Memories, they’re those warm, wonderful, sad and fearful feelings that emerge when you think of something from the past. Shooting with Leanne Cole, an Australian photographer, is something I looked forward to, totally enjoyed and now is a fond, beautiful memory.
You see, I met Leanne online by following her blog when I first got my D3100 three years ago. During that time I’ve seen her morph her photography business into what it has become today. She’s an amazing photographer, artist and now publisher of Dynamic Range–a magazine about and for women photographers. We’ve corresponded since meeting on the blog with her giving me encouragement and advice. Hopefully I’ve been able to do the same for her–well more encouragement, not advice! It is truly a small world.
We, Leanne, her friend Nicci and I, had a delightful day in Santa Cruz, Capitola and Monterey. The three of us fit; it was as if we had gone shooting together before. In fact, Nicci and I hit it off and will go shooting again. I’ve added an Australia visit to my bucket list, and I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll get there.
In the meantime, I’ll have the memories of that fun day shooting with my new friends.
Welcome to the boardwalk and pier.
This guy is showing off for the photographers walking by. Of course I took the shot!
People having fun on the beach.
This boy is testing the water.
A dad and toddler.
The seals rest under the pier.
The end of the Santa Cruz pier.
The Boardwalk amusement area.
The lovely colors of Capitola beach.
A photographer shooting a photographer as he shoots a model.
This bird is at home in the foam.
Moving on.
Mom and kids walking past the row of colorful houses.
Under the Capitola pier.
The Capitola pier.
We weren’t the only ones enjoying the Monterey sunset.
Nicci as she shoots the sunset. I sent her this image and she put it on her blog. I’m so glad she likes it.
More sunset and a bit of water trapped in the rocky coastline.
It sits rusting, attracting graffiti artists and welcomes the occasional visitor. The Santa Fe 2925 sits just outside Old Sacramento waiting for the Sacramento Railroad Museum to find the funds to restore it and move it into the facility.
Just imagine this train when it was racing the tracks of America, pulling passengers and cargo. What a history it must have. I did try to do some research, but all I came up with were some conversations. I did try to do my best to capture its personality in pictures. HDR was out of the question since I had left my tripod at home. While Greg was shooting with his tripod, creating great images, I took some long shots of the train and concentrated on the small rusted parts.
Maybe, one day, we will get another surprise and the Sacramento Railroad Museum will receive funding to restore the 2925. In the meantime you can view my images of this once magnificent train.
The 2925.
You can see the graffiti on the engine front,
The rusted gears and wheels.
Spiders have enjoyed living on the train.
I loved the colors rust produces.
A closer look at the gear that turns the wheel.
The side of the car.
The hook up.
A box car.
Climb aboard.
I don’t know what this tank was for.
Were these boxes for luggage or tools?
Peek-a-boo, I can see through.
A metal sculpture near the train.
Another view of the sculpture.
Looking back at Sacramento from the back of the train.
If you read my previous post, you’d know that I left my tripod at home and was without it for our Tuesdays With Seniors Sacramento Delta trip. So when we reached Locke shortly after lunch, my challenge was to shoot this wonderful town full of historical buildings without doing HDR.
And, those of you who have been following this blog for a while know that I’ve worked hard to become one with my tripod and to rely on it for many types of shooting occasions. Past shoots have taught me that you can’t really do HDR handheld, and I almost always shoot HDR when I come across rustic buildings, etc. So I shot Locke handheld and tried to add an HDR look in processing.
“Locke was founded in 1915 after a fire broke out in the Chinese section of nearby Walnut Grove. The Chinese who lived in that area decided that it was time to establish a town of their own. Levee construction originally brought the Chinese to this area, but by the time Locke was built most of the work was in farm labor. Locke had many businesses that catered to the farm workers and residents of this region. In the 1940’s restaurants, bakeries, herb shops, fish markets, gambling halls, boarding houses, brothels, grocery stores, a school, clothing stores, and the Star Theater lined the bustling streets of Locke. At its peak 600 residents, and as many as 1500 people occupied the town of Locke. By 1920 Locke stood essentially as you see it now.
“On August 2, 1970, Locke was added to the registry of national historical places, by the Sacramento County Historical Society, because of its unique status as the only town in the United States built exclusively by the Chinese for the Chinese.” Check www.locketown.com for more information on this amazing town.
Now, you can see Locke shot with my handheld camera. Did I overcome the challenge?
This sculpture of Confucius stands in front of the old school house.
On the other side of the walk way is a sculpture of Dr. Sun Yat-Xn. Joe Chan please correct me if I have this name incorrect.
This was the first old, boarded up structures I came across.
Compare this with Al’s Place.
The street is quaint.
I love the red doors.
Families still live above the stores.
I loved the look of this external shade covering.
The bottom story of the theater.
In this view, you can see the second story and the bulge. Joe Chan told me that they have reinforced the interior so it wouldn’t fall down.
The alley between the theater and the next building.
Isn’t it great that we can just take a day during the week and go shooting–with a camera! Now, I don’t want you 9 – 5’ers to get upset, but we’ve earned the right. You see we’re retired, older and want to do what we can while we can. That’s why a few of us decided to designate Tuesdays as our get away day. And its been great.
The town of Jackson was our destination this time, but you know we never know where we’ll end up. Greg wanted to show Marlene and I Michigan Bar Road. I had already been on part of that road with him, but got too self assured and shot HDR handheld. Mistake! So I was glad to be able to get a second chance. For, Marlene, it was new territory.
We simply drive around (Greg has 4-wheel drive and knows the area so he drives), stop when we see something to shoot and sometimes never reach our designated destination. It’s okay because there’s always next week.
The lone tree.
The dirt road we were on. This was a single shot image.
HDR helped provide this scene.
The drought has made everything so dry. But, the golden color is beautiful.
The trees seem to be reaching deep down with their roots for water.
I love the texture of this old fence and how the barbed wire just cuts into the wood.
Getting close up with the barbed wire.
This road led to the farm where I shot without a tripod. I didn’t get to try again because we turned around.
Yes, I do love fences.
This farm was beautiful.
The National Hotel in Jackson. From our first trip out there.
A Jackson store. Most of these small towns have colorful main streets.
Another store.
Inside a kitchen store, I saw these colanders strung up. Who could pass up that color.
When you go shooting with Greg, you never know where the next turn may take you. For instance, on a recent outing, we came upon some guys flying RC controlled airplanes on Michigan Bar Road near the bustling town of Ione–I jest! Of course we stopped.
The RC pilots belonged to the Gold Country Flyers and were very willing to share stories and have us take their pictures. While Greg was visiting, I started shooting. This was not my first experience with RC Airplanes since my husband tried the hobby once. However, these were very serious pilots with elaborate planes–even one helicopter. I did appreciate their answering my questions and letting me get to know them a little.
Mostly, they had a great passion for this hobby. In fact, the hobby turned into a lucrative business for one gentleman. The airport is owned and operated by the Club which was founded in 1972. The members meet once a month, offer free instruction to new pilots and generally have a great time.
After almost an hour, we left the airport to continue our adventure. That’s what we call it, because we never get lost; we just never know where the road will take us.
A plane awaits its pilot.
These are the stands where the pilots work on their planes.
Getting ready for take off.
The auto pilot!
The plane’s real pilot.
Going down the runway.
Airborne.
Not a plane. This pup was too cute not to shoot. Look at those teeth.
The pilots chat while waiting to fly.
Working on the plane.
The helicopter and its pilot.
I liked the way it was painted and decorated.
I loved these decals.
The helicopter now sits on the pad.
It’s airborne.
I was lucky to get this with a 55 mm zoom lens.
The Club also remembers their members who passed on.
I’ve gotten complacent. I’ve gotten bored. I’ve become too comfortable. Yes, I haven’t currently pushed past my comfort zone with the 365 challenge. For those of you who are not familiar with this ominous task, it means taking a photograph a day for one full year. I’ve just started into my 34th week, and I can tell you there are some days I’m ready to quit.
But, I won’t because I realize what I have learned through the process. I was talking with Greg, a photo buddy, during one of our outings and he said that I was a good photographer. Others have said the same thing, but I wasn’t ready to hear them, being stuck in low photographic ability esteem. That day I said, “Yes, I believe I can finally say I’m not a beginner, but maybe call myself an intermediate.” He then went on to tell me all I needed was to learn the software. I agreed.
This is all part of the 365. I’ve become very comfortable and good at close up, macro, and landscape shooting. I’m having fun doing HDR and trying not to over process it. My camera is mostly on manual these days, and I’m helping new photographers. However, there are still things to learn. This is mostly in setting up and lighting a shot. This is what I need to work on with the 265. But, I don’t have the equipment and don’t want the expense of studio lighting. I’ll just have to ask my photo buddy if I can come over!
I know I need to move past my complacent, bored and comfortable self and expand my knowledge. I’ve set a goal to have that done before the 365 ends. If I’m persistent enough, I can do it. Greg, when can I come over?
Here are some of my 365 images. There are others that I posted directly from outings already shown in this blog.
This was taken during a meetup. Mossy trees.
This is the sculpture at the Roseville Sculpture Garden.
I did fall in love at The Fountains–love with the ambiance of this outdoor shopping center and its beautiful flowers, fountains and decorative benches. This center is a great place to take a camera and practice! You just have to keep saying over and over, “I will not shop.” You can say, “I’ll enjoy a cup of coffee, ice cream, candy, cookies, salad, sandwich and more;” but you could easily spend money in the fabulous stores.
Oh, back to practice. See how you can get distracted. I’ve been there twice to practice. The first time, not knowing what to expect, I just had my 18 – 55 mm lens. I was meeting a friend for lunch and arrived early to catch a shot for my 365. The second time was today with my friend Marlene. This time I had my macro lens with me. I was ready to get deep into the flowers; however, there was a heavy breeze. Even the blossoms that seemed to be not moved, were moving when looked through the macro lens. I think given the breeze, I would have been better off with the 18 – 55 mm lens. But, that’s what practice is for.
In this post, I’ll show you some images from both outings. And, yes, I’ll be going back soon. I want to get there early in the morning to get the best light and maybe less breeze. After all, I did fall in love.
My first visit: The main fountain in the shopping center. I’m amazed that they are still running the fountains with the severe drought.
One of the benches that surround the fountain.
One of the metal sculptures.
My close up of these beauties. I don’t know what flowers are called. I just appreciate them.
An open seating area.
The patio of one of the restaurants.
This solitary flower was begging to be photographed.
I don’t know what this is, but I do like it.
Same with this one. On my second visit, these were almost gone.
Second visit with the macro lens: Love yellow flowers. I had to body block the breeze to get this one.
You can see that the center of this flower is almost gone.
Pretty in pink.
Lovely in red.
This chandelier was the only flower that wasn’t moving!
A little bud waiting to bloom.
I couldn’t figure out what was inside this flower. Looks like a water drop and crystals.
They’re cute, fun to watch, a comfort to hold and a gift of independence for the handicapped. They are Canine Companions for Independence dogs or CCI for short. I recently accompanied my friend Marlene on a photo shoot to capture her friend Jan’s latest CCI puppy litter. Jan, a volunteer breeder, names her litters according to the alphabet. This was litter D, meaning all the dogs names began with “D.” A small litter of one female and three males, these puppies, Labrador and Golden Retriever mixes, were soon to leave Jan’s care and go to their volunteer foster homes where they will be raised and trained to help their soon to be owners.
Canine Companions is a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of adults with physical disabilities, alert the deaf and hard of hearing to important sounds, and help children and adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities. They also train dogs who partner with a facilitator working in a health care, visitation or education setting.
These sweet dogs begin their journey with a breeder who oversees the entire breeding process and works with the puppies once they are born. They check the pups for temperament, ability to be trained, health, and physical attributes. CCI oversees the entire process from breeding to placement.
Faced with the puppies moving on to the volunteers who would raise and train them, Jan asked Marlene to take a picture of Litter D. Easier said than done. After arriving, we played with the pups, got them moving about the yard, and, hopefully, got them a little tired. The goal was to have them sit still in the wagon while Marlene took their picture. It almost worked!
It took four of us to get them settled down and looking at Marlene who patiently manned the camera. Of course, I was shooting the whole scene, being glad I wasn’t in Marlene’s position. My friend showed me that not only is she a good photographer, she has a great deal of patience.
Meet litter D and take a look at Marlene’s finished image.
Puppies will play and sleep.
Oh, yes, they will yawn too.
Marlene knows this litter, having visited them before.
A little talking and petting.
Teething.
Back in their pen this one plays.
This one quenches his thirst.
This one falls asleep on an unlikely pillow.
There’s always good smells.
Puppy play.
Jan plays with one of the pups.
All hands on deck!
This was the best I could do from where I was standing. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Marlene’s finished picture taken in front of the puppy’s grandmother.
Well, I was wandering with my camera and my photo buddy Greg. He’s my guide and driver. When you go out shooting with Greg, you get the history of the area along with some back roads scenery.
Amador County is in the gold country. Its history goes back to the gold rush days when people were coming west to find their fortune in gold. Today its hills are covered with ranches, farms and grape vines. Wineries welcome you in to taste their finished products. It’s rural and beautiful.
This trip took us to Michigan Bar road and a small ranch. We didn’t trespass, but we weren’t invited either. You need to be careful not to go onto properties, but shoot from the road. After shooting what we could of the ranch, Greg took us into Jackson via the back roads.
Jackson is Amador County’s seat of government, and is in the heart of the Mother Load. This town blends the old and the new. We found some of the buildings in need of repair, and some were newer but made to look old. Others were rich in history.
There is so much to see, and we will be returning soon with photo buddy Marlene. Just call us the photo wanderers.
This ranch and the skies were perfect for black and white processing.
These fruit trees were gated off so animals couldn’t get to them.
This was one photogenic spread.
I loved the old fence line.
Getting a close up of the wood and barbed wire. I guess that’s one way to keep photographers out!
We drove over the bridge to get these shots.
Greg said he heard that they were replacing the bridge soon. We will return before then.
Taken in the Jackson kitchen store.
This is the door to a radio station. I just liked the color of the frame and the reflection.
Here’s the main street with all the wonderful colors.
This store offered many items including puzzles, toys, candy and ice cream that tasted great on a hot day.
Looking down the street you see the National Hotel built in 1852–a Jackson landmark.
Many people live above their stores.
Fat Freddy’s Hot Dog diner. He was opening up and invited us in. His name is Carlos, but he told us how his shop got the name Fat Freddy’s–too long for a caption.
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church built in 1868. In active use today. (Historical information supplied by Greg!)
This church was across the street from St. Patrick’s. Next time I’ll do better at writing names down!
If you’re lucky you have earth angels, you know, the people who are always there for you no matter what. I’m fortunate to have had three. Judy was there when we were young, raising our children. She’s never forgiven me for moving away. We don’t talk often, but she’s in my heart. My two other earth angels are celebrating their birthdays this week.
They are the same age, just one week apart. Carol and Alyse were there when I was at a tremendous low point in my life. They picked me up, took me to the ocean, out to lunch and made me feel that I was worthy. I’ve never forgotten that. They were also there when I woke up in CCU after heart valve surgery. They drove from San Jose to Sacramento just to make sure I was okay. I remember waking up and seeing them sitting there. They said hi, that they loved me and left. I went back to sleep. That was a five hour drive and sitting I don’t know how many hours just to say a few words!
This is also significant because about 20 years ago Carol was diagnosed with a degenerative auto immune disease. The doctor wanted to order her a wheel chair, saying she wouldn’t be walking for very long. She refused. He offered her a walker. She refused. He offered her a cane. She accepted.
Since then, she’s been diagnosed with two more auto immune diseases and has suffered a major heart attack. She’s still walking with a walker around the house, but uses a chair when she and Alyse go out. She is my hero, bucking the doctors who would have made her an invalid before her time. She’s determined and maybe a little precocious.
Alyse, Carol’s friend and roommate, has been her caregiver this whole time. She’s also my hero, never giving up even though she’s had surgeries and medical issues of her own. The challenges these two women face are enormous and their joys are numerous. They are always there to help their friends. And, if a person is in need, they become their friend.
They wanted to celebrate their 75th birthdays with one lunch on Carol’s day and another on Alyse’s day. Alyse tells everyone that Carol is older! I’m thrilled to be among their friends who gathered for Carol’s birthday. If we could say that we have touched so many people and affected their lives for the positive, then we would be walking in Carol and Alyse’s shoes.
Happy Birthday my dear earth angels!
Getting ready for the lunch.
Left: Carol; Right: Kim
Left: Kim; Right Alyse
Alyse and Barbara
From left: Pat, Alyse, Meredith and Barbara
Janice and Alyse
Top: Kim and Marty; Bottom: Stephanie and Carol
Top from left: Paulette, Marty; Bottom: Janice, Alyse, Pat
Carol and Anne
From left: Alyse, Anne and Pat.
We celebrated with cupcakes.
Carol and Alyse
Getting ready to blow out the candles.
Back row: Meredith, Anne, Paulette, Pat, Barbara; Front: Kim, Stephanie, Carol, Alyse, Janice
Slow Shutter Speed 