Posted on by Anne Sandler · 42 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #329: Last Chance

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

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 48 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #328: Winter

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 observatory
The 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.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 22 Comments

Why did we go? Apple Hill

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!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 32 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #327 : Five Elements

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.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 34 Comments

ICM at IKEA

Happy Thanksgiving for all my USA readers. My table is set and the turkey is defrosted, so I have time to prepare this blog.

Last weekend, because it was raining, we went to IKEA, each of us with different intentions. Mine was to practice intentional camera movement (ICM). I thought I could get away with it because of the store’s subdued lighting. And the designs on pillows are excellent ICM subjects. I also used pictures they had on walls.

Here are some images. I’d like some critiques if you have any.

This last one was a curtain. After processing the ICM image, I used a Photoshop distort filter.

Thanks to IKEA for letting us bring our cameras in their store. Have a wonderful day everyone and take care.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 40 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #326: This Made Me Smile

There’s nothing more contagious than a smile. Try it. Just smile at a stranger, and they will smile back. You can also wave. For me a smile is hope. And thank you Ann-Christine for showing us that we can still find hope and smile.

So what makes me smile? I’ve chosen five things that help me smile. Let’s start with animals. First, here is my friend Marlene talking with an alpaca; and, second, a zebra at the Sacramento Zoo with an itch.

Now let’s move on to landscapes. I do smile when I see a field of flowers or a mountain covered with wildflowers. Each year the poppies and sunflowers come out, and I try to get capture them with my camera. Because the sunflowers are farmed, they are easier to find. However, to capture a field of wild poppies is more difficult.

How many of you have chuckled when you saw a clever sign? I love that people will pass along their sense of humor to the public. I have two signs to show you. One is outside the bathroom at the Charles Schultz Museum in Santa Rosa and the other at Ruhstaller Farm in Dixon.

Ruhstaller Farm

If you’ve followed this blog, you know I love trees. They are so expressive and bring me joy.

And last, are people. They don’t have to smile at you to have you smile; they just need to be themselves in the moment. Here is my now teenage grandson at the California State Railroad Museum for the first time and a mother and son enjoying the music at a county fair.

Have these images brought a smile to your face? I hope so. Thank you Ann-Christine for helping us smile this week. When you post your response, remember to link to Ann-Christine’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

Last week week Tina prepared us for smiling with her gratitude theme. I enjoyed seeing what you are all grateful for. Sometimes we just need a little poke to help us remember the goodness in life. Next week Sofia will present the challenge, so look for her post.

In the meantime smile and live in gratitude.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 19 Comments

A Yolo Art & Ag Outing: Turkovich Family Wines

It’s so close to Thanksgiving here in the U. S., and it’s time to soul search and find what we are truly thankful for. I am truly thankful for the Yolo Arts & Ag Project. Each spring and summer the Project arranges for artists and photographers to visit farms and ranches in Yolo County. It’s refreshing for a suburbanite to get out into the country and experience amazing lifestyles. This outing was to Turkovich Family Wines in Winters.

The farms/ranches are open to artists/photographers twice a month for 4 hours in the morning. Sometimes we have full access and others limited access. Here we were able to ramble around the entire ranch. They had a small tasting room outside near the patio.

An artists sketches on the patio while the tasting station is being set up.

While roaming, I saw other artists busy creating. It’s interesting to watch them. Each has their own method of producing beautiful art.

I’m not sure what trees were on the property, but I did see nuts and fruits in the orchard.

And what would a winery be without grapes?

But there is work to be done.

I’m not sure what is in these containers. Grapes? Wine? I’m not sure of the process, and we are not to disturb the workers.

I just can’t close a farm visit without rust!

Thank you Yolo Arts & Ag! It was a great year of visits.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 53 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #325: Gratitude

Each year I set an intention, not a resolution. This year it was gratitude. So, thank you Tina for rolling in this challenge towards the end of 2024. For me, gratitude is a choice you make every day. Living in gratitude makes your personal space better no matter what is going on around you.

I am so grateful for my family who were there for me in 2009 when I had heart surgery. They continue to be there for us, helping in many ways and sharing life cycle joys. I have pictures of my two granddaughters to share. The first is of my younger granddaughter, Olivia, waiting for her birthday party guests to arrive. This was taken in October 2018. She’s grown a lot since then. But the memory of her excitement will always stay with me.

Meanwhile, more recently, my older granddaughter, Madison, was getting ready for her wedding. Of course grandma had to take the pictures. The morning was just bursting with love.

I’m also grateful for my two grandsons Christopher, a teacher, and Ryan, a high-school student.

When you have pets, they are family. I’m grateful for all the loyal and loving dogs we’ve had. Here are Molly (now deceased) and Gem (who is 14 years now but a puppy in this picture).

Memories are something I cherish. I guess that comes with age. Richard and I took wonderful trips in our trailer. It’s my favorite way to travel. I’m so grateful we chose to travel this way while we could.

I can’t end this post without mentioning how grateful for my passion for photography. It’s helped me find many friends and has shown me the wonderful area I live in.

Remember, when the going gets tough, find something you’re grateful for. And, yes, there’s a take away for you in every circumstance. The world is a lot better when you concentrate on gratitude. Today, I’m grateful for the LAPC community.

Thanks Tina! I think we all needed to shift our mindset to gratitude. When you post your blog, please remember to link to Tina’s challenge and use the Lens-Artist tag. Last week Patti had us concentrate on details, and we saw wonderful images in your posts. Ann-Christine is up next, so look for her challenge. In the meantime, live in gratitude each day.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 29 Comments

Rust!: 3M Ranches

I’ve been talking a lot about how much I love rust – it’s patina and texture. Believe it or not, I’m going back to June when we visited 3M Ranches in Yolo County. Oh, I do love and appreciate those wonderful farms and ranches that allow us to visit their property.

Here’s a little about 3M Ranches from their website:

M Three Ranches is a family-owned farming operation providing high-quality agricultural products for food processors and handlers. We use technology advancements and sustainable practices to ensure high yields and returns for both our clients and our landlords. Having been farming for over 50 years in the Sacramento Valley, our farm is recognized as being a lead grower of tomatoes, peppers, garlic, seed crops, olives, walnuts, and almonds.

These rusty pieces were tossed in a junk pile just waiting for photographers to go crazy. That seems to be a standard way to take care of unwanted things in the country.

Yes, I’ll probably bore you with more rust in the future, but it’s so worth it!