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 · 161 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #314: Shorelines

Where do you find peace and relaxation? I find mine wherever water touches land. Yes, any type of shoreline. It may be a beach, a lake, a pond, a creek; you know where I’m going. I’m heading to the shore.

Here in Sacramento, rivers are easy to find. River shorelines are muddy and rocky with some areas reserved for swim areas. This part of the river is located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers. I believe it’s part of the Sacramento River. The American River is noted for riding the rapids, while the Sacramento River is used more for industry.

The Sacramento River

The Mississippi River is heavily used for transporting containers on barges moved forward by push boats. This image was taken in Arkansas along the mighty Mississippi. If you look in the mid to upper right, you’ll see a barge with containers on it waiting to be pushed to its destination. The second image shows a push boat in action. We were told that the crew stay on the boat the entire trip, moving 24/7, and only docking for supplies.

Let’s visit the beaches next. There are beautiful sand beaches where swimming is fun like this beach on Lifou Island in New Caledonia.

Then there are the rocky beaches where we sit and watch the waves hit the shore. Like the Marin Headlands in Northern California. The man in the second photo is wave watching at Pacific Grove on the California coast.

Let’s look at a creek next. We have many creeks running through the Sacramento Valley. Most popular is our local Dry Creek. There is a park nearby and the creek offers children a summer respite from the heat. During the winter, it is a beautiful place to take photos. Although this photo doesn’t show it, there are large rocks to sit on and relax.

We can’t forget about lakes. We have many around us. And when we drove across the country, we found beautiful lakes in middle America. This is Mono Lake in Northeastern California. It is a salt lake and known for the tufa towers jutting out of the water.

We found a beautiful lake in Alberta Canada while visiting Glacier National Park. Lake Waterton, Waterton National Park, Canada.

There are more types of shorelines, but I think this post is full. Please show us your shorelines from near and/or far. It’s any place where water touches the earth, and you also find peace and relaxation. When you post for this challenge, please link to my post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

I totally enjoyed seeing everyone’s cool colors last week. Thank you, John. It helped cool off our hot California summer! Next week Ritva will be challenging us. Please look for her post. Until then, enjoy, take lots of pictures and be happy.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 39 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #277: Empty Spaces

I like that we always learn through LAPC challenges. This week, Patti has taught me the difference between negative and empty space. She challenges us to post images where the empty space draws the viewer’s eyes to the subject, conveys a mood, or creates a more dramatic scene. I’m not sure my images are moody or dramatic, but they bring me joy and serenity.

First, let’s look at how plain blue sky creates an empty space that accentuates the birds I captured. I do tend to crop in, almost too much, but the idea is still there.

The same goes for water. Sandhill Cranes are usually mid-way in fields and difficult to photograph with my maxed out 300 mm reach. But these were in nice blue water. Did I get lucky? The blue empty space helped create enough of a contrast, helping to sharpen the cranes.

I like landscapes. As a compositional tool, I try to find something that will lead the viewer through the image. The grass area, pulls you into the trees, creating a pathway through the image.

Man can copy nature by building roads or pathways that take you across rivers on bridges. Cement provides the empty space that draws us in.

Back to nature, this family is enjoying some empty space at the river’s edge provided by this sandy beach.

A field and blue-sky accent these wind turbines. It also helps that the field has crop lines that lead your eyes into the picture.

My last picture is a sunset that is dominated by a sky leading us down to the setting sun. We then follow through to the reflection in the water.

Thank you, Patti, for teaching us a very useful compositional technique. When you respond to this challenge, please remember to link to Patti’s original post and use the Len’s-Artists tag in the reader. I enjoyed seeing all your ups and downs as you responded to guest host James’ post. He taught us another great tool. Next week, it’s Amy will be leading the challenge with “Unique.”

If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info. 

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 45 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #258: Fences

As photographers we look for things to use as leading lines that take our viewer’s eyes to our subject or through the photo. This week Dawn Miller of The Day After challenges us to show fencing as leading lines or as an element to showcase a subject.

For instance some fences are put up to keep people out, protecting whatever is inside the fence. Down near Rio Vista we have wind turbine farms. There is fencing to keep people out. And farmers use fences in orchards to keep us out, especially during an almond harvest.

Talking about keeping things safe, how about fences that keep you safe!

Then there are fences that lead us places. They are usually located along pathways.

Some fencing is old and needs repair.

How about the opportunity for leading line shadows. Don’t we photographers love that!

And then there are fences that just add to our images.

I’ll close with a metal barrier around a memorial set up for the victims of the Paradise Camp Fire in 2018. The entire town was burned. Some rebuilt and some couldn’t go back. My neighbor lived there and took a few of us photographers to document the devastation. This memorial was erected to honor that day.

Fencing keeps us safe and where we belong. It also protects private property. Thanks Dawn for fencing us in this week. When you post, please remember to link to Dawn’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. And thank you Philo for a not so simple challenge on simplicity last week. I enjoyed your responses. Next week Dan Fenner of Departing in 5 Minutes leads our challenge with UNBOUND. Be sure to look for his post.

If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info. 

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Memories are made from this: Shooting with Leanne Cole on the California coast.

Memories, they’re those warm, wonderful, sad and fearful feelings that emerge when you think of something from the past. Shooting with Leanne Cole, an Australian photographer, is something I looked forward to, totally enjoyed and now is a fond, beautiful memory.

You see, I met Leanne online by following her blog when I first got my D3100 three years ago. During that time I’ve seen her morph her photography business into what it has become today. She’s an amazing photographer, artist and now publisher of Dynamic Range–a magazine about and for women photographers. We’ve corresponded since meeting on the blog with her giving me encouragement and advice. Hopefully I’ve been able to do the same for her–well more encouragement, not advice! It is truly a small world.

We, Leanne, her friend Nicci and I, had a delightful day in Santa Cruz, Capitola and Monterey. The three of us fit; it was as if we had gone shooting together before. In fact, Nicci and I hit it off and will go shooting again. I’ve added an Australia visit to my bucket list, and I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll get there.

In the meantime, I’ll have the memories of that fun day shooting with my new friends.