Behind the Photograph - Alcatraz Prison “The Rock”
Ever since I was young, I've been fascinated by Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, also known as “The Rock”. The prison, operated from 1934 to 1963, is located on the desolate Alcatraz Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz is steeped in legend and lore, but it would be difficult for a prisoner to separate fact from fiction. The prison was known as "inescapable" due to the presence of Great White sharks, frigid water temperatures, and strong currents. The rumors of shark-infested waters were mostly exaggerated, as the sharks are mostly found outside the Golden Gate and rarely swim into the Bay. However, I can attest to the fact that the water temperature claims are true, and the currents are unrelenting, having completed a triathlon around nearby Treasure Island. The air temperature is also quite chilly, living up to the famous quote (falsely attributed to Mark Twain), "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
During the Native American Occupation, the Alcatraz Warden's house was burned down. The National Park Service has converted the structure into a garden. Copyright John Hamlon, 2023. All rights reserved.
I've visited Alcatraz a couple of times, but I must admit that I was disappointed by the damage caused during the Native American occupation from 1969 to 1971. Despite this, and the corrosive salt air and wind, the National Park Service has done an excellent job of maintaining the facility, which is why there always seems to be construction taking place. However, it does make it difficult to imagine what Alcatraz looked like during its heyday, both to a passing sailor and to a new prisoner arriving. In 2023, I chartered a ferry to Alcatraz with a camera in hand. My goal was to create an image that would convey the overwhelming feeling of solitary desolation, which I imagined would have been felt by inmates and prison staff residing on the Spartan-like island prison.
Original RAW image of Alcatraz converted to JPEG. This is the base photograph for “Alcatraz Prison - The Rock.” Notice the construction equipment. The fog provided the perfect backdrop for compositing my vision of Alcatraz during its operational years. Copyright John Hamlon, 2023. All rights reserved.
It took over five weeks, with multiple photographs carefully blended, countless layers in Photoshop, vintage film grain, some frustration, and a whole lot of patience in crafting “Alcatraz Prison - The Rock.” I am a fine art photographer and I often use artistic license to create my images. Although my creation is not historically accurate regarding the physical structures of Alcatraz during its operational years (letter of the law), I believe it captures the legend, lore, and solitary desolation of Alcatraz itself (spirit of the law).
“Alcatraz Prison - The Rock,” by John Hamlon. All rights reserved.
I created “Alcatraz Prison - The Rock" as a personal project, which I referred to as my "Cave Art." Initially, I never intended to share it with anyone else. I just wanted to create a visual story of an early morning guard shift change on Alcatraz Island to hang in my studio (my “Cave”). Over the years, I have created many other "Cave Art" images, each with its own unique story. As I reflected on the stories, legends, and lore of Alcatraz, I couldn't resist sharing this image with those who also want to personalize their “Cave” with unique “story-telling” art.