Tag: sports photography

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 9, 20249:36 pm

The Son and Father Fishing

Dad is at his home on the family farm, in a hospital bed, and cared for 24 hours a day—mainly by the pastors of the local church, supported by (I think) hospice caretakers. He is lucid, but declining, which is his wish based on other health considerations. The man has proved to be physically stronger than the doctors predicted, however. Our Wilcox clan comes from hearty stock.

My parents eloped to Canada at age 16. The eldest child, I was born just as mom turned 18. My parents always seemed young to me, because they were. Only as an adult did I understand how much and the ways we kind of grew up together.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 26, 20239:33 pm

Better Than Mardi Gras

The days when rain isn’t falling, but the ground is wet and the air sweet Spring fresh and moist, are delightful. Over on Louisiana Street, some young men made festive the late afternoon of Feb. 22, 2023. They skateboarded to boombox rock, and I absolutely loved the spirit and ambiance they created. Why not bang on doors and have an impromptu block party?

Pepto, who is among the “Cats of University Heights” sauntered through the mayhem, taking up observant position by a car. That’s his block, baby.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 22, 202210:51 pm

July in Christmas

Feel free to call me cruel, but gloating is not my intention so, please, don’t assign such motivation. The Christmas Day forecast for much of Southern California is unseasonably warm. Predicted San Diego weather is 25 Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) and 23 C (73 F) on both the preceding and following days. Break out T-shirt and shorts for summer remembrance.

Meanwhile, much of the rest of the country expects something colder, which already creeps Eastward. As I write, it’s -17 C (2 F) in Amarillo. Texas! Oh, that’s before the wind chill. For Christmas, randomly-selected highs: Atlanta, Ga., 1 C (34 F); Nashville, Tenn., -2 C (28 F); Newark, NJ, -3 C (27 F); Ocala, Fla., 7 C (45 F); Raleigh, NC, 2 C (35 F). For more of a sense of what’s more typical, for the cities, respectively, the following Sunday forecast: 19 C (66 F); 17 C (62 F); 15 C (59 F); 26 C (79 F); 22 C (71 F).

Photo by Joe WilcoxNov 24, 202210:38 pm

Are They a Rare Set?

One of my sisters is avid about golf. My interest almost reaches enthusiasm for root canals. Ah, the things siblings don’t share in common, eh? She was already on my mind, because of Thanksgiving Day, when I passed by a set of discarded clubs this morning; more so after I chuckled over them, thinking: How appropriate. Perhaps the previous owner and I share similar sentiments about the, ah, sport. Yuh. Let’s turn the TV channel to curling—another fine slow-moving competition.

Knowing absolutely nothing about golf, or the accruements necessary to play, maybe I missed a magnanimous moment of opportunity—like the yard sale buyer who snags a rare painting or Leica camera that turns out to be worth tens of thousands of dollars—even millions. What if the clubs are a rare set, put out by another non-golfer who is emptying the apartment of some aged relative recently passed away? Sometimes that which looks old and crusty is valuable. Are these clubs? I presume no more than any others in similar condition. But why not speculate?

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 11, 20229:49 pm

In the Shallows

Before my wife, daughter, and I moved to San Diego nearly 15 years ago, we occasionally vacationed as opportunity to visit my father-in-law. The Featured Image, captured using Nikon D70 and 70mm-300mm lens, is from […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxOct 24, 202110:19 pm

Marathon Mania is Back

Today here in San Diego, more than 20,000 runners participated in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Series Marathon and Half Marathon, which occurred concurrently. The routes go through and around my neighborhood of University Heights—Hillcrest, Normal Heights, and North Park. Highway 163 partly closes down for participants, too. SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 lockdowns forced cancellation of last year’s event.

My wife and I walked along Georgia towards the bridge that crosses over University Ave., hoping to see runners below. But the bulk of them had long gone by. The Featured Image shows a small group coming up to the misting and watering station along Georgia Street between Lincoln and the overpass. I used Leica Q2 to make the moment. Vitals, aperture and shutter speed manually set: f/8, ISO 100, 1/250 sec, 28mm; 9:40 a.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 14, 20218:49 pm

‘Run for Your Life!’

I don’t often get a chance to shoot the sign in Hillcrest—dangers of standing in traffic being one reason, when trying to get good vantage point. But coincidental opportunity presented on July 18, 2021 during the San Diego Half Marathon. We needed something from the pet store located on Washington Street; my wife dropped me there, and I walked over to University Ave. for a lively jaunt home. Timing with the event was happenstance.

On the other side of Fifth, I used Leica Q2 to capture four shots in fairly rapid succession. I chose and cropped the Featured Image for the juxtaposition of bicycle pusher, runners, and walkers—and to remind that the camera can produce super-sharp photos. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/400 sec, 28mm; 9:51 a.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxNov 15, 202012:25 am

Flickr a Week 46b: ‘Break’

The Sunday spot goes to self-titled “Break“—for classic, compelling composition that makes open space an enthralling visual canvas. Hernán Piñera captured the moment on Feb. 20, 2015. Camera and vitals are missing from the metadata, suggesting […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 26, 202012:00 am

Flickr a Week 35: ‘A Yukon Quest Team’

The dog days of August demand something cooler, and we’ve got the thing with the first of two consecutive snow scenes: self-titled “A Yukon Quest Team” by Arthur T. LaBar. The 1,000-mile (1,600 km) sled […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 5, 202012:03 am

Flickr a Week 32: ‘Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park | Deltron 3030 Concert Spectator’

The last of three consecutive entries discovered searching for “spectator” demonstrates how to get close in from far away. Michael Tapp captured self-titled “Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park | Deltron 3030 Concert Spectator” on July 19, 2014, using an unidentified Sony Alpha camera (presumably) and Pentacon 135mm f/2.8 lens (certainly). If I owned an interchangeable lens camera, rather than fixed Leica Q2, 135mm would be my go-to focal length on Prime glass—as it was during the mid-Noughties when shooting Canon EOS 20D.

With “social distancing” the norm for the foreseeable post-pandemic future, time is right for street shooters to rediscover the mighty telephoto. A good one-thirty-five closes the distance—more so on APS-C cameras when applying the crop-factor—while delivering sharp detail and beautiful bokeh. Michael’s portrait is a keeper for both and excellent use of natural light. Unfortunately, EXIF isn’t available, which is typical of his photos; some photographers choose to expunge the metadata.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 2, 202012:07 am

Flickr a Week 31a: ‘Defy Gravity’

The self-title of August’s first entry is a message to my daughter on her 26th birthday: “Defy Gravity“—something she needs to do, and perhaps all of us. Markus Binzegger used Olympus E-M10 Mark II and M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8 lens to make the moment, on July 15, 2017. Vitals: f/9, ISO 200, 1/640 sec, 45mm.

The stunning shot, second of three consecutively found by searching for “spectator”, is a keeper for composition (love the dude watching); stopped action (posture and leg positions really convey motion); storytelling (leap of—gulp—faith); and use of black and white (to keep attention on the two guys). Location, according to Markus: “Maggia River, Ticino, Switzerland”.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 12, 202012:05 am

Flickr a Week 28a: ‘Exit Point’

The Sunday spot goes to self-titled “Exit Point” by Tormod Ulsberg—for color, composition, contrast, and just being interesting. He says of the shot: “About to enter the Mont Blanc Massif from Aiguille du Midi”, which […]