Believe it, or not, the Featured Image is from one of the alleys in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights. I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens to capture the moment on May 19, 2025. Vitals: f/11, ISO 200, 1/160 sec, 24mm; 3:05 p.m. PDT.
I typically edit photos from RAW, but this one is a JPEG straight from the camera—unaltered and composed as shot. I like the simplicity and oddity of the tire planters set against bamboo stalks. The things people put, or in this case keep, in one of the alleys.
After years of being arrogantly attached to exclusively shooting with Prime lens, I increasingly see the value of a telephoto. I bought Nikon’s 28-400mm superzoom in May, before the tariff-driven price increase. Tomorrow will be seven weeks since my surgery, and I hopefully will be able to mount, handle, and shoot with the thing this weekend. We shall see.