What would you do if every day for the past couple of weeks brought fog and rain into your hometown and your camera was packed away? You’d do what Christine, Marlene and I did. One day, it wasn’t raining, but fog was still hanging out as a fine mist. We took our cameras out for a walk in the fog!
Actually, I enjoy photographing in fog. It adds a mood to the images. We chose to visit nearby Gibson Ranch, which has been featured in this blog a few times.
Our visit was mostly around the pond since they closed access to some of the trails. But that was okay because I don’t like being out in the damp air for too long. The geese came out of the water when they saw us thinking we had food.
We found some horses out in a pasture.
We also walked over to the stables where we found a couple of barn quilts. These are designs painted on wood.
And, how lucky could I get. I found rust! My friends weren’t interested in these old farm equipment pieces, but I was.
I’ll end with one of the two peacocks I saw roaming the grounds. However, he wouldn’t cooperate and spread his tail feathers.
This ends my adventure in the fog. My visit was on December 22nd. We’ve had one sunny day since then. You know what I’m wishing for in the new year!
What are you going to do when you retire? You’ll have a lot of time on your hands. I asked myself that question when I knew I was going to close down my business. That’s when I dove into photography. George in my Toastmaster club decided to get his hands dirty at Soil Born Farms. A non-profit organization, their “mission is to create an urban agriculture and education project that empowers youth and adults to discover and participate in a local food system that encourages healthy living, nurtures the environment and grows a sustainable community.”
This non-profit is open to the public and has a store, cafe, docent walks and more. It is located near the American River in Rancho Cordova. I visited during the Halloween holiday when they had activities especially for the children.
The children were enjoying activities, wearing costumes and eating in the cafe. Some adults were in costume also. Most staff members were in costume. I didn’t have time to explore the trails, but I will go back. Here are some pictures from that morning.
Halloween scarecrow.Father and daughter.Yoga lesson.Staff working.Tour beginning.
I’ll be back and I’ll take the tour so I can bring back more information for you also.
I never look forward to last chances. Maybe it’s my age. But, here we are picking photos that didn’t fit into this year’s challenges. I’m just going to reframe this post into Another Chance. Yes, I feel better now.
Here are my photos that didn’t make it into this year’s challenges and the memories that go along with them.
This first one was taken at a Scandinavian Festival in Sacramento. I had high hopes for journalistic photos, but there was hardly any opportunity. It was mostly crafters’ tables. This singer and great food made up for it.
My next was taken in an alley in Woodland Ca. called Dead Cat Alley. This is a three block alley with cat sculptures on the roof tops. This stretch of alley way was recognized in 1853 and officially named in 1962. The sculptures are old and worn. Here’s one.
You never know what you’ll find when you visit Old Sacramento. This man was sleeping just outside the main area of the train depot. I love photo journalism and seldom find an opportunity like this one.
Roseville is home to a fairly large train yard. But, stay off the tracks! There’s a story behind that statement!
I do like to photograph buildings. In one such quest, I found this great reflection.
Lastly, we have many small towns in neighboring Amador County. Sutter Creek is rich in history and its store owners use whatever old things they can. I think the sign may be original, but put on a newer bench.
There, you have my images that were given another chance. I’m looking forward to seeing yours. I enjoyed seeing all your winter photos in response to John’s challenge last week.
The LAPC team will be taking a break for the remainder of the year. We will return on January 4 with our traditional Favorite Photos of the year challenge. In the meantime, stay safe and enjoy the holidays
What does winter mean to you? Sweater weather? Hot chocolate? Jackets and snow boots? John wants to know! To us photographers, it probably means snow and icicle images. To me, winter means one trip to the snow when the air is just right for a winter jacket and boots, you can drive in it without snow tires/chains and hot chocolate can be purchased at the nearest restaurant!
You got it, I enjoy seeing it, playing in it and leaving it behind. Fortunately I live in Sacramento California where it doesn’t snow. However that glorious winter weather is just a little over an hour away up Highway 80 at Donner Lake.
Also up the same road and about 10 minutes closer to home is Blue Canyon where my Astronomer husband has his observatory. Because of its location it is inaccessible in the winter.
Almost to the observatory.The observatoryThe road there and back.
One surprise snow experience happened when we were staying with the younger set of grands, in Reno Nevada, while their parents were away. During the night, I heard a strong wind slapping against the house. I woke up to a winter wonderland like I had never experience before. The truck was buried, the walkway had to dug out and the grands had a fun snow time.
Talking about the same trip, we decided to take the train from Sacramento to Reno, and back. We wanted the experience. Here are some pictures taken from the train on the way home.
Now we are about to enter winter. The weather will be cold, in the 30s (F) at night, climbing to the 60s in the afternoon. Yes, that’s the winter I want to experience!
Here in the Sacramento Valley the only time we get rain is in the winter. We do rely on the Sierra mountains snow pack, to fill our reservoirs with the melt during the summer. There have been many years of drought here when water has been rationed.
Thank you John for helping bring back those winter memories. Please remember to link to John’s challenge when you post your response, and use the Lens-Artists tag. Last week we explored elements via Sofia’s challenge. I enjoyed seeing your interesting responses.
Next week is our annual year-end challenge. In December 2022, the Lens-Artists team introduced a “Last-Chance” challenge. The idea was to review the year’s images that never quite fit our challenge subjects that year. The “rule” is that your chosen photographs must have been taken in 2024 and not have been included in response to our 2024 challenges. This challenge is not hosted. So, go through your archives and join us on Saturday, December 14, at noon Eastern Standard Time.
In the meantime, enjoy your holidays, have a safe New Year and we will be back in January.
Sometimes when you just need to take your camera for an outing, you don’t make wise decisions. Why did we decide to go to Apple Hill, which is just above Placerville in Placer County, on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend? There’s no good answer; we just weren’t thinking.
What is Apple Hill? Here’s an excerpt from the Growers Association website.
“Near the Sierra foothill town of Placerville, just off the beaten path between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe are the Apple Hill Growers. We are an agriculture community with a rich history in farming and winemaking where a new generation of growers invites you to share the experience with your family and friends. Representing over 50 local, family farms, the Apple Hill Growers are dedicated to supporting agriculture in our community. Founded in 1964 with just 16 apple ranches, we’ve now grown to include unique fruit & vegetable farms, bakeshops, wineries, a Bed & Breakfast Inn, flower gardens, and Christmas tree farms. Our winding roads and scenic beauty have been a popular destination for over 50 years. Come enjoy the fruits of our Apple Hill Growers any time of year!”
They may be open any time of the year, but November and December are their biggest money making months. Abel’s Apples was our first stop and it wasn’t too crowded at 10 a.m. They had candy apples, caramel apples, fudge, and more! We saw many cars with Christmas trees secured on the top.
Our next stop was Boa Vista Orchards. It was crowded but not too bad. Ray wanted to buy apples. I wanted to photograph at least one close up. How about persimmons?
I can’t remember the name of our next stop, but it’s where we ate lunch. The only thing non-sweet on the menu were corn dogs! They were actually good.
Our last stop was High Hill Ranch, the largest of the growers and most popular. They had crafters and artists selling their wares. There were places to get food and pies, etc. Oh, they had a fudge store. That fudge was delicious. Yes, I succumbed! I mostly sat around the pond and people watched and took photos of the ducks.
We were to meet at the car at 1 p.m. Fortunately for me, Ray was heading back at the same time I was. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to find row 10!
Ray walking to his car.
The best photograph of the day was taken through the car windshield on the way home. We had patches of fog all morning.
So why did we go? Because it was there! Would we go again? Probably not especially on a holiday weekend!
It’s back to school time, but this time we are learning about the basic elements of fire, metal, water, earth and wood. No, don’t open your chemistry books. Sofia wants us to delve into our archives and find these elements in photography.
Earth. It all starts with earth. From earth we get life in one form or another. As our planet rotates, we get sunsets and moonrises.
The earth also gives us wildflowers and beautiful green areas.
Wood. Trees grow from the earth.
From trees, we get logs. Once milled, we then get wood for buildings.
Water. Our earth needs water to grow the trees. Water erodes rocks and boulders over time to widen and create rivers.
It’s also used for human fun and an animal habitat. Be careful not to disturb the animal!
Fire. Here in California we are Leary of the word “fire.” It usually means a destructive wildfire somewhere. But fire also heats us, especially when we sit around a campfire.
Fire is also important in certain industries like in blacksmithing. It is also used in candle lighting, as in this Chanukah celebration.
Metal. Plastic has taken metal’s place in many areas, but just try to create a glass blown beauty without a metal oven!
The grate on an old steam engine has been replaced along with the steam engine, but there will always be a metal drippy faucet.
One thing Sofia’s challenge has shown me is that we need to take care of our environment. These elements are necessary for us to maintain and improve our world. When you post your response, please link to Sofia’s challenge and use the Lens-Artists tag.
I smiled a lot with all your posts last week. John is up for his challenge next week. Be sure to look for his post. In the meantime stay safe and live in gratitude.
Slow Shutter Speed 