Tag: photography

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The Cats of University Heights: Shrub

What an unexpected surprise. I hadn’t traversed Florida Street between Howard and Polk for many months—well, until July 19, 2018. Along the way, I spotted Bramble, who joined the series on Groundhog Day this year. Gasp, three other felines moved about the property, looking like the whole caboodle came from their afternoon meal.

Shooting through branches presents problems that Leica M10 and its manual focus technique somewhat overcomes. I got the better portraits of the shorthair that earns nickname Shrub. Another, whom I dub Brumble, is next up. The fourth putty-tat must wait for another day and another attempt. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Ginger

Along Louisiana Street, between Meade and Monroe, on July 1, 2018, my wife and I spotted the furball appropriately nicknamed Ginger. I am fairly confident this is the same cat we saw moseying up Monroe behind Royal nearly a month earlier. Then, Ginger turned down the alley behind, which is where he, or she, went through a yard not long after I snapped the Featured Image.

I am rather dissatisfied with the portrait and its companion; for now they must do until another opportunity presents—and that time could be long coming, if ever. I captured both photos using Leica Q, three minutes to sunset (7:58 p.m. PDT). Vitals for the first, aperture and shutter speed preset for dusk street shooting: f/1.7, ISO 250, 1/250 sec, 28mm. The other is the same, except for ISO 1000. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Caddy

Shooting kitty portraits after sunset—in this case 26 minutes later—presents challenges, particularly when the subject hides under a parked vehicle. The furball strutted down the sidewalk as I approached along Florida Street between Madison and Monroe, then fled beneath a Cadillac; hence the chosen nickname.

The Featured Image is the last of a half-dozen portraits, all of which were manually focused using Leica Q; such control made the impossible shot manageable; okay, barely. Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 3200, 1/60 sec, 28mm; 8:24 p.m. PDT, July 14, 2018. Understandably, the original DNG RAW was heavily edited. I applied considerable noise reduction, among other tweaks, with Adobe Lightroom Classic CC.

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The Cats of University Heights: Cupcake

Feline sightings along Mission Cliff Drive are fairly rare. Since the series started in October 2016, only three have been profiled: AylinFraidy, and Tabby. Meet a fourth! So there’s no misunderstanding: This Tuxedo-like furball is grey not the traditional black—and, as you can see, quite handsome.

I shot the Featured Image and its companion on July 13, 2018 using Leica M10 and Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens. Vitals: f/4, ISO 200, 1/250 sec, 50mm; 6:25 p.m. PDT. The other, taken one-minute later and after he stretched out, is same except for 1/180 sec shutter speed. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Friends

We follow up Georgia Twain with another pair. But the two are one less than they should be. I typically see three cats in the same apartment courtyard, on Florida between Meade and Monroe, but typically too far back for meaningful portrait. I stalked the trio for six months before capturing a shot of these, ah, Friends on July 14, 2018. They sat relatively close to the sidewalk.

The three live a few houses down from Lucy and diagonally across the way from Mew and Wonder. I will be lucky to ever get a usable portrait of the third or distinguish it from the other black. But I will try and update appropriately. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Georgia Twain

While looking for Luci, who was lost but later found, I spotted an orange kitty cross the street and go into a yard at Monroe and Georgia. The shorthair later emerged, moseying into an apartment complex. There a pair of cats lounged far down the walkway. The newcomer’s invasion drew them close to the front, making a moment possible.

I shot the Featured Image one-minute to sunset, 7:52 p.m. PDT, and its companion one-minute after, on June 3, 2018. Leica M10 and Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens is a low-light super combo. Vitals: f/2.4, ISO 1600, 1/180 sec, 50mm. The companion’s EXIF is identical except for the timestamp.

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The Cats of University Heights: Gazers

Yesterday, while walking along Mississippi Street between Meade and Monroe, I spotted a pair of kitties looking at birds. They are the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth window watchers featured in the series so far. They presented poses that were irresistibly poignant.

I assume these are indoor beasties, but they do wear collars with tags, indicating perhaps some outdoor excursions. The Featured Image, which is modestly cropped, sets the scene. The two companions close in on the putty-tats. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Fluff

Oh my, this is the 200th profile since the series started in October 2016. I expected a month time-frame, never imagining that in a dog neighborhood there would be so many cats. Our friendly feline also is third in a row from Alabama and twenty-fourth featured from that street. The two recent others: Maxie and Striker.

Yesterday, while walking with my wife, I spotted the presumed Maine Coon between Howard and Polk. Fluff is appropriate nickname, don’t you think? The kitty stayed put long enough for me to get the farther Featured Image and to move in closer for the companion. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Maxie

Call me flabbergasted. Four days after seeing Striker, along Alabama between Mission and Madison, my wife and I encountered Maxie and his owner on the same block. The tabby is the twenty-third profiled from the street, and—gasp—another, spotted earlier today, will be next up.

Maxie came to his 71-ish caretaker about 24 months ago. The feline started hanging around, even though he technically belong to neighbors. They left about a year later, and the kitty stayed behind. Maxie rooms with another cat, whose story we may share sometime soon. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Striker

Yesterday, my wife and I walked along Alabama between Mission and Madison, beyond which we could make out silhouetted Itchy Valentino shading on the next block. I stopped, seeing orange fur against foliage along a driveway. A cat! She spotted his prey—an overly large lizard—that (sorry) was no longer visible when I shot the Featured Image using Leica M10 and Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens. By posture, you can see stalking still.

Photo vitals: f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/250 sec, 50mm; 4:13 p.m. PDT. The EXIF shows f/4.8, which the camera estimates based on other settings. I am sure about the aperture. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Dutch

We close out the month and first half of the year—on a Caturday! In celebration, please meet the husky shorthair nicknamed Dutch. I couldn’t approach close enough to read the tag attached to his collar. Thus, he earns the moniker for distinctive sighting: First feline on New York Street, which dead-ends into a canyon on one side and Madison on the other. In the 1620s, Dutch settlers claimed the area around and on Manhattan Island that the English would later rename New York. Does that make any sense of my choice?

I used Leica M10 and Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens to capture the Featured Image, yesterday at 3:24 p.m. PDT. Same day, the camera manufacturer released new firmware, which I updated. Dutch has the honor of being first cat captured with v2.4.5.0, which changes default auto-ISO to 200—supposedly to improve dynamic range. The camera now also includes (guessed) aperture in the EXIF (e.g. metadata). Vitals: f/2.5, ISO 200, 1/750 sec, 50mm.