Salum.

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Najee Tobin, whose art will also be showing, is part of the East Bay Photo Collective’s gallery team. A Vallejo-raised artist who focuses on portrait photography with elements of fine art, Tobin says the group’s work is an important part of the landscape for local photographers.

The five members of the East Bay Photo Collective pose for a photograph.
The East Bay Photo Collective (left to right: Jenny Sampson, Anita Gay, Najee Tobin, Jyoti Liggin, and Vince Donavan ). (Malcolm Wallace)

“It’s an easygoing, supportive space where you’re allowed to experiment,” Tobin says of the collective, pointing out the frequent barriers to entry — financial or otherwise — when it comes to doing photography in academia or the world of fine art. ” They just want to see the work, that’s what’s important to me.”

The East Bay Photo Collective hosts workshops on specific photography topics throughout the year. The group also holds an annual gear sale, where cameras and accessories are donated, cleaned up and sold for a low price to aspiring photographers.

a black and white photo of a woman standing in a gallery looking at framed images mounted on a wall.
Aja Cooper, daughter of the late photographer Raymond Cooper, takes a look at her dad’s work. (Malcolm Wallace)

Earlier this month the collective held a closing reception for an exhibition that featured photos from the archives of Raymond Cooper, the late Oakland photographer whose images of the Town during the ’70s and ’80s were rescued from a trash can in 2021.

“I see a lot of my friends and fellow photographers in his archives,” says Tobin, reflecting on the event and Cooper’s work. “It was nice to see somebody celebrated for doing what we do.”

‘NOTICE,’ a show highlighting the work of the Oakland Street Photography Collective, takes place on Friday, May 3, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Oakland Photo Workshop (312 8th Street, Oakland).

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