Amateur photographer and her travels – Page 2

Posted on March 20, 2016March 20, 2016 by Anne Sandler

On a mission to find one: The Santa Clara Mission, Santa Clara, California

Imagine living in a place for 12 years and not knowing one of California’s Missions was nearby! I’m no longer unaware, but the Santa Clara Mission was difficult to find. It is hidden within the campus of Santa Clara University. Well, not really hidden. It’s the centerpiece of the campus. However there is no sign saying, “Hey, Anne, look here for the mission!”

Fortunately, students were at the Starbucks where I stopped and told me how to find the Mission. It’s location and lack of signage got me wondering: I know the mission came first, but how did Santa Clara University manage to build around it?

Here’s the answer from the University website.

Historic Mission Santa Clara is a beautiful icon that sits at the center of our campus. First established in 1777, the Franciscan Order handed the Mission over to the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1851, who then started Santa Clara College, the first institution of higher education in California. Today, the Mission serves as the student chapel for Santa Clara University.

If you’re not familiar with the California Missions, they are a series of 21 missions founded by Catholic priests of the Franciscan order between 1769 and 1833, in an effort to expand Christianity among the Native Americans along the California coast. I’ve visited many, but not all, of the Missions. This one blends so well with the College architecture.

I did get inside the chapel, but wasn’t prepared with my tripod. I did the best I could with a high ISO and Lightroom. The images are little grainy, but you can still see the simple beauty.

The surrounding campus is also beautiful. It must be nice to be a student there. Enjoy your Mission and campus tour. I did, once I found it!

Campus entrance. The Mission is in the center back.

First you pass this fountain.

A typical building.

The Mission.

The grounds surrounding the Mission are beautiful.

On the back side of the Mission.

Wisteria draws you around the Mission.

More walkway.

A nice place to mediate or study.

Simplistic beauty.

Inside the Mission.

An alcove.

The alter.

A chandelier.

The pipe organ.

One of the many sculptures on campus.

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 3 Comments

It’s all happening at the: Sacramento Zoo!

Getting to know you–at least getting to know the animals at the Sacramento Zoo. I and others from the Camera Totin’ Tuesday group bought zoo memberships. That means I’ll be practicing more and having more zoo fun throughout the year. And, you’ll be coming along with me.

We got there when they opened during this trip and the large animals were active. The lions and their three cubs (teenagers now) were going in and out of their enclosure. I didn’t get to see the leopard, but got a shot of the jaguar.

The giraffes are always a favorite. I need to spend more time there during my next visit. We tend to go to shoot the big cats and spend more time in front of their enclosures. I also had fun watching the orangutans and gorillas.

The birds were tough to shoot in their enclosures because my 300 mm wasn’t enough to make the cages disappear. And, always, the flamingos are so beautiful.

Enough talk, here’s the first session of zoo animals from my year’s membership. I’ll be getting to know them better–by name!

Here’s dad enjoying his domain.

Siblings at play.

Here comes a cub.

Watch out.

Licking his chops.

Baby wallaby

Zebras. It’s breakfast time.

Up close and in black and white.

Pelican. Preening.

Flamingo. If the pelican can do it, so can I.

Jaguar. Here’s looking at you.

Gorillas. Let’s have a talk.

Yes, you have a pulse.

Orangutans. No I don’t want to discuss it!

This giraffe is hungry.

What’s the other giraffe eating?

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 5 Comments

I lost what? Martinez Regional Shoreline and Large Metal Prints

Now, you’re curious and really want to know what I lost: not a camera or lens–my photos! I knew I had an outing to show you, but it didn’t show up on my hard drive. I found it in Lightroom, my photo processing program. The only thing I can conceive that happened is that I accidentally deleted them after I processed the batch. It’s either that or there’s a little gremlin living in my computer and playing jokes on me!

Fortunately, I hadn’t taken them off the SD card yet. The trick, after I downloaded them again, was to transfer my Lightroom edited images back onto the hard drive. You have to fool Lightroom a bit, but I did it. Now, all is well. Take that gremlin!

I put the effort into this because I wanted to show you how they make metal prints. The tour of this print shop, Large Metal Prints, was fun and educational. As a bonus, they gave us each a free 6 x 9 inch print of one of our images. The next week, I had two more 8 x 12 prints done. You don’t need to put these in a frame, and they come out beautiful. These were the first of my pictures I’ve had printed to put on the walls.

And, before we went to the print shop, we stopped and shot photos at the Martinez Regional Shoreline. It’s a pretty little park with walking paths and bridges. We had just enough time to do a brief walk around and grab lunch.

In the future, I’ll be more careful with my images. If I lose a batch, I might not be so lucky to still have them on my SD card.

The park is very pretty set against the shore.

Here a biker uses the path.

American Avocets doing synchronized swimming.

One of the bridges.

Variations of color.

Another bridge.

An old boat in the grass and a train across the bay.

I loved this willow tree.

First stop at the print shop. We look on their monitor to see which of our pictures would print the best.

The print is then printed on paper. The metal plates are cleaned.

The metal plates are then taped to the prints.

The sheet of prints and plates are then put through this machine that imprints the image onto the metal.

My untrimmed picture.

The pictures are trimmed.

And then sanded so there are no sharp edges.

Posted on March 12, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 8 Comments

After a rain, shoot, shoot, shoot; part 2

Right now in Northern California no one is shooting pictures. We’re experiencing a series of storms. I’m not complaining! My go-to-practice place, Dry Creek, has water past its shore line, and there are flood warnings in place for the rivers and other creeks.

Being stuck inside has its advantages, I’m catching up on a few things, completing this post and giving you exciting news.

For the exciting news: I’m being featured on, Australian photographer, Leanne Cole’s Blog, Introductions post this week. I’ve known Leanne since I started shooting and had the privilege of shooting with her when she visited the U.S. last September. She’s given me advice and watched my progress these 4 years. The post will appear in the States on Monday and Tuesday across the ocean. You can find the post at http://leannecolephotography.com/.

I’ve also submitted an article for the upcoming Dynamic Range digital photography magazine for women in the coming issue. This is a great magazine full of information and beautiful photography. And, you don’t have to be a woman to enjoy it. Check it out!

Now, back to this post’s continuation. Today I have pictures from Schweitzer Grove and McKinley Park. Schweitzer Grove is a 17-acre park tucked into suburbia, and McKinley park is known for its rose garden. Fortunately, there are people and other flowers at the park. Take a look while I continue to catch up on things.

People are sometimes more interesting than the flowers at McKinley Park.

This volunteer was tending to the area she planted.

Looks like love to me.

The flowers were simply beautiful.

Most of these are on trees.

Buds are ready to blossom.

Close look at the Bird of Paradise.

Looking at the whole flower.

The last flower from McKinley Park.

A small bit of color in Schweitzer Grove.

Remember the redwood tree burls, this tree has one also.

This Lazuli Bunting was posing! Yes, I have a bird book!

I’m not sure if blossoms will bloom from this or if this is the flower??

Acorns in the pine tree.

The grounds.

Wildflowers were everywhere.

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 6 Comments

After a rain, shoot, shoot, shoot: Effie Yeaw,Schweitzer Grove, McKinley Park

It’s sometimes called cabin fever, but for photographers it’s more intense. Since you can’t shoot, you edit, read tutorials or discover new processing programs. So, when, on a recent Tuesday, Marlene and I were the only photographers to partake in Camera Totin’ Tuesday, we took full advantage of the partly cloudy weather.

Our first stop was Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Carmichael. This wonderful preserve houses all sorts of animals, provides educational programs and welcomes photographers. Located on the American River, there is a lot to shoot. On this day, I was looking for deer; but, I was amazed by the area’s beauty after winter rains. And, yes, I did find deer. I couldn’t believe how they let us get so close to them. They know they are protected from human harm, but natural predators are still around. You’ll see more from Effie Yeaw because Marlene and I bought a season pass.

Next we found Schweitzer Grove Nature Area. This is a 17-acre park also in Carmichael that allows dogs to be off leash. It’s quiet and green–a great place to walk babies, dogs or just yourself.

After walking Schweitzer Grove, we drove over to McKinley Park in Sacramento. We were hoping to still see some roses, but there were none. Still, we weren’t disappointed for there were other flowers and people that caught our attention. If you remember, I did a post on this park before and the roses were beautiful. We’ll be back.

What did I learn? My passion for photography grows along with my experience. We have so many beautiful preserves, parks and rivers here in the Sacramento area so you don’t have to drive a great distance to shoot. And, finally, I’m so enjoying the friendships I’ve made with other photographers. Marlene has been my sidekick for more than a year now, and I do appreciate her willingness to go out with her camera.

It’s raining right now, but it’s supposed to be partly cloudy for our next Tuesday adventure. I know we’re all anxious to get out there and shoot–with our cameras!

This will be a two-part post. There are too many pictures for me to put in one.

The rain has created a beautiful meadow.

Trees at Effie Yeaw are so expressive.

Here’s a beauty.

Deer are in the meadow. They really don’t care about us.

Moving to find a better feeding spot.

Marlene and I walked this path right through the meadow and deer.

The pond is beautiful with color.

How low can a tree limb grow?

I think this deer is cleaning the other???

Looking through the branches.

Looks like a smile to me.

Now for a close up.

This deer was checking me out.

An egret looking for food at the river’s shore.

I guess it wasn’t a good spot!

Posted on March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 8 Comments

You never know what you’ll find: The Sutter Buttes

Tuesdays may be a designated day, but you never know where we’ll end up. We decided to drive around the Sutter Buttes. Formerly known as the Marysville Buttes, this small mountain range is a small circular complex of eroded volcanic lava domes that reside in the flat plains of Sutter County. And, you never know what you’ll come across when you journey around them.

The first stop was Mary’s Chapel. This is a sweet, small chapel and cemetery in Yolo County. It was interesting to walk through and read the head stones. The chapel was closed, but is still used sometimes.

I did this drive a couple of years ago with Laura and we found a farm with unique animals. That farm is still there. This time two other women were amazed. The most curious animal was one that looked like a donkey/zebra! We didn’t know what to call it!

More driving. We found the almond trees had almost lost their blooms and color. The hillsides were deep green and the sky partly cloudy. We took a tour of Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, but didn’t open a window. The mosquitoes were so thick; but, fortunately, Karen’s car window on the passenger side was fairly clean. We did end up catching a sunset near an almond orchard–the perfect end to a fun, adventurous day.

Mary’s Chapel

Plastic flowers are everlasting.

Almond trees line the road.

Mustard in the orchard.

Here’s the strange animal. Donkey or zebra.

I do believe this is a llama.

This goat wanted to say hello.

Cows grazing in the pasture.

Love the blooming orchards.

The orchard in black and white.

The Sutter Buttes are in the background.

The wetlands in Gray Lodge.

A beauty in Gray Lodge.

The setting sun also in Gray Lodge.

The sun creates a warm glow.

The sun in low in the sky.

Sunset in the Buttes.

Posted on February 29, 2016March 1, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

The long, long, long mile: Big Basin Redwoods State Park

How long does it take three photographers to walk a flat one mile loop through the Redwood Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County, California? Answer: Almost four hours!

No excuses! It was a beautiful trail through a forest of expressive trees, and there was a lot for me, Marlene and Nicci to shoot.

Coastal redwoods (different from its relative the Sequoia) are found from southern Oregon to central California. Needing the coast weather they extend no more than fifty miles inland. These trees can reach 115 m (377 ft) tall. The bark can be very thick, up to 1-foot , and is soft and fibrous. When freshly exposed there is a bright red-brown color that gets darker as the tree is exposed to the elements. Its roots are shallow, wide-spreading and lateral. Redwoods are naturally resistant to insects, fungi, and fire because they are high in tannin and do not produce resin or pitch.

I remember when my children were young and we camped in a grove of coastal redwoods in Northern California. We went to a campfire program, but I left my flashlight at camp. I was good at walking by starlight, but the forest was so thick, we couldn’t see in front of us. Once I found a family who was walking back to the same campground, we followed them. I’ve never assumed that I could walk via moon and star lights again!

As for what lessons we learned:

Always carry in your tripod. The forest is dark!
Use a fast lens.
Pack a lunch. Don’t count on a fast visit. Fortunately we brought snacks, and the cafe had a limited amount of lunch items.

Take a look at why it took us so long to walk that mile!

It was an overcast day. At the widest angle I had with me, I couldn’t get the entire tree in the shot!

A fallen tree’s root system. So beautiful.

A close look at the bark. You can see moss and lichen growing on it. There is also a burn spot.

The sun poked through the clouds.

Close up of a burl on a tree. Fungi and moss help create the colors.

Another downed tree. There was no way for me to get the entire tree in the shot.

The same downed tree. This part of the bark looked like feathers to me.

Some more lichen and moss living on the bark.

A burl on a stately tree.

I just wanted to throw in a black and white image.

Damaged by fire, this tree is still healthy. You can walk in and look up!

Just for a little perspective!

We weren’t the only visitors on the trail, but we took the longest time.

A fungi growing on the ground.

The path.

On our way out, we stopped and shot in the rain. No cameras were damaged.

Posted on February 26, 2016February 26, 2016 by Anne Sandler

Failure, fun, fantastic: Auburn

They say we learn from our mistakes and Marlene, Karen and I did. Following a suggestion, we went to Lake Clementine near Auburn, but didn’t get to the right place. By the time we found the area where we could practice with our ND filters, the sun was too high–A fact we learned later. That was the failure, but we did learn. When using ND filters, you need to be out early morning or in the evening!

Fun, we did have. We drove on to Auburn where we had lunch, walked and took pictures. We went into the old courthouse and were allowed to take pictures anywhere we liked. It was fun.

Fantastic, happened when we started looking for a place to shoot the sunset. The place a restaurant owner directed us to, wasn’t suitable, and the sun was setting lower in the sky. Off we drove until we came to a private home with acreage, trees and a small pond. This would be perfect. With a lot of coaxing from me, (Okay, I strongly suggested that Karen get out of the car and ask the owners if we could park in their driveway and shoot the sunset at the property. I was driving.) Karen and Marlene bravely pressed the button on the gate code intercom. It paid off. We were allowed to park in the driveway and shoot the sunset.

So, on this great outing, failure led to fun, and more fantastic shooting opportunities. Next time we go to the area near Lake Clementine, we’ll do it earlier in the morning. It’s a small hike to the waterfall, and we’d all rather do it in cooler temperatures and when the sun isn’t so high.

The Foresthill Bridge. The highest bridge in the Greater Sacramento area.

When pigs fly! In an Auburn shop.

In a courtyard.

The Auburn Courthouse.

Come on in. The door is open.

They had a small museum inside the courthouse.

The stained glass door to the museum.

Reflections on reflections seen through the glass.

An old buggy.

The stairs to the cupola on the top of the Courthouse.

The sun lights up the cupola.

A window.

Door handle.

The old fire house.

Sunset.

Posted on February 22, 2016February 22, 2016 by Anne Sandler

Mustard and Alpacas: Napa California

We expected wineries but photo buddy Karen took us on a special tour of Napa and Napa Valley. We didn’t see the touristy Napa Valley as described here, taken from the Napa Valley website: “More than 400 wineries dot the fertile soils of Napa Valley, one of the world’s premier viticultural regions. But wine, as visitors quickly discover, is only the beginning. Lavish resorts and top-rated chefs work alongside the farmers who tend this land: the result is something understated and exceptional.”

We saw the real Napa Valley. During our day we saw Lake Solano Park, Monticello Dam, rolling green hills, mustard tucked in between rows of vineyards, livestock grazing, alpacas and where her husband’s family ranch used to be. And we visited Napa City towards the end of day for some fantastic lighting.

Let’s see, what did I learn? I discovered the difference between llamas and alpacas, and again took the ultra wide lens out for a spin. So take a look at the Napa we saw on our recent visit with Karen.

We started out at Lake Solano Park.

I loved the red buds floating on the water.

Cattails are a favorite of mine.

What is this goose trying to tell me?

The road around Monticello Dam.

The expressive mountain across from the dam.

I liked the folds in the rock.

Workers were putting up netting to keep rocks from falling onto the road.

A pasture for cows and alpaca.

Okay, the difference between an alpaca and llama is the ears. Alpacas have short ears, as pictured, and llamas have longer ones.

Rustic fencing.

Sunlight casting a shadow on the fencing.

Mustard plants brighten up the vineyards.

A tree canopy.

I love this tree. On Thursday, I’m going to learn how to take out the front windmill!

One of the three bridges in Napa.

A Napa shopping center.

Bikes in front of a store.

A street lamp and the setting sun.

The sun casts a glow on the city street.

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 14 Comments

Do you know the way to San Jose? Livermore & Sunol Regional Wilderness Park

My trip to San Jose, for my yearly vision board session, with Marlene was going according to plan. We stopped in Livermore to shoot the sights and eat lunch.

While Livermore is nationally known as the home for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, it’s a small, lovely town nestled in rolling hills. We walked around Historic Downtown, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way it was designed.

Next we stopped at the Sunol Regional Wilderness Park. I always wanted to get off the freeway to see what was hidden in the hills as I would go to San Jose, but never took the time. This was the time! It’s a beautiful area and now green because of our recent rains. There are many parks, lakes, etc. for residents to enjoy. Our stop was at the Sunol Regional Wilderness. Located in Alameda County and near the town of Sunol. It was primarily ranch land, and today cattle still graze in some areas. We enjoyed shooting in this beautiful park; however, our adventure went awry when we left.

I have no idea what got into me. Maybe it was the Greg Morris influence, but I saw that Calaveras Road continued on into Milpitas. I had my trusty GPS with me. And Marlene didn’t say “No, I don’t think it’s a good idea to go that way!” So off we went on a joy ride that would include mostly hairpin turns on an extremely narrow road. Not knowing the road, I was going around 18 to 25 miles per hour and the drivers coming the other way were cruising at about 40 miles per hour! Worse, remember those hairpin turns? They came around so fast and had to break when they saw me. Moving over wasn’t so much of an option with a shear drop on one side and a mountain on the other. At one point, Marlene suggested that the car came with a horn to use as a warning device.

We made it. But we weren’t able to pull over and take pictures of the beautiful scenery that included the Calaveras Reservoir. So, we made mental pictures, and I can’t show them to you. You can click on the link to see someone else’s images!

Going off plan proved adventurous, somewhat nerve racking at times, but gave me something to write about.