Tag: street photography

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 15, 20171:20 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Sebastian

This morning, my wife and I jaunted down Maryland Ave., on our way to The Hub for groceries. Nearly to the Washington Street bridge, in a yard with “Wildlife Habitat” sign, and lush foliage, Anne spotted a furball belly up. I shot several back-to portraits, using the Fujifilm X100F. When we returned, the feline had flipped around my way.

The Featured Image is Annie’s preferred crop. The other, below the fold is mine. Vitals on the first: f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/450 sec, 23mm. The other: f/8, ISO 200, 1/280 sec, 23mm. Time on both: 10:38 a.m. PDT, using Velvia film simulation.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 11, 20176:17 am

The Cats of University Heights: Henry

The Fujifilm X100F and I are still getting acquainted, bringing big digital lifestyle change: always-carry. The compact camera is lightweight and unobtrusive attached to ONA Lima strap, such that I sling it and bring it with ease and capture the moment where iPhone 7 Plus would miss. I only lugged larger Fuji X-T1 when planning to use it, thus making the Apple smartphone my primary street camera. That all changed February 28. The new digicam, with its 24.3-megapixel APS-C sensor and fixed f/2 lens, is classic—for style and shooting. I previously owned the original and preceding T model.

Rushing out for a twilight walk on March 9, I spotted, not for the first time, a tiger-striped cat in the yard at Campus and Monroe. Our eyes met yet again, around the same time of day; he lurked where he had several weeks before, cast in the shadows. I shot Featured Image at 6:09 p.m. PST—about 20 minutes after sunset. Except for straightening, the JPEG is unaltered from the X100F. Vitals: f/2, ISO 3200, 1/26 sec, 23mm. Despite its f/1.8 aperture, based on past efforts, iPhone 7 Plus would have botched the shot—or using flash to set focus, scared off the feline.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 10, 201712:20 pm

Scooter Booter

Did you know that mopeds typically are bigger air-polluters than cars or trucks? Kind of diminishes their mystique, don’t you think? Yeah. Yeah. But I would still consider riding (and owning) one. Some newer models’ emissions are cleaner (and, yes, that’s a justification).

I shot this scooter nearby the bridge that crosses Washington Street to The Hub shopping plaza, on March 2, 2017, at 11:41 a.m. PST, using Fujifilm X100F, which settings were changed to those used by photographer Kevin Mullins, with Classic Chrome film simulation. Vitals: f/4, ISO 400, 1/950 sec, 23mm.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 9, 20178:43 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Pepe

San Diego’s unusually wet Winter is finally giving way to sunny days, with the high temp reaching 26 degrees Celsius this afternoon, when my wife and I walked down Cleveland Ave., where we made new friends—tuxedo […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 8, 20174:20 pm

My Fujifilm X100F Acros Romp

I see a fair number of professional photographers raving about Fuji’s black-and-white simulation, which I finally gave a try while walking the neighborhood today. Gotta say, as an admitted amateur, I am impressed by Acros—available on the X-Pro2, X-T2, and X100F—but more for what it enables: To shoot things that I otherwise wouldn’t; stepping back and looking differently. There are reasons why some mirrorless digital cameras are right for the street.

Take the Featured Image. Numbers on a building? I wouldn’t have bothered if not for Acros, which adds surprising dynamism by taking away something—color. The capture isn’t a favorite, honestly, but there’s something pleasing about the tone—the mood—that makes harsh shadows and sheering sunlight more palatable. Vitals: f/4, ISO 200, 1/2000 sec, 23mm; 8:42 a.m. PST.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 5, 20179:10 pm

Lemonade Stand

The Fujifilm X100F is now my nearly-always outdoor companion—a role iPhone 7 Plus had filled. The camera is compact and light and comfortably slings over the shoulder attached to the ONA Lima strap. Earlier today, my wife and I walked down Maryland Ave. toward The Hub plaza in Hillcrest. Along the way, we passed a lemonade stand, with some kids fundraising for the local elementary school, Alice Birney. They had already raised $60 when I snapped the pic, at 1:15 p.m. PST. Somebody paid more than the requested 25 cents a cup. Hehe.

The Featured Image is a crop of the original, which is visible below the fold. Both versions are unaltered, except for horizontal cropping to the first and straightening of both. The visual cue is different in each, though. The first is aligned vertically with the lemonade stand and the original against the house in the background.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 2, 20178:01 pm

How Did It Come to This?

Surely somewhere in the collapse of retailer American Apparel there is a metaphor appropriate for the policy platform put forth by Donald Trump. The President talks about bringing jobs back to the United States and renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Ironically, with AA, we see the demise of an iconic, hip “Made in the USA” brand, with its remaining assets being sold to Canadian-based Gildan. What’s up with that? Eh?

The Featured Image, and the pic following below the fold, tells a different story: Recent remembrance of another American Apparel, which allure popped pop culture’s cherry, for coolness and sex-appeal. On May 8, 2010, the retailer’s San Diego store held a rummage sale that drew long lines that wrapped around the block such that the end overlapped the beginning. I captured the moment with the Sigma DP2s. What a change in 7 years—and not just for the one clothier. Last year, local company Sports Chalet went out of business, around the same time as national chain Sports Authority. The Limited is shuttering all its stores, and Macy’s nearly 70. Should we blame China or, hehe, Amazon?

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 9, 20176:18 am

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.

Living by Joe WilcoxJan 27, 201710:19 pm

The Two Metaphors

Talk to long-time residents in the University Heights neighborhood and ask if they remember my father-in-law, when yes, the answer typically is the same: Riding his bicycle. A lanky man of advanced age makes a long-lasting impression—must be since he gave up the two-wheeler five years ago. Here, he rides a new bike down Cleveland Ave., on Nov. 13, 2008. At that time, he rode 1.5 km or more most every day—including jaunts down Washington Street that even I wouldn’t risk. By 2012, he switched to a pedal-electric hybrid. A few weeks before Thanksgiving that year, someone stole Bob’s bike from his apartment complex’s laundry room, after failing to get coins from the washing machines. He never rode again.

Today, my wife and I closed out her dad’s apartment. He died on Jan. 11, 2017, the month after reaching 95 years-old. The last item to go was his kitchen table and chairs, which I posted for free to Craigslist. I stared long at the smokey-glass top table, reminiscing, while waiting for the pickup. Anne or I spent most of our time visiting her dad seated there together. Somehow it’s fitting the dining furniture should be the last belongings to leave his place.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 18, 20176:25 am

The Cats of University Heights: Lilo

My father-in-law’s oldest San Diego friend lives across the ally. Her complex faces Cleveland Ave. and his looks onto Campus. Yesterday, my wife and I invited Joan to his place to look over books and […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 17, 20176:17 am

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.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 16, 20176:02 am

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.