STATE OF LIGHT / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID C. HILL
Bay Area
Take the scenic way.Explore the Bay Area through my photographs and stories of local history, neighborhood life, and places worth a closer look. First shared on my Explore San Jose and State of Light Facebook pages, collected here for easy browsing.
Stories from the road & around the corner
Our Lady of La Vang: San José Then & Now
A look back at St. Patrick’s parish and the new Our Lady of La Vang church in downtown San José.
Bo Town and the Former Sambo’s Building
The folded roof, restaurant history, and changing future of a familiar downtown San José building.
California Theatre & the Jacaranda Tree
The California Theatre, flowering jacarandas, and the story of horticulturist Kate Sessions.
About this journal
I’m David C. Hill, a photographer based in San José. My Explore San Jose and State of Light Facebook pages grew out of photographing the places around me and wanting to learn more about their stories. During COVID, I began digging deeper into the history behind the streets, buildings, and neighborhoods I was documenting.
Explore San Jose focuses on the city’s architecture, history, culture, and everyday life. State of Light follows my wider photographic explorations through San Francisco, California, and beyond. Both pages share the same purpose: to tell the stories behind the places I photograph, connecting what we see today with their history, the people who shaped them, and the changes happening around us.
Facebook is a good place to share a discovery, but older posts can disappear into an endless scroll. This journal gives those photographs and stories a more lasting, organized home—easier to find, revisit, and share, whether or not you use Facebook.
Explore the San José photo collections →
© David C. Hill · State of Light