Seitz immersed himself in the project, shooting only in the dark, and often in winter, because it stays darker longer, he said.
Sometimes he woke in the middle of the night to be able to capture elements of light and mood, and often Seitz shot buildings and streets from unique angles.
“Newport Beach was home to all these landmark places,” that no one would even think of photographing, Seitz said. And if they did, not necessarily in ways one might think of.
“I shot the Reuben E. Lee, but I shot the reflection of the paddle wheel in the water,” Seitz said. That required some thinking on the part of the observer.
“You had to figure out what it was when you looked at the photograph.”
When it comes to his photography, Seitz believes life is better seen in terms of black and white. Color, he said, is just about the color.
“Black and white has a unique look of its own. The quality of light becomes part of the image, and forces you to come up with your own interpretation of what you’re seeing,” Seitz said.
Seitz is an architect, and said his philosophy and approach to photography mirrors the concepts he has always applied to the way he designs and creates when it comes to architecture.
“The look is clean and pretty minimalist,” he said.
Many of the areas Seitz photographed brought back personal memories for him, especially the one of Blackie’s By the Sea, a popular beach hangout for locals.
As a young boy, and later as a college student attending USC, Seitz spent a lot of time at the Balboa Island house his parents had owned since the late 1960s, and would frequent the local tavern often for a beer.
That photograph is also a personal favorite, Seitz said, and apparently other people feel the same way about the place.
