My world is definitely black and white today, or should I say gray. We have a dense fog that just won’t lift. So I guess the time is right for Ritva’s black and white (B&W) challenge.
I enjoy black and white photography. However, the environment has to be right. Sometimes when I’m out with my camera, I know the timing is right for B&W images. Other times, I see the opportunity during the editing process.
However, this week Ritva is combining minimalism with B&W. Now that’s a challenge! I was surprised going through my archives that I had quite a few images that met those requirements. Because my back is just not liking today’s damp weather, I’ll make this a short post. Here’s some of what I found.
Thanks Ritva for this challenge. When you post your response, please link to Ritva’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Last week I had so much fun seeing what you found Around the Corner. Next week Egidio will be leading the challenge. In the meantime, stay safe and be resilient.
How many of you venture out for our weekly photo challenges? Or do you hunt through your archives? Me, I usually rummage through my archives. I will admit, it’s fun, bringing back great memories. And having a reason to do that search is even better. So, this week, I challenge you to a virtual scavenger hunt!
Listed below are 20 options. Do a deep dive into your archives, going back as far as you want to find the items. Some examples are:
Something with wavy lines:
Something with a camera:
Something with a wheel:
Something with a cool shadow:
Something with a smooth texture:
Below are more suggestions. You can choose from those or from what I’ve posted. Please find at least five images but no more than 10, and just one image from each suggestion. This would give you a maximum of 10 images in your post. Part of this challenge is choosing which to post!
Zig zag lines
Something with green eyes
Some cool jewelry
Something circular
Something rectangular
Something with a design
Something with a pattern
Something with a bumpy texture
Something with a soft texture
Something with water in it
A set of keys
Something glass
A zipper
Shoelaces
Art supplies
Now, if you have a deep desire to look for these outside, please do so. You can also mix it up between inside and outside. Just don’t post a picture that doesn’t relate to any of these items. Be creative and bold. Most of all, have fun! Please be sure to link back to my original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. I want to check out each and every post to see what you scavenged.
Thanks, Beth, for getting us in a sports mood last week. Next week Ritva will be back so be sure to look for her post. In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude.
We can look at doors physically; when open, we walk out or in. But there are also emotional doors that can free us or hold us prisoner. Photography, in itself, is a door for us photographers. With camera in hand, we walk out to new and old discoveries and away from reality for a while. This week Sofia is encouraging us to share our door images. Let’s see what doors I’ve come up with.
I visit many small towns primarily in the Gold Country area. Doors range from rustic to cut glass modern.
Gates can be classified as doorways. They also swing in and out! Well, except for the gate at Folsom Prison–it swings only in! And I zoomed way in to get this picture. We couldn’t go beyond a certain point. Oh, and I did a lot of cropping too!
Main Gate to Sutter’s Fort in SacramentoEast Gate, Folsom Prison
Here are some images that are singular in their category. They are captioned.
AuditoriumBarnAt Fort Point, San FranciscoThe Folsom Powerhouse supplied electricity to Sacramento in years gone by.
Let’s end this post with some unique door knobs.
What a fun challenge this was. Thanks Sofia. Be sure to link your response to Sofia’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Last week we enjoyed the sights and sounds of your trips to fairs and markets. Some were unusual and colorful. Next week Beth will be challenging us, so look for her post.
I’m reluctant to start this post with a negative; but I really don’t like crowds. However when it comes to festivals and fairs, my camera insists on taking me to them. And, I go willing. Such is the power of photography!
This week Ann-Christine is asking us to show some of the celebrations we’ve enjoyed.
I loved the Sacramento Music Festival, in Old Sacramento, each year. We used to work the youth gig. I was always amazed at the talent of our youth. Of course, we had our adult favorites too. Each festival started with a parade down Front Street. Unfortunately we no longer have this festival, but I do have pictures and memories.
And there’s always something to photograph at small town county fairs.
One year my friend Linda found us a Pirate Festival to explore. These pirates played the part!
A nighttime carnival is something I really enjoy. We have an old shopping center that used to host a small carnival once a year. Now that they’ve decided to tear it down, we’ve lost that fun opportunity. You know how I enjoy slowing down my shutter!
Ann-Christine also mentioned markets. Not only do farmers’ markets have delicious produce, but they provide excellent photo opportunities.
Actually, I do have fun at these festivals. With camera in hand, the crowds don’t seem to bother me. Sometimes people will move when they see me taking a picture. I guess crowds aren’t all that bad.
Thanks Ann-Christine, I enjoyed reliving these fun times. Please remember to link your post to Ann-Christine’s and use the lens-artists tag. I also enjoyed seeing everyone’s lines and patterns posted for John’s challenge last week. Sofia will be challenging us next week so look for her post.
When it come to being entertained at the zoo, the giraffes provide it, especially when there’s a young one in the enclosure. Sumi is about 4 months old (I think) and is so cute. At a recent visit, she was doing something peculiar–gnawing on her mother’s ossicones! At least I think that’s her mom who is lying down. Who else would put up with that! I’ve also included some other pictures to give perspective on Sumi’s size.
A close relative to the giraffe is the Okapi. They also have ossicones but their rear ends have amazing patterns.
While their patterns are beautiful, they are not as much fun to watch as the giraffes.
My other favorite animals are the orangutans, but they weren’t out when I visited. Maybe next time.
When you just need a photographic boost, photograph flowers! That’s what I did at a local nursery. Of course there was a breeze, but that’s not a big deterrent. Just boost up that shutter speed and away you go.
Here are some images from a recent trip to Bushnell Gardens in Granite Bay.
Well, I enjoyed the outing with my Macro lens. I hope you did also.
It’s July 4th in the United States–Happy Independence Day to all who celebrate. This evening we will celebrate with friends and enjoy viewing some fireworks from their hilltop viewpoint. While my meatballs are cooking in the crockpot, I thought I’d share just a few pictures from the Sacramento Zoo. The zoo is remaining in Sacramento and not moving. I don’t know exactly why, probably a money issue.
Here are a few glimpses of our new giraffe. She’s growing fast, but still seeks out her mother.
The capybara, the world’s largest rodent, is asking to be let back in to it’s shelter. Is it people shy?
Our new lioness is grooming herself. I believe they are keeping the new lion and lioness separated for now, only having one out at a time.
We have a new leopard, a clouded leopard. Named because the spots resemble clouds.
I started this post with our youngest giraffe, and I’ll end it with a close relative-the okapi. This is probably the second best picture I’ve gotten of one of them. They are just beautiful.
That’s it for my brief excursion to the zoo. Stay safe and live in gratitude!
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.
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, AZThe Petrified Forest NP, AZMemphis, TNMetro 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 JerseyNiagara Falls, NYSpringfield, ILRocky Mountain NP, ColoradoDinosaur 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.
I’ve always wondered what it would be like to attend a rodeo, and I got my chance. We recently visited our friends in Tuolumne and went to the 66th Annual Mother Lode Round Up Rodeo. Held at the Sonora County Fairgrounds, in the country, it was as I expected.
Attendees dressed as cowgirls and cowboys–even the children! Food and souvenir venders selling overpriced goods. We had $5.00 snow cones, which I thought were reasonable. Others found seats carrying fried potatoes that we thought were fried in a basket and dumped on a paper plate, retaining their shape.
But we were there to see the action–and we saw plenty of it. I’m hoping the cowboys ran to their chiropractors right after the rodeo ended. I can’t believe how tossed around their bodies were and the pounding they took. I came home with more than 800 pictures. I’m still going through them, but here are some pictures of the bull riders. All I can say is wow!
I’ll be showing you more as I get them edited–slowly but surely!
Slow Shutter Speed 