In Retirement, Oakland Resident Discovers a Gift for Photography and Enjoys a Growing Social Media Following
The hauntingly beautiful photographs began appearing on Facebook in mid-2019 on an Oakland group site.
From the beginning, they caught the imagination of the folks who live here and those who have left. The comments ranged from “Beautiful” to “Awesome” to “Who are you?”
The person who posted them went by a Korean name (손종부) written in Hangul script next to a small photo of an Asian man.
In the first weeks of their appearance the photos generated several comments and “likes” and now, months later, the responses have reached the hundreds for each posting. His followers are in the thousands.
But who is this artistic photographer with the sharp eye for detail and Nature’s many faces? Who is the man whose images are ethereal and who spends hours hunting for them in our natural environment?
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Philip Son, a four-year resident of Oakland. His story is the story of a Korean family who sought a better life, and of finding a new and unexpected calling after retirement.
“When I first arrived in the U.S. in 1982, I had a J-1 visa which allowed me to work right away,” he says. “I worked in imports and exports for a few years. In 1990, I opened a dry cleaning business in Newark. My family arrived after that.”
Soon after his wife and two children arrived, the family adopted American names: Philip, Sarah, Eunice and Kevin. They worked and lived in Newark for 20 years and became American citizens. In 2007, Phil, who is 72 years old, sold the business and headed for California, where he opened another dry cleaning business in Santa Monica. In 2016, he sold that business, came back to New Jersey, and took the first steps into retirement.
By now, his young family had grown. Together with his wife, his daughter, her husband and their two children, the family found a home here in Oakland four years ago that afforded them the life for which they had worked 34 years.
“I asked myself, how will I spend my free time?” he recalls. “I was thinking about taking up painting Asian art. I found it would take a long time to develop the technique and the skill. My son bought me an expensive camera--which seemed so complicated--instead of golf clubs.“
Shortly after receiving the camera, Phil suffered an injury in an auto accident. It was in the recovery from his injury that he renewed his efforts to use his camera.
“I was thinking ‘My health is not good now,’” he says, then adds that he thought of the gift his son had given him. “Oh, I have a camera to use! I went on Facebook and YouTube where I became a follower of a professional photography group. I learned from them the proper techniques and began to make good images. I did not realize I had the sense of visual artistry.”
Phil became involved with several types of photography. He went outdoors every day, relentlessly seeking the kind of images that excited him.
“When I see an image, it speaks to me,” he says. “It is uplifting to me to capture these photos. They have a spiritual quality that is so pleasing. Now I live In Oakland, there is much outdoor beauty that surrounds me.”
He joined a group of professional Korean photographers and began to gain confidence. He intensified his efforts and brought the photographs he produced to Facebook and YouTube. His following grew to 200 people.
“I had to limit the number of followers to 200 because it became hard to say hello to all of them,” he notes.
When Phil joined the Oakland group on Facebook, his followers increased exponentially--they are now in the thousands. Some days his photo art depicts a sweeping view of the mountains, lakes and streams; other days they reveal the exquisite detail of droplets on a flower’s leaf or an insect’s attraction to the colors in Nature.
“I was nominated ‘Rising Star’ by the professional group I joined which is sponsored by Nikon,” he says. “This has made me very happy. It is wonderful that the people of Oakland like my photos and those who have moved far away from Oakland see my photos and say they miss Oakland. I have retired to do something that I love. It gives me energy in this part of my life.”
Phil is out and about every day, no matter the elements. He is discovering new places, new kinds of beauty. He studies every angle for the best shot for maximum impact.
“I am proud of myself,” he admits. “Sometimes people do not find a second life. I found it. I am happy with my camera with nothing to distract me. I do not schedule; I do not plan. Whatever comes to my mind--sunrise, sunset--it is all interesting.”
Last year Phil and his wife visited Kuwait, where his son lives and works. Phil was inspired by the visual beauty of the desert and the culture.
“I saw the culture there with my own eyes,” he says. “It really excited me. Maybe I will have a new phase-- taking photos of people in a big city like New York. I love this country and Oakland’s natural beauty. My advice to people who retire: If you are 65, think as if you were 30 or 25.”
As 2020 approaches, Phil will continue to share his art with Oakland. In any season his pictures renew our senses, our connection with the environment we live in. And on days when our lives seem too harsh and complicated, or when the monotony dulls us, and we need a pick-me-up, there through the magic of technology are Phil Son’s photographic gems.
As Phil says, “Make the dream. If you have none, make one.”
Terri Casaleggio is a correspondent for the newsletter.
*Photos are by Philip Son