Posted on by Anne Sandler

Happy Birthday Ryan: How to throw a kid’s party without the mess

Children’s birthday parties have changed–from home to party place. I usually don’t post my family’s birthday parties, but this one will be an exception. It was my younger grandson’s 6th birthday, and he wanted it at Chuck E. Cheese’s. Doesn’t every kid?

The staff at the restaurant were great. They kept the kids busy. Every child had a cup full of coins to play with. By play, I mean they played arcade games and received tickets as they went along. Even if they lost the game, they received one or two tickets. There are two sides to the play area; one for young children and the other for older ones. My granddaughter, at 3 years, stayed in the small kid area, while Ryan tried his luck in the bigger kid area. It was difficult to capture pictures at this party because the children were so excited and busy. My grandchildren have become used to me and my camera and are now turning around, not cooperating. I had the camera on aperture priority and auto sometimes, because I had to shoot quickly.

It became easier when pizza (which was pretty good) was served and Chuck E. Cheese himself visited. The only downside to the party was that the mouse was working two parties at once. Did you know that Chuck E. Cheese is a mouse? Then the child and a chosen adult get to go into the ticket machine where tickets are blowing around. Whatever tickets the duo get to grab are theirs to keep. The prize is the big 1,000 ticket which also blows around. If you win that one, you get $1,000 additional tickets. You’ll have to look at the pictures to find out what happened for Ryan and his dad.

The children leave the party stuffed with pizza and tickets which they redeem at the redemption counter. I remember having birthday parties for my boys at our home or the park. We played all sorts of games to keep them busy, fed them lunch and birthday cake and gave them party favors. And, when the kids left, I had to clean up the house. If you can afford it, Chuck E. Cheese is a better option.

 

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Frozen: Shooting and light painting silos at night

Night photography–a lot of fun and a great learning experience. The only problem with night photography is that you freeze. And, there’s more than one way to become frozen. This time we went along Highway 99 in the Yolo County area to shoot the full harvest moon, the sunset and light paint silos. We met at about 6:30 p.m. and didn’t get back home until 10:45 p.m. We’re an adventurous bunch.

The first set of silos were located along the Sacramento River. As soon as we began setting up our cameras we knew it would be cold. It was a cold wind that blew across the farming area, and soon the physical “frozen” set in. We caught what we could of the moon and sunset and then moved to another vantage point to shoot the silos. I’m slowly getting gear for night photography. I have a couple of light sticks which don’t throw much light and a nifty new flash light that has range when it’s on white. Now I have to get gels to cover the flash light, and I can light paint on my own.

I became mentally frozen when it became dark and we started shooting long exposures. I couldn’t figure out how to dial in the right shutter speed! I stood there becoming more and more frustrated when one of the photographers finally helped me. Once he showed me what to do, I was set for the rest of the night. Yes, frozen in two ways! I think I should have started this hobby 15 years earlier!

All in all, it was a great night. By the time we got to the second silo, the wind had stopped and it was warmer. I had a lot of fun at the second silo because our coordinator had talked to the owner, and we were able to walk around the grounds. A couple of cars and workers were there also.

Night photography is fun, but bring a lot of layers because you don’t want to get frozen.

 

Posted on by Anne Sandler

I go where the Meetup takes me: The Grand Island Mansion, Walnut Grove, California Part 2

Now let’s see, where did I leave off? Yes, I left you outside of the Grand Island Mansion. Now, let’s go inside!

I enjoyed roaming the inside. We couldn’t go upstairs because they had a wedding the night before and the guests were still sleeping. But, we did have access to the main floor and one below. Or at least I thought we did. I’m saying that because another photographer, who was eating there, told me she was asked, by the owner, not to take pictures inside! With that bit of information I stayed mostly downstairs, but I did get a good shot of the main dining area and buffet.

There was one room I was unsuccessful at shooting–the small theater. I was able to get the bowling alley, but was not happy with the result; so you’re not going to see it. Sorry. Enjoy your tour.

 

Posted on by Anne Sandler

I go where the Meetup takes me: The Grand Island Mansion, Walnut Grove, California

I’m not a wanderer; I’m a homebody. But, through the various Meetups I belong to, I’ve been places I didn’t know existed and re-visited sites with a new photography outlook. Essentially, if there’s a Meetup within two hours and a carpool, I’m in.

With the Grand Island Mansion so close to home, in the Sacramento Delta area, this was a must visit. I was intrigued about this wedding and special occasion get away right on the water. So  I packed my gear and off I went. Although I wasn’t disappointed, I was not delighted either. The Mansion was open to photographers during their brunch hours, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. We were invited to shoot the grounds and were told we could go inside as long as we did not disturb the diners. Oh, we could also enjoy brunch too–at the regular price of $29.95 not including tax and tip. Truly, I can’t eat that much food! Buffets are not a good option for me.

So, you probably safely assumed that I did not do brunch. But, I did stay out of the guests way and tried to get as much of the interior as I could. Today’s blog will cover the Mansion’s exterior which I found a little lacking. The front grounds were small with an area for weddings. There were many statues in the front, but they needed some sanding (or however you maintain them) and some fresh paint.

In the back, they had a courtyard and tent for more wedding activity, but it was all concrete. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I did take pictures of the back, but didn’t see much beauty in them. I did find some murals that were beautiful. Most of these images were taken on aperture priority.  Take a look.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Practice makes perfect–I hope soon!

Does practice make perfect? Well, I practice and I’m far from perfect, but I know I have to keep it up. Last week was so busy I didn’t have a chance to take my camera out. I felt like life had been cheating me of my passion. Yes, I’ve gotten that attached to this hobby. But, practice chances are where you make them.

I’ve been in San Jose, California for some R&R and to celebrate my dear friends’ birthdays. As part of my R&R, I took my D7100 and 50 mm lens out for practice, shooting on manual. First I walked around the area where my friends live, and the next day, I walked a nearby lake/park.

How did the practice go? I’ll be honest, I’m not sure. Of course, I’m more critical of my abilities than someone else would be. This prime 50 mm lens is fast, and I guess I’m not used to having a fast lens that lets in more light. My struggle during these last two days was with the exposure. I did work with the settings until I ended up with a good shot, but it was frustrating.

I’m sure if I keep it up, the struggles will get less. So the only thing I can do is practice until perfect comes along–at least good comes along.

Posted on by Anne Sandler

Out and about Sacramento with my camera

I’m beginning to take my camera with me whenever I go where I think there may be something to shoot. Now, a trip to the grocery store, well there may be stuff to shoot there too. But, recently I was a trainer for Toastmaster officers down in downtown Sacramento during the lunch hour. So, I brought my camera. I should have brought lunch too.

My Toastmaster and photo buddy Bob and I took the light rail downtown where parking is difficult. While waiting for the training to begin, I practiced on manual, promising my fellow Toastmasters that I would delete the shots–I did. After the training, which was held in a cafeteria without food or vending machine, Bob and I walked to a nearby light rail station hoping to find something to shoot and something to eat. I did have an opportunity to shoot a memorial to slain police officers and a sculpture of a wife and daughter who had lost a husband and father. I also found some Mickey Mouse statues in a museum. We stopped in there to see if the gift shop had any food. We were desperate.

A couple of days later, I was chasing a sunset at Gibson Ranch with a couple of other photographers. The day before the sky was on fire, but I didn’t know it until it was dark out and photographers were posting their spectacular images on the web. Although we didn’t have the cloud cover of the night before, I did get a decent one-cloud shot.

So here are my images of being out and about with my camera.

 

Posted on by Anne Sandler

Oh that “M” word again: Shooting manual at Treasure Island, San Franscisco

I am determined to learn how to shoot photos on manual. Why? Because I think it will give me greater control over my camera. Once I have it mastered, I’m not sure I will use it all the time. It really comes down to how much time you have to make that shot. Aperture or shutter priority allows you to shoot more quickly. But for my visit to Treasure Island, I shot on manual. And it did take time, patience and a lot of bad images to get the good ones.

The big factor we were all struggling with was wind. The water was choppy and things just weren’t at a stand still. The second disappointment was that the Bliss Dance sculpture did not light up that evening. Some of the photographers light painted the statute, but by then, I was too tired. We all did our best and got some great images.

And, looking at the other photographers images is a learning experience. Since we are all shooting the same thing, it’s interesting to see the composition you missed or didn’t even see. You can also give yourself kudos for your own unique composition of the same thing.

There’s a lot of things I’m determined to learn in addition to shooting manual, and it will all come in time!

 

 

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

The meeting of astronomy and photography: the Milky Way at Blue Canyon

If it were coffee, it would have been a perfect blend–astronomers and photographers sharing the same airport tarmac.  Richard invited my “Shoot or go home” photography group to shoot the milky way up at the Blue Canyon airport near Truckee, California. It ended up being an outreach activity for the Sacramento Valley Astronomical  Society and a great time for the photographers. And, it was my first time shooting the Milky Way. We went up on Friday afternoon and the gathering was on Saturday. I was tired and didn’t shoot Friday night, but Saturday morning we went into the small town of Blue Canyon. It was a small neighborhood of cabins, and was very eclectic. The fun started that night.

We started the evening with a potluck, and the astronomers lent us chairs and a table. Dinner was followed by a short teach on how to shoot the Milky Way, and then we went out to set up. Meanwhile, the astronomers were getting ready to show off. After they had enough of shooting the Milky Way, the photographers visited with the astronomers, including Richard. Everyone enjoyed it. With some help, I became more comfortable shooting on manual. My camera is still on manual. It gets a little frustrating at times, but that’s the learning curve.

Our photographers learned more about astronomy too. And it wasn’t a long way home; just a little over an hour to Sacramento. Since Richard and I were staying over in our trailer, it was a very short time to home for me!

The next time I go up there, I want to try star trails in addition to shooting the Milky Way. At least for Richard and I, it will be a perfect blend.

 

 

 

Posted on by Anne Sandler

Out and about with Goose: Dry Creek Falls and Gibson Ranch

Photographers are willing to go out and about whenever they can and they are willing to help.  “Goose” Simmons has been a big help to me. I recently went out during an evening with him and shot on manual until I realized my GPS was stolen. Then I went back to aperture priority.  I was too upset to think. I think I was so excited to be shooting with Goose that I forgot to lock my car. I won’t forget again!

Tonight, I’ll be learning how to shoot the Milky Way, and I hope I’ll be posting some great images for you soon. Meanwhile here are some (because I ended up with more than 20 shots I liked) shots from my outing with Goose.

 

Posted on by Anne Sandler

A fun time with the peeps: Sacramento’s Tower Bridge at night

Yes, I’m trying to learn the new lingo. That’s one of the reasons I retired. I couldn’t keep up with the “20 and 30 somethings” colloquialisms, and it was time at 69 years! Hanging around with the peeps from Sacramento Photographers, a group on Facebook open to people who like photography, was fun.

I went out to the Tower Bridge with the intent to put my camera on manual, shoot with it on manual and get some light trail shots. I accomplished my task and also did some HDR. I don’t know why I didn’t shoot the HDR shots on manual rather than staying in my comfort zone at aperture priority. There’s always a next time.

Hopefully that next time will be with the Sacramento Photographers. They have one event a month, and the members are eager to share and help. They will also go out and invite the group at the spur of the moment like last nights activity. I’m looking forward to going out with the peeps again.