Tag: photography

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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Missing Kuma

Five years ago, Jan. 15, 2012—also a Sunday—our Maine Coon, Kuma, glanced up at me quizzicality before shimmying under the back gate and into oblivion. We never met eyes again. I still feel guilty about his loss. The cat and I had developed a bond of trust, which I betrayed by letting him out at 6 a.m, into darkness—alone. Typically, he left the apartment an hour later with me as see-him-off, down-the-alley companion. Sixteen days later, city workers found his collar in a nearby canyon, leading us to believe that a coyote got our bear, which is Kuma’s meaning in Japanese.

The 18-month-old Maine Coon and I were constant companions in our apartment building’s courtyard, where I often wrote news stories on my laptop. I have fond memories of Kuma coming and going, slipping under the back gate. Even now, I still look for him when walking up from the alley or along the street when returning home. I no longer work outdoors, because it unsettles the other cats, Cali and Neko, which want to come out, too. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Willow

Willow approaches me meowing, as her housemate Roman circles behind. She is the only female among owner JoAnn’s four felines, whom I met on Christmas Day 2016, while walking down Campus Ave. from my father-in-law’s apartment.

The 65 year-old accountant describes her brood as “friendly”, and I absolutely agree. She expresses dismay at the disregard of some folks moving around the animals on the sidewalk. “People walk by and ignore the cats. How can you not want to stop?” She waves her arms: “All around you is life”. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Roman

The third cat in JoAnn’s troupe is Roman. If you missed them, Herman and Comet are the other two of the four. I met her and the friendly furballs on Christmas Day this year. They get four hours of outdoor run-around time each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That’s regardless of weather!

The shelter called the cat something else. “Roman I thought was such a prestigious name”, she says. “Almond was such a stupid name”. I agree, and what is there almond-like about this white kitty with distinctive tiger-stripe tail? He is eldest of her brood but least in pecking order. When giving out Christmas treats, JoAnn observes that he waits until the other animals finish before eating. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Comet

Comet (his real name) approaches Herman on Christmas Day 2016 in a courtyard off Campus Ave. Owner JoAnn named him before his white coat took on an orange tint. The energetic feline is about one year old. She adopted him from the local shelter when a four-month kitten.

I met JoAnn and her four furballs, while walking from my father-in-law’s apartment. She gives them four hours of outdoor time, regardless of weather, each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The accountant perennially keeps the same number of cats. Comet replaced another animal hit and killed by a car. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Herman

On Christmas Day, while walking down Campus Ave. from my father-in-law’s apartment, I spotted a kitty. Then another. And another. And another. Their owner, JoAnn, lets outside her four furballs for four hours three days a week—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. She sits in the courtyard with them, as they race around chasing and playing. Look for the others tomorrow and rest of the week.

Her favorite is Herman, who may be the cat I previously featured as Frisky. He visited me on a June Saturday across the street but down the block from JoAnn’s studio apartment. She thinks it is, although there are few identifying features in my photo. 

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The Cats of University Heights: Grey and White

On, Dec. 17, 2016, at 11:57 a.m. PST, as I walked down Maryland Ave., headed to The Hub, where there is Trader Joe’s, movement in a roomy front yard caused me to stop and look. I had not seen this grey and white furball before; too bad, the beastie sat in contrasting areas of light and shadow. Worse, prescription sunglasses and glare from overhead obliterated the iPhone 7 Plus screen to darkness. I shot this and subsequent portraits blind.

The Featured Image is a crop, and it’s the best—and not that great—from the dozen captured. The second photo is the uncropped but tweaked original, which gives good perspective of feline and habitat. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 20, 1/290 sec, 6.6mm