![[OPENING] Life in Plain Sight: The First 25 Years of Hamburger Eyes](https://cdn.stayhappening.com/events5/banners/b0fcee0281175eecd17dc661a2fa272e3a84bf7d30f7393b4f19813bcc8e545f-rimg-w1200-h800-dc181818-gmir.jpg?v=1793503566)
About this Event
*The opening reception is open to the public, and everyone is welcome to attend without needing a ticket.
The Gallery at Leica Store San Francisco is pleased to present Life in Plain Sight: The First 25 Years of Hamburger Eyes, an exhibition in collaboration with Hamburger Eyes, celebrating a quarter century of independent photography and its enduring contribution to the Bay Area’s photographic community.
Founded in 2001 by Ray Potes, alongside David Potes and Stefan Simikich, Hamburger Eyes began as an independent photo zine and has grown into an influential platform for documentary and street photography. Through by Potes’ vision and dedication, the publication has cultivated a distinctive photographic voice, championing photographers who capture the world with curiosity, honesty, and unfiltered eyes
Life unfolds in the spaces between the extraordinary and the ordinary. A fleeting gesture, a passing stranger, a quiet corner, or a moment of unexpected beauty can reveal something profound about the world we inhabit. These fragments of everyday existence often go unnoticed, yet they hold the stories, contradictions, and poetry of being alive. To photograph life in plain sight is to pay attention, to recognize meaning in the seemingly insignificant, and to discover the extraordinary within the familiar.
Bringing together the spirit of Hamburger Eyes and the photographers who have shaped its journey, this exhibition reflects 25 years of looking closely at the world. It is a tribute to Ray Potes’ vision, the independent voices behind the images, and the creative community that has grown alongside the publication. At its heart is a simple powerful idea: photography invites us to pause, look again, and find new meaning in the world right before our eyes.
Featured artists:
Olivier Bekaert, Bill Daniel, Brandon Getty, Dave Glass, Matt Gomes, Ben Gore, Sal Hernandez, Alex Herzog, Troy Holden, Michael Jang, Kappy, Austin Leong, Chris Leskovsek, Alex Martinez, Sean Maung, Dennis McGrath, Oscar Mendoza, Mark Murrmann, David Nelsonhospers, Arthur Pollock, David Potes, Ray Potes, Stoop T Pushinsky, Reuben Radding, Jason Roberts Dobrin, David Root, Zach Rubin, Dan Ryan, Maximilian Schneller, Jai Tanju, Elmo Tide, Dave Uzzardi, and Kanoa Zimmerman.
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Where: Leica Store San Francisco, 463 Bush St, San Francisco.
When: Thursday, November 19 2026. 5:00 – 8:00 pm PT
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Images:
Top:
Jason Roberts Dobrin
Bottom:
1. Maximilian Schneller
2. Dan Ryan
3. Chris Leskovsek
4. Ray Potes
Event venue & nearby stays
Leica Store San Francisco, 463 Bush Street, San Francisco, United States
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