Anne Sandler

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

Road Trip: To we don’t know where!

Fire and smoke. That’s what was waiting for us at our Tuesday outing. So we went west instead of east. We were in search of the Russian River, but really didn’t know how to find it. Have you ever planned a trip like that?

We were four women in a car with a destination in mind and no road map to get us there. We did know the names of some cities we thought were along the Russian River and managed to find them.

Fortunately Karen had a full gas tank because this was a 12 hour road trip! Here are the towns we managed to find: Winters, St. Helena, Calistoga, Geyserville, Clearlake, Rumsey, Guinda, and Cache Creek Casino.

Karen drove and Kelley navigated. Marlene pointed out the outdated call boxes by calling “box!” Karen was outraged over “End Road Construction” signs because we shouldn’t be ending fixing our roads. And, I napped–I’m the oldest! I’ve always fallen asleep in a moving vehicle if I’m not driving, so it wasn’t the company. When I woke up from my little nap, I asked where we were; they didn’t know.

What we did know was that we had a great time. I’ll tell you more in part two of the road trip. I may not be able to tell you exactly in which town the picture was taken because there were so many and my memory is blending them together. I did say that I’m the oldest!

We started taking pictures in Winters.

Here you see the old and the new.

Posted on September 10, 2016September 10, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

A shooting challenge: The Old Sugar Mill, Clarksburg, California

Every time Greg (who is now deceased) and I passed The Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, we drove on. Neither of us drank wine and weren’t interested in visiting the wineries represented there. So here I was shooting at the venue with my Toastmasters Photography Club–All About Photography.

I started this Toastmasters Club a couple of years ago to combine my two passions. Both have changed and added to my life. When this venue was chosen for our quarterly outing I thought, “Well you’re going to have to shoot whatever is there.” For all my trepidation, I had a great time. I do believe you need to challenge yourself to grow as a photographer.

While it now houses 11 wineries, the factory, built in 1934, was an operating beet sugar refinery. You’ll see pictures of the old buildings with broken windows, etc. Most of them were locked up for safety reasons. Oh, I would have loved to been able to shoot in them. I was told renovations are in the future.

Now, it’s also available for weddings and other events. They do have a nice lawn area and one building, which you will see, is quite usable for a themed wedding.

What did I learn? Never say never. Challenge yourself. You might be surprised at the outcome. Have you found yourself shooting in a place you thought you’d never go into?

This wine barrel and sign welcomes you inside.

Close up of an old wagon carrying a wine barrel.

I loved how the red light cast on these barrels inside a winery room.

We got there early and the wineries were setting up.

Looking up.

I’m wondering if these barrels are full?

The old buildings and their windows drew my attention.

A green door?

You could see through these yellow framed windows. Yes, color attracts my eye.

Reflections and visions of the building’s interior.

I caught my reflection plus.

Looking up again!

An alley between buildings. They must use this for parties. There are lights strung high.

This building is usable for events. There were some wineries in it.

It is a great place for wine lovers to visit.

A door in one of the older buildings.

Tools leaning against an old building. Notice the cobwebs on the window sill.

At the back of the main building, a place to sit and enjoy your wine.

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Arts and Ag Project: August 2016 farm visit

I’m not that familiar with farming, but I do enjoy taking pictures of them. That’s why I jumped at the chance to participate in the August Arts and Ag Project sponsored by the Yolo Arts. Every month there is a farm open to artists and photographers. The artists paint, draw or create in whatever their medium is and we photographers shoot. The owners give us access to most of the farm and we have the morning to enjoy their life style.

I can’t say that I enjoyed the mosquitoes at the Voelz farm in Yolo County. They had just put down manure and it seemed to be attractive to the little buggers! We were also invited to shoot at a neighbor’s property which has two barns and an old abandoned farm house. It’s this property, that most of us ended up at and the artists were sketching and painting.

I totally enjoyed speaking with the artists who came with chairs, tablets, paints, etc. One even set up in the back of his pick up. We all had one thing in common–the same perspective on what we were capturing. Though, as photographers, we can capture the scene in many different ways, each with a different focal point.

The more agriculture I shoot, the more I learn about farming. In my captions, I’ll let you know which farm is pictured. I’m looking forward to the September outing which is Thursday. I hope they don’t put manure down before we come!

What farm picture would be complete without silos. Taken on the Voelz farm.

This farm vehicle looks like it’s wearing a happy face!

There was also a garden on the Voelz farm.

This hummer was waiting patiently for us to leave.

Just one of the flowers I shot.

Now we’re at the other farm.

The side of one of the old barns.

The other barn.

Making use of half a truck!

Old farming equipment.

An artist sits in his pickup.

A woman sits and paints.

Here’s the old abandoned farm house. I chose to process this in black and whit.

The other old barn.

We came upon a cattle ranch as we went back into town.

The ranch house!

This piano sits outside a Woodland store and was donated to the town so people could play whenever they wanted.

Posted on September 3, 2016September 3, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 11 Comments

Doing the happy dance: Back to the zoo

You know I wasn’t entirely happy with my last set of zoo pictures. They were okay, but I wanted improvement. The first step to the happy dance came from Leanne Cole, amazing photographer and friend. She told me to focus my lens manually. Great idea, but I didn’t know how! This F/4 300 mm lens is old, and is not like any I’ve owned. Worse, it didn’t come with a manual.

When I bought it, I showed it to veteran photographer Tom. He checked it out and said it was a good lens and great buy. (It was still within the 90 warranty.) When I realized I couldn’t figure out how to work the lens properly, I asked Tom to join me at the Sacramento Zoo for some instruction. It was a great morning of shooting and fun.

I now know how to focus manually, what the limiter is and more. And the result was amazing. Thank you Tom and Leanne.

I’m now doing the happy dance. See for yourself.

It was bone day at the zoo.

All the big cats were given bones to chew on.

The lens got me very close.

A 300 mm on a crop sensor camera is like 450 mm.

This is the first time I’ve seen the tiger.

This is little (not so little) Rocket. So cute.

There are also pretty flowers at the Sacramento Zoo.

Pardon me, I’m climbing over!

He was finished with his bone. The female then picked it up.

Getting close and personal with a Wolf’s Guenon.

Getting further back with another Wolf’s Guenon.

This Ciquerel’s Sifaka climbed to the top of the enclosure.

This one is looking up.

I couldn’t ID this bird in the pond. But, I guess it’s easier to drink from the water bowl.

This might be a Mongoose Lemur that’s wondering what his hands are for!

The pacing Jaguar. This guy just kept pacing in the back of his enclosure, not stopping. I was lucky to get this, but I’m not sure it’s tack sharp.

Posted on September 1, 2016September 1, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 9 Comments

Making a cloudy evening fun: Another Milky Way Shoot

Yes, we tried it again, and, yes, the clouds rolled in and hid most of the Milky Way. The forecast called for clear skies, but Mother Nature had other plans. But, with the help of Karen, we had fun light painting, catching color off the clouds and enjoying each others company. For a few, it was a first for night photography.

We shot up at my husband’s observatory. He didn’t get clouded out until just about the time we decided to leave. He does deep space imaging, so his criteria is different.

I’m glad I was with photographers who make the best out of a somewhat bad situation. Will we try again? I’m sure we will. Anyway,here are some of the images I captured that evening.

You can see the Milky Way and the clouds coming in.

We did some light painting on an observatory.

We even tried some abstracts by zooming our lens.

Here’s another abstract that more colorful.

The clouds reflected the ambient lights from the Sacramento Valley.

You can still see the Milky Way in between the clouds.

Posted on August 30, 2016August 30, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 3 Comments

Here kitty, kitty: Sacramento Zoo

They are still cats, just bigger and more ferocious if you get on the other side of the fence! Camera Totin’ Tuesdays went back to the Sacramento Zoo. Some children were back to school and it was too early for classes to take their zoo field trips so it was not crowded. And, the cats were active!

I’m still learning the lens and how to shoot through the fencing. I used my F/4, fixed 300 mm lens. This lens is proving to be more difficult than I thought. If I stand close enough to get through the fence, all I get are the animals heads. If I move back, then I can’t get through the fence! Zoom lenses do have an advantage. I got better results at a lower F/stop, meaning wider aperture. Photography is such a learning process.

I did bring my small point and shoot to get some wide-angle shots. Next time I go to the zoo, I hope not to wake up so early that I’m tired. Then I’ll carry my 3100 also for the photos that my long lens can’t take.

I realize that I still have much to learn and will be returning to the zoo soon. Here are some of the cats and other animals I shot that morning. They are good. My followers always tell me that I’m too picky with my images. But, I know I can do better. I’ll let you know when I’m ecstatic with my zoo images–in all CAPS!

And, we did call to them saying, “Here kitty, kitty!”

When we first got there, Misha, the snow leopard, wasn’t ready to come out.

Kamu, the male African lion, was wide awake.

The lioness, Clio, was resting.

And, she was cleaning her paws. The young cats were not out.

Later in the morning, Clio plays.

Mother Wolf’s Guenon and her baby. I think the baby is nursing.

The baby.

Misha is out and yawning.

I think this is the Azure Winged Magpie. My first successful attempt in getting through the cage with a bird.

I couldn’t ID this one. Bird’s tend to sit near the cage, making it impossible to get the cage to disappear.

This flamingo needs a napkin.

Rocket, the baby giraffe. He’s old enough to be out with the herd.

Rocket and his mom and dad.

The Red River Hog family. The babies have grown since my last visit.

Lemurs tend to be right near the cage.

Shooting them is tricky.

Posted on August 27, 2016August 27, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

A perfect day: Tilden Regional Park, continued

Tilden Regional park in Berkeley is a must go back to place. In addition to the weather being wonderfully perfect, the area is beautiful. And, there’s a lot to do. I would have loved to go to the children’s farm to capture the animals in my lens, but we ran out of time. We needed to leave to avoid the worst of the traffic.

So, here are pictures of the golf course from where we ate, the steam train and the merry-go-round. Needless to say, I slept on the way home. It was a full day of shooting. Yes, we will go back.

A portion of the golf course.

These animals are guarding the golf clubs!

Leaving on a steam train!

Can you see the steam?

Going into the tunnel.

The landscape.

An old wagon.

The round house.

Tame animals!

Lights and roof.

Carousel fun.

Shot from Inspiration Point

We were on our way out of the park.

What a view.

Posted on August 24, 2016August 24, 2016 by Anne Sandler

Finding cooler weather: Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley, California

Yes, we ran away! At least 1 1/2 hours west where the temperatures were about 20 degrees cooler. And, we enjoyed it. Camera Totin’ Tuesdays went to Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley and visited the Botanical Gardens, Golf Course, steam train and carousel.

It was a wonderful day. The park is magnificent and large, and the weather was delightful. While we didn’t expect any flowers this late in summer, we managed to find small blooms in the Botanical Gardens. The gardens were large and separated into different areas. We managed to walk through the entire garden before we stopped for lunch at the Golf Course.

After lunch we rode the miniature steam train and went to shoot the carousel (merry-g0-round). But, we didn’t get to everything. Maybe we’ll go back. Right now it’s in the high 80’s and low 90’s in the Sacramento area so we stayed local yesterday and visited the Sacramento Zoo.

In this post I’ll show you some of the Botanical Gardens. In my next post, I’ll show the rest. I hope those of you who are enjoying summer, are cool!

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 6 Comments

A lesson learned: Moonlight Madness, Sacramento, California

I’ve only taken one photography course, and that was a dismal experience. I didn’t learn anything, and the, realizing what I knew, teacher asked, “Why are you here?” Since then, I’ve learned from other photographers. Yes, I’m self-taught–with a good deal of help.

On Wednesday night, I learned how to shoot the moon just before the blue hour. Janet invited me to the Capitol Mall in downtown Sacramento. It’s a good thing I asked her what lenses to bring, etc. I thought we’d be night shooting and we’d need long shutter speed. Fortunately, she sent me the photo she took last year and said she shot it with a 300 mm lens. Wow, was I on the wrong page!

So, I packed my F4/300 mm fixed and 55 – 300 mm lenses and tripod. When we arrived, she told me I needed to shoot with a fast shutter speed, at least 125, to stop the moon’s movement. While we were setting up, she showed me how to use live view to focus on the State Capitol Building and moon. Then the moon rose–on the opposite side of the capitol. We all scurried to get the shot. I was amazed at how fast the moon moved away from the building.

After we finished shooting the moon, and were pretty much packed up, I turned around and caught the last of the sunset on the Tower Bridge. I shot it hand-held.

Thank you Janet for your guidance and help. Yes, I do learn from other photographers who are willing to share their expertise.

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Under the weather: Rough and Ready, California

We may be having some extreme heat in the Sacramento area, but I’m the one who’s under the weather. I haven’t been out shooting very much this month. I’ve been on two outings so far in August compared to the six through mid July. It might be the heat and not feeling well combined that has kept me indoors.

I haven’t even spent time learning new editing tricks. Leanne Cole has included a tutorial on replacing skies in the new Dynamic Range magazine. Not only does she give instruction but she also gives a practice picture and four free sky backgrounds. I haven’t gotten to that tutorial.

But, I’m feeling better today and looking forward to shooting in the Bay Area tomorrow where it will be at least 25 degrees cooler. Marlene and I did take a morning last Saturday to photograph in the small town of Rough and Ready. I researched the town and wasn’t expecting much except a blacksmith shop that had been turned into a museum and a couple of other buildings. The town is near Grass Valley, so I thought we could also shoot there.

Expectations are sometimes not met. This was one of those times. I think the three-block town is in transition. The first thing we noticed were all the no parking signs, then we noticed the no trespassing signs on all photographic buildings except the blacksmith shop which was closed. The town market was shut down and for lease, yes, with no parking signs up.

Only the Post Office, closed on Saturday, allowed parking. Residents came and went with their mail. We parked wherever we could and walked. We trespassed a little, walking on the edge of properties and leaning in. There were no fences. It was sad, and left us wondering what was happening in this small town.

After shooting as much as we could, we drove into Grass Valley, ate lunch and shot some more.

I’m hoping getting out of the heat, being with photo friends and shooting tomorrow will help me feel better. I’m sure it will.