Tag: urban photography

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 13, 20249:14 pm

The New Normal

Hillcrest is San Diego’s gay neighborhood—and I don’t mean happy. Judging by the many miserable-looking homeless folks sprawled across sidewalks, gay describes something other than disposition.

Rainbow flags are everywhere. During June, some fire hydrants are similarly repainted. An inclusive church presents each color on its own door. So I shouldn’t have been so surprised, today, to find a new manifestation: Rainbow crosswalk—and more. There are two. In succession. One is the straight color motif, and the other adds the trans flag. Depending on your opinion about this kind of thing, the colored crosswalks are either appropriately, or ironically, placed at Normal Street.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 8, 202410:25 pm

The Vine Wall

Several properties in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights are undergoing or have undergone major renovations lasting years. Some started before or during SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 lockdowns. Post-pandemic, construction delays, increased building costs, and lingering supply shortages could explain why these projects take so long.

Today, I stopped to gawk at a magnificently striking overgrown wall that had previously gone unnoticed. The main house and front lawn area have been a noisy construction zone for so long that I either walked by briskly or on the other side of the street. What an overlooked visual treat! Neither the Featured Image, nor the companion photo, adequately capture the scene.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 7, 20249:38 pm

When Time Runs Out

For weeks, I have seen a sign outside one of the long-time, local University Heights businesses: Relocation moving sale. Today, I walked by and could see men working inside around fixtures, so I stopped by to ask where is the new location. There is none. Yet. Maybe never.

Commercial rents rise like insane homeless people shouting and swearing as they pull along their belongings in shopping carts. The store’s proprietor told me that his rent nearly doubled, leaving him little option other than to close up after first opening—in nearby Hillcrest—in 1974. What worse way to celebrate 50 years, eh?

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 28, 20238:33 pm

Kings (of the Road)

I don’t know why these three motorbikes were parked together in a San Diego alley. They piqued my photographic interests for being covered in raindrops. Location determined composition: I was backed against a wall; they were placed in an enclave.

The Featured Image comes from Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, on Dec. 22, 2023. Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 160, 1/180 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 10:43 a.m. PST.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 26, 20239:31 pm

Is This How You Feel?

Lots of people do, and I hope not you. Humility mixed with heap loads of gratitude is a better way to end the year. We are entitled to nothing. Most everything we have comes from somewhere else. Modern society is built on the sacrifices of those who came before us. We are indebted.

Do you grow your own food? Drill, extract, and process the gasoline for your vehicle? Generate the electricity that powers your home? Pick and mill the cotton for clothes you bought rather than made? Fresh water is piped to your home and toilet water piped away—all from infrastructure that you didn’t build, right?

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 25, 20238:46 pm

That’s Not True

For some time, I have been bothered by the sign outside the Hillcrest church with the rainbow-colored doors. Seeing as this is Christmas Day and Christian churches are supposed to celebrate Christ, I take this opportunity to correct the record.

“Love is love is all you need” is not true. Correction: it is a lie.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 23, 20239:35 pm

Yes, But What About Porch Pirates?

What a terrible coincidence. Tonight, I planned to share the Featured Image, taken yesterday using Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Beforehand, I peeked at my inbox, where there were two random emails about Nextdoor posts. Someone from another San Diego neighborhood also puts out treats for delivery drivers. Last night, there was an, ah, incident.

The poster writes: “Just before 10:30 p.m., these two awful people stole the entire box of treats (bin included) that I had left out for the deliveries. Usually, we bring them in much earlier, but we were out visiting a friend we haven’t seen in ages, so it was left out past 9 p.m.” She includes a 20-second video of the thieves in action.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 22, 20238:40 pm

Less is More Christmas Decor

Wow, we had thunderstorms overnight, as heavy rains pounded San Diego County. I love it, but expected a drab, dreary day today. Oh, no! The clouds parted to blue skies and some sun. Air temp touched 15 degrees Celsius (61 Fahrenheit) but seemed warmer when walking under the yellow rays.

My wife and I stepped out a few times to relish the crisp air and sidewalks refreshed by nature’s hand. Californians are absolutely dog crazy. The mutts pee everywhere, without restraint. Because rain is so infrequent, dry urine pollutes surfaces. You will never see me sit against a tree, as such. Yuck.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 21, 202310:13 pm

When Did You Last Go to the Movies?

I can’t remember. SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 lockdowns pretty much squashed my movie-going, coupled with too-high ticket pricing. The theatre is pretty much always better than streaming at home, so to be clear: couch-potatoing isn’t my reason for abandoning an afternoon show.

I used Google Pixel 3 XL to capture the Featured Image five years ago today: Dec. 21, 2018. Vitals: f/1.8, ISO 70, 1/50 sec, 28mm (film equivalent); 12:10 p.m. PST; composed as shot. This AMC is located at Westfield Plaza Bonita in National City, Calif.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 20, 202310:05 pm

A Pair of Classic Cars

I avoid walking through Hillcrest, unless need presses. The neighborhood is atmospherically and physically filthy. Strange how people don’t know that they live in Hell. But the same could be applied to most of California, expanding Dante’s nine circles of Hell to the 21 missions around which major cities were built. San Diego was the first, in 1769.

Franciscans sought to bring Heaven to native populations, rightly or wrongly (you decide which). Centuries later, the fire of Hades burns across the state, by many measures.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 19, 20239:37 pm

Autumn comes to Endless Summer

San Diego’s relatively dry autumn—eh, late Summer—will give way to rain, perhaps heavy, over the next few days leading into Christmas. That’s the forecast; we shall see if this time it’s accurate.

Quite likely, downpour with wind could easily strip the leaves from the tree in the Featured Image. Even in Southern California, some seasonal change can be seen among the great, green growing things. Cacti, palms, and succulents may dominate the landscape, and in seemingly unchanging fashion year-round, but they do not stand alone.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 17, 202310:04 pm

Rest in Peace, Santa

There is moaning and wailing at the North Pool tonight. Who will drive the sleigh and deliver presents to all the good boys and girls (if there are any) on Christmas Eve? Santa somehow got himself tangled in a sticky web and a spider sucked all the fluids and organs out of his body. Chris Kringle is crumpled.

I used Leica Q2 to capture the tragic Featured Image today. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/640 sec, 28mm; 9:37 a.m. PST. My wife and I came upon Santa’s remains in the Campus-North perpendicular alley that is parallel to Meade in San Diego neighborhood University Heights.