Out Of Place

El Paseo

Palm Desert, CA



El Paseo is a mile long stretch of high-end shops, galleries and restaurants.  At night, storefronts are stunning.  Galleries highlight their spectacular art.  Dining areas and live music spill out onto the sidewalks.

As I walked from my parking space to the restaurant, I could not help but notice the contrast between this scene and the entire street environment.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f3.2 | 1/160 sec | 40mm equiv | ISO 200

Photographed 3/22/26

Out Of Place

El Paseo - Shop

El Paseo - Gallery

El Paseo - Dining

El Paseo - Music

People of Kensington Market

These photos were taken July 11, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, CA while spending time in the Kensington Market area. This vibrant, diverse and eclectic neighborhood was a feast for the eyes, cameras and palettes and included interesting interactions with some of the locals.

Magic

Morning Stroll

Grocery Run

Eclectic

Hangin'

Cheese Magic

Phone Check

Jammin' Out

Love Birds?

Golden Grams

Jammin'

2022_CLondon52w27: One Light

From the C.London website: "Time to play with artificial light! Your challenge this week is to use one artificial light, and one only, to light your image. You don’t have to have any fancy set-up, a table lamp or the flashlight on your phone will do just fine. Subject is up to you, just no cheating with multiple light sources!"

I took the prompt literally this week and used an iPhone flashlight to illuminate a bronze sculpture that sits on my dresser.

Both the phone and camera were handheld. Have to say I'm very happy with the Sony image stabilization and high ISO performance.

Sony A7C @ f6.7 1/20 28mm ISO 12800

Sony E 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 A071

Photographed 7/5/22

String Shredders

Deer Park Art Fair - Deer Park, IL

Great live music at this local art fair.  These guys were having a good time.  Check them out.  www.stringshredders.com

"Ron"

Sony A7C @ f1.4 1/3000  85mm  ISO 100

Rokinon AF 85mm F1.4

"Edgar"

Sony A7C @ f2.8  1/250  85mm  ISO 100

Rokinon AF 85mm F1.4

All Photographed 6/26/22

Ruthie Foster at the MIM

Clondon52w37: Somewhere New

From the C.London website: “So we’ve seen where your most comfortable (your home), let’s now explore a new space for you. It could be an area of your city where you’ve never ventured, or maybe you’re lucky enough to be going some place entirely new this week. As you’re seeing this place with entirely fresh eyes, think about what it is that compels you about that scene and try and create an image which highlights that.”

Admittedly, I had never heard of blues singer, Ruthie Foster.  However, her bio is impressive and we were fortunate to score some tickets to a sold out concert at the Scottsdale MIM Music Theater.  The venue is exquisite with outstanding acoustics and proof of vaccination was required for admittance.  This turned out to be one of the best musical performances I’ve ever attended.

I was surprised that non-flash photography was permitted, so was able to capture a few images during the performance.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro @ f2 1/60 6mm (83mm equiv) ISO 500

Photographed 9/18/21

Apple iPhone 12 Pro @ f2 1/55  6mm (141mm equiv) ISO 500

Photographed 9/18/21

Pat Wilder is in the House - Plate I

Via Flickr:
Redwood City Blues Jam
Little Fox Theatre
Redwood City, CA

http://www.patwilderlive.com/home.html

Taken 4/17/13

Live at Anthology

Via Flickr:
4/30/12
After our day long company meetings, some of us went to listen to live music at an awesome downtown San Diego venue. 5 or 6 local bands performed. A great evening all around.

Added to the 112 Pictures in 2012 group as #19 - Music.

Marco

Amid the sounds of the city near the end of the cable car line at Powell and Market, I could barely make out the slightly amplified guitar chords and a raspy voice.  I looked around and spotted him.  A street entrepreneur for sure;  perched on a milk crate, with a small amplifier, and old acoustic guitar, a plastic spoon as a pick, strumming and singing, right where the line forms to board the cable car.  A new mini-audience, up front and personal every 7-10 minutes.  I watched from afar, not wanting to break his momentum nor interrupt his mini-concert audience.  I waited until the next cable car came and he took a short break to let the line queue up again.

I walked over and struck up a conversation, complimenting him on his raspy, bluesy sound.  It is truly a small world.  Marco originally hails from San Francisco but spent 15 years in Chicago, my home town, and last lived around 76th and Halsted on the south side, within blocks of where my father-in-law had a dry cleaning and tailoring store for over 40 years.  He's been in San Francisco for over 8 years since his divorce, mostly living on disability, social security and money he picks up playing music on the streets around town.  Marco, who is 54 years old, used to be a fab maintenance operator, working in computer wafer/chip manufacturing until the hydrofluoric (?) acid he worked with took a toll on his bones.  From his time in Chicago, he recounted the times he played at Buddy Guy's Legends on Wabash.  To play there, you are the real deal.

I told Marco about my photo project and he gladly allowed me to take his picture.  He is really an animated character.  I hung around, shooting, listening and watching him chat up his mini-audiences.  I contributed to his cause, spurring some of those waiting in the cable car line to do the same.  We bantered back and forth about Chicago, about our respective ages, about why I'm in SF, about where he plays in town and about the respective strength of our grips when we shook hands.  Laughing, joking, smiling; we connected.

I hope to bump into Marco again; for his music and his personality.  Check out another shot of Marco here.

Check out my other $2 Portraits here.

Taken 4/26/11
Posted 5/6/11 - Week 18