enjoying photography – Page 17

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

A scavenger hunt: Old Sacramento

Sometimes you just want to have fun, so I borrowed a scavenger hunt list for a Tuesday morning outing. With camera in sling, four of us hunted the streets of Old Sacramento for items on the list. They ranged from “Something you can taste through the lens” to “bokeh” to “lines and patterns.” We exercised our minds and imaginations!

Here are some of my trophies.

Lines, patterns and shadows.

Three of a kind.

Sign with bokeh in the background.

Locks

Block of color

biker and older person

Hole and texture

Gate

Stairs

You can smell it through the lens

Railroad track.

My shadow

Spinner

Paddle

Rust

This was a fun exercise. And, of course, photo buddies who help and joke around made it an extra special morning.

Posted on September 18, 2017September 18, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Finally got it!: WPA Rock Garden, Sacramento

I am tenacious and never give up. I went back to the WPA Rock Garden in William Land Park, Sacramento with my macro lens for more practice. Finally, I now understand my lens and how to shoot macro.

This was my second time shooting there, and there were new flowers and small critters to find. The first time, I learned that I needed a higher ISO to get a faster shutter speed to capture the close up detail. This time I learned that I also needed to narrow my aperture (use a higher F stop) to get less of a shallow depth of field.

Now I’m ready to go back just to enjoy the shoot. Tenacity is a great trait, but offers little relaxation.

I also experimented with what else I could shoot with my 105 Macro Lens. Enjoy the pictures! (Captions not necessary!)

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Anne Sandler

Photoshop fun: IKEA

Nothing! That’s what I did for a week after we returned from our month long road trip to Montana, Glacier National Park and Weiser Idaho for the eclipse. It took us a few mornings to empty out the trailer so we can sell it. It seems we came home just in time for a heat wave, so we only had the mornings to work.

I did gather up energy to shoot with my Toastmaster photo club, All About Photography Toastmasters. We went to IKEA because of the heat. If you remember, I had been there with my Tuesday group so I chose to shoot with my macro lens for practice. I can’t say I was totally successful, but I did learn. This lens has such a short depth of field, and that made it difficult. It’s a 105 mm so I had to stand far enough back to get what I was shooting in the frame and in focus.

Since the shoot, I’ve been working on the images and found the Photoshop filter panel. What fun! With no effort on my part, the software took my images of patterns and turned them into great abstract designs. I’ll show you the before and afters:

Before: A kite.

After: I think this may have been the zig zag.

Before: the back of a wood lounge chair.

After: the ziz zag filter.

Before: Another chandelier that I tinted green in Lightroom.

After: A tighter swirl pattern.

Before: Fabric on a couch that I angled in post.

After: One of the blur filters.

Before: This was a lamp shade.

After: The swirl filter and a change to black and white.

I may have been able to do more, but I was stymied with my limited knowledge of layers. Now I have to delve into Photoshop now that my energy level is back. I had fun with these.

Posted on July 26, 2017July 26, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Oh Dear, No Deer: Effie Yeaw, Carmichael

As the heat continues, we look for places to shoot that are open early in the morning to avoid the rising temperatures. We chose Effie Yeaw Nature Center for a recent Tuesday shoot. This is a nature preserve along the American River in Carmichael.

Typically the deer are out in the early hours. When I took my young grandkids there, we saw a full herd in the first meadow, and we found bucks on the other side. Marlene and I had the joy of walking (on a path) through a heard one time. But, this time we didn’t see a deer–not one. I wondered where do they go to hide? It’s not a large preserve. One was spotted near the pond at the entrance.

So, without our dear deer, we looked for other things to shoot. Lesson learned: there’s always something to shoot. It’s what you make of it! We walked and shot for a couple of hours and then went for an early lunch.

After lunch, we went back to the Vedanta Society’s pond to see if the Hyacinths we in the pond. There were some but not a lot. During lunch we talked about what other outings we could schedule with this summer being so hot. I think you’ll have to wait to see where we go next!

This frog welcomed us.

This is the small pond at the entrance.

A thistle.

Near the American River.

Is this tree really eating a log?

A busy spider adds texture to this tree.

Leapin’ Lizards.

The whole lizard.

A log that captured my attention. I love wood and its texture.

At Vedant Society.

Some flowers were in the pond

There weren’t many.

Another case of having to make do!

Posted on July 12, 2017July 12, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Gone, but we do have pictures: Lotus, Vedanta Society, Sacramento

You know what happens when one photographer posts a picture of something that doesn’t, last too long–we all go to shoot it.

That’s what happened with the Lotus located on the grounds of the Vedanta Society Sacramento in Sacramento. They were so nice to let us go to their pond and shoot these beautiful flowers. I had never seen lotus in person. They are stunning.

We were back yesterday to check on whether the hyacinths were in the pond, and we found the seed pods that were left from the lotus. We also found some hyacinths, but that will be for another post.

So please enjoy these beauties. I’m so glad one photographer shared her find.

I’m not sure whether all lotus are pink, but these were!

I tried to capture them in different ways.

I came up from underneath this one.

This one is opening up and starting to drop petals.

The light was changing fast on this one.

Shot from a distance.

The bridge going over the pond.

Not a lotus!

Again, the whole flower.

Another “Not a lotus,” but pretty.

The lotus seed pod captured a couple of weeks after the other images were taken.

Posted on July 7, 2017July 7, 2017 by Anne Sandler

The heat is back! Alpha Fired Arts, Sacramento

This is de’ja vu. When these pictures were taken, we were trying to escape the heat by shooting inside. As I type this, it’s about 107 degrees Fahrenheit! It’s going to be a long hot summer.

Since our Tuesday group shoots each week, we try to find indoor places, go on a road trip to the bay area or get up very early to beat the heat. A few times, we’ve called a virtual trip, asking members to shoot something and post it. It’s amazing what photographers come up with. But this particular Tuesday we were inside.

Alpha Fired Arts, in Sacramento, is a creative outlet for hobbyists, professional artists and teachers who shop for supplies. They even have paint your own ceramics available where you purchase anything from pre-made mugs to more elaborate items, and paint them. They are then glazed/fired. This is a perfect place for kids’ parties.

With triple digits outside, we were delighted to be invited inside by Ray’s wife, Sally, who is a pottery artist. When you enter, you’re inside the store, the painting room is to the left and small gallery to the right. Beyond the double doors in the back the creative work area lies. And, beyond that, are the kilns. We could not escape the heat in there!

I’ll show you pictures of it all. While the pottery was beautiful, it was a challenging shoot. I wanted to shoot from different angles and remain true to the artistic intent. All images were handheld and without flash.

I’m hoping it’s not a hot summer, thinking maybe some cooler temperatures will prevail–SOON!

This cube was in the gallery.

This artist created many shapes.

This one also.

I’m not sure whether the same artist did this.

I liked the colors in this one.

This bowl is one of my favorites.

This is the paint job on a dish. I liked it.

I’m not sure what this is, but it needed to be shot!

This is the work room behind the double doors.

This artist is creating flowers out of left over clay.

This man is painting the bottom of a vase.

Our hostess, Sally, is painting her vase.

One of the kilns

The paint room.

Shelves of paints.

A colorful piece.

Fishing anyone.

Posted on July 5, 2017July 5, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

In a funk: Fireworks on July 3rd

There’s nothing like fireworks and photo buddies to get you out of a funk. We’ve all been there. You know, you feel blah. It was a 2-week funk for me. I went shooting and tried to process the pictures. I was almost caught up!

During the summer, our local minor league team, the River Cats, shoots off fireworks after every Friday night home game. I probably would have skipped the fireworks so close to July 4th, (especially since there would be other evenings of fireworks) but my All About Photography Toastmasters Club was going, and so was I. We met many photographers from the Sacramento Photographers Facebook group too. Actually it ended up being a fun evening.

I was going to try shooting with two cameras. One would be set up on bulb and the other to shoot regular. But, at the last minute I decided to shoot with one. I tried putting it on bulb with a remote trigger, but didn’t like the results. I took it off of bulb and took out the trigger, shooting individually.

I have some of those shots to show you today. Yesterday on July 4th, we had our usual block party, and I was wearing my camera. One of the guests asked me if I was a photographer, and I said, “Yes, I finally feel I can say I’m a photographer.” That was a defining moment for me. I’ll show you some of those too, but they are not super since we were losing light, I didn’t have a tripod, etc. Also, I didn’t shoot the small fireworks because my dog is totally afraid of the sounds. So we watched TV while the others watched the fireworks show.

And, I’m out of the funk!

We never know when the game will end, so we have to be ready.

I think the two fireworks displays on the left each look like the Statue Of Liberty.

I was disappointed that there weren’t many with red, white and blue.

The bridge is the Tower Bridge, a Sacramento landmark.

The field is in West Sacramento, and the best viewing is in Old Sacramento.

Almost the finale. The actual finale had too much smoke.

The July 4 block party. The games begin.

There were games for all ages.

And games for the young at heart.

I’m not sure whether we declared a winner in the Piccolo Pete race.

Here’s a car in action.

The last game before fireworks. The egg toss.

Egg toss in action.

Yes, we use real eggs. This one dropped right near my foot!

Posted on June 30, 2017June 30, 2017 by Anne Sandler

Cooling off: Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento

It’s not easy to find places to shoot when it’s triple digits outside. We’ve taken our Tuesday group to the ocean, stores, and, now to a museum–the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. The fact that I’d always wanted to go there was a bonus. Yes, we could bring our cameras in, but no flash or tripod. This, of course, added another challenge, but we were up to it.

Just a little background: The original historic building was the home of Edwin B. Crocker who built on a home addition to display his art collection. Eventually the home and gallery became the Crocker Art Museum. In 2010 an addition was built to expand the museum. For me, the new, modern addition is a stark contrast to the existing historic home/gallery. You can feel the difference as you pass from one to the other. I liked the use of ambient light in the new building, but totally enjoyed the architecture and richness of the old.

I didn’t have much trouble shooting in the new Teel Family Pavilion since light was abundant, and I knew what to do to shoot in the old section. And, to our delight, the cafe food was delicious. Our outings are always about food too!

Here’s a sample of what we found while escaping the heat.

Outside the historic building.

Inside the new Pavilion.

Looking down on the dining area.

Sculpture at the other end of large Pavilion hall.

Mother and child.

African art display.

More African art.

The African Art collection was large.

Part of a Chihuly chandelier.

More Chihuly art.

This porcelain art was in a room of it’s own.

I loved the colors in this painting.

A whimsical sculpture.

The ballroom in the historic building.

Beautifully arched hallway.

Staircase.

Looking down.

Pattern of a bowl in the gift shop.

Posted on June 28, 2017June 28, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Processing with presets: San Francisco, part 2

Is it okay to use a preset, from a processing program, on your image and call it your own? I had never thought about this until I took a sunflower bud I shot and brought it into Smart Photo Editor, used their presets and found one I liked. I posted it on Facebook and it got a great deal of attention. One photographer said that it was a great edit. I quickly replied that it was a preset. And, that’s when I began to question whether I could post this as my own. Here is the image as posted.

The composition is mine, the fact that it was a sharp image is my doing, but the ultimate look is not mine. The reality is that I, with my lack of artistic ability, could not complete it this way.

So, what do you think? Is it okay to use a preset and call it your photo?

Now, back to the pictures in this post. We are in San Francisco and are headed to the California Academy of Sciences when they open. I got up early and went down to Fisherman’s Wharf to see what I could shoot along the way. It was fun and got my energy flowing. I have some of those shots to show you. What was amazing were the swimmers out for their morning exercise in freezing cold water. There were also walkers, runners and bikers using the old pier as their exercise ground.

The Academy was amazing, but the parking wasn’t. The only place to park was in their very expensive structure–it cost us about $30 for the day. We had coupons for the Academy admission so that helped with the cost. We did opt for an additional tour, but it was worth it, especially since we were the only ones who went on it. We had a guided tour behind locked doors and were able to walk the roof.

A lot will be explained in captions. It was an all day experience. We left about 4 p.m., stopped to take pictures of house boats to take up the time before dinner. We were trying to avoid traffic. It all worked out, and our drive home was easy. Enjoy the academy through my camera lens! I apologize for the many images, but I didn’t want to make this a three part post.

This tree was trying to grow on the hillside along the path to Fisherman’s Wharf.

This is the old decaying pier. Much of it is closed.

One of the early morning swimmers.

Some men, fishing I think, on the old pier.

Another look at the historic pier.

Ghirardelli Square in the distance.

Now at the Academy, fossils under glass.

This was a first for me. As we entered the Rain Forest, my lens fogged up.

The view looking up the three stories of the enclosure.

Eventually my lens acclimated to the humidity.

My body didn’t though. We stayed long enough to capture some butterfly images.

The roof of the Academy is alive with plants. These plants help with research projects and help cool the building.

These are whale bones. It will take approximately three years of roof sitting to dry these. Chemicals are not used.

This is the brush from the whales mouth. Animal remains used in research or display are from those that died naturally.

Notice the round windows. They are used to light and act as the HVAC system for the Academy. Again –fog!

Our tour guide takes us into storage rooms where things are held for various researchers to use.

A great deal of research is done behind the scenes.

Gem stones are stored here also.

This lab is used for in-house needs and outside organizations.

The inside wall and roof.

Now at the aquarium, manatees swim at the base of the Rain Forest.

Jelly fish put on a neon show.

High ISO and fast shutter was needed here.

This fish blends in well.

I think we found Dory!

Beautiful plants.

Posted on June 25, 2017June 25, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 12 Comments

24 hours: San Francisco

The California Academy of Sciences, in Golden Gate Park, is more than a museum. It’s a planetarium, a rain forest, and aquarium and natural history museum. Yes, it is a museum, and Linda and I wanted to visit. But we knew it would take us all day to get through it, so we decided to stay overnight at the Ft. Mason Hostel (Once again in a private bedroom.).

Our plan for this adventure was to leave early in the morning, visit some sights, get to the Hostel in the evening and go to the Academy the next morning. That first day our road trip took us to Tiburon, where we had lunch and enjoyed the small town; Sausalito where we shot the Golden Gate Bridge; and to the Sutro Baths in San Francisco.

Given that itinerary, I think this will be a two part post. Remembering that we are seniors, me more than Linda, we packed a lot in. However, we were tired at night and didn’t venture out for night photography.

I had a great time. I was more at ease with my photography than I was during our previous trip. Again, we found fog in San Francisco. I’m still amazed at how fast it moves across the vistas. In less than 5 minutes, you can be shooting in fog, mild fog and no fog.

Let’s begin with Tiburon and end with the Sutro Baths. The next post will have images from the California Academy of Sciences.