This was my request. I asked to visit a small town, much like Sutter Creek near me. So off we drove to Staunton (pronounced Stanton) and Lexington. These two towns were quaint and different. The difference was in the age and ornamental qualities of the buildings.
Let’s visit Staunton first. We stopped at a street that was blocked off to traffic.
Top row: An employee setting up an outdoor smoking area for a smoke shop. A wooden Indian sculpture inside the shop. Instruments made from cigar boxes.
Second row: People enjoying outdoor dining.
Third row: A cute store and a theatre.
Still in Staunton, some interesting buildings.
The Augusta County CourthouseYikes! A giant praying mantis!
In Lexington, we took a horse drawn carriage ride. It was great, but made photography difficult. Our guide apologized for not being able to stop because it would get her off schedule.
I mostly rested in Alexandria, Virginia. So our next stop will be Boston! Stay tuned.
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.
There’s so much to see in Luray, Virginia, beginning with Luray Caverns. I have visited many caverns and caves, but this was the largest. It was long and winding; not like others where you traversed down narrow steps to the bottom. And, of course you had to climb back up. These caverns were more or less level, walkable and well lit.
I was amazed by the colors and water features. In some cases, you could see the water dropping from the stalactites. There were audio tours available, but we just started out on our own. There was so much to experience and photograph.
Here are some of my favorite images.
The caverns were the stars of the show that also included a museum, a Garden Maze, Shenandoah Heritage Village, Toy Town Junction and a Rope Adventure Park. We did go into the Heritage Village and Toy Town since it was included with the cavern price. The other attractions were at an additional cost. You could spend some serious money there, especially if you have children.
By the time we got back to the condo, all us seniors were weary and ready for a relaxing evening. Our next stop is Staunton and Lexington, VA.
I had the good fortune to be invited by friends (Ken, Sandy and Peg) on an 8-day New England Cruise and a week in Virginia prior. It was a great trip, and I’ll be showing you pictures as we I process them. This first batch is from Shenandoah National Park (Part of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
When my husband and I went across country in 2013, we missed seeing this area, but did see the Great Smoky Mountains NP. So this was a great opportunity for me to see more of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I can’t say I was disappointed; the mountains are beautiful. But the scenery is pretty much the same at one turn out to another. I’m sure if you can or are into hiking, you’d see more. However, four seniors (Me the oldest.) weren’t into, or could do, either. Walking is our thing.
Here are pictures taken from behind the condo we stayed at.
We stopped at every road going through the Park. It was foggy, and I worked to alleviate much of it with Lightroom. The scenery is lush and green; a welcome change from what we have in drought ridden California.
Ken
Our next stop is at the Luray Caverns. There’s a lot of images to process, so memories of this trip will be interspersed with local outings.
I find that I’m getting lazy when I photograph. I used to do as Patti suggests in this week’s challenge: bend down, sit down, walk around and even lay down to get the shot. Now I find that I stop myself after I take one shot and begin to walk away. I think it’s more physical aging than being lazy.
Sometimes I don’t have to bend down to get a different perspective. Sometimes I just walk around and aim the camera up. This red sculpture is found in Roseville’s Sculpture Park. While it’s a well known landmark, Roseville has cleverly hidden it behind a shopping center. But it can be seen from the freeway. Maybe the sculpture came first and the shopping center second.
My next example is of stepping back and changing position to get a different scene from the same area. This was taken at Fort Ross Historical Park in Jenner. I’ve never seen wild Calla Lilies, but they are here. We start out with a larger view of the coast and then come in to find the wildflowers (you can barely see them).
Sometimes it’s patience that gives us a new perspective on a picture. This Orangutan at the Sacramento Zoo required patience as I waited and followed his moves.
Finally, it’s taking a shot of many and bringing it down to just one for a different perspective. These poppies were found in Sutter Creek, Amador County.
Thank you Patti for reminding me to position myself to get the “one subject three ways!” When you post on this challenge please remember to link to Patti’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag. We all enjoyed finding our special treasures as prompted by Tina last week. Ann-Christine is hosting next week’s challenge.
I enjoy a good treasure hunt, especially when it involves photography. I’ve participated in a couple of outings that involved finding treasured objects, and had fun. This week Tina encourages us to participate in her treasure hunt. So here goes!
I found all but the moon. But that was for extra credit since I do have a sun image. Each image is captioned.
Thanks Tina, this was fun. It’s good to be back with LAPC after being gone on an enjoyable vacation. I’m sorry to have missed some challenges, but without internet, it was not possible to participate. If you haven’t posted your response yet, be sure to link to Tina’s original post when you do. Next week, Patti will host the LAPC 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.
I was out lensed as usual. Laura and I went for a tour around the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area before it got too hot for us and the birds. Laura is a great nature photographer and uses a zoom that extends to 600 mm lens. I use my trusty 300 mm lens. You can understand what I mean by out lensed! But, we have great fun and lots of laughs. I’m happy when a bird is spotted close enough for me to get a good picture.
This big bird did get close enough; almost too close. We couldn’t figure out what he was doing since he wasn’t spraying crops. I just kept thinking of Sesame Street’s Big Bird. That’s what happens when you’ve raised kids!
This Great Blue Heron was just about close enough for me. He was still and watching his prey.
The sun, it rises and sets every day. We take that for granted, especially photographers. We get up early for the sunrise and go to bed late because we’ve been out capturing the sun set. This week Amy wants us to post our sun images no matter what time of day.
I’ve chosen to begin with a sunrise I captured in Yosemite from first light to almost full sun. I was with my photo buddy Laura and was 6 years younger. We were standing on Swinging Bridge and photographing Yosemite Falls. I don’t know if I’d face that cold again!
During the day, we can use the sun to our advantage. Sunflowers always face the sun to the sun.
This next flower has the sun at its side.
This duck has the sun at its back.
Now for sunset. Years ago I was out with Karen and Marlene and when the sun started setting we looked for a good place to capture the moment. Before we found the pond, we came across this piece of motorized machinery as the sun began its dissent. Do you know what it is?
It was in the same area that we found this beautiful pond we photographed from the road. You can see the sun setting and after it set.
Yes, we can’t live without it, but sometimes the sun makes life difficult. It’s been a hot summer here in Sacramento. I try to do whatever I need to do outdoors before 10 a.m. and the sun is out full force.
Thank you Amy for this enjoyable post. When you reply, please remember to link to her post and use the Lens-Artists tag. We enjoyed your images of motion in response to Patti’s Motion challenge last week. Next week Ann-Christine is hosting our challenge, so look for her post. Have a great week and enjoy the sun!
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
What’s your photographic groove? What type of photography do you truly enjoy doing? I didn’t really know the answer to that question when I first began photography, and it took me a while to find it!
I realized my photographic groove when I bought my Fujifilm XT3. I had all sorts of lenses for my Nikon D7100—ultra-wide, macro, telephoto, and the zoom from 18 – 200 mm. I could photograph all I wanted with those lenses.
First, I found I hardly ever used my ultra-wide lens, my landscape shots didn’t warrant it.
The prime F/4 300 mm was used maybe four times a year at wildlife areas.
The macro was used when I was around flowers and insects.
My walk-around lens, the 18 – 200 mm was used the most.
When I switched to the Fuji two years ago, I bought the two lenses that would give me the same range as my walk around Nikon lens. I wanted a third lens, but which one. After trying a couple, thank you Action Camera in Roseville, I settled on a macro lens. I quickly sold my Nikon macro. No need for redundancy. I’ve thought about buying another Fuji lens but why. If I want a telephoto or ultra-wide, I still have my Nikon set up.
I quickly realized how much I was enjoying the macro lens.
So, what’s my photo groove? Macro. I love shooting macro. It’s a challenge that I enjoy even on breezy days. I still go after great landscapes, sunsets, and wildlife. But when it comes down to it, macro Is my photographic groove.
Now that I’ve told you my story, what’s your photo groove? What gives you that sense of accomplishment? Of joy? Of completion? Your challenge this week is to show and tell us about what type of photography you enjoy the most. I used my choice of lenses to find my grove. You may have a different way. If you don’t have a favorite, that’s okay. Show us your wonderful images and tell us about them. Who knows, doing this exercise may help you realize your photo groove.
Thank you guest host Sarah Wilkie of Travel With Me for the exercise of picking out three of our favorite images. And thank you to all of our other wonderful July guest hosts, Aletta, Jez, Andre and Tracy. When you reply to this challenge, please link to this post and use the lens artists tag. I’m looking forward to seeing your groovy photos. As your LAPC team resumes our rotation, Patti will present next week’s challenge. Be looking for her post. In the meantime have fun and stay safe in your travels.
When you have thousands of pictures, how do you pick just three? It’s difficult, but Sarah of Travel With Me has given us this challenge. I’ve taken it on and here are my three.
My first photo is of Waterton Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park, in Canada. I like it because when I decided to try processing it in black and white, it took on a whole new dimension, almost like a sketch. I love black and white, so when I think an image has a tonal quality that may fit, I try it. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but this time it did. I typically process black and whites in NIK Silver Efex. This won a prize in the Motherload Fair, Sonora.
Next is a macro that almost took first place in the In Focus competition. This means it made it to the final table. That doesn’t matter to me because I just like it for the color, seeing the hair on the leaf and the water drop that’s just hanging on. I process all my photos in Lightroom and may have brought this into NIK Color Efex. I just can’t remember. I’m sure I’ve posted this before in an LAPC post. This is truly one of my favorites.
My third image is definitely a recent favorite of mine. I love the flamingos at the Sacramento Zoo. I had already taken a few photos of them, looking for a “keeper.” I was thinking sometimes you’re just not in the right place at the right time. I was talking to a docent about the birds who were taking their naps and this one opened one eye and looked at me. I’m so glad it opened it again after I got my camera in position. This time I was in the right place at the right time! This was processed in Lightroom and Topaz sharpener AI. It did take “Picture of the Night” at the Sierra Camera Club general competition.
As I said, I have many more favorites. This was a difficult challenge Sarah, but worth the exercise. Thank you! Remember to use the Lens-Artist tag when you post your reply and link to Sarah’s original pose. Tracy’s Surreal challenge last week brought us many amazing photos to look at. I’ll be posting next week’s challenge, so be sure to check back.
Slow Shutter Speed 