Tag: urban photography

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 25, 20219:06 pm

Flowers for the Urban Landscape

Dentist day is an opportunity to walk home—8.5 kilometers (5.3 miles)—from College Area to University Heights. My wife dropped me and then drove into Mission Valley for some errands. With no cavities, and quick cleaning, I started pounding the pavement within 30 minutes after arriving at the office.

On El Cajon Blvd, approaching 58th Street, I spotted a crimson-colored flowery-plant standing alone along the sidewalk. So out of place in the urban sprawl of retail, traffic, and wayward homeless, the thing demanded being photographed. Before leaving our place, I strongly considered carrying my camera to the dentist but refrained. So iPhone XS produced the Featured Image and companion, instead.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 24, 20219:25 pm

Parlez-vous Français?

I shot the Featured Image for two reasons: Surprise to find a French preschool on Park Blvd in downtown University Heights; reminiscence—our daughter nearly attended a public French immersion school when we lived in Maryland. I have often wondered why she failed to make the cut. Could it be that she would enter as a first-grader instead of a kindergartener? Because: She was first on the waiting list, and the administration told us that admission was almost a certainty—some student(s) either dropping out or not showing up were frequent occurrences.

The kids learned English and French side-by-side in a program that lasted through eighth grade. Had Molly been accepted, and had she stayed, our family’s destiny would have changed. We would have unlikely left the Washington, D.C. area and moved across country to San Diego.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 22, 20219:33 pm

Incomplete

I can say with some confidence that this sofa had three cushions a few days before Aug. 19, 2021, when my Leica Q2 captured the Featured Image. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/800 […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 18, 20218:58 pm

They’re Ready for Picking

Perhaps you remember the green grapes from early July that had started ripening red and violet two weeks ago. On Aug. 16, 2021, they had turned deep purple, suggesting to my uniformed eye that they are of the Concord variety and ready to pick. I assume a neighbor planted the vine and that the many clusters won’t be wasted.

Three-quarters of the way through a 6.5-kilometer (4-mile) round-trip walk on an errand to nearby Hillcrest, and carrying Leica Q2 Monochrom, I decided to shoot with street settings rather than go Macro mode. Vitals for the Featured Image: f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/500 sec, 28mm; 3:52 p.m. PDT. I would have preferred color but black and white works, with the berries’ dark hue that also emphasizes dusty particles on the skin.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 16, 20219:04 pm

Why the Maine Coons Lost Their Home

To see where was the golf cart accident that led to yesterday morning’s dramatic chase and capture, my wife and I walked along Florida to Adams, where I shot additional photos. We returned the same way, passing by a man leaning on the porch railing of the house where feral felines Mimi and Sweet Pea lived for about eight years in the spacious backyard. I profiled both animals in my “Cats of University Heights” series in May 2018.

I asked the gentleman about clearcutting the property, which he confirmed started on Aug. 10, 2021. The action was taken at the behest of the broker, who believes there is a 98-percent chance an investor will buy the place, rather than a resident; removing the lush greenery and trees emphasizes the lot’s large size for the neighborhood and increases likelihood of higher bidding during the September 11 auction.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 13, 202111:16 pm

Mimi and Sweet Pea are Homeless

If only SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 eviction moratoriums applied to feral felines, the habitat of Mimi and Sweet Pea would not have been utterly destroyed. The luscious, and humungous, yard they shared was intact a few days ago—my wife and I can’t recall if Tuesday or Wednesday (today is the only Friday the 13th of the year). This morning, we peaked in—shocked to see nearly complete clearcutting.

The saga starts as we walked along the alley separating Alabama and Florida. As we moved down the block between Monroe and Madison, I saw a kitty beyond the cross street going towards Adams. From the coloration, and our recently seeing Pace (pronounced paw-chay, according to his owner) in the vicinity, I assumed it must be the aged Norwegian Forest Cat. Oddly, though, the animal disappeared and reappeared, as if going into and out of different backyards along the alley.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 11, 202110:21 pm

Spanish Village Art Center

The camera you carry is always the best—and for most people that will be a smartphone. On Jan. 26, 2013, that shooter would be the LG-manufactured, Google-branded Nexus 4, as my wife and I walked […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 10, 20218:16 pm

A Splendid Spectacle

Along Georgia, my wife and I walked on the opposite side of the street from where we would normally go when looking for Reddy or Zero—both of which are profiled in my “Cats of University Heights” series. A canopy of green greeted us; one of our neighbors is growing grapes and extended the vines over the sidewalk. What a treat.

The Featured Image shows the vantage as we first saw the splendid spectacle of San Diego gardening. Vitals, aperture manually set for this one and its companion: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/250 sec, 28mm; 4:02 p.m. PDT, today.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 6, 20219:32 pm

Lettuce Grow for You

Perhaps you remember “Carport Lettuce” from July 2020. The grower, located in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights, is preparing to take his hydroponic garden to one of the area’s farmers markets—and possibly to several. My wife chatted with him yesterday, and we returned to his mobile grower today.

The Featured Image and companions come from Leica Q2, and I scold myself for not rushing to get the shots. When Annie and I ventured out on a late-morning walk, the sky was overcast. By the time I remembered the lettuce cart, the sun had come out, casting hard shadows. Diffuse light would have made for better photos. First of the set is cropped to remove, from down the street, two cars with visible license plates. Vitals, aperture preset for all: f/8, ISO 100, 1/200 sec, 28mm; 12:34 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 4, 20218:42 pm

How `Bout a Bunch?

The grapes I shared with you one month ago are not the green variety that they appeared to be—as can be seen by their rapid ripening. To reiterate: the cluster is positioned between sidewalk and street, not on someone’s property, along Meade between Cleveland and Maryland in the San Diego neighborhood of University Heights.

Leica Q2 is equipped with a dedicated Macro mode that is enabled by turning a ring around the lens. I used the mechanism to capture the Featured Image and companion. Vitals for the first, aperture manually set for both: f/4, ISO 200, 1/125 sec, 28mm; 9:26 a.m. PDT.

Living by Joe WilcoxAug 3, 20218:57 pm

Garbage In, Garbage Out

Yesterday, a homeless dude slept on this sofa when I walked by. Today, somebody surely seems determined to discourage his return. That is, unless he stacked up the recyclable refuse to protect his siesta spot. I observed the jacket with him when sauntering past and respectively choosing not to take his photo.

Best I can do is the Featured Image, and companion, both captured using Leica Q2. Vitals, aperture manually set for both: f/8, ISO 400, 1/125 sec, 28mm; 9:13 a.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 30, 20218:45 pm

Hoops, Anyone?

The Featured Image exists because I wanted to provide context for the companion shot—both of which come from Leica Q2, today. I walked along Panorama Drive in San Diego’s University Heights neighborhood, trying to recover from a night robbed of some hours sleep. My daughter got herself into a mess, and I stayed up late securing her a motel room after other plans unexpectedly collapsed.

Something about the hoop seems so idyllic, pulled to the side of the street, sitting before lush greenery and palms and the homes behind. I cropped to remove two license plates, unfortunately. Vitals, aperture manually set for both: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/500 sec, 28mm; 10:16 a.m. PDT.