Tag: street photography

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 3, 20269:42 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Zigi

I don’t recall where my wife and I encountered Zigi (real name). The shorthair was very active, making for a challenging photographic subject. In the Featured Image, Zigi looks high, responding to the sounds of birds. By appearances, the tabby readied to climb the tree. But instead he (or she) came looking for pats (and Annie gave many).

Both shots come from Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens. Vitals: f/8, ISO 280, 1/1250 sec, 110mm; 12:09 p.m. PST. The other: f/8, ISO 10000, 1/1000 sec, 400mm; 12:13 pm. Captured Christmas Day 2025.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 2, 20269:01 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Stormy

Who is this? As my wife and I walked along Alabama yesterday afternoon, this fine feline strutted our way—and with no initial interest in us. Neither of us had ever seen the grey and white before. Annie attracts animals like she and they are mutually magnetized. The kitty eventually warmed up to her for pats.

The cat had a collar and bell, but no tag. Thus, a nickname is necessary. For shining brightly before Annie, I choose Nova. The Featured Image and companion come from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 40, 1/125 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 4:21 p.m. The other is same but 115mm.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 17, 202610:16 pm

The Blue Helmet

A simple photo marks a moment captured and forgotten: April 28, 2025. I walked East on Monroe Street in University Heights, approaching Park Blvd. Something about the bicycle and protruding powder blue helmet caused me to turnabout as I passed and consider a quick shot.

The Featured Image comes from Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens, which I carried that afternoon. Vitals: f/5.3, ISO 100, 1/1000 sec, 43mm; 4:33 p.m. PDT. This particular lens is a favorite for walkabouts. It’s just fast enough and makes convenient shooting intimate closeups from a distance.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 15, 20268:42 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Besties

Duh. Usually when I shoot with the camera, I also capture with the smartphone so there is GPS location information. Guess who neglected to maintain that practice on April 12, 2025. With so much time passed, I don’t recall where the Featured Image was made. Location is unknown.

These two, nicknamed Besties, are the one-hundred-forty-seventh and -eighth felines found behind door or window. The portrait comes from Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens. Vitals: f/7.1, ISO 100, 1/640 sec, 200mm; 2:55 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 9, 20269:36 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Berry

This is one of two kitties seen sunning behind vented screens along Meade (cross-street withheld). You’ll have to wait for a better portrait before the other joins the series. Nickname, for no particular reason: Berry.

I don’t recall the number of furballs featured from the street, but it’s only a handful. To name a few: Amanda; Chipper; Dragon; Honey Bunny; Mittens; Ninja; Pee-Pee; Siamese; Tink; and Vivienne.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 1, 20269:53 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Chestnut

The owner of Bruce either spotted him or his doppelgänger the other night. He vanished over Memorial Day weekend 2023, and she and others have sought him since. He was an extremely popular cat, who was best known for his quirky personality, bowties, and walks with his caretaker and her dog.

Could Bruce really be alive and living a few blocks from his home territory? The supposed sighting occurred on historically-designated Shirley Ann Place—a street I loathe and generally avoid. There is a perpetual cultural/political war over there that manifests in the signage and other yard accouterments. As such, the street has a negative vibe. I see it, feel it, and am repulsed by it.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 30, 20269:45 pm

The (Honorary) Cats of University Heights: Whimsy

I often wish for the simpler days of Leica Q or Q2. One camera and one great lens. Versatile, compatible RAW files (DNG). Image quality so sharp that close-cropping substitutes for telephoto lens. But in December 2024, I switched platforms and returned to the world of swappable lenses.

I seriously considered holding out for the then rumored Fujifilm GFX100RF. Like the Q series, the digicam is built around a single lens with leaf shutter—and it’s medium format, which I came to really love when shooting the Fujifilm GFX 50R. Everything about the rangefinder’s ergonomics and high IQ checked my benefits boxes. But the 50R was so big that it scared off animals and people, so I let it go. The 100RF should have been the ideal follow-on, but it shipped later than I needed and the massive file sizes are logistically unappealing.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 29, 20269:04 pm

Getting Good Graffiti

Last Summer, I started seeing sophisticated graffiti splash upon utility boxes across University Heights. My mistake. The San Diego village commissioned local artists to dress up the boxes, and so they did to about 51 of them.

The Featured Image and first companion catch artists at work on a box located near the intersection of Florida Street and El Cajon Blvd. Both photos come from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, on Aug. 17, 2025. Vitals, first: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/500 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 3:02 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 25, 20269:37 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Mau

I was ready to accept this tabby as Donuts, who I hadn’t seen for years. But soon after I shot the Featured Image, someone opened a door and stepped out onto a landing. Without being called, the cat raced up the stairs to a second-floor apartment—not the house a few doors down where Donuts lived.

I used Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to shoot this portrait, today. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/320 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 3:11 p.m. PST. The shorthair’s pose makes me think stone sculptures from an ancient Egypt. So I chose the nickname accordingly: Mau, which is Egyptian for cat.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 24, 20269:24 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Teacup

Happy Caturday! We take another break from the backlog to present the one-hundred-forty-fourth feline found behind door or window since the series‘ start in October 2016.

The Featured Image comes from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on Dec. 7, 2025. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 50, 1/800 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 10:29 a.m. PST. Location: Unknown because GPS metadata mysteriously wasn’t collected. Nickname Teacup was chosen for no particular reason.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 23, 20268:38 pm

When Less is More

When Twiggs shuttered both locations—Park Blvd in University Heights, Adams Ave in North Park—in October 2023, many locals, me included, were blindsided. The coffee shops operated for about three decades successfully—granted, changing owners several times and more recently a few years before the sudden end.

New shops replaced both storefronts. The one on Park simply took over the space, with so little changes that one might not realize that Twiggs ever went away. But over on Adams, the new coffee shop is a complete makeover. The change isn’t just dramatic; the place stands apart from every other coffee shop in the five-community locales of Kensington, Hillcrest, Normal Heights, North Park, and University Heights.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 22, 20267:13 pm

Little Library for Justice

This post is not a commentary on immigration enforcement, ICE raids, or the troubles in Minnesota. Emotions are so piqued and polarized, any meaningful discussion seems pointless. I observe that people either oppose or support ICE actions—vehemently, with little middle ground for meaningful discussion.

However, the Featured Image is meant to present passive resistance as manifested in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights. The sign on the Little Free Library speaks for itself. Look lower left and you will see hanging the last whistle. Half a minute earlier, ahead of me, a woman walking her dog took the second-to-last one.