Posted on by Anne Sandler · 40 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #278: Unique

What is unique to some, may not be unique to others. It all depends on your life experiences. This week, Amy is asking us to post pictures of places and things unique to us. Since I began photography as a hobby 10 years ago, I have been to places that were surprisingly different/amazing to me.

Let’s start with the Coachella Valley Preserve in Thousand Palms, California. I had never seen an oasis before, and here was one in the California desert. You can see a large cluster of palm trees in the middle of a desert. As we walked through the preserve, we saw pools of water that fed the thirsty trees.

Have you ever tried light painting? Yes, painting with light and captured with your camera. You can’t do it alone because someone needs to hold the light source. And, of course, it has to be dark. One of my camera groups hosted this unique experience.

I remember seeing a giant sequoia for the first time. That definitely was a WOW experience. The sequoias occur naturally only in groves on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California. They can grow up to 279 tall and have a diameter of 20 to 26 feet. This is one tree you just can’t hug!

Redding California is home to the Sun Dial Bridge. It’s a steel, glass, and granite bridge that crosses the Sacramento River and is simply beautiful, especially at night. This bridge is one of the largest sundials in the world. Its shadow traces an arc that is so big it can record time for only four hours a day, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. When visible, the shadow moves about one foot per minute.

The Folsom Powerhouse is “an example of the tremendous advance in the commercial application of electricity. H.P. Livermore realized that the water of the American River could turn generators for electricity in Sacramento, 22 miles downstream. With his partners, Livermore built the powerhouse, which still looks much as it did in 1895.” During a docent led tour, of the small facility we learned how amazing this was. And it was certainly unique in that time.

Yes, my camera has shown me many unique places. I’m sure there will be more to come.

Please remember to link to Amy’s post when you respond to this challenge and use the Lens-Artist tag in the reader. Last week, thanks to Patti, we enjoyed seeing many empty spaces and variations on the theme. I appreciated your imagination and photography. Next week Ann-Christine will be leading the challenge so be sure to look for her post. Until then, stay safe this holiday season.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 6 Comments

Lens-Artist Challenge #109: Under The Sun

I’m not fond of waking up in the dark to catch the golden hour in the morning or going to bed late in the summer to catch the evening blue and golden hours. So that leaves me mostly under the mid morning sun for most of my photo outings. No, I’m not going to post all my photos taken under the sun, just the ones that resonated with me when I read Amy’s challenge for the week.

There have been a few times when the timing was right on for me. One was at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, California. We caught the afternoon golden hour when the sun cast a beautiful glow on plants and animals. We were vacationing with my cousins in December 2016 . They are the couple walking out of the oasis.

The next set of images were taken during my favorite time of day, mid afternoon sun! (It’s not really!) My friend who lives in Sun City, Lincoln brought me to a tree where herons and egrets and other birds nested. I didn’t have my long lens with me, so I returned on my day to pick up my grandkids from school. My kids also live in Lincoln. Again, I seem to use the opportunity rather than make the opportunity! I’ve named this tree “The Nesting Tree,” and have brought other photo buddies to shoot there. Taken April, 2019, you can see the sun casting shadows on the birds bodies and feathers.

This last set was taken during a Yolo Art & Ag outing to Capay Valley Ranches in February, 2019. Every summer, Yolo Art invites artists and photographers to various ranches, farms and orchards to record country life. We were there mid morning (usually from 9 to 11 a.m.) Here, again, the sun created beautiful shadows.

While I may not get up before dawn, I still enjoy getting out in the sunshine. Thank you Amy for this great challenge.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 13 Comments

On the road again: Getting to Glacier National Park

Our trailer is smaller, our trip is going to take less time, but we’re still excited about our first long trip since our cross country trip in 2013. This is the fourth day of driving the highways through California, Nevada, Oregon and Idaho. While Richard is getting the truck lubed, I thought I’d write this blog.

Our first night was in Sparks, Nevada. We decided to take our time, Richard needs his naps so 300 miles a day would be enough. They did build a nice, small marina right near our RV park, and we took a walk. The featured image is of this marina and so are these below.

The golden hour.
The sun is beginning to set.

 

Our trailer brakes weren’t working the next morning, so we were delayed and hit the road later in the afternoon. Desert is desolate. Some are prettier than others, but the long stretch of straight road can be daunting. Being a bored passenger, I did some drive by shots. I actually liked the shadows on the mountains.

Shot at a fast shutter speed.
The truck was moving fast and bouncing around.

We stayed overnight at an RV park in Winnemucca, NV and then pushed on to Boise, ID where we are currently. Thanks to Karen B. who made this trip last month, we stopped at the Rome Station in Oregon for lunch. The food was terrific and the place was photogenic.

An unusual coat rack!
The gas pumps do work.
You know I can’t resist an old truck.

After dinner, we went to see the Idaho State Capitol building and part of downtown Boise. They had just closed the Capitol building to visitors, but I did get to shoot the outside in the golden hour. Downtown was just the kind of place you’d like to walk. There were many upscale stores, small boutiques, banks, and parking that was free for an hour.

A beautiful, old structure.
A wide angle shot.
I loved the roof angles.
Outdoor eating is popular in Boise.
These red awnings caught my attention.
Looking down the street.

So, here I sit, waiting for Richard. We’ll eat lunch and then get on our way. Next stop–Kamiah, ID, and then to Columbia Falls, MT for a two-week stay visiting Glacier and surrounding area.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 8 Comments

Coming home: Palm Springs Indian Canyons

It took us two days to get to Desert Palms and my cousins two hours! But, I think it was worth it for both of us. We had vacationed in that desert area before, but never had seen so much.

Our first outing was to the Palm Springs Indian Canyons. “Fifteen miles long, Palm Canyon is one of the areas of great beauty in Western North America. Its indigenous flora and fauna, which the Cahuilla people so expertly used and its abundant Washingtonia filifera (California Fan Palm) are breathtaking contrasts to the stark rocky gorges and barren desert lands beyond. A moderately graded, foot path winds down into the canyon for picnicking near the stream, meditating, exploring, hiking or horseback riding. While in Palm Canyon visit the Trading Post for hiking maps, refreshments, Indian art and artifacts, books, jewelry, pottery, baskets, weaving, and conversational cultural lore,” taken from their website.

The images in this post are from Murray and Palm Canyons. These oasis are amazing and beautiful. At Murray Canyon a Ranger gave us a talk on the history and unique features of they canyons. It was fascinating that water was flowing enough in this harsh desert to create these oasis.

Take a look at what we experienced.