Bryan Farley Photography Educator

Earlier this month, I traveled to a small Central Valley town for my first bloodless bullfight. The weekend was part of a series of Portuguese American events that occur throughout “the valley.” The bullfight was also sponsored by the Carlos Vieiera Foundation to raise money for autism.

Portuguese California Bloodless Bullfighting Photo Gallery

I attended the bloodless bullfight, the same weekend that two American towns experienced deadly mass shootings. The crowd acknowledged those lost in El Paso with a minute of silence. Our crowd had not yet learned about Dayton when the evening started. I wouldn’t learn until much later that evening.

California allows bullfighting, as long as the contest is “bloodless.” As I understand the law, the animals are not allowed to shed blood. From what I learned, the people who attend these bullfights support the law.

The humans may still poke the bull, but humans use velcro sticks.

The bulls horns are covered with leather to protect the horses.… Read the rest

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I have been thinking about this post for weeks, and I have wanted to write something organized and transformative about suicide, but sometimes life and stories don’t work that way.

Earlier this month I attended the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk in San Francisco. I volunteered to photograph the event this time. Three years ago I walked with my two children.

I don’t know if the camera helps me connect or if it keeps me isolated.

There are two national walks each year. This year the walks were in San Francisco and Boston. Father’s Day was on the weekend between the two walks. I lost my father to suicide the year I became a father. The last several weeks, I thought about him often, and I thought about what it means to be a father..

I was surprised this year that I struggled. I struggled to write.… Read the rest

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I photographed the Melrose Leadership Academy kindergarten classes again. This year, I asked principal Moyra Contreras to join our portrait session. This is Moyra’s last year as the MLA principal.

If not for Ms. Contreras, I would not have had access the last ten years to document the school’s growth. As a photographer, I am continually grateful to Ms. Contreras and the rest of the school community for allowing me to work on this project. I would probably thank everyone more, but I don’t want to draw too much attention to my good fortune.

If not for Ms. Contreras, the dual immersion district school may not have become a reality. Navigating OUSD and the community requires emotional intelligence that I will never develop.

The first class of kindergarteners that I photographed are now in high school. This year’s kindergarten students have just begun their journey. In education, we don’t measure much of what is learned in school… we don’t measure what I can see in the photos, and how the young students have learned to represent themselves.… Read the rest

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Oh District, my District.

It’s been said that if the people lead, the leaders will follow… but what happens if they don’t. What happens if the young people pick up a megaphone and the district does not answer the call?

During the seven day Oakland Education Association strike, students often led protests and rallies. The students were inspiring. They reminded many of us why we teach. On Monday, March 4th, the Oakland Unified Board of Education reminded many of us why we lose confidence in our educational leaders.

See links to galleries at the end of this post.

Day 3 – Marching on Broadway

If not for the support of the students and community members, the Oakland Unified School District would not have agreed to the pay raises for the teachers. If not for the teacher pay raises, the district would not have cut programs… at least that was the argument when the school board voted to cut popular programs earlier this week.… Read the rest

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You can’t be what you can’t see. – Marian Wright Edelman

On Sunday, January 27, 2019, California Senator Kamala Harris officially launched her 2020 presidential campaign at Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf introduced Harris in front of City Hall. According to various reports, the Oakland Police Department estimated more than 20,000 people attended.

Photo Gallery Slideshow

Harris established herself as a leading candidate, but it’s early. The evening that Harris launched her campaign, Howard Schultz (almost) announced that he was running as an Independent. A few days later, the federal government reopened. President Trump finally delivered the State of the Union address. By the time the first votes are cast next February in Iowa, Virginia might… I don’t know about Virginia.

I attended the event with two student journalists. In the photo above, high school student Ivan Garcia is photographing Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis.… Read the rest

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I have wanted to photograph the band Dorothy since I received an email from their publicist last year. Unfortunately, I missed last year’s shows, but I finally saw them at Sacramento’s Ace of Spades on January 19th. It was worth the wait and the trip. I even saw a cool opening band Spirit Animal.

Below are the galleries and some thoughts.

Dorothy Photo Gallery / Slideshow

I wish my positive review would help Dorothy Martin and her “can’t miss” band succeed, but I worry that I am not the best judge of contemporary music trends, and my review will only hurt. Dorothy has the music and the musicians to make it, but I don’t know if it’s their time.

When I saw Dorothy on January 19th, I was aware that Janis Joplin and Dolly Parton both shared that birthday. The music business is difficult, and leading women singers have had special challenges.… Read the rest

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