I’m one of those lucky people who has always had an exciting, fulfilling career. In my 20 years as a photojournalist, no two days were alike — I’d find myself riding in Secret Service motorcades, standing in front of walls of flames at wildfires and inside the lives and homes of some of the most […]
Some of the best stories transport readers to places they’ve never seen with their own eyes. That’s one of the reasons why it’s such a gift to work with someone like Ana Ramirez, who will go anywhere and do just about anything to get a story. She’ll climb a mountain. She’ll fly her drone hundreds […]
Some of the most powerful stories start with a deep breath, the kind you take before stepping off solid ground. When we learned that the them of Girl Scouts San Diego‘s annual Urban Campout event was “Defying Gravity,” we knew we had to document the girls as they took on a ropes course at Camp […]
Last week, we made a bunch of new friends while sharing Uptown 11’s story as an exhibitor at the San Diego Fundraising Conference. As one of the region’s leading gatherings for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers and community partners, the event showed us just how much energy and innovation is driving nonprofit storytelling in San Diego. From […]
One of the voices shaping Uptown 11’s storytelling is Megan Moore, a storyteller who brings empathy, curiosity, and lived experience into her work. Through her collaboration with the Children First Collective, Megan helps surface the realities of San Diego’s child care system – and the families navigating it. Project Highlight: Stories of Care Megan’s favorite […]
Join Us at the San Diego Fundraising Conference, Presented by PNC Bank Nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and changemakers will gather at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront on Thursday, September 18 and Friday, September 19, 2025, for the San Diego Fundraising Conference, presented by PNC Bank and hosted by San Diego Foundation. This two-day, in-person event is […]
At Uptown 11, Adams Avenue isn’t just where we started – it’s where we continue to grow alongside a community that inspires us every single day. That’s why the Adams Avenue Street Fair holds such a special place in our story. This year, we’re especially excited. The Street Fair is more than just San Diego’s […]
The Gold Award isn’t handed out – it’s earned. It’s the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve, and it represents more than a single project. It’s the culmination of vision, persistence and community leadership. To earn it, a Girl Scout must identify a pressing issue, design a sustainable solution and dedicate 80+ hours to […]
As kids across San Diego head back to school, we’re reflecting on the critical work we’ve been supporting this summer with the Children First Collective, a community-led movement focused on child care access, equity and economic opportunity. Child care isn’t just a personal issue – it’s a public one. It’s infrastructure, it’s economic development and […]
We recently partnered with Mesa College to document their Impactship Program – an innovative, people-first approach to paid work experience for students. At its core, the program helps break down some of the biggest barriers students face when stepping into professional spaces: unpaid labor, lack of support and not knowing where to start. This video […]
This summer, we had the chance to join Girl Scouts San Diego at Camps Winacka and Whispering Oaks to document the magic of the experience – moments between friends around the campfire, proud grins after horseback rides and the kind of joy that only lives under open skies. Beyond the activities, what stood out most […]
The Barrio Logan Association brought science to the streets in a fun and accessible way for the whole community at the Barrio Logan Science and Art Expo.
Growing up, Enrique Espinoza didn’t typically get his hands on a class yearbook. Instead, he’d get a notebook, have his friends sign it, and slot in their photos, creating his own personal time capsule of high school life. Over time, Espinoza accumulated a lot more friends, including a devoted group of artists across the country […]
Charles Barrett’s shift at the Downtown San Diego Partnership’s safe sleeping site starts after most of us are tucked in for the night. As an operations manager at “O Lot,” he spends his evening providing resources to unhoused San Diegans who’ve taken refuge at this site in Balboa Park. From his vantage, the lights of […]
A few things that the neighborhood café bica and the local camera shop Camera Exposure have in common: We couldn’t agree more. And we’d love it if you’d take a moment to vote for our friends and colleagues who pour their hearts and souls into their businesses. These two organizations are the real deal. In […]
One of the conceits behind Uptown 11 Studios is a pledge to amplify a diverse range of voices in San Diego by integrating slice-of-life reportage with digital marketing. Last October, we were given a chance to crystallize that dream into reality through our work with Camera Exposure / Safelight Labs owners Rob Cowan and Caitie […]
We worked for months to redesign the AABA’s site, integrating images from its amazing events, as well as photography that documented the neighborhood and the shop owners and personalities that comprise the city’s historic business district.
Take a peek inside the new Uptown 11 Studios headquarters and take a quick tour around our brand new website.
These neighborhood kids aren’t exactly accustomed to the brisk weather. So it was a special treat for them to get out in the powder, dredged in by a few large trucks and snow-blasting hoses, during the annual Holiday on Adams event. Santa was on hand to treat the kids to photos and candy canes. We […]
This morning, Uptown 11 Studios launched one of its most exciting collaborations to date. We worked with the fine folks at Safelight Labs and Camera Exposure to launch a new website, complete with whole new platform for visual storytelling in San Diego called “Developing Stories.” With their partnership, we’ll spotlight San Diego’s best photographers who […]
Behind a white picket fence on Chula Vista’s Third Avenue, Mary Ann Canales is playing a game of high-stakes diplomacy. One of the children in her care wants to ride a tricycle, but they’re all taken. Canales holds the child close and speaks softly. “Which bike do you want? Ok so what you’re going to […]
Epic doesn’t even begin to describe this past weekend on Adams Avenue. The 42nd annual Adams Avenue Street Fair was one big love letter to San Diego. We blocked off ten blocks of asphalt to host 75 bands across seven stages. More than 300 vendors joined the party to sell their wares and feed the […]
As summer wound to a close, we got a glimpse inside a special slice of San Diego: a bustling village of sisterhood at the northern edge of Balboa Park, where girls from all walks of life build bonds and grow bold together. Uptown 11 Studios proudly produced two films to share the story of that […]
What an amazing experience it was to see two short films we produced debut in front of a live audience at the beautiful celebration hosted on the Girl Scouts’ Balboa Park campus. As photojournalists covering the community, we’ve spent a lot of time at galas and fundraisers. There is truly nothing that compares to the […]
I’m turning 40 in October. My body has taken some bruising in its 39.8 years on this planet. I’m the middle of three boys who wrestled with his brothers every day and played ice hockey, roller hockey and rugby. As a photojournalist, I regularly hauled between 25 – 40 pounds on my back while I […]
Summer in San Diego never really ends, but it is technically coming to a close. A lot of us locals would argue that this is when the real fun begins — after the temperatures get back to a steady 72 and sunny and the tourists leave town (tourists, you’re usually pretty chill in my book […]
above: bica celebrates landing 10,000 followers on Instagram. The patio will be packed this weekend as we celebrate the café’s one-year anniversary. Last year, the day after Thanksgiving break concluded, I walked into my new neighborhood café and proclaimed boldly: “Hi, I’m Sam, I’m starting a creative agency.” The barista greeted me warmly. Out on […]
As long as I’ve lived in San Diego’s Uptown neighborhoods, Adams Avenue has been a go-to destination for a good meal. In recent years, the restaurateurs in the area have kicked it up a notch. That’s what made the 23rd Annual Taste of Adams Avenue special. The two-mile stretch traversing four separate San Diego neighborhoods […]
Perhaps the most iconic thing about San Diego is a day on our coastline. It’s plastered across the front of every postcard bearing this city’s name. This weekend we had the chance to hang out at an event that tapped into that slice of our culture but offered so much more. It fused our love […]
The Old Globe really knocked it out of the park on this one. This weekend the theater hosted its Solstice Soirée, a beautiful celebration of theatre, food, music and community. The crowd was filled with so many amazing San Diegans and the experience was so unique that I resisted the urge to hoist my camera […]
When the Rock & Roll Marathon passed along Adams Avenue this week, the crew from Hayes Burger was there to feed the masses.
What is Happiness to you? That’s the question my friend Sydney Valiente posed on Instagram a few months ago. She took the responses and turned them into an exhibit, working alongside a young artist named Alexia Rodriguez. They collaborated for months and Alexia crafted a wall full of mixed media art, celebrating the ways that […]
Want something done right, and right now? Hire a journalist.
I feel pretty lucky that building Uptown 11 Studios means I get to chase my friends all around town while they cook up amazing creations. Saturday night, I got to see two creative forces come together as the chefs from bica made the haul from Adams Avenue down to El Cajon Boulevard to share their […]
When I started Uptown 11 Studios, I dreamt that one day, I’d be able to bring my passion for documentary photography and my passion for music together. I envisioned a day when Uptown 11 would have a physical space, complete with a recording studio where San Diego artists could track music that would reach audiences […]
Normal Heights neighbors gathered to celebrate the “Kaleidoscope of Butterflies” mosaic that just landed on Adams Avenue.
Artist Kim Emerson’s piece “Kaleidoscope of Butterflies” debuts on Adams Avenue after seven years of planning and work.
Life here is what happens when an old Plymouth is lit up by the headlights of a spanking new Tesla, its hood speckled with rare raindrops that serve as a mirror to the neighborhood palms. The morning paper still lands on a few doorsteps here before dawn, blaring day-old headlines about TikTok and interest rates. […]
You can’t see the sea when you first approach the beach before sunrise, but you can hear the waves crashing on the sand. Here, each set of headlights cruising alongside the Pacific feels like an opportunity for a scene from a Tarantino flick to unfold. That’s what you notice here before the trademark sun rises […]
The neighborhood feels a little different under the morning fog. The crisp air elevates each noise. Interstate 15 rumbles below the palms jutting up overtop Kensington. Even the soapy joes air freshener cuts a little different behind a dewey windshield. San Diego, this is your regular reminder to get out and explore your neighborhood. This […]
FOR IMMEDIATE, PROMPT, SWIFT, EXPEDITED RELEASE*the following information is all completely ON THE RECORD**please tell all of your friends SAN DIEGO, CA – True stories are so much more interesting. The team at Uptown 11 Studios knows from experience. We’ve spent decades telling real stories about real people for the world’s leading news organizations. Founded […]
I’m one of those lucky people who has always had an exciting, fulfilling career. In my 20 years as a photojournalist, no two days were alike — I’d find myself riding in Secret Service motorcades, standing in front of walls of flames at wildfires and inside the lives and homes of some of the most […]
Some of the best stories transport readers to places they’ve never seen with their own eyes. That’s one of the reasons why it’s such a gift to work with someone like Ana Ramirez, who will go anywhere and do just about anything to get a story. She’ll climb a mountain. She’ll fly her drone hundreds […]
A Celebration Rooted in Community In Barrio Logan, Día de Muertos is more than a celebration; it’s a homecoming. Each year, the neighborhood transforms into a living altar, where color, music and remembrance meet in the streets. This year’s event, organized by All For Logan with support from the Barrio Logan Association, welcomed thousands of […]
Some of the most powerful stories start with a deep breath, the kind you take before stepping off solid ground. When we learned that the them of Girl Scouts San Diego‘s annual Urban Campout event was “Defying Gravity,” we knew we had to document the girls as they took on a ropes course at Camp […]
Last week, we made a bunch of new friends while sharing Uptown 11’s story as an exhibitor at the San Diego Fundraising Conference. As one of the region’s leading gatherings for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers and community partners, the event showed us just how much energy and innovation is driving nonprofit storytelling in San Diego. From […]
The Schizophonics rocked San Diego’s faces off on Saturday as headliners of the 43rd annual Adams Avenue Street Fair, presented by San Diego Foundation.
One of the voices shaping Uptown 11’s storytelling is Megan Moore, a storyteller who brings empathy, curiosity, and lived experience into her work. Through her collaboration with the Children First Collective, Megan helps surface the realities of San Diego’s child care system – and the families navigating it. Project Highlight: Stories of Care Megan’s favorite […]
We believe the best stories don’t just appear – they’re built with care, curiosity and connection. Behind every piece we publish is a process that blends research, interviews and reflection with the creativity of our storytellers. To give you a look behind the curtain, we sat down with one of our team members, Austin Siragusa, […]
Join Us at the San Diego Fundraising Conference, Presented by PNC Bank Nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and changemakers will gather at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront on Thursday, September 18 and Friday, September 19, 2025, for the San Diego Fundraising Conference, presented by PNC Bank and hosted by San Diego Foundation. This two-day, in-person event is […]
At Uptown 11, Adams Avenue isn’t just where we started – it’s where we continue to grow alongside a community that inspires us every single day. That’s why the Adams Avenue Street Fair holds such a special place in our story. This year, we’re especially excited. The Street Fair is more than just San Diego’s […]
The Gold Award isn’t handed out – it’s earned. It’s the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve, and it represents more than a single project. It’s the culmination of vision, persistence and community leadership. To earn it, a Girl Scout must identify a pressing issue, design a sustainable solution and dedicate 80+ hours to […]
As kids across San Diego head back to school, we’re reflecting on the critical work we’ve been supporting this summer with the Children First Collective, a community-led movement focused on child care access, equity and economic opportunity. Child care isn’t just a personal issue – it’s a public one. It’s infrastructure, it’s economic development and […]
We recently partnered with Mesa College to document their Impactship Program – an innovative, people-first approach to paid work experience for students. At its core, the program helps break down some of the biggest barriers students face when stepping into professional spaces: unpaid labor, lack of support and not knowing where to start. This video […]
This summer, we had the chance to join Girl Scouts San Diego at Camps Winacka and Whispering Oaks to document the magic of the experience – moments between friends around the campfire, proud grins after horseback rides and the kind of joy that only lives under open skies. Beyond the activities, what stood out most […]
The Barrio Logan Association brought science to the streets in a fun and accessible way for the whole community at the Barrio Logan Science and Art Expo.
Growing up, Enrique Espinoza didn’t typically get his hands on a class yearbook. Instead, he’d get a notebook, have his friends sign it, and slot in their photos, creating his own personal time capsule of high school life. Over time, Espinoza accumulated a lot more friends, including a devoted group of artists across the country […]
Charles Barrett’s shift at the Downtown San Diego Partnership’s safe sleeping site starts after most of us are tucked in for the night. As an operations manager at “O Lot,” he spends his evening providing resources to unhoused San Diegans who’ve taken refuge at this site in Balboa Park. From his vantage, the lights of […]
A few things that the neighborhood café bica and the local camera shop Camera Exposure have in common: We couldn’t agree more. And we’d love it if you’d take a moment to vote for our friends and colleagues who pour their hearts and souls into their businesses. These two organizations are the real deal. In […]
One of the conceits behind Uptown 11 Studios is a pledge to amplify a diverse range of voices in San Diego by integrating slice-of-life reportage with digital marketing. Last October, we were given a chance to crystallize that dream into reality through our work with Camera Exposure / Safelight Labs owners Rob Cowan and Caitie […]
We worked for months to redesign the AABA’s site, integrating images from its amazing events, as well as photography that documented the neighborhood and the shop owners and personalities that comprise the city’s historic business district.
Take a peek inside the new Uptown 11 Studios headquarters and take a quick tour around our brand new website.
These neighborhood kids aren’t exactly accustomed to the brisk weather. So it was a special treat for them to get out in the powder, dredged in by a few large trucks and snow-blasting hoses, during the annual Holiday on Adams event. Santa was on hand to treat the kids to photos and candy canes. We […]
This morning, Uptown 11 Studios launched one of its most exciting collaborations to date. We worked with the fine folks at Safelight Labs and Camera Exposure to launch a new website, complete with whole new platform for visual storytelling in San Diego called “Developing Stories.” With their partnership, we’ll spotlight San Diego’s best photographers who […]
Behind a white picket fence on Chula Vista’s Third Avenue, Mary Ann Canales is playing a game of high-stakes diplomacy. One of the children in her care wants to ride a tricycle, but they’re all taken. Canales holds the child close and speaks softly. “Which bike do you want? Ok so what you’re going to […]
Epic doesn’t even begin to describe this past weekend on Adams Avenue. The 42nd annual Adams Avenue Street Fair was one big love letter to San Diego. We blocked off ten blocks of asphalt to host 75 bands across seven stages. More than 300 vendors joined the party to sell their wares and feed the […]
As summer wound to a close, we got a glimpse inside a special slice of San Diego: a bustling village of sisterhood at the northern edge of Balboa Park, where girls from all walks of life build bonds and grow bold together. Uptown 11 Studios proudly produced two films to share the story of that […]
What an amazing experience it was to see two short films we produced debut in front of a live audience at the beautiful celebration hosted on the Girl Scouts’ Balboa Park campus. As photojournalists covering the community, we’ve spent a lot of time at galas and fundraisers. There is truly nothing that compares to the […]
I’m turning 40 in October. My body has taken some bruising in its 39.8 years on this planet. I’m the middle of three boys who wrestled with his brothers every day and played ice hockey, roller hockey and rugby. As a photojournalist, I regularly hauled between 25 – 40 pounds on my back while I […]
Summer in San Diego never really ends, but it is technically coming to a close. A lot of us locals would argue that this is when the real fun begins — after the temperatures get back to a steady 72 and sunny and the tourists leave town (tourists, you’re usually pretty chill in my book […]
above: bica celebrates landing 10,000 followers on Instagram. The patio will be packed this weekend as we celebrate the café’s one-year anniversary. Last year, the day after Thanksgiving break concluded, I walked into my new neighborhood café and proclaimed boldly: “Hi, I’m Sam, I’m starting a creative agency.” The barista greeted me warmly. Out on […]
As long as I’ve lived in San Diego’s Uptown neighborhoods, Adams Avenue has been a go-to destination for a good meal. In recent years, the restaurateurs in the area have kicked it up a notch. That’s what made the 23rd Annual Taste of Adams Avenue special. The two-mile stretch traversing four separate San Diego neighborhoods […]
Perhaps the most iconic thing about San Diego is a day on our coastline. It’s plastered across the front of every postcard bearing this city’s name. This weekend we had the chance to hang out at an event that tapped into that slice of our culture but offered so much more. It fused our love […]
The Old Globe really knocked it out of the park on this one. This weekend the theater hosted its Solstice Soirée, a beautiful celebration of theatre, food, music and community. The crowd was filled with so many amazing San Diegans and the experience was so unique that I resisted the urge to hoist my camera […]
When the Rock & Roll Marathon passed along Adams Avenue this week, the crew from Hayes Burger was there to feed the masses.
What is Happiness to you? That’s the question my friend Sydney Valiente posed on Instagram a few months ago. She took the responses and turned them into an exhibit, working alongside a young artist named Alexia Rodriguez. They collaborated for months and Alexia crafted a wall full of mixed media art, celebrating the ways that […]
Want something done right, and right now? Hire a journalist.
I feel pretty lucky that building Uptown 11 Studios means I get to chase my friends all around town while they cook up amazing creations. Saturday night, I got to see two creative forces come together as the chefs from bica made the haul from Adams Avenue down to El Cajon Boulevard to share their […]
When I started Uptown 11 Studios, I dreamt that one day, I’d be able to bring my passion for documentary photography and my passion for music together. I envisioned a day when Uptown 11 would have a physical space, complete with a recording studio where San Diego artists could track music that would reach audiences […]
Normal Heights neighbors gathered to celebrate the “Kaleidoscope of Butterflies” mosaic that just landed on Adams Avenue.
Artist Kim Emerson’s piece “Kaleidoscope of Butterflies” debuts on Adams Avenue after seven years of planning and work.
Life here is what happens when an old Plymouth is lit up by the headlights of a spanking new Tesla, its hood speckled with rare raindrops that serve as a mirror to the neighborhood palms. The morning paper still lands on a few doorsteps here before dawn, blaring day-old headlines about TikTok and interest rates. […]
You can’t see the sea when you first approach the beach before sunrise, but you can hear the waves crashing on the sand. Here, each set of headlights cruising alongside the Pacific feels like an opportunity for a scene from a Tarantino flick to unfold. That’s what you notice here before the trademark sun rises […]
The neighborhood feels a little different under the morning fog. The crisp air elevates each noise. Interstate 15 rumbles below the palms jutting up overtop Kensington. Even the soapy joes air freshener cuts a little different behind a dewey windshield. San Diego, this is your regular reminder to get out and explore your neighborhood. This […]
FOR IMMEDIATE, PROMPT, SWIFT, EXPEDITED RELEASE*the following information is all completely ON THE RECORD**please tell all of your friends SAN DIEGO, CA – True stories are so much more interesting. The team at Uptown 11 Studios knows from experience. We’ve spent decades telling real stories about real people for the world’s leading news organizations. Founded […]
