California – Page 9 – Slow Shutter Speed

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 6 Comments

After a rain, shoot, shoot, shoot: Effie Yeaw,Schweitzer Grove, McKinley Park

It’s sometimes called cabin fever, but for photographers it’s more intense. Since you can’t shoot, you edit, read tutorials or discover new processing programs. So, when, on a recent Tuesday, Marlene and I were the only photographers to partake in Camera Totin’ Tuesday, we took full advantage of the partly cloudy weather.

Our first stop was Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Carmichael. This wonderful preserve houses all sorts of animals, provides educational programs and welcomes photographers. Located on the American River, there is a lot to shoot. On this day, I was looking for deer; but, I was amazed by the area’s beauty after winter rains. And, yes, I did find deer. I couldn’t believe how they let us get so close to them. They know they are protected from human harm, but natural predators are still around. You’ll see more from Effie Yeaw because Marlene and I bought a season pass.

Next we found Schweitzer Grove Nature Area. This is a 17-acre park also in Carmichael that allows dogs to be off leash. It’s quiet and green–a great place to walk babies, dogs or just yourself.

After walking Schweitzer Grove, we drove over to McKinley Park in Sacramento. We were hoping to still see some roses, but there were none. Still, we weren’t disappointed for there were other flowers and people that caught our attention. If you remember, I did a post on this park before and the roses were beautiful. We’ll be back.

What did I learn? My passion for photography grows along with my experience. We have so many beautiful preserves, parks and rivers here in the Sacramento area so you don’t have to drive a great distance to shoot. And, finally, I’m so enjoying the friendships I’ve made with other photographers. Marlene has been my sidekick for more than a year now, and I do appreciate her willingness to go out with her camera.

It’s raining right now, but it’s supposed to be partly cloudy for our next Tuesday adventure. I know we’re all anxious to get out there and shoot–with our cameras!

This will be a two-part post. There are too many pictures for me to put in one.

The rain has created a beautiful meadow.

Trees at Effie Yeaw are so expressive.

Here’s a beauty.

Deer are in the meadow. They really don’t care about us.

Moving to find a better feeding spot.

Marlene and I walked this path right through the meadow and deer.

The pond is beautiful with color.

How low can a tree limb grow?

I think this deer is cleaning the other???

Looking through the branches.

Looks like a smile to me.

Now for a close up.

This deer was checking me out.

An egret looking for food at the river’s shore.

I guess it wasn’t a good spot!

Posted on March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 8 Comments

You never know what you’ll find: The Sutter Buttes

Tuesdays may be a designated day, but you never know where we’ll end up. We decided to drive around the Sutter Buttes. Formerly known as the Marysville Buttes, this small mountain range is a small circular complex of eroded volcanic lava domes that reside in the flat plains of Sutter County. And, you never know what you’ll come across when you journey around them.

The first stop was Mary’s Chapel. This is a sweet, small chapel and cemetery in Yolo County. It was interesting to walk through and read the head stones. The chapel was closed, but is still used sometimes.

I did this drive a couple of years ago with Laura and we found a farm with unique animals. That farm is still there. This time two other women were amazed. The most curious animal was one that looked like a donkey/zebra! We didn’t know what to call it!

More driving. We found the almond trees had almost lost their blooms and color. The hillsides were deep green and the sky partly cloudy. We took a tour of Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, but didn’t open a window. The mosquitoes were so thick; but, fortunately, Karen’s car window on the passenger side was fairly clean. We did end up catching a sunset near an almond orchard–the perfect end to a fun, adventurous day.

Mary’s Chapel

Plastic flowers are everlasting.

Almond trees line the road.

Mustard in the orchard.

Here’s the strange animal. Donkey or zebra.

I do believe this is a llama.

This goat wanted to say hello.

Cows grazing in the pasture.

Love the blooming orchards.

The orchard in black and white.

The Sutter Buttes are in the background.

The wetlands in Gray Lodge.

A beauty in Gray Lodge.

The setting sun also in Gray Lodge.

The sun creates a warm glow.

The sun in low in the sky.

Sunset in the Buttes.

Posted on February 29, 2016March 1, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

The long, long, long mile: Big Basin Redwoods State Park

How long does it take three photographers to walk a flat one mile loop through the Redwood Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County, California? Answer: Almost four hours!

No excuses! It was a beautiful trail through a forest of expressive trees, and there was a lot for me, Marlene and Nicci to shoot.

Coastal redwoods (different from its relative the Sequoia) are found from southern Oregon to central California. Needing the coast weather they extend no more than fifty miles inland. These trees can reach 115 m (377 ft) tall. The bark can be very thick, up to 1-foot , and is soft and fibrous. When freshly exposed there is a bright red-brown color that gets darker as the tree is exposed to the elements. Its roots are shallow, wide-spreading and lateral. Redwoods are naturally resistant to insects, fungi, and fire because they are high in tannin and do not produce resin or pitch.

I remember when my children were young and we camped in a grove of coastal redwoods in Northern California. We went to a campfire program, but I left my flashlight at camp. I was good at walking by starlight, but the forest was so thick, we couldn’t see in front of us. Once I found a family who was walking back to the same campground, we followed them. I’ve never assumed that I could walk via moon and star lights again!

As for what lessons we learned:

Always carry in your tripod. The forest is dark!
Use a fast lens.
Pack a lunch. Don’t count on a fast visit. Fortunately we brought snacks, and the cafe had a limited amount of lunch items.

Take a look at why it took us so long to walk that mile!

It was an overcast day. At the widest angle I had with me, I couldn’t get the entire tree in the shot!

A fallen tree’s root system. So beautiful.

A close look at the bark. You can see moss and lichen growing on it. There is also a burn spot.

The sun poked through the clouds.

Close up of a burl on a tree. Fungi and moss help create the colors.

Another downed tree. There was no way for me to get the entire tree in the shot.

The same downed tree. This part of the bark looked like feathers to me.

Some more lichen and moss living on the bark.

A burl on a stately tree.

I just wanted to throw in a black and white image.

Damaged by fire, this tree is still healthy. You can walk in and look up!

Just for a little perspective!

We weren’t the only visitors on the trail, but we took the longest time.

A fungi growing on the ground.

The path.

On our way out, we stopped and shot in the rain. No cameras were damaged.

Posted on February 22, 2016February 22, 2016 by Anne Sandler

Mustard and Alpacas: Napa California

We expected wineries but photo buddy Karen took us on a special tour of Napa and Napa Valley. We didn’t see the touristy Napa Valley as described here, taken from the Napa Valley website: “More than 400 wineries dot the fertile soils of Napa Valley, one of the world’s premier viticultural regions. But wine, as visitors quickly discover, is only the beginning. Lavish resorts and top-rated chefs work alongside the farmers who tend this land: the result is something understated and exceptional.”

We saw the real Napa Valley. During our day we saw Lake Solano Park, Monticello Dam, rolling green hills, mustard tucked in between rows of vineyards, livestock grazing, alpacas and where her husband’s family ranch used to be. And we visited Napa City towards the end of day for some fantastic lighting.

Let’s see, what did I learn? I discovered the difference between llamas and alpacas, and again took the ultra wide lens out for a spin. So take a look at the Napa we saw on our recent visit with Karen.

We started out at Lake Solano Park.

I loved the red buds floating on the water.

Cattails are a favorite of mine.

What is this goose trying to tell me?

The road around Monticello Dam.

The expressive mountain across from the dam.

I liked the folds in the rock.

Workers were putting up netting to keep rocks from falling onto the road.

A pasture for cows and alpaca.

Okay, the difference between an alpaca and llama is the ears. Alpacas have short ears, as pictured, and llamas have longer ones.

Rustic fencing.

Sunlight casting a shadow on the fencing.

Mustard plants brighten up the vineyards.

A tree canopy.

I love this tree. On Thursday, I’m going to learn how to take out the front windmill!

One of the three bridges in Napa.

A Napa shopping center.

Bikes in front of a store.

A street lamp and the setting sun.

The sun casts a glow on the city street.

Posted on February 11, 2016February 11, 2016 by Anne Sandler

Fun day, snow day: Donner Lake, CA

Let’s see: boots, check; flannel lined leggings, check; three layers on top, check; knitted head scarf, check. I’m all ready for a fun day of shooting in the snow at Donner Lake.

Marlene, Linda and I went off early one Saturday morning to get ahead of the weekend crowds. However, to our surprise, there weren’t a bunch of people on the Donner Lake roads. It was beautiful with temperatures in the high 50’s (Fahrenheit) and sunny. What fun.

The reality is that we drove around the lake, drove to the mountain top and drove into the nearby town of Truckee. Yes, we did get out, walk around and shoot. But, we didn’t hike. Still, the thrill of stepping into a foot of snow was there. At one time, I did fall, butt down, into the fresh icy snow. When I fall, so do my two cameras hanging from a sling. I got up and wiped them down with a towel I brought along. They didn’t suffer. Neither did I.

Since this was my first time shooting in the snow, I read tutorials. Of course they contradicted each other! That’s the frustrating about learning photography, there are many ways to achieve the same end. So, I decided to bracket my shots. At least one of the three would be good, right? When I uploaded them to my computer, I decided that the original exposure shot was the correct one. They did need some processing in Lightroom to tone down the white and, sometimes, blue of the snow.

And, we met a few nice people who were more than willing to chat. I get it now Greg! What did I learn from this experience? I discovered that whatever your physical capabilities you can have fun in the snow. Just make sure you’re covered for whatever weather Mother Nature brings–boots, hat, enough clothing layers and good friends.

Donner Lake as seen from almost to the summit.

Now these people are hiking! Underneath the snow there is a trail!

Icicles hanging from a roof.

Now this small house is truly snowed in!

Icicles.

We talked to the man who’s sons made this snowman and another. What fun!

A look at some of the lake side homes.

In Truckee, a brewery has made a home of an old gas station.

In Cisco Grove (down the mountain from Donner Lake) a young boy is getting a sled ride.

These red buds were abundant in Cisco Grove.

Here’s a closer view.

Back at Donner: The stairway to…..?

I enjoyed shooting with my ultra-wide lens. A deep view of the Lake.

This gentleman in his 80’s built this home. He’s come up to do some shoveling on the stairs. He summers in Alaska!

The sun’s rays are streaming through the trees, giving a rainbow effect.

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 11 Comments

Bernie Sanders lost a vote and supporter: RIP Greg Morris

First of all, my photo buddy, friend and mentor, Greg Morris was never one to not speak his mind, especially on politics. So, when I first got the news of his death during the morning of January 31, the first thing I said to my husband was: “Bernie Sanders just lost a vote.” Richard knew what that meant because we’ve been expecting that phone call for a couple of weeks.

Greg not only introduced me to his candidate, Bernie Sanders, but to a great deal about photography. He loved HDR, his tripod and talking to people. He’d always remind me to bring my tripod along on photo outings. Just once, I caught him hand holding his camera.

DSC_7042-1 — Greg chats with a homeless man in Midtown, Sacramento.

He also introduced me to towns (Locke was a favorite), rivers and out of the way places I would have never known existed. The greatest part, he never took a freeway! That’s why it took us so long to get anywhere. He was our driver and guide, never taking gas money. So, Marlene and I would treat him to lunch at various places he knew of. Small restaurants with great food. Only once did he disappoint us. He promised us the best pizza in Downieville; however all the restaurants in that small town were closed for the season!

DSC_6524-1 — Greg poses as the famous Mona Lisa in Locke. He then had me pose in another cutout.

DSC_6596-1 copy — Thank goodness the Downieville grocery was open. It may not have provided us with pizza, but my rice bowl was good.

We never got a chance to go back for that pizza during the season. Greg passed away from a cancerous Glioblastoma brain tumor. From the diagnosis to the end was three short months. Soon the guide became the guided as Marlene and I took him out locally for photo shoots. It amazed me that as frazzled as his brain was becoming, once we arrived at the shoot, he’d get his photo gear ready and was once again the amazing photographer.

DSC_3119-1 — Greg’s outing with us was to Discovery Park, Sacramento.

As much as he loved photography, he loved his family: daughters Tiffany, Erica and Mimi; his two granddaughters, and niece Shonna and her family. We are all going to miss this guy with the wonderful sense of humor who would sing to cows, do weekly crazy selfies and post them on Sacramento Photographers, chat with strangers, give restaurant wait staff a humorous time (It was usually the same old line.), help new photographers and not only post great pictures, but give us a history lesson too.

RIP Greg. And, Bernie, don’t worry, I’ll vote for you. Greg did convince me.

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

To buy or not to buy!: Sacramento Wildlife Refuge

I have resisted buying a lens that would zoom out larger than 300 mm because I really can’t handhold anything heavier. And, lets be honest, I would only need it when I shoot wildlife. So…..I guess I can do without it. That’s what I’ve been telling myself, but when I looked at my pictures after a recent visit to the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge with Laura and Marlene, I saw mostly grainy images. They were in focus, but not tack sharp.

I knew I’d have a problem before I agreed to go on the outing, but I thought I’d give it a try. Even though it was overcast, I had hope. With the current rains there would probably be more birds than last year, and I knew I’d get something. I did. Thanks to Laura’s sun roof, I got some fantastic shots of a bald eagle in a tree above us. With my lens all the way out, I could get in nice and close. That was one of the eagles we saw.

We saw two other bald eagles that day. One was too far away to shoot even with Laura’s 400 mm. The other was a distance, but we could shoot it. Although in focus, the images were grainy. After looking at my almost 1,000 shots for the day, I’m thinking of getting a 400 mm zoom lens.

When we shoot wildlife at a refuge or preserve, we can’t get out of the car and have to shoot out the window. The window (which is all the way down) becomes a tripod when a small pillow is placed on the frame. I could also use the heavier lens on a tripod. It’s rather limiting, but I could get a better shot of wildlife.

Right now, I’m checking the used departments of online stores. My goal is to find an affordable factory refurbished lens, so I won’t be in the buy or not to buy quandary.

Snow Geese

A flock of Snow Geese.

Juvenile White Faced Ibis?

Ring Necked Pheasant

I don’t know what this little one is.

Bald Eagle

Same Eagle.

I think this is a raptor.

Juvenile Bald Eagle.

The same bird.

Although more than last year, the water level was still down at the refuge.

With my 300 mm I could still capture landscapes.

This was probably a walkway, but there’s a slight amount of water now.

Bottoms up. A Northern Shoveler fishing.

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Staying the same and changing: Crockett and Mare Island

It may be a challenge, but it puts your photography to a test–revisiting places you’ve already shot. I go back with the idea that I’m going to find a new way of shooting, find new things to shoot and just enjoy it.

That’s the approach I took when Marlene and I went to Crockett and Mare Island. She had never been to Crockett and had been to Mare Island a long time ago. Crockett was the same: old, and sometimes dreary and quaint. Can a town be both? This one can. Its claim to fame is the C & H Sugar plant, and just like before, we were chased away. They do not like their property photographed.

We drove around, had lunch and found Port Costa (described in my previous post). From there we drove on to Mare Island, which was in the midst of change. Chain link fencing was around many buildings, the front street at the shore was closed to traffic, most of the large cranes were gone and we were left with little to shoot. They are fixing up the Island and getting ready to lease out buildings. So, I made lemonade by shooting various locks I found and some buildings.

It was a full-day shoot, and I enjoyed it. Especially the challenge of finding a new slant to a place I’ve already photographed.

You may remember this plant from my post last year. I just had to do it again!

This is a park across from the C & H plant.

I liked the way the sun was hitting the top of this picnic enclosure.

A lamp post in the park.

I wasn’t able to capture this beautiful home the last time. We also met the owner who talked with us at length about the house and how it had changed from its original state. They have plans to restore it as time and money permits.

This is a side view of the Odd Fellows Hall.

The bridge and boat were totally encased in fog/haze. Lightroom’s dehaze did a pretty good job of removing most of it.

One of the few old buildings left on Mare Island worth shooting.

The window from that building.

The one crane left.

I just liked the lines of these buildings.

Here come the locks! #1

I truly don’t know what this was attached to. I just liked the aging and color.

Posted on January 23, 2016January 23, 2016 by Anne Sandler

Riding the freeway: Port Costa California

Not knowing the country roads, we needed to take the freeway to get to Crockett, Port Costa and Mare Island. Marlene said, “Greg wouldn’t approve,” and I agreed. This was our first long distance outing since Greg became ill. We stayed around home base for a few weeks during our Tuesday’s With Seniors outings to accommodate his needs. He may not have been able to come, but he was certainly on our minds.

Driving the freeway route, we first stopped at Crockett, then found Port Costa and eventually made our way to Mare Island. Today, I want to show you some of Port Costa. This small, decaying town is a census-designated place in Conra Costa County. The population was 190 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1879 as a landing for the railroad ferry Solano, Port Costa’s ferries carried entire trains across the Carquinez Strait from Benicia to Port Costa. The town lost its importance when a railroad bridge was constructed at Martinez in 1930 to replace the ferry crossing. Today, it’s a sleepy, photogenic and cute town.

I enjoyed shooting in Port Costa more than the other two places which I will show you in another post. I just wish, some of the stores were open on Tuesdays. It’s a good thing we ate lunch before we arrived!

From Port Costa to Mare Island, we were able to stay off the freeway although we did use the GPS–another thing Greg would never use!

I would have liked to go into this store. Looking through the window gave us a glimpse of treasurers.

I’m so glad they were able to tell me where I was. This town has a sense of humor!

This store was also closed.

This golden statue was advertising another closed store.

The town’s post office.

The hotel.

I liked the doors in this town. This is an entry into the hotel.

Another door that must be attached to the hotel. I think it was the restaurant.

I truly don’t know what these doors opened. I also don’t see door knobs!

I think this is an antique store. Again, closed.

Isn’t this a beautiful door knob.

A beautiful courtyard.

An alley.

These train tracks are still in use.

This small structure is near the tracks.

Now how many locks do you need?

Also near the tracks, this is a very decorated port-a-potty.

The treasure of this town is this message tree. It’s full of wishes from residents and visitors.

An example of some of the notes.

Posted on January 18, 2016January 18, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Rain, and I’m liking it: Tower Theater, Sacramento

What do photographers do when it’s raining or rain is unpredictable? Some go out in the rain anyway, some do studio work, some go through old images and edit or re-edit them, and then others run out when the weather breaks for however long.

I’m one of those who run out during rain breaks. Today would have been the perfect day to do that, but unfortunately my scheduled did not permit it. However, I am wanting to try shooting in the rain after seeing many rain shots in the Sacramento Photographers Facebook group. We’ll see. Apparently, the rain is here to stay for a while.

With this post, I’m wrapping up our visit to the Tower Theater. When we moved to the Sacramento area in 2001, we heard about the theater, but never made it down to visit it. Opening in 1938 as a single screen theater, the Tower was converted to a triplex in 1972. Tower Cut-Rate Drugs, a drugstore named after its next door neighbor, opened and starting selling records in 1941 and was the beginning of Tower Records. It eventually moved across the street.

By the 1980s, Tower Records sold records, books and videos. succumbed to the digital age and closed in 2006. I remember the news coverage showing devoted fans mourning their loss at the record store’s closing.

Now Dimple Records is in that same place, the Tower Cafe, which opened in 1990, feeds movie goers and the Tower Theater stands above the tree line with it’s art-deco design.

Maybe during the next rain break, Marlene and I will go down to take more photos of the theater and enjoy lunch at the cafe; but, only if the weather permits during the week so we can avoid crowds at the cafe.