Posted on by Anne Sandler · 185 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #275: Filling the Frame

Photography rules are guidelines and are sometimes meant to be broken. Also, photography is art, and art is subjective. Why am I saying this? Come down the rabbit hole with me!

In the last two weeks, we’ve learned about symmetry and asymmetry—two basic forms of composition. Now we’re going to delve into another: filling the frame.

When you want your subject to stand out, fill the frame! When you fill the frame with your subject, you eliminate various background distractions. The viewer’s eyes have nowhere to wander. Their attention is where you want it.

The frame refers to the rectangular scene you see through your camera. When you use this technique, you simply fill your photo’s frame with more of your subject, reducing the amount of background or negative space shown. And it can be filled-in-camera or in post processing. I tend to fill in-camera, sometimes not leaving any room for creative cropping in post. Now, I try to leave a bit more around my subject, so I have more to work with. I did a close crop in post on the sunflower, below, wanting to show the bee in action. By doing this, my sunflower became the background and the bee the subject. Sometimes we just change our minds once we view the image on our monitors.

The basic rule for filling the frame is to get close to your subject. This can be achieved by walking up to your subject or using a zoom lens. I’ve done this type of photography with a macro and zoom lens. You can fill the frame totally or leave a bit of negative space to help your subject stand out. Yes, we’re sliding down that rabbit hole now. A bit of nothing helps put the focus on your subject. Remember, photography is subjective, and everyone has an opinion. Some photographers say “no” to negative space and a soft background. But, without the small amount of negative space, how could I have had this flamingo stand out? Having a bokeh background helps this flower stand out and shows its environment.

Okay, that rabbit hole is getting slippery now. What about filling the frame to tell a story? This can be street photography, event photography, or iconic subjects. Below are two pictures. The first is of an entertainer, Tom Rigney, at the Sacramento Music Festival. The second is of the Point Reyes an old boat that has become a photographers’ attraction. Viewers would not interpret their full stories without seeing their environment. But their stories fill the frame and there’s nothing that distracts from them.

Do you like getting creative? Let’s fill the frame with an abstract! One is of cattails and the other a Ferris wheel. Both were taken with intentional camera movement (ICM).

Spilling off the frame. Most of my images in this post extend beyond the frame, meaning their stories continue beyond the confines of the image boundaries.  The lotus and cactus are continued in the viewer’s imagination.

We’ve reached the bottom of my rabbit hole. Let’s climb back out so you can find your images that fill the frame. Remembering that photography is subjective, I’m looking forward to seeing your imaginative and creative responses. Anything goes! When you respond remember to link to this post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

Thank you, Donna, for getting us in the mood with her asymmetry challenge last week. We’ve been having a lot of fun, haven’t we! Next week James of Jazzibee will guest host and present our next challenge. Be sure to look for his post.

If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info. 

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 24 Comments

In memory of a wonderful photographer: Bren Brashley

This morning when I saw the title of Leanne Cole’s blog post I got a sinking feeling. Bren had announced that she had cancer shortly after she did her guest post for the Lens Artist Challenge in February on Bringing Softness. The news wasn’t good.

Through her LAPC challenge, Bren showed us how to achieve softness in any picture using clarity. This was a new technique for me and I enjoyed it. I was her liaison for this challenge, and she was a joy to work with. Here are some of the images I posted for her challenge.

As Leanne said, Bren loved flowers. Leanne posted several on her post as a tribute and asked us to do the same. Here is my tribute to Bren.

I’m encouraging all photographers to follow Leanne’s suggestion and post your favorite floral images in tribute to one of our own, a wonderful and caring photographer Bren Brashley.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 16 Comments

A promise delayed: The WPA Rock Garden

I’m keeping my promise made in my post on May 24, It’s All Happening at the Zoo. Today I’m showing you images of flowers taken at the WPA Rock Garden in William Land Park across the road from the Sacramento Zoo.

What’s a rock garden? Wikipedia has a full history and description for you here. Our small WPA Rock Garden was built by the WPA in 1940. The WPA was an employment and infrastructure program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 during the Great Depression. In 1988 Daisy Mah, a park employee, put her vision for the current garden into fruition. Its paths wind in, out and around, and is maintained by a group of volunteers.

We enjoy walking through the garden looking for small gems. Marlene was with me and is good at finding insects, but none were found that morning. But there were many beautiful floral delights. Here are some of them.

This was a great way to end a visit to the zoo. We’ll be back!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 18 Comments

Flower therapy: Jensen Botanical Gardens & Green Acres Nursery

It’s hard to remember the cold, rainy weather when the sun is shining and the temperature is in the low ’90 degrees (fahrenheit), but that’s where we were just last month. Given a nice day, Ray and I went to find the small tulip patch at Jensen Botanical Gardens. We didn’t realize just how small would be! But, the tulips were beautiful just the same.

After that, we went to my favorite floral place, Green Acres Nursery.

Flowers and macro are my therapy. I hope you enjoyed seeing these as much as I had photographing them. As for the weather, we went from the high ’60s to low ’90s in one day. Fortunately our furnace broke a couple of days ago and the air conditioner still works. Stop to enjoy the flowers everyone!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 33 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #246: Still Life

This week Patti challenges us with Still Life. Yikes! Fortunately she gave us a broad description of what she wanted us to post. “You can photograph just about anything: flowers, silverware, a variety of products (think of advertising), fruit, kitchen utensils, tools, and objects around your office or home,” she says.

Since this is my second attempt at posting my response, I’ll be brief. Three types of still lifes I enjoy photographing are flowers, buildings and sculptures.

McKinley Rose Garden in Sacramento.

Buildings in Melbourne, Australia.

Thompson Building Supplies and Nursery.

Thank you Patti for giving us a broad definition for still life images. In my first attempt at this post I was more eloquent, but frustration kicked in when WordPress wouldn’t let me post it. Let’s cross our fingers for this one. When you post your reply, please remember to tag Patti’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

I enjoyed seeing and reading about your environments last week as you responded to Tina’s challenge. Next week Ann-Christine will be leading the challenge. Be sure to look for her post.

If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info. 

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 34 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #234: Messages

For her first challenge as an LAPC Team member, Donna Holland of Wind Kisses has chosen the topic of Messages. I am challenged with this challenge!! When I photograph and later look at my images my messages are in the form of feelings. So I’m hoping my feelings will turn into messages for you.

My first visit is to the Sacramento Historical City Cemetery. This is a very old cemetery, full of history and simply beautiful. When I bring my camera to this cemetery, I’m overwhelmed with sadness and peace. There are family plots containing large and beautifully engraved monuments and/ or statues, and then there is the simple statement of great loss like this one grave marker. I guess the message is to live your life in gratitude.

The cemetery’s beauty is given to us by wonderful volunteers who plant flowers to bring joy for those of us who visit. There are roses, poppies, bushes and other beautiful florals. This rose had a guest and I just couldn’t resist taking its picture. The feeling is joy and the message might be any shelter is a good shelter!

On the topic of flowers, sunflowers always help me smile and feel great. I guess the message I get is “Don’t worry be happy!”

Typically, after we photograph our sunflowers, we go over to Mezger Zinnia patch in Woodland where the family plants flowers each year and encourages people to pick them and give them to someone who cannot come and pick the flowers themselves. They even provide vases. Typically, people will pick two bouquets; one for themselves and another for someone else. What does charity feel like. To me it feels like hope. The message I think is that people do care about each other.

Keeping with the yearly theme, Wide Open Walls happens once a year in Sacramento. In 2020 we found a very special mural dedicated to Ruth Bader Ginsberg shortly after her death. This mural symbolizes her determination to do the right thing while she sat on the Supreme Court. Seeing this mural filled me with pride as a woman. I guess the message is “Yes you can!”

Another image of determination is from the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. Each year salmon swim upstream to lay their eggs. Following their instincts, they do this facing certain death. I’m amazed at nature’s plan for survival. I would call that courage. I’m not sure what message it sends except that you need to do what your instincts tell you to do.

I’ll close with an image from the annual Chalk It Up Festival in Sacramento. Artists from all over gather and create their art with chalk. This art is beautiful, but it can’t last long. After the weekend festival, people will walk on it and sprinklers will spray water on their beauty. Why do the artists put all that effort into it? Do they get pleasure from seeing the enjoyment people get from their effort. I feel grateful that I get a chance to see their art. Maybe the message is to create joy for others.

Thanks Donna for this soul searching topic. At least it was for me. When you post your messages, be sure to link to Donna’s wonderful post. I know she, and the entire team, will want to see all your replies. Oh, be sure to use the Lens Artists tag. Next week it’s Patti’s turn to challenge us and she’s giving us a hint on her theme: Shadows & Reflections in Monochrome.  

If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info. 

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 19 Comments

Macro Therapy: Green Acres Nursery

There are days when you just need some therapy–Macro Therapy. I’m fortunate there’s a Green Acres nursery, in Citrus Heights, about 10 minutes from my home. Recently in July was one of those mornings. I was feeling a little blah so I grabbed my macro lens and camera, and off I went.

Green Acres is great because they don’t mind us coming in with our cameras, taking our time and taking home picture memories of their products. Here are half of mine from that morning.

I still need to process the rest, so be on the lookout for more gorgeous flowers. Oh, macro therapy does help!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 51 Comments

Lens-Artists Challenge #206: Treasures

This challenge given to us by Aletta, of Now At Home, brought me back to 2020, the year of lockdown. There are many things I treasure like family, friends, health and our pets. But in 2020 one thing was clear, I truly treasured my weekly photo outings. My senior photo buddies and I created a photo pod and went out in our cars (some separate and some together), met at a designated outdoor spot and spent a couple of hours enjoying photography. Later we would have lunch outdoors (when restaurants opened to outdoor service)–a perfect ending to a brief respite.

I’m showing you some images from my 2020 calendar. I’m sure a lot of these are repeats, but I treasure each and every one of them. If it weren’t for photography, I would have been clawing at my front door, screaming “Let me out!”

Fortunately, my front door doesn’t have any claw marks thanks to photography and friends!

Thank you for all the great interpretations of last week’s challenge “The eyes have it.” I enjoyed them all. When you respond to Aletta’s challenge, please remember to link to her post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Next week Jez Braithwaite of Photos by Jez is hosting Seeing Double so be on the lookout for his post.

July will continue with:

July 16, Andre of My Blog–Solaner is thinking about Summer Vibes.

July 23, Tracy, who posts at Reflections of an Untidy Mind, has chosen Surrealism.

July 30, Sarah Wilkie, who hosts Travel with Me, asks you to share Three Favourite Images.

I’ll be back in August with “What’s your groove?” Until then enjoy your summer and stay safe.

 If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, just click this link and join us: https://photobyjohnbo.wordpress.com/about-lens-artists/

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 25 Comments

Triple digits heat wave: Lotus pond, Land Park

Let’s go back 21 years when we moved to Sacramento, there was maybe one week of triple digit temperatures during the entire summer. We’ve already had that many and it’s not even the end of June! The heat stiffles any desire to grab a camera and go out for the day. Enough griping!

Recently Marlene and I took advantage of a morning when the temperature was to max out in the 90s and went to William Land Park in Sacramento to photograph the lotus blossoms. I think they were just as affected by the heat as we were. Also the cluster of lotus were far away from the bank of the pond. Getting super close was not possible. Here are some of the blossoms. The close ups are well cropped.

What truly impressed me was the size of the leaves. They were impressive. The lotus aren’t the only attraction at the pond. There are others:

Also, in today’s world, I always get pleasure from the kindness and friendliness of others. We met three women who saw our cameras and asked us to take their picture with their cell phone. We talked with them. They offered advice on how I could reduce the pain in my hip. They also had us take a picture of each of us and them with our cameras. Here’s the one I took of them and Marlene.

This last picture was taken just before entering the pond area. It’s not a lotus but I liked the lighting.

It’s supposed to be cooler this week, so maybe I won’t be so grumpy! We’ll see what July brings. In the meantime, enjoy your summer and stay safe.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 19 Comments

Just a short post: McKinley Rose Garden

A rose will always be a rose! And I do love them. They are the only plants I personally take care of. I have a small but beautiful rose garden. But today I’m writing about my adventure at the McKinley Park Rose Garden in Sacramento.

Every year they have a photo contest to see which photographer will win the coveted first place prize. Last year, I was lucky enough to win first place. This is the winning photo.

This year I also went down to the garden to take photos. That day, the wind was blowing and the roses were either on their way out or budding. But with my macro lens on my Fuji, I did my best. I used a high shutter speed and hoped for a slight breeze. Of course it was the last week of the contest–no going back another day! You know I procrastinate.

Here are the best of lot. We are allowed five entries. In 2020 I received an honorable mention.

We’ll see what happens and I’ll let you know–even if I don’t place.