almond orchard – Slow Shutter Speed

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Anne Sandler · 42 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #367: Everyone Should See This

When was the last time you hugged a tree? Have you ever hugged a tree? Or maybe you’ve just stood by one and soaked up their energy. I love trees, their energy and graceful branches. This week our guest host Joanne Mason wants us to share some photographs of things/people/places that are inspiring.

I find trees inspiring. I don’t know why. They give me peace, energy and relaxation. Let’s go to the forest first. I love the smell of pine trees. Unfortunately it will take this forest, in the picture on the right, a long time to recover from this fire. Please be careful and show nature the respect it deserves.

It’s Autumn let’s enjoy the beauty of the leaves.

Trees and fungi have a mutually beneficial relationship, where fungi provide trees with water and soil nutrients, while trees supply the fungi with sugars. And they look pretty too!

We have a lot of almond orchards in the Yolo County countryside. When the trees blossom, they are so beautiful. When they are bare, you find a carpet of mustard plants.

I love trees in the fog, especially during the winter season.

And if you’re able to catch that special moment when a tree allows a sunbeam through its leaves, that is just WOW!

I hope this post has you inspired to enjoy trees. When you respond to Joanne’s post please link to hers and use the Lens-Artists tag.

Last week, we looked at the lives of city and rural dwellers urged on by Tina, and it was fun. Next week John will be hosting the challenge.

Until then, stay safe, hug a tree and live in gratitude!

Posted on October 10, 2021October 10, 2021 by Anne Sandler · 30 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #169: The Ordinary

Before I started photography, I took nature for granted. While I liked pretty flowers, I never noticed their delicate intricacies. However, becoming a photographer changed all that. I now I look at the light shinning through the petals and the stamens holding pollen for the bees.

Guest host I. J. Khanewala‘s challenge is for us to discover the ordinary around us and cherish it. I do cherish nature.

It might be an eagle, hawk or deer.

Or maybe a landscape in the country, an ocean scene or a well known tourist spot.

But what happens when nature itself provides challenges like the wind storm we had last winter. It blew most of the almond blossoms off the trees in the orchards, devastating the almond crop. Ordinarily these trees would be full of blossoms.

But sometimes humankind provides the igniting spark that destroys what nature has taken so long to create.

In one fire season we went from a scene like this.

To a scene like this, taken yesterday. The results from the Caldor fire.

Let’s not take our extraordinary nature for granted any longer. Be careful to leave areas you visit just as you found it–beautiful!

Posted on July 29, 2018 by Anne Sandler · 6 Comments

Country life: Yolo Art and Ag

I’m not a country gal, but I do enjoy the opportunity to experience it. And, fortunately, I do get the chance. During the summer months, Yolo Arts brings together artists, photographers and farm owners in an effort to raise awareness about the importance of preserving farmlands. This is accomplished through the Arts and Ag Project in Yolo County.

It’s amazing how close urban and suburban Sacramento is to farms and orchards. Drive one hour and you’re in a different world. A world I often get lost in! This month we visited Meeks and Sons, Inc. farm. A large farm that grows crops. This was a much different experience than in the past when we visited small farms–maybe two or three at a time. Karen B. and I got lost driving up and down the dirt roads. We did manage to find almond pods on the trees and some old and new farm equipment to take picture of.

Afterwards, Karen B. and I drove about 30 miles north to scout out a venue for our Tuesday group–a resting place for old busses and trucks in Williams. This is a photographers dream shoot, but not in the summer. It’s way too hot with more triple digits days than ever before. We ate lunch in the town and took some pictures.

Take a peek at what this city gal found on the farm.