This week Monochrome Madness is hosted by Sarah from Travel With Me. She has chosen everyday objects. While at the beach, I happened to see this bit of trash roadside near in Half Moon Bay. Unfortunately it is an everyday object!
Thanks Leanne and Sarah!
I think my problem with shopping is that I go with an intent and usually don’t find what I want or need. I come home frustrated. I’ve learned to go out with nothing in mind and usually come home with something that I needed or not.
So window shopping is even more difficult for me. But a challenge is a challenge and Marlene and I went out to the fountains, a small outdoor shopping center, to walk and photograph.
Here’s what I found. I enjoyed playing with and capturing reflections.
Fashion in windows. I laughed when I realized that I would never wear some of these clothes, especially those boots. That’s what happens when you’re 80!
Now for some odds and ends.
I am a dog mom and love that little Schnoodle. Windows must be washed for us to do window shopping. This last one is a reflection of across the street with the ghost like image of a male mannequin in the store window. You can see him in the window being washed.
Now it’s time to stop spending money! I just liked this palm tree. Saving buttons instead of pennies.
I do love red umbrellas and shadows!
We followed our non-shopping experience with lunch. Thank you Ritva for getting me out. When you respond to Ritva’s post, please remember to link to her challenge and use the Lens-Artist tag.
Last week, I totally enjoyed seeing how you all portrayed sound in your images. Some were very creative. Next week John will be presenting the challenge, so be sure to look for his post! Take care!
All of our senses are connected. When you see a plate of well-presented food, can’t you taste it before you take a bite? When I’m walking my dog, I can hear a car long before I can see it, giving me plenty of time to navigate to the side of the road. I once interviewed deaf students through an interpreter. I watched their faces and body language to understand their excitement and other feelings.
This week Donna opens the world of sound for us. This challenge helped me understand how we show sound to our viewers through our two-dimensional presentations. Let’s get into my selections.
This Civil War Reenactment image shows the canon being fired. Can’t you just hear the loud boom as smoke fills the air?
And more booms and pops during this fireworks display.
If you’re really into music and you’re in a setting with a wood floor, you can actually feel the music’s beat with your feet. But in a picture we can imagine the sound of musicians and their music.
Waves crash rocks, making a serene sound as we watch a beautiful sunset. Here two senses are working together.
Remember those cars I mentioned. Just stand next to a freeway and close your eyes. You can hear the passing whish and feel the rumble of the cars. But don’t close them now, see the light trails!
I’ve saved the worst image, but most meaningful to me for last–my grandson’s elementary school class’s performance during the holidays years ago. They were singing holiday songs. These performances show that music reaches our hearts beyond what we hear. Ryan is in the second row, right side in back of the girl wearing a red dress that has a white heart on it. Ryan is now 15 years.
When I started looking for sounds, I thought I wouldn’t have much. But I have even more. Sound is all around us and in our images.
When you respond, please link to Donna’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag. We would all like to see your sounds.
Thank you for your responses to my Weather Challenge. I’m so glad you all weathered the week and found amazing images. I also enjoyed that some of you played along with the homophone. One of you even got in wether, admitting they didn’t have a picture of a young castrated ram!
Next week, Ritva will be presenting her first challenge as a team member. So be sure to look for her post.
It’s been a wet winter. Well, wet by California standards. While we want rain, having rain for weeks is something we are not used to. If I had my choice, it would rain every night and the days would be sunny! But I don’t have my choice do I.
So, on a sunny day Marlene, Ray and I decided to head off for the countryside and the small towns of Plymouth and Sutter Creek.
We stopped to photograph a barn along the roadside. We do pull over for photo opportunities.
We haven’t been to Plymouth in a few years. It’s still the same few blocks that it’s always been. It’s nice to know that some things don’t change.
I did find a unique sign that might be new in Plymouth. Here’s the sign and the object it’s talking about.
Now to see the rest of Plymouth.
Sutter Creek is a slightly larger town, and its main street caters to tourists. I’ve seen stores come and go. We like it best for lunch! Here are some new photos.
The highlight of the outing was meeting this gentleman and his cockatoo. They’ve been friends for more than 20 years.
So that was our sunny get away! More rain is coming!
“I saw in their eyes something I was to see over and over in every part of the nation—a burning desire to go, to move, to get under way, anyplace, away from any Here. They spoke quietly of how they wanted to go someday, to move about, free and unanchored, not toward something but away from something. I saw this look and heard this yearning everywhere in every state I visited. Nearly every American hungers to move.”
― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley in Search of America
You never know where a new path will lead you. You never know where an LAPC prompt will lead you. When I saw Ann-Christines challenge for us to illustrate a quote or poem, my mind veered and went a different direction. I immediately went to “Travels with Charley in Search of America,” A book I recently re-read.
I first read this book about 40 years ago and didn’t realize until now that it created the need for me to go across the country in our fifth wheel trailer. I wanted to experience all of my country. It was a glorious three months and I wish it could have been longer. After my re-read, I realized America was certainly different when we went across versus Steinbeck’s crossing, and I’m sure it’s changed in the last 11 years.
Steinbeck traveled across America in a truck and camper with his aging poodle Charley. The book is a great essay on America. In my re-read I could immediately associate with some of the places and people he met.
I’ve posted sights from this wonderful trip in my blog before, but I also had the good fortune to visit family again–some for the last time. It was a wonderful and emotional trip, getting to know cousins again and meeting their families.
It’s those connections that meant so much to me and still do.
Now it’s on to meeting the family. Here are cousins from my Dad’s side. I’m the youngest Horowitz, and the only on the West coast, so I was glad I got to see them again. Ed and Judy live in Florida, but we didn’t go that far south.
Now for my Mom’s side. Meet the Seidels.
I’d better quit while I’m just one picture over! Yes, there are more cousins who live on the West Coast, and I treasure them dearly.
Thank you Ann-Christine for sending me on this journey even though I went off the path a bit. When you post your response to this challenge, please remember to link to Ann-Christine’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag. We saw a lot of drama last week. What wonderful responses. Next week Sofia will be posting our challenge. Be sure to look for her post.
It’s not very often in life that you get a second or last chance. It’s like seeing a purse in a store that you like but can’t decide to buy it. You go back to get it the next day, and it’s gone. Today Tina gives us that second chance, and our photos aren’t going away!
I had fun looking through my early years of photography to avoid Tina’s one rule of not having posted the image in LAPC before. Here are my choices.
Thanks to Ann-Christine for reminding us that there is still magic in this world in her challenge last week. I enjoyed seeing your memorable, magical posts. And thanks to Tina for this fun challenge. When you respond to her post, please link to it and use the Lens-Artists tag. Right now, WordPress is having trouble with the Lens-Artists tag in the reader, but we are making every effort to see all your posts.
And now for some end of the year news from the LAPC team: After having been an integral part of our team since its inception in June of 2018, Amy of Share and Connect will be leaving the team to begin an exciting new adventure. She and her husband will be traveling more extensively and making some happily-anticipated visits with family. We wish her all the best and look forward to her posts as she continues to respond to our challenges whenever possible. We are also announcing that this will be the final Lens-Artists challenge of 2023. We will return on January 6 to begin the New Year with our traditional Favorite Photos of 2023. We look forward to seeing you all again then. In the meanwhile we wish all who celebrate the happiest of holidays as well as a peaceful and joy-filled 2024.
See you in 2024. Have a great New Years and stay safe!
Happy pre-Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! There’s a new animal at the Sacramento Zoo: meet the White Rhinoceros. That’s his keeper behind the fence. She just kept feeding him. I wonder how much he eats in a day! He’s a big guy!
An orangutan was enjoying a snack of romaine lettuce.
The alligator was patiently waiting.
This meercat was the lookout guard at the top of the small mountain.
This raven (I think) caught its meal.
One of the cheetahs posed for me.
The flamingos are back. They are being housed in the former enclosure of the chimpanzees after they were sent to different zoos that had more space for them in a jungle like enclosure. The flamingos are still kept in a glass enclosure because of the avian flu.
What was this zebra trying to tell me?
These are the changes at the zoo. They are planning a move to Elk Grove in a much better location with more space for more animals. It will take about 4 to 5 years. So stay tuned.
It’s been a rough time for this blogger. All I can say is don’t get rear ended by a large pickup and trailer. I’ve kept up with my Lens Artists posts but neglected my regular blogs. So let’s pick up where I left off in Lassen NP.
You can’t smell the sulphur aroma, but you can see the bubbles and maybe the smoke coming up. The Sulphur Works “is a vent for the last rumblings of a long-dead volcano and yet it is also reborn each day as forces of erosion and hydrothermal activity continuously alter the landscape. Although named after the chemical element of sulfur—which is a byproduct of the hydrothermal system—the area bears the British English spelling of the word assigned by a pioneer that once laid claim to what was then known as Supan’s Sulphur Works.”
On the way back to our campground near Manzanita Lake, I was able to take a few pictures showing the devastation from the fires. It’s still beautiful and sad at the same time.
I’ll finish up Lassen NP with a short tour of the Devastated Area–not connected with the recent fires, but the eruption of Lassen Peak’s 1915-1916 eruption. The short trail has voice explanations throughout and was interesting. Just push the button and learn!
This ends our visit to Lassen NP. I hope I’ll be able to get out in the trailer soon. In the meantime, there’s a lot to photograph around home.
I don’t know about you, but these days I feel bombarded with signage of, mostly, the advertising kind. So, it’s great to pay attention to the signs that keep us safe and bring us joy. Thank you John for this fun challenge.
I’m not into photographing signs as a photo practice, but we happened to be at Ruhstaller Farm in Dixon, a beer distillery and farm, and featured in this blog. But, I didn’t post signs when there was so much more for you to see.
I’m learning to look for nature to provide the unusual and man to provide beautiful murals along the American River.
Little did I know that Spam was so popular! There’s a Spam festival in the Sacramento Delta and Spam is popular in Kauai.
I do love neon signs, find sadness at the Old Sacramento City Cemetery and find it wonderful that one store could stay in business for more than 100 years.
And there’s nothing like signage at the Nevada County Fair to get those hunger pangs going. Spicy nachos and sweet churros!
Sometimes feelings give us signs that we have to do something. This goat is no exception. Got an itch? Scratch it!
I’ve enjoyed looking through my archives for signage. I hope you’re having fun too. Remember to link to John’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag. I enjoyed seeing all your contrasty posts last week. Next week Sophia is challenging us, so look for her post.
If you’d like to join in the challenge, but aren’t sure how to get started, check here.
One morning, I was feeling the need to take my camera for a walk; maybe a macro walk. So I put on my macro lens and went over to my local Green Acres in Citrus Heights. I like walking through their garden and they don’t mind me taking pictures.
Here’s some of what I captured that morning.
With my macro need taken care of, I felt much better and the day seemed brighter.
Slow Shutter Speed 