Tag: cats

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 18, 20172:20 pm

Caturday Centered

Time comes to revisit a couple of furballs from my “Cats of University Heights” series: Biscuit, Frenemy, and Slumber. As an unabashed amateur photographer, I tend to avoid putting the capture’s subject in the centerfield. But sometimes, there is no other choice or such placement pleases the eye—so I believe (gulp) about these two portraits. Both animals live on different blocks along Maryland Ave.

The Featured Image gives better view of the black cat who is Morla the tortoise’s front-yard companion. The fence leads the eye down to the feline, which offset dinosaur adds character to the yard. The JPEG is straightened but otherwise as shot today using the Fujifilm X100F, with Velvia film simulation applied in camera. Vitals: f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/420 sec, 23mm; 9:38 a.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 18, 20176:16 am

The Cats of University Heights: Booger

Late yesterday afternoon, as I walked home from Trader Joe’s, I sighted a short-haired tabby in the same yard where Sebastian slept on the Ides of March. The cat came up a side alley, and I worried he might skitter away. So I got off a quick shot, forgetting that the Fujifilm X100F was set to Acros film simulation. I desperately changed to Velvia and auto-everything. Problem: The sun shone sharply over the animal to the camera. Rays are visible in the first shots. The cropped Featured Image is better-balanced from my getting down lower to the sidewalk, my using the left hand as make-shift hood, and the kitty moving to where the house blocked glare.

Vitals for the color pic: f/3.6, ISO 200, 1/125 sec, 23mm. Black and white (which is below the fold): f/5, ISO 200, 1/125 sec, 23mm. The sun situation actually adds character to the B&W photo. If not for the plastic containers, the portrait could be from days gone-by. Time taken: 5:37 p.m. PDT and a minute later for the color capture.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 16, 20176:11 am

The Cats of University Heights: Spot

For several days in May 2014, a daring but skittish kitty skirted around my father-in-law’s apartment complex on Campus near Madison. I never managed to capture his image—he always ran from me. But the furball tolerated my wife, who snagged several photos, from which comes the first in this series snapped by someone other than me.

I cropped a vertical shot to make the Featured Image. Look for the original below the fold. Annie captured the moment on the 9th of the month at 6:21 p.m. PDT, using the HTC One M8 smartphone. Vitals: f/2, ISO 125, 1/302 sec, 3.82mm. I shot Farfisa, who also appears in this series, with the M8 as well, but in April 2014.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 15, 20171:20 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Sebastian

This morning, my wife and I jaunted down Maryland Ave., on our way to The Hub for groceries. Nearly to the Washington Street bridge, in a yard with “Wildlife Habitat” sign, and lush foliage, Anne spotted a furball belly up. I shot several back-to portraits, using the Fujifilm X100F. When we returned, the feline had flipped around my way.

The Featured Image is Annie’s preferred crop. The other, below the fold is mine. Vitals on the first: f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/450 sec, 23mm. The other: f/8, ISO 200, 1/280 sec, 23mm. Time on both: 10:38 a.m. PDT, using Velvia film simulation.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 11, 20176:17 am

The Cats of University Heights: Henry

The Fujifilm X100F and I are still getting acquainted, bringing big digital lifestyle change: always-carry. The compact camera is lightweight and unobtrusive attached to ONA Lima strap, such that I sling it and bring it with ease and capture the moment where iPhone 7 Plus would miss. I only lugged larger Fuji X-T1 when planning to use it, thus making the Apple smartphone my primary street camera. That all changed February 28. The new digicam, with its 24.3-megapixel APS-C sensor and fixed f/2 lens, is classic—for style and shooting. I previously owned the original and preceding T model.

Rushing out for a twilight walk on March 9, I spotted, not for the first time, a tiger-striped cat in the yard at Campus and Monroe. Our eyes met yet again, around the same time of day; he lurked where he had several weeks before, cast in the shadows. I shot Featured Image at 6:09 p.m. PST—about 20 minutes after sunset. Except for straightening, the JPEG is unaltered from the X100F. Vitals: f/2, ISO 3200, 1/26 sec, 23mm. Despite its f/1.8 aperture, based on past efforts, iPhone 7 Plus would have botched the shot—or using flash to set focus, scared off the feline.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 9, 20178:43 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Pepe

San Diego’s unusually wet Winter is finally giving way to sunny days, with the high temp reaching 26 degrees Celsius this afternoon, when my wife and I walked down Cleveland Ave., where we made new friends—tuxedo […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 8, 20174:20 pm

My Fujifilm X100F Acros Romp

I see a fair number of professional photographers raving about Fuji’s black-and-white simulation, which I finally gave a try while walking the neighborhood today. Gotta say, as an admitted amateur, I am impressed by Acros—available on the X-Pro2, X-T2, and X100F—but more for what it enables: To shoot things that I otherwise wouldn’t; stepping back and looking differently. There are reasons why some mirrorless digital cameras are right for the street.

Take the Featured Image. Numbers on a building? I wouldn’t have bothered if not for Acros, which adds surprising dynamism by taking away something—color. The capture isn’t a favorite, honestly, but there’s something pleasing about the tone—the mood—that makes harsh shadows and sheering sunlight more palatable. Vitals: f/4, ISO 200, 1/2000 sec, 23mm; 8:42 a.m. PST.

Critters by Joe WilcoxFeb 9, 20173:53 pm

Katris Cali

Somewhere, several months ago, I came across Katris Blocks by Papercut Lab. We discussed their risked-impracticality for price paid—after all, cats are notoriously finicky, and truest folklore meme is their playing more with the box the toy came in. Finally, discussion led to purchase; on Feb. 6, 2017, I ordered from the seller, through Amazon, the colorful City SF set, which was discounted 20 percent from the price seen before Christmas. Less than 48 hours later, yesterday, UPS delivered the 30-kilo box (67 pounds) much sooner than ever expected; free shipping.

My wife and I made a production of the unpacking, by taking out some blocks but leaving others to support cardboard compartment play areas inside the sturdy shipping box, which we later moved to another room for continued overnight feline fun. We set up the modular blocks in the living room for nighttime cat shenanigans. This morning, I dragged the big box down to the garage and cleared the blocks from the living room sun zone, where the kitty’s frolic and tussle over territory, to the bedroom.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 9, 20176:18 am

The Cats of University Heights: Kit

On, Jan. 30, 2017, as my wife and I walked down the alley behind Campus Ave. approaching Madison, we spotted a frisky young kitty in a window. No way could we resist stopping to say hello to this cutie, whom I nickname Kit. I shot a half-dozen quickies using iPhone 7 Plus. I little-bit blame the bright, blinding sun for obscuring my vision and obliterating the screen for the Featured Image‘s weak composition.

The second photo gives better perspective of the window. Vitals for the closeup: f/1.8, ISO 20, 1/833 sec, 3.99mm. The other is same except for shutter: 1/791 sec.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 18, 20176:25 am

The Cats of University Heights: Lilo

My father-in-law’s oldest San Diego friend lives across the ally. Her complex faces Cleveland Ave. and his looks onto Campus. Yesterday, my wife and I invited Joan to his place to look over books and […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 17, 20176:17 am

The Cats of University Heights: Watson

Oh how he has grown! My wife and I met this fine feline and his owner several years ago, when he was a spry, scurrying, skinny kitten. The setting sun so camouflaged the short-hair that, initially, I missed him while shooting Nimbus in the adjacent alley on Jan. 14, 2017. What luck! Two portraits for the time of one!

The ginger is Watson, but let’s nickname him Cherub to match the lawn decor. The Featured Image and its companion are one in the same. The first is close-cropped, and both are straightened and edited; cropping gets me out of the picture—literally! That ain’t an apparition reflecting from the window. It’s me! The reflection is creepy, considering I shot across the yard from the sidewalk. To confirm: That’s not the face of someone sitting inside.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 16, 20176:02 am

The Cats of University Heights: Nimbus

My wife and I are busy bees, following the death of her dad last week. We’re cleaning out his apartment, which is as much the contents of a life—for the meaning they represent. Following some chores at home, on Jan. 14, 2017, we walked down Cleveland Ave. to Van Buren to circle back on Campus to Bob’s place. Ahead on the cross-street, white fur flashed running towards us before disappearing down an alley.

Meet the frisky feline I nicknamed Shy. He rolled around like a kitty wanting attention but deliberately kept far away from getting it. I shot the Featured Image, and its companion, at 4:35 p.m. PST, using iPhone 7 Plus second camera, to zoom. Both are straightened and tweaked. Vitals for the first: f/2.8, ISO 20, 1/235 sec, 6.6mm. The other is same except for shutter: 1/257 sec.