California – Page 2 – Slow Shutter Speed

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

Who moved my chairs? Back to Volcano

My red chairs. The simple, inexpensive patio chairs I shot, during a prior visit, as they were positioned in front of a Volcano, California store were moved. And, I was moved. I don’t know why, but when I saw that they were not in the same photographic set up, I was taken aback! Did I want to shoot them again? Did I want to make a good shot even better? Probably not, but I did look at the composition–no, not as good.

I did take a shot from a totally different angle. Of course you’re thinking, “Why didn’t she just move the chairs back?” Good question, I’m going to have to start setting the scene when I can. I’m sorry that I don’t have the original on my laptop here in San Jose. If you want to see it. It’s archived in this blog. Anyway, here’s the shot I took.

This was my second and Marlene’s first trip to this small town. Except for the red chairs it hadn’t changed! It is full of historic buildings that have been re-purposed and still used.

Volcano was a cultural center in this gold fever valley. It was the first to have a lending library and many other civic and private offerings. I love the look of stone on Main Street’s buildings.

We had just come from the Black Chasm Cavern tour and were hungry. We were directed to the General Store and had burgers. We then walked beyond Main Street and saw more of the town.

I may go back to Volcano in the future, and I’ll definitely move some chairs!

We stopped on the way to Volcano. These gates were so inviting. Beyond was a small carnival.

These sculptures were outside the Black Chasm visitor’s center.

They were beautiful and neglected. She’s still smiling even though her chin in damaged.

This one set a dark mood.

Now we’re inside the General Store

There’s a small eating place in the back.

Memorabilia is everywhere.

Our burgers are cooking in the oven.

The oven.

The cafe portion of the store.

Another view.

One of the old buildings.

The fire bell.

Gate and entry to a residence.

Another residence prepared for a cold winter.

Why did the chicken cross the yard?

A hotel.

The National Hotel and Old Volcano Phone Company.

An old phone booth. The flyer posted is Superman asking visitors not to damage the booth because he has no other place to change his clothes!

Full view of the National Hotel.

Posted on December 21, 2015December 21, 2015 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

It’s a long way down: Black Chasm Cavern, Volcano CA

You don’t notice how far down you travel until it’s time to walk back out of the cavern. Black Chasm was so interesting, I didn’t notice how far down we climbed. We joined a group of children for a 45 minute tour at the last minute.

The tour guide was wonderful, placing us in the back of the tour so we could stay back and take as many pictures as we wanted. In fact, the entire group accommodated our picture taking. However, we were listening as the guide explained the dramatic features of the cavern.

The most important feature of the Black Chasm Cavern are the rare and delicate helictite crystals that adorn the cavern walls along with the traditional stalactites and stalagmites. I’ve been in other caves and caverns, but have never seen helictite crystals.

The cavern has three main chambers. Although we thought the last one at the bottom was the largest, it wasn’t. At the end of our tour, we climbed the same stairs, but this time going up, and up and up! I said to Marlene, “Did we go down this far?”

Here are some images from this amazing cavern. No captions this time.

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Great feedback: Back to Jackson, part 2

Wow, I am so grateful for all the feedback I received from my last post. Most of it was on Facebook. It really helped me shape the next part of my journey.

I began this blog as a way to talk about my new hobby and document my chosen paths. I chose not to take classes, but study tutorials, practice and join Meetup groups. And, it’s worked. It took about 3 years, but I am confident now and ready for the next step–learning more about processing and putting my work out there. I’m not looking to sell anything, but to get more feedback. Most of all, I’m having fun and have met new friends and wonderful, helpful people.

In the meantime, I promised you the images from Jackson and here they are. I will always be open to feedback, and I’m willing to listen and try new things.

The streets in Jackson are decorated for the Christmas holiday.

This is one way to store a bike!

I love texture and found it at a yarn store.

Marlene went in to shop.

I went in to shoot!

I liked this doorway. I’m glad I was able to lighten it up so the doors and plants were visible.

The rest of the pictures are in the National Hotel.

They were very gracious about letting us shoot in their lobby.

I used flash.

Greg and Marlene used slow shutter speeds.

I liked the reflections in this grand piano.

The fireplace.

These windows were beautiful. I caught the colors outside on the street.

Different window and view.

Santa in his sleigh.

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Anne Sandler · 3 Comments

Rain, rain–stay, stay: All About Photography Toastmaster club

It’s finally wet out there, and Mother Nature is being very kind. It’s raining in the evening and through the night. At least it did last night. But, what’s that got to do with my Toastmaster photography club? Nothing! California is just happy that it is raining.

And, I’m happy with this Toastmaster club that is like no other. Wanting to combine my two passions, I started All About Photography almost a year ago. It’s been fun finding our way, keeping the Toastmaster structure and making the meeting all about photography. Now you see how we got our name.

We are the same as any other Toastmaster club except all our speeches are on photography and our table topics are basically critiques of images. Last Monday I was the Table Topics Master. I selected some images I wanted feedback on and presented them to the club. Before I selected the member participant, I gave a brief background on the picture. The selected member then gave a 1 – 2 minute critique. We do vote on who did the best job and present them with a ribbon.

I’m going to try something new and insert the pictures in the blog individually, not in a gallery.

DSC_0400-1 — This image from the ghost town Bodie was well received, mostly for the color and texture.

DSC_1144-1 — When I shot this, I was trying to show the musician’s emotions. However, the participant felt there wasn’t enough contrast for his face to be predominate. I need to figure out how to darken the tent top.

DSC_6272-1 — I put this one in because I happen to love it and it didn’t get great play on Facebook when I posted it. I wanted to know why and what I could do to make it better. The participant loved it as much as I do, but she noticed the neon open sign in the window furthest away. Can you see it? She thought it was distracting. To be honest, I hadn’t noticed it until she mentioned it!

This, from near Sedona, AZ, was liked because of the action and depth of field. I thought it might be too busy, but the participant didn’t think so.

untitled-6704 — I showed this one because I almost didn’t process it. I thought the vertical orientation made it too tight. The participant thought so also. He thought a horizontal orientation would have shown more of the landscape, giving the viewer an idea of the image’s context. I agree. However, I do like the texture of the wood and grasses.

So there you have it–a glimpse of what we do during an All About Photography meeting. And, to top off the meeting, the former District 39 Photographer told me how much he enjoyed my pictures and thought I had a great eye for composition.

It’s going to possibly rain again tomorrow, so I’ll be busy processing this week’s Tuesday With Seniors photo outing.

Posted on December 4, 2015December 4, 2015 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

It’s all happening at the zoo, maybe: The Folsom Zoo Sanctuary

I don’t know why I went with expectations, but I did. I heard that the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary was more of a rescue venue than a real zoo, but I had to check it out with Marlene and Greg.

Here’s what their website has to say about the zoo: “Since 1963, this small unique California zoo has been providing sanctuary to some very special animals. All are non-releasable. Many were raised, and rejected, as wild pets. Others were injured or orphaned in the wild. Most are native to North America. All have names and personalities, and their individual stories are posted at the exhibits, along with factual, up-to-date information about their species.The distinctive educational focus of the zoo promotes responsible and appropriate behavior toward all animals. The zoo teaches about common and uncommon animals, both wild and domestic, and includes those in between, like feral pigs and wolf-dog hybrids. Zoo programs stress that wild animals don’t make good pets.”

After reading this, I had expected a small zoo, limited animals, but not the inability to photograph them well. This is not a zoo for photographers. I’m not sure whether it was the way the cages were designed or the type of enclosures, but we had a difficult time focusing through the wires. So, I decided I’d shoot through the squares in the fencing and do whatever closeups I could when I couldn’t make the cage disappear.

Did I mention that it was also cold and damp. Yes, we’re getting a little rain here in California, but when I found sun, I stood in it! I remember living back east and experiencing summer sun showers. Couldn’t it happen here in winter?

Again, too many expectations!

The parrot’s eye as I shot through the small square in the cage enclosure.

Here you can see the faint markings of the cage.

A wolf/dog blend.

He looks like any other dog–NOT!

The mountain lion.

Licking good.

Just resting.

Another view.

This is the only shot I could get of one of the bears. Again, shot through an enclosure square. We couldn’t get directly on to the enclosure because outer fencing prevented it.

The deer were not in a caged enclosure.

They had their own area.

I’m sure they are content to stay there.

A baby peacock.

A picture of mom and baby.

This baby was always looking at mom.

Again, mom and baby.

Through the square at a golden eagle.

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Anne Sandler · 10 Comments

There’s never enough of a good thing: UC Davis Arboretum

Its beauty changes with the season and its only about 1/2 hour away. After Laura, Linda and I left the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area, we went on to the UC Davis Arboretum.

I’ve been there several times and have posted images. But, there’s always something new to be found whether it’s wildlife or plants. We go there to walk and shoot, but there’s more going on. From their website, here is what they have and offer to the general public:

“100 acres of beautiful gardens for active recreation or peaceful contemplation
Documented plant collections for teaching and research
Exhibits and demonstration plantings where visitors can learn about sustainable gardening for the Central Valley
Guided tours and family programs led by UC Davis experts
Plant sales with great plants for Central Valley gardens
Volunteer and internship opportunities”

The loop is 3.5 miles, and you’ll find people walking and riding bikes. Families enjoy the scenery, bring picnic lunches and you can find students studying during school. And, it changes with each season.

This trip, we caught the last of the Fall colors, a few birds and the crisp cool air. Take a look.

I’m just wondering if they teach the Great Egrets to pose.

Ready for take off.

In flight.

A Blue Heron up close.

He’s watching for a fish. Laura has the picture of him catching one.

Canna blooming by the stream. The sun was so bright that the background is so dark. I like it that way.

Twisted tree bark yielding to the wind.

Fall colors.

A family on the walking path.

White flower.

The wind was blowing and the green muck collected at the end of the stream.

The water way.

A Snowy Egret looking for food.

Fall colors again.

More of the stream.

Another twisted tree.

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Anne Sandler

It’s for the birds: Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area, West Sacramento

Confession, I’m not a birder; but my friend Laura is. While I’m looking for the big picture, Laura is looking for smaller things–birds! We celebrated her birthday recently by going to the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area or affectionately known locally as the Yolo Bypass.

This wildlife area is a 3,700 acre wetland restoration project and is located within the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area in Yolo County, California. The restoration was named for Congressman Vic Fazio, who was instrumental in appropriating funds for the initial construction. The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area was dedicated in 1997 by then President Bill Clinton. The facility is managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Educational programs and public tours are administered by the Yolo Basin Foundation.

There are two parts to the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, both dedicated to watching and shooting–one with a camera and the other, with a gun. We stayed on the auto tour route and away from the hunters. With Linda in the back seat and Laura and I in the front (She was driving.) we made our way around the wetlands that had very little water, but enough to attract some birds.

Laura, of course, was our spotter. She’s amazing and the reason I bought my very own bird book. I’m learning slowly and can name some; but I sometimes fall back on saying, “There’s a white thing!” Okay, I fall back on it a lot.

Well, I did say I wasn’t a birder! Next post will feature the second half of our birthday photography outing.

We arrived a little late, but did get some of the golden hour.

Birds and a Great Egret are feeding.

In this view you can see a working farm.

Fly away.

A Great Egret is front and center, and a couple of ring-billed gulls are in the background.

I wasn’t able to ID the main bird in this picture.

The remaining pictures are of the Great Blue Heron.

Getting up close.

Walking and squawking.

Definitely looking for something to eat.

I wonder what he’s squawking at.

Can you stretch a little more?

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Sacramento has bars…along the American River: Negro Bar, American River

Okay, that was a sneaky way to get you to read this blog, but it’s true. Recently Marlene and I went to Negro Bar another popular spot along the American River.

This bar was quite different from Sailor Bar. You couldn’t walk along the shore line, but it had a small beach and a boat launch. Most noticed were the absence of birds. We knew our sunset would be wimpy and there would be no birds to dress it up.

And, there was much more activity at Negro Bar. Kayaks, paddle boards and small fishing boats came and went while we were waiting for the sun to set. I’m still trying to capture distance with an 18 – 140 mm lens. I think now that I’m more sure footed, I might go back to carrying two cameras so I could put a longer lens on my D3100. Also different was my using my new monopod and wearing tennis shoes. Both worked out fine!

I’m also feeling a shift in my photography. I’m seeing the picture better before I shoot. This could also be stated as, I’m seeing the possibilities and taking the opportunity to finish it in Lightroom. My framing and composition is also getting better.

I still have a way to go in processing. Working only with Lightroom is limiting, and once I learn Photoshop and other programs, I’ll be able to see more opportunities. I’m looking forward to doing that next year.

In the meantime, take a look at the second bar I’ve visited…along the American River!

The golden hour adds a beautiful color to everything.

Even a goose.

Looking out from the beach area.

The stairs up to the parking lot.

A paddle board ready for its rider.

The rider paddles out into the river.

A guy in a kayak is nearby, having just launched.

The paddle board is like a surf board. I’m sure his feet are cold.

A bridge eye’s view. Two in one.

A couple is coming back into the dock.

This woman came in on the blue kayak. I’m not sure who owns the yellow one.

I liked the way the bark is just falling off this log. Some logs had already lost their bark.

We walked away from the shore and along the path.

Two fishermen talking.

Here’s the paddle boarder again.

The setting sun. This was as spectacular as it got.

I wanted to capture just the sunset’s reflection.

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Anne Sandler · 5 Comments

An unexpected gift: Sailor Bar, American River, Sacramento

Sometimes you just have to ask. Let me explain. Greg, Linda and I were at Sailor Bar, a popular boat launch area on the American River in Sacramento County. We arrived late afternoon to shoot and catch the sunset. Greg, who enjoys meeting and talking with people, was talking with a man who offered Greg a free monopod. Not liking monopods, Greg graciously declined.

I thought, “That’s what I get for not being outgoing and striking up conversations!” They talked some more and again the question about the monopod came up. I then decided to act upon my need for one.

I walked over and said to the gentleman, “Did I hear you offer a free monopod? I could use one.” The guy was happy to go back to his house and bring it back to me. All it needed was a ball head and it was a Manfrotto. Great, I have a Manfrotto ball head on my extra tripod. This monopod, without ball head, is worth $200. What a gift! The sunset wasn’t much, but getting that monopod was something, and all I had to do was ask!

The river scene from the boat ramp.

If the shoe fits: River Walk, West Sacramento, California

This evening about 3 hours ago, I wore a pair of tennis shoes for the first time in 10 1/2 weeks! And, just in time for the rain!! I was beginning to wonder if I would ever be able to wear a shoe other than Birkenstocks again. Foot surgery has certainly been a bummer and has had an effect on my photography.

First, I found a difference in my energy level. Second, I had to choose places to shoot that were flat and not rocky. And, third, squatting down was difficult. Now I’m hopeful.

With my problems and Greg’s new physical difficulties, we decided to take the River Walk path in West Sacramento. This is located directly across the Sacramento River from Old Sacramento, and I have wanted to shoot from that side for a long time. While the trail goes for a long way, the River Walk is short and easy to walk, even on the grass areas.

Our bonus for the day was Tuesday’s farmer’s market. It’s so much fun to shoot produce! We were also on hand to capture lunch time as the workers came to enjoy food from the catering truck and some of the food booths.

Next Tuesday, I’ll be wearing my shoes, but I’ll bring along Birkenstocks just in case. Hopefully the shoe will keep fitting and keep my feet in comfort.