Yes, the sun was shining, the streets were dry, and we were ready to take our cameras out again. So off to Historic Folsom we went. We found that getting there before stores opened and during the week, made this small tourist area very quiet. This is when you look for small things to photograph.
Like storefront windows, their reflections and shadows.
Buildings and other structures.
Store owners were getting ready to open, vendors were delivering and consumers were waiting for stores to open.
At last, the ice rink opened and was filling up with skaters, skilled and learning.
It was a relaxing and fun morning followed by a delicious lunch. I’m wondering, do we go out because we enjoy photography or finding new places to eat at? Maybe both!
When I take my camera out for a walk, I always look for angles, shadows and other leading lines that would make an interesting photo. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to be able to photograph from high looking low. And that’s what Ritva is asking us to do in this week’s challenge: look down.
While I don’t recommend looking down while walking, I do suggest that you stop and look down. What do you see? Sometimes unique opportunities lay at your feet or over a rail. Here are some of mine.
Looking down into a puddle on an asphalt road can lead to abstract opportunities.
Looking down can give a different perspective on a wood platform showing its rough texture, on a bee showing a close up of its eyes and on a flower showing its center blossom.
How about a unique view of a fountain that flows down the stairs.
Talking about stairs. Here are some impressive stairs.
I’ll end with this shot looking down the mid-ship section of a glitzy cruise ship.
This was enjoyable Ritva. One of these photos took me back to before I had a DSLR! When you post your response, please link it to Ritva’s and use the Lens-Artists tag. We don’t want to miss your post.
And a big thank you to all who participated in my resilience challenge of last week. I enjoyed seeing and reading about your resilience. I’m actually still getting responses today. Now that’s resilience!
Egidio is challenging us next week, so be sure to look for his post. In the meantime, happy clicking and stay safe.
I walk my neighborhood every day with a dog at the end of a leash. It’s really too early to take photos, so I’ve enlarged my stomping grounds and take my camera on photo outings. But, last week, I found a new neighborhood: Rollins Lake in the Sierra Foothills.
I don’t think Tina will mind if I show you the small campground I walked Gem through several times a day. We camped, or should I say glamped, with another couple. Both of us have RVs. The season just ended and we had the campground to ourselves.
Although mostly overcast, the weather was great. We were even treated to a pre-rain rainbow.
We did climb into the truck to see the boat launch and lake.
I hope my temporary neighborhood qualifies for Tina’s wonderful challenge. I’m excited to see your neighborhoods. Please remember to link to Tina’s post when you respond and use the Lens-Artist tag. Last week Egidio prompted us to show how we have fun. It was a delight to see all your posts.
I’ll be in San Jose for two weeks caring for a dear friend. I’m sure I will be able to enjoy your posts, but I’m not sure about generating my own. My laptop doesn’t have enough memory to handle processing programs. Take care everyone!
Who doesn’t like something cool in the summertime? A cool drink with plenty of ice. A day at the coast enjoying the ocean. Cool and inviting colors. This week, John wants us to delve into the world of cool–whatever our interpretation. I chose nature.
Let’s look at flowers first. You know I love to photograph flowers, especially tulips (deep purple) and orchids (pink).
And who doesn’t feel the coolness of fog. Its mist lingers in the air as it darkens the scene.
Machinery and tools are another subject for cool. Patina can turn a discarded piece of a machine blue while steel has a totally cooling effect to our senses.
A lush rainforest is so cooling on a hot day. The color green just envelopes you as you walk along the path.
On a recent vineyard outing this artist was painting, and to my surprise all the people were wearing cool colors and she was surrounded by green foliage.
My last picture was taken at a community park where greens and blues abound. So totally relaxing!
And so ends my cool adventure. Thank you John for helping me see how nature can be so relaxing and sweet. When you post your response, please remember to link to John’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Next week, I’ll be back with another relaxing challenge, so look for my post.
The answer to that question is everything! In a photography competition, your title tells the judge what story your picture is telling. So, I didn’t know what to expect what I would see in Dead Cat Alley, Woodland, California. Needless to say I was curious. I had been to Woodland several times and never saw this Alley, but there was a write up about it. So intrigued by the name I just had to visit. My friend Diane came with me. Although she’s not a photographer, she was great at spotting the cats.
The alley is three blocks long and is difficult to find. There are ceramic, iron, and painted cats. The write up says to look high and low, and it was right. A lot were on roofs, some on gates and some on fences. A lot of the ceramic cats are getting old and could use some rejuvenation.
But it was fun. We parked and walked the three long blocks back and forth. With eagle eyes pierced for finding the cats. Here’s what we found:
Check out the above link to find out more about this historic alley.
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!
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.
Paul and Ruth in TexasMorty and Mary in Long Island
Now for my Mom’s side. Meet the Seidels.
Herb and ElaineBottom : Irene and Neil Top: Anne and RichardRight Karen and Alan Left their children who now have children!
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.
Slow Shutter Speed 