Posted on by Anne Sandler · 55 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #364: Quiet Moment

Oh boy, I’m so glad Ritva’s challenge is a quiet moment and not more than a moment! I left that joy behind when I was raising three boys and numerous dogs. I have since found solitude at my computer, when writing or processing pictures; when I’m walking with my camera, gazing at nature’s beauty or any kind of non-thinking down time reading or watching TV. I’ve started to turn off my cell phone ringer during these times. It can ruin just “being!”

Since this is a photography blog, let’s concentrate on walking with my camera. Dirt paths often lead to solitude. I walk slowly so I don’t miss a photo opportunity for the small things. As I walk, reality becomes distant.

Fog is a weather phenomena that urges me to stop, breathe and relax. I love walking through the mist. The thicker the better. Maybe it brings me into the mystery of a different existence.

Water, whether waves crashing on rocks or a serene lake, makes me stop, look and listen. At the ocean, I listen to the waves as they rush in and hit the shore. At the lake, I listen to nature if there are birds or even nothing but quiet. How relaxing are both experiences!

The beauty of flowers quiets my mind. How gorgeous they are in full bloom. I have to concentrate to get the macro images. This is a quieting experience for me since I’m taken away from reality.

Animals at the zoo also quiet my mind and body, especially when I see a flamingo sleeping–maybe in an awkward position!

Okay, I put that in just for fun. Let me close with a simple country scene that I can be in all day and not want to leave.

These days, it’s difficult to find quiet. When we find a quiet environment, can we quiet our minds? Thank you Ritva for helping us remember we do need to practice quiet mindfulness. When you respond to her challenge please remember to link to her original post and use the Lens-Artist tag.

Wow, did we have fun last week during our scavenger hunt. You sure kept me busy with your amazing and inventive responses, and I loved it. Egidio will be leading our challenge next week. Be sure to look for his wonderful post. In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 55 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #358: Live and Learn

Living is learning! I started learning to be something else other than a mom when pouring a glass of water for a friend during dinner. By rote, I poured him a half glass. He then asked if he promised not to spill, could he have a full glass! That’s when I decided I needed to do something just for me.

I enrolled in a non-fiction writing class at Pierce College, Woodland Hills. This led to writing for the L. A. Daily News as a community columnist and taking my own photos for the articles. When retirement hit, I decided I was done with writing and got my first SLR.

Then the learning began. I learn by doing. I went out on photo outings and asked a lot of questions of other photographers. Later, I joined a photo club where my photos would be critiqued. Then I found LAPC, and here we are!

That was a long way to introduce my response to Tina’s challenge. Through my photographic progression I’ve learned many things like:

Have the eyes in focus!

Use the sun correctly.

Have your picture tell a story.

Be ready. Sometimes you just have to take the shot.

More lessons learned are in the captions.

Fill the Frame
Get Down Low to Accent the Foreground
Find Leading Lines

Oh, there are many more lessons I’ve learned. The biggest lesson is just have fun! I’m still in the photo club and enjoy having my photos critiqued. My photo/friend group has aged, but we still go out once a week. Photography keeps your mind sharp and body exercised.

Thanks Tina for this mental exercise, showing us why we are photographing as we do, and why we should keep doing it.

Last week we went into the woods prompted by Egidio’s fantastic challenge. I enjoyed all your responses. When you respond to Tina’s post remember to link to her original challenge and use the Lens-Artists tag. Next week John will be leading the challenge, so look for his post. Until then stay safe and live in gratitude.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 42 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #357: Into the Woods

Egidio, you hit the bullseye. I love the woods. Getting out of suburbia and into the fresh air is amazing. I especially love the smell of pine trees. I need to get up to the mountains more often. Fortunately, although Sacramento is too low for pine trees, we do have wooded areas around our creeks and rivers.

Let’s start with higher altitude, the forest, specifically Lassen National Park. These pictures were taken from our last visit in 2023. As soon as I got out of the truck, I could smell the forest. It was wonderful being back after a long absence. Unfortunately they were still clearing away the dead trees from the 2021 fire. Our dog was still alive and I enjoyed our walks around the campground. I think he also enjoyed the new forest smells.

Lets move on to a State Park. Calaveras Big Trees State Park. The Big Trees refer to giant Sequoias. They are impressive trees. Not as tall as our coastal redwoods, but they have amazing girth.

Woods change with the seasons. In the Sacramento area, we don’t get too much Autumn color. We photographers have to go up in altitude to find it. I found these in Grass Valley in what we call the Foothills.

While we are still up in altitude, let’s visit Hope Valley and see how fire can devastate our trees. It will take more years than I have left in my lifetime to grow a new grove of aspens.

Down in altitude and in my local area, Dry Creek is a favorite for children in the summer. You walk through wildflowers to get to the creek. Stock Ranch Nature Preserve is located just behind Costco. It is dark and moist–the perfect place for fungi to grow.

And, now for my favorite National Park in California–Sequoia / Kings Canyon. Although joined, Kings Canyon (higher than Sequoia) has mostly cedar trees and a beautiful forest. Sequoia has the larger Sequoia trees. I’m closing with an image of the infamous, well-known General Sherman. You can’t hug this tree!

You can see why I love the forest and its smells and beautiful trees. Thank you Egidio for this trip down memory lane. When you post your response, please remember to link back to Egidio’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Next week, look for Tina’s post since she will be leading the challenge.

In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude!

Please see this page to learn more about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 48 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #356: Quiet Hours

What is a quiet hour? Is it when you are meditating? Reading a book? Taking a walk? For me it’s all these things and also when I have my camera in my hand. I can be in a noisy touristy area or out in the country; with my Fuji, I don’t hear any noise. Guest host SH wants to know how we enjoy our quiet hours. I might be twisting this challenge, but for me a quiet place is one that brings me relaxation and peace. So here we go.

I especially like visiting our Northern California beaches, especially when they are too cold to attract swimmers or have black sand. I can sit and enjoy the solitude, watching the gentle wave come ashore.

I do find trees so relaxing. With or without leaves, their branches are so expressive and inviting. They can form a canopy welcoming you down a path, or in Autumn, treat you to a colorful display of oranges, reds and browns. Your eyes act as a portal. bringing in all the beauty and silence that feeds your body with calmness and joy.

I do enjoy walking down country paths that take me from my suburban life. Fortunately I don’t have to go far to experience the quiet of country life. It’s about 45 minutes from my home. I’m even getting used to getting lost when looking for County Road 18, 16 or 19! I get so relaxed getting lost on these roads, passing farms, wineries, and orchards. I never know what photo delights I’ll find.

Ponds and creeks are in abundance here. If I need a water fix, I don’t have to drive to the ocean. Their calm movement, seasonal changes and water fowl delights my camera.

These are just some of the places I consider quiet places. Thank you SH for having me revisit places that give me relaxation. When you respond, please link to his original post and use the Lens Artists tag. Before our holiday break we enjoyed Ann-Christine having us look back. What fun! Egidio is our host next week. Until then stay safe and live in gratitude.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 106 Comments

Lens-Artist Challenge #354: Reflections

What do you do when you’re getting ready to leave your home? You look in the mirror. We look to see the image we are reflecting. Reflections are formed when light bounces off a surface, creating a mirror image of the viewed object, in this case us!

As photographers, we look for reflections in:

Water

Buildings

Cars

Anything shiny can help create a reflection.

I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole again. I never gave too much thought about reflections or how I used them. I just liked them and used them a lot. So here are some tips I found while visiting some rabbits.

Still water: a body of water with minimal movement will give you clear reflections.

Check the angle of your camera for the clearest reflections.

Pay attention to lighting. Harsh glare can ruin a reflection while the golden hour can create a magnificent one.

Dull lighting can work also as found in puddles.

Long exposures is something I have never tried because I don’t carry around my tripod or my one ND filter. But the rabbit told me not to let you down and to ask Leanne Cole for advice.

Advice from Leanne Cole:

“You definitely need a tripod and ND filters. Timing depends on the filter you are using and the available light. You might need 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes or more. I use an aperture between f8 and f14. I tend to use the aperture to help me get the time I want. Long exposure for water is great when the water isn’t quite mirror like, but almost. An exposure of 20 or 30 seconds can get you that mirror like photos.”

Leanne’s Images!

Thank you Leanne!

Again, do as I say, not as I do. Use polarizing filters especially when photographing on glass. I’ve been lucky—and lazy! I love capturing interesting window reflections. These images were not photographed in bright sunlight. The first is a window reflection of a building across the street. The pink photograph is of a beauty salon and the trees across the street.

Now for some fun things the rabbit reminded me of. Have you ever used a crystal ball?

You photograph a subject through one and the magic happens—upside down reflections.

And how about seeing a busy shop through an antique mirror?

The rabbit finally tired of all my questions and chased me back to reality. Now it’s time for you to experiment with reflections of any kind. I’m looking forward to seeing how you and your camera reflect on various subjects. Most of all, just have fun!

When you post your fun photos, remember to link back to this post and use the Lens-Artists tag. I’m looking forward to seeing all your reflections this week. Last week Beth presented her first challenge as a team member. It was sure a stormy week. I enjoyed seeing and reading your posts. Next week Ann-Christine is challenging us, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 61 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #353 Stormy

The first storm I can remember was the 1949 category 4 hurricane that made landfall near West Palm Beach Florida. I was about 6 years at the time, but remember the tremendous and horrific winds. To this day, I don’t want to be out in the wind.

Then came the 6.6 magnitude Sylmar earthquake (while we lived in the San Fernando Valley), followed by the 1989 6.9 Bay Area quake. Things have been calm since we moved to Sacramento. While our rivers are prone to flooding, we are far enough away to be out of danger, and the area’s creeks are not allowed to overflow.

So that’s a brief stormy background of my life for Beth’s first challenge. She wants to know about various types of storms: stormy weather, stormy feelings or stormy situations.

I can tell you from experience that each leads into the other. Bad weather leads into frightful feelings which, in turn, lead into terrifying situations! Here are some bad weather situations I was able to capture with my cameras.

Let’s start with rain. While camping in Lassen National Park, it would rain every afternoon. Last month, while visiting our kids in Reno, a rain storm was heading our way. I’ve never been able to catch rain like that with my camera.

Lassen NP
Reno, NV

We’ve also seen some threatening clouds. These may have been taken during our Alaska cruise.

Last year, we experienced atmospheric rivers in Northern California. These are rains that drop about 4 to 6 inches of water in a short time. The American and Sacramento rivers did flood at Discovery Park (the confluence of both rivers).

Our local creek also crested during another storm. The water was channeled into the rivers.

We are too low in elevation to get snow, but California has mountains. On one trip down to Southern California, we ran into snow. This is on Highway 5.

Now for Highway 80 on a visit to Donner State Park.

Last but not least was our famous “getting snowed in” trip to my kids in Reno. A snow blower is helping to dig them out.

These are fond memories, but I’m glad they are just that. I was too young to capture pictures of the hurricane, but the snapshots of the aftermath are still alive in my memory. Fortunately, we didn’t have much damage from the earthquakes, but I do remember holding my son’s highchair down during the afterquakes.

Beth, I hope you’re having fun with the various responses you are getting. Thanks for taking me down memory lane and having me appreciate where I live–out of super storm’s reach. Please link to Beth’s post when you respond and use the Lens-Artists tag.

I’ll be challenging you next week, so stay tuned and look for my post. Until then, stay safe and live in gratitude.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 48 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #352: Mellow

We all mellow out in different ways. Many of you have posted music lyrics. Music also relaxes me. One song does come to mind–“Here Comes the Sun” by George Harrison of the Beatles. However my favorite rendition is by Richie Havens. Google it. You’ll soon be dancing around, forgetting your cares and mellowing out.

But this is a photo blog, and this week Sofia asks us to mellow out. Here are just a few places I take my camera to relax.

A High Sierra Lake. The still water is calming and I do love the forest.

Trees with their graceful branches are beautiful and welcoming. They are also beautiful when snuggled in fog and looking mysterious.

Driving on a mountain road is relaxing for me. Since I live in a valley, driving these roads, away from suburban traffic, mellows me out. The car was off the road when I took this photo!

And, how about the gracefulness of birds in flight. I sit and wonder what it must be like to soar in the air like that on your own power.

You know how much I love to photograph flowers. Just being able to capture their beauty mellows me out.

And finally, we can’t forget the relaxation brought by an amazing sunset. We have to watch carefully so we don’t miss its natural beauty because the moment is fleeting.

Thanks Sofia, you reminded us of the need to just get away and mellow out however we do. It’s a great practice for our physical and spiritual beings. When you post your response, please remember to link to Sofia’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Last week Ritva opened the wonder of books–another way to relax. Next week Beth is leading her first challenge, so be sure to look for her post.

In the meantime stay safe and live in gratitude!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 50 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #351: Books

For so many years, books were my window to the world. They took me away from the Bronx tenement where I grew up to many lands and different ways of life. They were my childhood escape. As I grew up and became an adult, my tastes in books changed. Married and with children, I found amazing children’s authors. But I still relied on books to take me to foreign lands. That remained my treasured hobby–until photography and the Lens Artists community.

Now you take me away and teach me about the world. And with photography, I can express myself and show my travels outside of and within the United States.

This week Ritva challenges us with the task of showing what significance books hold for us. Here’s one for this week’s show and tell.

Last December was a choose your own book month in my book club. I chose to re-read “Travels With Charlie” by John Steinbeck. This was a journal of his cross-country trip with his dog Charlie. This re-read showed me what an impact books and certain authors can have on your life. Now I know why I wanted to travel across America in our 5th wheel trailer in 2013. By the way, this was when I began photography and got my first DSLR.

Our 5th wheel and truck. AKA Rocky (the truck) and Bullwinkle (the trailer)

Steinbeck’s words resonated with me even more after re-experiencing his journey. We may not have gone to the same towns or met the same people, but he found the differences in culture and ways of life as we did.

Here is a small sample of the places we stopped.

Siligman, AZ
The Petrified Forest NP, AZ
Memphis, TN
Metro Station in Washington D.C.

We didn’t have Charlie, but we had Gem who was 3 years at the time. What an education that trip was. I still hold those memories in my mind and heart. Just see how you can attract people in a Maine campground with California plates on your truck!

Visiting Family in New Jersey
Niagara Falls, NY
Springfield, IL
Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado
Dinosaur National Monument, Utah

Our trip came to an end after 3 months and 16,000 miles. I could have continued for another 3 months. There was so much of the U.S. we didn’t see. But, Richard needed to have a torn meniscus repaired. And Gem was missing his big house. He wasn’t a good traveler!

Thank you Ritva for driving home how one book made a difference in my life. When you post about your favorite book(s), remember to link to Ritva’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

Wow, what a week we had. I truly enjoyed your zooms and creativity. Some of you tackled zooming for the first time and others were pros at it. All your posts were great and fun to see. Thanks for participating.

Next is Sofia’s turn to challenge us. So look for her blog post. In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 56 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #348: Serenity

Serenity can be found in a crowd with yelling people, horses and riders. Yes, this weekend we went to a rodeo while visiting friends. I had fun experiencing a rodeo for the first time and trying to capture the events with my camera. With my attention captured, I was calm and serene. But, that’s not the only way to capture serenity. This week Egidio suggests that we show where we go to be serene.

I like landscapes with beautiful skies; and, I like to see people enjoying the same scene I do. The next two images show people enjoying flowers, one at the ocean and the other in the forest. Both are calming and wonderful.

Skies can help a landscape become serene. Whether at the ocean or in the country, a good sky can create a calming atmosphere. Water is always calming. Whether I’m at a lake or ocean I’m entranced by water. Our country outings always have a calming effect especially when the scene is simple and beautiful.

We can also find serenity viewing public art. Our yearly Chalk It Up and many murals about downtown Sacramento leave me in awe and serene. A mural of a mother and child embracing sends me to a calm quiet place–not that raising kids is always calm! A mural of a swan and heart reminds me of how graceful swans are as they glide through the water.

Last, there’s nothing more serene than a beautiful sunset. I sometimes sit and wonder how nature can paint these beautiful pictures.

After seeing these images, you’re probably wondering how I can find serenity at a rodeo. I just got immersed in the activity. Mind and body relaxed. Isn’t that what serenity is all about? Thanks Egidio for sending us to serene places this week. I’ll catch up with all your posts and look for more. When you do post, please link to Egidio’s original post and tag Lens-Artists. Next week Tina is challenging us.

If you’re wondering about my Rodeo pictures, they are still in the camera. You’ll see them someday. In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 64 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #347: Break the Rules

When I started this hobby, I didn’t know there were rules, and it was a good thing. I probably would have walked away from any type of constraint. I just enjoyed taking pictures, composing and learning about my camera.

Ritva’s challenge this week has us finding images where we successfully broke the rules–or maybe unsuccessfully! How many of us keep the images that didn’t work? I throw them out, keeping only the best or the ones I like. Those are my excuses for not finding total rule breaking images in my archives.

I chose 2020 for my search because it was sort of midway in my photographic journey. Here’s what I found.

These poppies are totally centered. You might say I filled the frame, but only because I cropped in too tight.

It’s never a good idea to photograph wildlife from the rear, but look at the way this hawk has it’s head turned.

And should the horizon line be in the center of the frame? Maybe it’s okay when the sky is as fantastic as the ground.

Never shoot into the sun! Unless….

Is zooming breaking the rules? I don’t know. I just have fun with it.

And what about moving the camera while the shutter is open? You might get a scrambled jumble of color.

And finally, I think this was a cactus. I don’t know what I did to get this picture.

I think photographic rules are meant to be broken. I basically understand the rule of thirds and not to place the horizon line in the center of the composition; the rest is a mystery to me. I just compose the picture the way I like it.

Thanks Ritva for this soul searching topic. It really was a difficult challenge–at least for me! When you share your response, please link to her post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Last week Sofia challenged us to post cinematic pictures which was an equally difficult challenge. I enjoyed seeing all your creativity. Next week Egidio will be leading the challenge, so look for his post on Saturday.

In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude!