Tag: Nikon Zf

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 17, 20268:34 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Fab

I really should bang out all the felines languishing in the backlog. I expect to not recall some of the oldest beasties and where they were photographed. But I am at a loss about some of the more recent kitties, like this one from Aug. 26, 2025. The Featured Image comes from Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens, and there is no companion captures from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which would have provided location information.

Vitals: f/8, ISO 250, 1/250 sec, 84mm; 10:04 a.m. PDT. Composed as captured. For plaid fabric collar, which might be GPS, this tabby earns nickname Fab.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 16, 20269:44 pm

Roses are Red

I initially treated the Featured Image as a throwaway. But on reconsideration, seeing the sharp detail of the rose petals and the shift in emphasis brought by using the dehaze control in DX Studio, I present this simple shot on a busy Saturday night.

This one comes from Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens. Vitals: f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/320 sec, 62mm; 5:48 p.m. PDT, May 9, 2026. Composed as captured.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 12, 20269:39 pm

Party on Park in Black and White

Among the many tactile features I find beneficial on Nikon Zf, the monochrome switch is one of the most useful. In about one second, I can go from capturing color to black and white, which is super handy when street shooting—no post-production tweaking required.

On Saturday (May 9, 2026), University Heights hosted Party on Park, which was billed as a community block party, with live music, various vendors, and specials from street-side eateries. I walked through twice, first with DJI Osmo Nano—my first outing with the action camera (footage not yet processed). Later, I hauled up with the Zf and attached NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 9, 202610:19 pm

Always Annette

I am not much of a poet, although you can count on me for song lyrics. Difference: One is more structured, set to melody, and tells a story—and I have a knack for the latter. That said, my beloved sister Annette passed away unexpectedly 10 years ago today, and I wanted to give something to her three children—who also lost their father—and to my two other sisters.

So, sitting in the back of our car, I pulled out Galaxy Tab 11 Ultra, opened Google Keep, and wrote them a poem over the next hour or so. The verse is written to be emotive for a select audience. However, thinking about Mother’s Day tomorrow, the poem could be used for any other mum.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 2, 20269:37 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Oren

We reach a little ways into the backlog to Aug. 11, 2025 for an unusual putty-tat. Look at those ears, which inspired the nickname, Oren, translated from the Dutch. Oren is the eighty-third cat found behind door or window, since the series‘ start 10 years ago.

I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens to capture the Featured Image, which is close-cropped. f/8, ISO 560, 1/400 sec, 400mm; 3:01 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 1, 20269:16 pm

Once More, We Say Good-bye to San Diego Zoo

Our zoo membership expired yesterday; we chose not to renew. My wife and I hadn’t gone in months, with paid-parking changes one of the major factors keeping us away. Technically, members don’t pay to park, but confusion and congestion diminished the attendance experience.

I wonder how many members the zoo has lost because of the end to free parking for all. Matters are worse at Balboa Park, where many museums report attendance declines of 20 percent or more. Technically, both places are walkable destinations from our apartment: 3 km (1.9 miles) to the zoo, 3.3 km (2 miles) to the park. But the aforementioned confusion and congestion remain deterrents. Sigh.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 28, 202610:16 pm

A Century Later

Sometime last year, this historical sign appeared in Old Trolley Barn Park, here in University Heights. When I scan the area with my eyes, my mind can’t imagine what the place looked like a century ago, when Trolley cars traversed Florida to the structure at Adams that would hold 100 of them.

In the 2020’s, the area is a calm green space beneath towering, majestic trees. A swing set and kids play area also add to the park’s charm and usefulness.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 26, 20269:54 pm

‘No Kings’ is Hate Speech

Last night’s shooting inside the Washington Hilton was unequivocally an assassination attempt against President Donald Trump. Today, one of my neighbors casually brushed off the incident as being nothing really. I disagree.

Anyone who follows me should know that I used to live in the District of Columbia and suburban Maryland. As a quasi-retired journalist (covering the high-tech industry). I can assert with certainty that for many reasons, including exclusivity of attendees, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is one of the most secure events–or should have been. That the assassin ran across the hotel lobby, firing weapon(s), is an unprecedented breach that reminds of Ronald Reagan, when he was nearly murdered outside the establishment in March 1981.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 24, 20269:51 pm

The Dude and the Lady

I surprisingly get good value from NX Studio, which is a much superior workflow companion than Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for editing photos taken using Nikon Zf. Big difference: I am rediscovering photos that are much better potential keepers than previously evaluated.

The Featured Image is the littlest example. This was initially a large crowd shot that I cropped closely. I hemmed and hawed, as the saying goes, about whether to close-crop to emphasize the gentleman turned left.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 23, 20269:50 pm

Parked in Monochrome

One of Nikon Zf‘s benefits is the ability to shoot monochrome with the turn of one little dial. NEF (e.g. RAW) files are captured in color, and the JPEGs are strictly black and white.

While a convenient contrivance, the feature is an imitation of what Leica Q2 Monochrom, or its successor, can do. By removing the encumbrance of the RGB-color overlay, Leica delivers a camera that shoots photos with superior IQ (image quality), relatively little noise in low-light, and rich tones and dynamic range—all editable in the actual RAW file.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 22, 20269:33 pm

Circles of Confusion

I am the long-time critic of the roundabouts (e.g. traffic circles) that San Diego is placing at intersections across the city. The euphemism for them is “traffic calming”, by official parlance. I call them danger zones—directly when you go through them and indirectly how they negatively change driving behavior.

The Featured Image and companion are evidence of the first. Two SUVs collided in what looks like one driver failing to yield to another already in the circle. This kind of confusion happens frequently.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 20, 20269:47 pm

A Landing and a Rising

This is a Featured Image too long delayed in sharing. The view is from the Skyfari Aerial Tram at San Diego Zoo. Building in the foreground is the California Tower, which is located in nearby Balboa Park. The structure was built in 1915.

I really enjoy the zoo, but we haven’t visited since December. The new parking fees, for which members are exempt, created inertia we never overcame. Parking is more complicated now with mixed free and fee, bringing about congestion and confusion.