Viral Vision
2020: Beyond Words
By Vince Jacala
Worldwide pandemic, social unrest, catastrophic wildfires…
Our Caltrans Bay Area family and the world faced them together. In the field and at home, 2020 changed the world and we changed with it. But what remained constant, the Caltrans family stayed on the job, serving the people of our state in a year like none in our lifetime.
Our Caltrans Senior Photographer, John Huseby was among our Caltrans staff staying on task. Below is just a small sample of some of the images John captured. Whether it was the eerie Orange Glow Day by the Bay, hybrid virtual events, storm preps or the cute goats Caltrans hired.
John’s images sometimes went viral via our Caltrans Social Media platforms like Caltrans Bay Area Twitter @CaltransD4
Other times, they just summed-up something you can’t always put words to.
Note: If you’d like Caltrans Bay Area Photography to capture your Caltrans project/event in 2021; contact them here.
But first, here’s a look at 2020 in the rear-view-mirror. Got our fingers crossed for 2021!
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The Orange Day
There's a strange beauty to the Orange Day, but not one we want to celebrate. Most of the abundant wildfire smoke couldn't penetrate the thick layer of Bay Area fog below it. But the double-layer of smoke and fog blocked out most of the sun's rays, casting an orange glow over the Bay Area. John Huesby, our district photographer, took these pictures in the middle of the day.
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The story below talks about how a photo goes viral, in this case all the way to the Los Angeles Times. It's a story about being in the right place at the right time, with merely an iPhone - Editor
Photo of Al Zampa Bridge Framed by Flames and Smoke Goes Viral
By Jeff Weiss
The photo was taken by a friend and texted to the Caltrans social media coordinator from a gym in Martinez, California. At that point, nothing about the photo suggested that it was destined for thousands of Likes and re-Tweets.
Nothing, that is, except that it captured the northern anchorage of the Al Zampa Bridge being overtaken by the Glencove Fire. It’s an image of flames devouring vegetation as clouds of gray smoke billow above the bridge towers. The fire is uncontained, looming southward, pushed by the wind.
Vince Jacala, the Branch Chief of Caltrans Public Information, had just stepped out of his daughter's volleyball game to return a phone call. It was Sunday morning, October 27, 2019, a hot, low-humidity day when high winds had already whipped small grass fires into major conflagrations.
Typically, Vince watched the volleyball games. So, when he told a group of parents he was leaving, they wondered if something was wrong. “It’s a work thing,” he assured them. “I need to call my boss. He’s probably calling about the fires.”
A light bulb went on in the head of one of the parents.
“That’s right,” said the woman, pointing at him, “you work for Caltrans.” She pulled out her cell phone. “Let me show you a picture my husband’s friend took this morning.”
Her husband’s friend had been in the right place at the right time. He had snapped a picture of the flames and smoke roiling around the north end of the bridge. Wasting no time, Vince got on his phone and received approval to use the photo. He then sent it to Alejandro Lopez, our social media coordinator.
“The Likes and re-Tweets were accumulating so quickly that it looked like the counters were spinning,” said Lopez. “To this day, we’ve I’ve never seen such a popular Tweet.”
Caltrans followers re-Tweeted the photo, which swiftly gained momentum. Users with huge followings, including Vallejo-born rapper E30, with over 650 thousand followers, helped send the photo into viral hyperspace.
The media also picked up on the photo, most notably The Los Angeles Times, who used the picture at the top of their article Drivers describe harrowing moments crossing Carquinez Bridge amid fire.
It’s a bonafide success story for a photo with such a humble beginning. Taken by a nonprofessional photographer using a cell phone, the picture captures the fearsomeness of the fire roaring through a populated area. Dowrelio’s instincts and camera work were not lacking.
Due to the quick reactions and teamwork by Caltrans employees, the photo was approved and posted on Twitter while the fire still loomed over the bridge. With nearly has nearly 16 thousand followers, the Caltrans Twitter page gave the photo the boost it needed to become a widespread success.