Oh my, we were late in getting to the Sacramento Zoo and the small parking lot in William Land Park was almost full. And, the big yellow school busses were dropping off school aged kids. It was going to be a tough day of photography! I’m guessing the big cats already enjoyed their bones, because the ones that were in their enclosure were just about to nap.
One cheetah had begun to rest when the other one came over and this happened.
When we got to the giraffe enclosure, Cheyenne, the new young giraffe was out in the yard. What a treat!
Older giraffe eating.
All in all, it was a pretty good morning at the zoo after all. Next we went to the WPA Rock Garden, and I’ll show you that in my next post.
As photographers, we appreciate a sky full of clouds, dark foreboding clouds and even a lightning strike, what we don’t like is a plain blue sky. Sometimes I enjoy the large amount of blue in my pictures. But. I admit that plain skies are not as pretty as big puffy cumulus clouds. This week, Amy challenges us to post some beautiful sky or cloudscapes.
I noticed while going through my archives, that great skies are not the norm in California. It’s a rare night that a sunset is worth photographing. If I’m lucky, I have my camera with me and I’m able to get it. Sometimes I hear people talking about that great sunset that I totally missed!
But I didn’t miss all of them. Read to the end!
Here are some random skies that I liked.
Foggy SkyClouds and bay framed by trees.Donner Lake white sky and snow.In Windsor California. Notice how the clouds match the building’s flow.Clouds enhance a scenic lake.The clouds behind this horse give it a glow.
Some skies are moody and dark when the sun isn’t shining.
The reflected sky enhances the dark mood. The leading lines bring us right to the darkening sky.
Sometimes a beautiful sky is the result of post processing. The following two images were processed in NIK Color Efex.
And what would a post about skies be without a sunset. Fortunately, I was out and about for these.
Thanks Amy, I’m going to be more aware of the skies now when I photograph landscapes. I also noted as I roamed through my archives that unless I’m thinking landscape, I tend to photograph tight, eliminating the sky. Please remember to use the Lens-Artists tag and link to Amy’s post when you respond to his challenge.
I totally enjoyed seeing all the public art around the world that was posted last week. They were colorful and happy posts. Thank you John! Next week, I’m presenting the challenge so stay tuned!
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.Â
I had two motivators for visiting the Sacramento Zoo recently. 1. I was gone for almost a month and hadn’t seen the new baby giraffe now named Cheyenne and, 2. I wanted to test out a new lens. With my Nikon, I had an 18-200mm lens which was a perfect walk-around lens. Unfortunately, Fujifilm doesn’t make a lens with that type of zoom. Recently Tamron came out with an 18-300mm lens for Fuji and Sony. So I bought the Fuji mount. The only drawback is its lack of an aperture ring on the lens. I was told that I could assign that function to the front dial and use the top dial to change the aperture.
When I purchased the lens, I was told that Fuji would make the switch automatically and when I put my Fuji lens back on it would revert back. I played with it while at the zoo and didn’t quite do it correctly. I ended up with sharp but noisy images. Thank heavens for Topaz!
The zoo didn’t disappoint. The cheetah was walking around; not running.
The red panda was walking the branches instead of sleeping.
The giraffes were being giraffes. Have you ever seen a two-headed, six-legged giraffe? We did get to see Cheyenne, but she was behind a fence and quickly went back inside with her mother.
The river otters were in their hammock.
And the lions were preparing for a nap.
One of the Okapi was out eating.
I almost forgot the alligator.
So, this was my morning at the zoo with friends Marlene, Laura and Ray. It’s good to be home and doing photography with friends.
The sun may be shining, but the devastation is still being cleared. The front entrance to the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery was closed because they were still clearing the trees that were downed in the recent wind and rain storms. Also, access to that area was mostly closed. That’s what we found during last week’s photo visit.
We did manage to get in via a side entrance and decided to stay in the back area of the cemetery. It looked newer but there were some beautiful headstones, statues and trees. I’ll put all the pictures in a gallery for you and caption where necessary. Oh, the ground was still a bit muddy and soft.
I liked the shape and texture of this headstone.I’m so glad this beautiful tree is still standing.A closer look.This tree’s trunk is not twisted but is interesting.I liked how beautiful this family headstone was.Another unusual monument.A sense of humor?Pretty iron work.One of the few statues.A cared for grave.The words say it all.I’ve never seen a headstone shaped like this.A stump left behind.Someone put shells on the stump.I couldn’t resist a close up!
The sun is still out and we are enjoying dry but windy weather. I’m so glad this cemetery didn’t get any more damage. These statues and headstones are so old. You can’t replace history.
This is my last post for about a month. I’m going on a dream vacation. You’ll find out who, what, where when I return. Take care and stay safe.
We’ve been to the Crocker Art Museum many times so as I walked around I was looking for new art and maybe a new slant on things. I settled on shadows. Here are some art and shadows.
Some walls and indoor architecture were interesting also.
We are in the new building which is attached to the old building across the courtyard. This is their dining area. The cafe has been closed since the Pandemic.
The Antique Trove always has new items and booths to explore. I was attracted by the neon signs. Of course all of them were advertising beer.
Here are some other items I found interesting.
Where do you go when it rains and you want to take your camera out? We have more museums to explore in the greater Sacramento area. We do need some more rain to get us out of this drought, but maybe not those atmospheric rivers we had. If I had my way, it would rain at night and the sun would shine during the day!
This is a great morning here in the Sacramento California area. It’s raining and it’s a steady rain. And, I’m also excited about Patti’s challenge on diagonals this morning. She compared diagonals to leading lines that lead to the focal point of a photograph.
Here are some of my images showing leading lines.
Paths always show us the way.Fence and shadows provide leading lines.The Amtrak station.Leading lines for a decorative touch.Leading lines get you to the other side of the bridge.The outside of the bridge has leading lines also.Architecturaldesigns also incorporate leading lines.
I also enjoy photographing objects on a diagonal just for the fun of it, and was recently to the California Museum where I found great diagonals.
Sometimes shooting a picture on a diagonal adds interest. This clown’s face is more interesting on the diagonal rather than straight on.
And when we compose a picture, we may end up with a visual diagonal, leaving some negative space.
Here’s my last fun photograph on a diagonal.
Patti, I hope I didn’t take your great challenge too far from your original intent. This was fun and thank you for brightening up a wonderful rainy morning. Please remember to link your reply post to Patti’s and use the Lens Artists tag. It’s supposed to rain off and on through Monday. Yay!!
We enjoyed all your responses to last week’s challenge. I got to see many places I’ll never be able to get to. Next week is Ann-Christine’s turn to lead this challenge. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us.
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.Â
Guest host Jude of Cornwell in Colours picked the perfect challenge for me because I love textures. I don’t mean the nice blended textures you put behind your subject ( Which I can’t do yet!). I mean the texture of your subject. We are drawn to color and texture.
For instance I love the colors of rust and its gritty texture. You’ll notice as it ages, the colors change and the metal degrades, adding to its beauty.
I also find texture in old non-rusted metal. This old worn large propeller from a ship shows lines and textures when photographed close up. You can just feel how its been worn during its use.
Each year Sacramento hosts Chalk It Up where artists draw with chalk or liquid chalk on a sidewalk square. The grit of the sidewalk and chalk create a texture no other canvas can duplicate.
A lion’s mane has texture although you wouldn’t want to get close enough to feel it!
Wood is another favorite texture of mine. It can be tree bark or siding on a building. It draws you in with its variation of color and natural design.
Last, plants give us the feeling of texture in their form, color and shape.
There are many more examples of texture, but I’ll stop here. Texture is all around us. Take it in, feel and experience it. Thank you Jude for helping me realize how important texture is to photography. When you respond to this challenge, please remember to link to her post and use the Lens-Artists tag.
Thank you all for responding for my challenge last week. I enjoyed learning about your amazing local wildlife. We saw birds, foxes, porcupines, bears, deer, squirrels and some small insects and bugs. It was great. Next week Tina will be leading the challenge so be sure to look for her post.
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
Sophia, I had so much fun with this challenge. I seldom take the time to try different things with my images once I’ve processed them, so this was an enjoyable practice. I may do it more often.
I played with exposure in post processing, using images in my archives. Most of them have been posted before. First, the high key images. I used a great egret taking off. I wanted to see what happens when you do a white bird as an overexposed image. Then I had fun with some of my roses.
I’m not sure I achieved the look I was after!I just lightened the entire image and put a misty filter on it.This was a dark pink rose, I lightened the color, added a misty filter and then a white vignette.
Now for the overexposures. I found these easier than the high-key images.
I like the way this one came out. It has sort of a mood to it.Again a colorful rose with a flat color. Does it work?The color of this rose was certainly taken down a great deal. But I think it has enough color to stand against the black.I like the way the dark background accents the light on this bird’s face. This image almost came out black and white.
For my last bit of fun. I was trying to do a building in high-key and tried the infrared filter. I played around with it and I like it. I usually don’t like infrared images.
I hope you’re having fun with Sophia’s challenge too. When you post, be sure to link to her original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. We enjoyed reading about and seeing everyone’s Flight of Fancy last week. There were many variations of the theme. I’ll be leading next week’s challenge so look out for my post.
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.Â
I fell in love with USS Constitution during our visit in to Boston in 2013. And the total experience was different from our visit during my recent New England trip. In 2013 there were Navy personnel to take us on a guided tour. You had to sign up, wait your turn, I remember the tours were timed so the ship wasn’t crowded. “Old Ironsides,” the ship’s nickname given when she was launched in 1797, was also not sectioned off at the dock so we could have the full advantage of taking amazing photos.
This ship has an amazing history which you can read here.
Today, the ship is open to all. There are no public tours, at least when we were there. And from a photographic point of view, people were everywhere. But she is still an amazing ship with a great history. Here are the first photos I took from the top deck.
Although I am complaining about people, I managed to isolate myself by taking closeups. Here’s what the decks below looked like. The crew slept in hammocks while the officers had better accommodations.
The hammocks are stowed in the back.The Captain’s OfficeThe Captain’s quarters
Back on top, I tried to get some different images.
The MuseumDry Dock
The Constitution is still in commission, is still sea worthy, and her crew of 75 officers and sailors participate in ceremonies, educational programs, and special events while keeping her open to visitors year round and providing free tours. The officers and crew are all active-duty Navy personnel, and the assignment is considered to be special duty. What a testament to the United States history.
My east coast travels in the United States made me appreciate the varied topography we have in California. Amy wants us to show and talk about the mountains that call to us. In Northern California, we have mountains. I am fortunate to live close to the range called the Sierra Nevadas, a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. It’s highest point is Mt. Whitney at 14,505 ft. I’ve never been up there. (Visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado at 12,000 ft. was enough for me!)
Locally, we have Table Mountain, near Oroville in Butte County. The North and South tables are flat mesas that were formed from basaltic eruptions. I’ve been there three times, but not recently. It’s very difficult to walk on the uneven surface. Here are some images. Notice the beautiful wildflowers. They and the small waterfalls draw photographers there each year.
Next the Sierra Nevadas host Donner Lake at 5,936 ft. I’ve shown you images of this beautiful spot before, but it’s been a while since I’ve shown you the tunnels where the trains passed through the mountains. Not used any more, it houses graffiti art.
Now for other finds with single images. First is Ananda Village in the Sierras (Nevada City). They host the Tulip Festival each year. Here you can get a good view of the Sierras.
Foresthill is a small mountain town that recently had a fire come through. Fortunately, this image was taken a year before. It just shows how life can change in an instant.
Last is Hope Valley which is famous for having Fall Colors each year. I’ve posted images from this area. But the valley also has a small lake.
I haven’t even mentioned the National and State Parks that add to the beauty of this State. I love the mountains so thank you Amy for letting me show off my nearby beauties. When you reply to her post be sure to link to her post and use the Lens-Artist tag. We enjoyed all your beautiful florals last week in response to Ann-Christine’s challenge. Next week Sophia will be leading the challenge so look for her post.
Slow Shutter Speed 