The Camel

For one of her birthday activities, my wife Anne wanted to ride the Skyfari Aerial Tram across San Diego zoo. We walked back through the park to the exit, despite detours due to massive construction of new habitats. Among my favorite animals: Camels and llamas; if you have never read my absolutely true llama story from 1980, please do!

Norwegian designer and photographer Martin Fagerås inspired me to even attempt a camel shot because of this brilliantly captured moment using Leica Q, which I also carry. I came across his Flickr when looking for shooters using the amazing full-frame compact. Obviously, I couldn’t compose anything as compelling as he did, particularly at the zoo.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 22, 20176:18 am

The Cats of University Heights: Haiku

What a surprise. Nearly across the street from where I spotted the Tortoiseshell for the first time on May 15, 2017, a grey and white tiger-tabby greeted my Mrs. and me four days later. We visited the ever-friendly Haiku (real name) where Cleveland Ave. meets Golden Gate. I shot the Featured Image using Leica Q. I cropped the original DNG, for composition, before exporting the JPEG from Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Vitals: f/7.1, ISO 100, 1/100 sec, 28mm; 9:13 a.m. PDT.

Apple by Joe WilcoxMay 20, 20176:29 pm

Bye Bye Apple Watch

I suffer from phantom smartwatch syndrome—an ailment that hopefully will disappear over time. Nearly four weeks ago, I put aside Apple Watch 2 stainless steel and replaced it with the simple but appealing ManchesterWatchWorks Iconik 3. Problem: Almost any shifting movement of the timepiece causes me to reflexively flip my wrist and look down; there is false perception of hepatic sensation. Apple has trained me well, and I’m tired of being its dog doing tricks. Woof. Woof. Growl.

I feel free! Gone are the nagging alerts—and I had them barreled down to a minimum of approved services: Some for breaking news; emails from a half-dozen people; and text messages. Among this still seeming torrent, the Activity app annoyed with congratulatory badges and prompts that one of the four main exercise goals (Calories, Exercise Time, Stands, and Steps)—Apple’s athletic lifestyle version of the four food groups—would soon be achieved. The badges are about as infantile as gold stars that teachers give kindergarteners and with similar purpose: To make the recipient feel good, whether or not deserved. The achievement badge for Earth Day flipped my goat. Seriously? I ordered the Iconik 3 that evening.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 17, 20176:19 am

The Cats of University Heights: Penelope

I am amazed whenever discovering a never-before-sighted furball so close-by to my apartment. This tortoiseshell made my acquaintance from a distance late-afternoon May 15, 2017—one block away, on Cleveland just past Madison before the overlook. She sat on a doorstep waiting for someone to let her in. From the empty driveway, it’s a guess the owner hadn’t come home from a day at the job.

The Featured Image is the second-to-last of 13 captures, and I debated about choosing this one because the kitty’s distinctive bob-tail is obscured by bushes. I captured the moment at 5:35 p.m. PDT, using Leica Q. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 100, 1/800 sec, 28mm. The pic is close-cropped from the original, which shows the yard and the next (I shot from the sidewalk).

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 16, 20171:53 pm

Clever Homeless Habitat

The Vermont Street bridge, passing over Washington, separates my neighborhood of University Heights from adjacent Hillcrest. It’s not uncommon to see tents below, as some of the area’s homeless seek shelter from the elements. But bright colors make them obvious.

While looking over the side, I saw something either new or so camouflaged it hadn’t previously caught my attention. At first, I thought a palm tree had collapsed or perhaps city workers had gathered fronds. But stepping back for different perspective, I could see an entrance. The Featured Image is a crop (see the original below the fold), shot using Leica Q at 12:02 p.m. PDT today. Vitals: f/4, ISO 100, 1/800 sec, 28mm.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 16, 20176:09 am

The Cats of University Heights: Pounce

Earlier the same morning—May 12, 2017—that I spotted the siamese on Meade, a tiger-tabby leaped away as I approached on North Ave. He perched inside a fence in the yard next door to where The Colonel […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 15, 20177:41 pm

Leica Q, Rose for You

Two afternoons ago, while waiting for my wife outside Apple Store Fashion Valley, nearby flowers beckoned me to try out the Leica Q dedicated Macro mode. The Featured Image is as shot, converted from DNG […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 15, 20176:13 am

The Cats of University Heights: Siamese

The morning of May 12, 2017, as my wife and I turned from Cleveland to walk down Meade Ave., a flash of Siamese sped from the sidewalk into a heavily-foliaged front yard. As we passed, […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 14, 20174:46 pm

Fujifilm X100F Review

During the camera film era, Fujifilm battled kingpin Kodak with brighter, more vibrant colors that either photographers loved or hated—perhaps both. That was last century. In the 21st, Kodak is a shadow cast against aged Kodachrome, while its rival has successfully transitioned from print to digital—and with amazing bravado. Fuji’s transformation started six years ago with the cleverly-engineered, retro-designed X100, which I reviewed in May 2011.

The compact digital camera’s success led Fuji to develop a series of additional bodies and lenses; all are designed with professional shooters in mind. The X series family features compact, mirrorless designs that incorporate digital SLR-size sensors and manual controls—meaning dials and buttons to directly manipulate settings rather than rely on software menus. The X100 line—from the original to the S, T, and now F—remains the most distinctive for how well features and benefits balance set against truly innovative design concepts.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 10, 20177:46 am

The Cats of University Heights: Bruce

Last week, driving up Texas Street—one of the neighborhood’s major boundaries—road work compelled my wife and I to go home by way of Monroe instead of Madison. I sat in the passenger’s seat; a woman walking a dog accompanied by a cat riveted my attention. At home, soon as Anne pulled over, parked, and stepped out of the Honda Fit, I slipped into the driver’s seat and sped away to capture a portrait of the handsome, fluffer-tail cat walking the dog on Monroe. Of course, after pulling to the curb, and walking about several streets, I couldn’t find the beast—or his owner. But the Fujifilm X100F was ready.

Ten minutes later, I abandoned the hunt and started to drive home. Damn, I had gone one block too far and passed a doorway just in time to see the dog-walker, her mutt (that’s affectionately meant), and the feline disappear into an apartment (or perhaps duplex). I noted the building’s address number and nearest cross-street (Alabama) for future scouting. Last night, on my second day twlight’s attempt looking, I spotted the handsome furball waiting for his master’s return. Oh yeah!

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 9, 20176:09 am

The Cats of University Heights: Fang

You don’t see them here, but this feline hissed and bared teeth as I safely shot her portrait from the sidewalk, with fence and some distance between us. Meet one black cat that maybe could bring bad luck if crossing your path. Hehe. I spotted the feisty furball yesterday morning, on Maryland Ave. somewhere beyond Meade.

Note: Date and timestamp in the metadata are both wrong, being incorrectly set in the camera—the interesting Leica Q, which ISO had been preset for low-light on another day (I should have checked and changed before shooting). Vitals: f/16, ISO 3200, 1/2500 sec, 28mm; 9:19 a.m. PDT. The Featured Image was cropped and converted, but not otherwise edited, from DNG to JPEG.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 6, 20176:27 am

The Cats of University Heights: BeBe

Grey May descended yesterday, as persistent clouds preceded expected weekend rains. As my wife and I trudged up Maryland Ave., not far beyond Morla the tortoise’s house—but across the street—Anne spied in an alley a cat perched by a woman sitting on a ledge talking to another neighbor. The lady explained that the all-outdoor furball responds to name BeBe, or nothing. The animal’s mother is a feral grey tiger-stripe that no longer breeds (she was fixed). The daughter had one litter before her operation.

BeBe accepts food and attention from people whom she knows. As I am a stranger, she shot round a car when I approached. But she stayed to the side rather than scurry beneath, allowing me a dozen shots while not moving too close to her. Vantage point is important. I like to get down low, and she let me. The Featured Image is last among the 12, captured using the Fujifilm X-T1 and XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS kit lens at 4:56 p.m. PDT, with Classic Chrome simulation set. Vitals: f/4, ISO 200, 1/140 sec, 55mm. The portrait is straightened and cropped but not enhanced.