Tag: photography

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Streamline Barber Shop

Strange the things you see every day and ignore until the unexpected occurrence draws your attention. Last week, for reasons I won’t bother guessing, YouTube’s algorithm recommended video “I Bought An Airstream! Tiny Home Project” by vlogger Monica Church. Bored, I watched—and, admittedly, intrigued.

Yesterday, while walking along the alley behind Coronavirus-closed LeStat’s, I walked by the Airstream perennially parked there and took fresh notice. With the “shelter-in-place” orders still shuttering most businesses, but restrictions marginally lifting in California, the area was deserted—and I had been looking for something, anything, reasonable to photograph. Out came the Leica Q2.

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Yes, But Did She Foresee the Pandemic?

Times are tough for small businesses that thrive on person-to-person contact, courtesy of stay-at-home orders closing commercial operations and schools. California Governor Gavin Newsom has outlined a four-stage reopening ramp-up to semi-normalcy. Nail salons are relegated to the third phase. Psychics, too, perhaps?

How unfortunate, because reliable fortune-telling should be in big-time demand during the pandemic. If I were this soothsayer, who should be able to see the way without my saying, Zoom would be the remote-conferencing choice rather than FaceTime. Gather together a family and offer a group discount, or employees from a (supposedly) temporarily closed business. They have questions, and you have answers!

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Flickr a Week 17b: ‘COVID-19’

With much of the United States largely still shut down to combat the viral pandemic, cities look more like post-apocalyptic movie sets and little resemble bustling bastions of human habitation. Self-titled “COVID-19“—also known as SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)—captures the loneliness with foreboding colors, punchy contrast, and captivating composition. At any other time, the street shot would beg questions: “Why is he wearing a mask?” “Is that cosplay for the comic book convention?” Here and now, we know—and the dude’s protective gear impresses compared to the bandanas and home-made face coverings many of us wear.

Chris Yarzab captured the moment on March 26, 2020, using Nikon D80 and 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 lens. Vitals: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/200 sec, 110mm. There are different street-shooting styles. While many photographers get close to their subjects, such as zone-focus adherents, others reach from afar to produce their art; like Chris. Besides, the long-shot also adheres to strict “social distancing” guidelines. The portrait was taken in Panorama City, which is a Los Angeles neighborhood.

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The Cats of University Heights: Bella, Too

Who would have guessed? Another Bella lives on Alabama—and about a block separates the kitties. The new gal is the fiftieth feline seen on the street, between boundaries Adams and Lincoln; her namesake was profiled in November 2017. Bella, Too lives in the same apartment complex as Penny and where once resided Pedro; he has gone to live with his owner’s parents, whose place provides more run-around space.

The pretty Tuxedo is 15 years old, curious, and energetic. Problem: She recently started having sporadic seizures, that increased from one every few weeks to about every day. Preliminary diagnosis: Brain tumor. I could see during my conversation with her dad how much the affliction bothers him. Which leads into a strange side benefit to the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)—aka COVID-19—lockdown: Working from home means he can monitor her condition, and (my words, not his) maybe ensure she lives longer.

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I Wonder How Much is the Pet Rent for THAT

About a month ago, I spotted a porker outside of a cottage apartment that my wife and I briefly considered renting sometime last year. While charming, with excellent windows, and lower monthly obligation than our current place, the one-bedroom flat came up short on living space; we wanted a little more square footage, not lots less. How then is it big enough for the current residents, which I guess includes the pig?

Then there is the question of pet rent, which already is an abomination applied to cats and dogs—and it’s too common a fee here in San Diego. Consider BLVD North Park, which actually is located in University Heights: Prospective tenants pay a $400 deposit for their animals and $50 additional monthly rent for each one. The fifty, even one-hundred, is typical for places demanding the fee—and so is $500 for deposit, which may not be refundable. Landlords could as reasonably pump a pint of blood from each resident, every 14 days, for the plasma. The vampires.