Posted on by Anne Sandler · 48 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #255: Telling A Story

I have been told that every picture should tell a story. Lately I’ve been looking for the story in images I photograph. I’m working hard at finding the story in a simple, beautiful landscape. Maybe that’s the story! This week, Patti is encouraging us to show one to five photographs that tell a story. I have two single images that I think tell two very different stories, and, no, they are not landscapes.

The first was taken while on a photo outing in San Francisco on the Embarcadero.

I don’t think I need to explain the story in this image. Homelessness is worldwide. It isn’t contained to any one city, state or country. I have more pictures of the unhoused, but this shows the plight of someone who is decently dressed, trying to get along.

My second story is heartwarming to me. My granddaughter was impatiently waiting for her guests to arrive for her birthday party. Her anticipation and excitement was overwhelming.

She kept checking the window near the door for her friends’ arrival. And it was a fun make over pamper party. Having raised three boys, this was a special treat for this grandma.

Two single images telling two very different stories. Thanks Patti for this insightful challenge. Please remember to link to Patti’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag in the reader when you reply to this challenge. And thanks to Tina for last week’s spirituality challenge. I was amazed at all the different interpretations you all offered.

Next week we will welcome five guest hosts for July’s challenges. They are:

Please look for their blogs and challenges. I’m looking forward to see all your responses.

The Lens-Artists team will be back in August with Ann-Christine hosting on Saturday, August 5. Look for her post on Leya at noon ET.  Take care and enjoy your July activities.

Interested in joining the Lens-Artists challenge? Click here for more information.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 9 Comments

Paradise lost: The Camp Fire Aftermath

The photos in this post are not pretty or inviting, but they are realistic. My neighbor, a Camp Fire survivor, invited me and a few of my photo buddies up to the small town of Paradise to document where he used to live. Just imagine not being able to look at photo albums containing images of past generations, your children when they were young, past celebrations. Camp Fire survivors don’t have that privilege. They are lucky to be alive.

Called the deadliest and most destructive fire in California, this fire ignited before 6:30 a.m., November 8, 2018 near Camp Creek Road and Pulga Road in Paradise, Butte County. After extensive investigation, the cause was found to be a faulty transmission wire maintained by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). The two roads out of Paradise into Chico were jammed with residents trying to escape. A typically short ride down the mountain took 4 hours. My neighbor said the car was hot and it looked like they were surrounded by walls of orange. Eighty five people didn’t make it.

We visited June 30, 2020. By this time all the debris was cleared, the murals painted on wall remnants were gone, but desolation remained. Here’s what we saw. Pictures are captioned.

  • The town shopping center was here.
  • This sign shows the stores.
  • Dave lived in a mobile home park. All homes were lost except this trailer.
  • All that’s left of these home sites are the entrance bricks.
  • Burned trees.
  • New life.
  • A space number without a home.
  • Beauty in death.
  • It’s amazing how this tree is coming back.
  • This sign is protecting what used to be a gathering place for residents.
  • The residents would sit and talk.
  • And barbecue.
  • And walk along the path.
  • Sign of the times.
  • The church where survivors gathered.
  • The monument for the dead.
  • Each family put in a brick in memory of their loved one.
  • The fire ended after it consumed the row of trees.
  • Memory bricks.
  • This was to honor the horses lost in the fire.
  • A plaque to honor those who died.
  • Another sign of the times.
  • A memorial plaque in the cemetery.

This was a difficult shoot. I’m posting this because my neighbor said he was so happy we wanted to come up to photograph the place he used to call home.