Posted on by Anne Sandler · 39 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #288: Window Shopping

I think my problem with shopping is that I go with an intent and usually don’t find what I want or need. I come home frustrated. I’ve learned to go out with nothing in mind and usually come home with something that I needed or not.

So window shopping is even more difficult for me. But a challenge is a challenge and Marlene and I went out to the fountains, a small outdoor shopping center, to walk and photograph.

Here’s what I found. I enjoyed playing with and capturing reflections.

Fashion in windows. I laughed when I realized that I would never wear some of these clothes, especially those boots. That’s what happens when you’re 80!

Now for some odds and ends.

I am a dog mom and love that little Schnoodle. Windows must be washed for us to do window shopping. This last one is a reflection of across the street with the ghost like image of a male mannequin in the store window. You can see him in the window being washed.

Now it’s time to stop spending money! I just liked this palm tree. Saving buttons instead of pennies.

I do love red umbrellas and shadows!

We followed our non-shopping experience with lunch. Thank you Ritva for getting me out. When you respond to Ritva’s post, please remember to link to her challenge and use the Lens-Artist tag.

Last week, I totally enjoyed seeing how you all portrayed sound in your images. Some were very creative. Next week John will be presenting the challenge, so be sure to look for his post! Take care!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 24 Comments

When it rains it’s off to the: Antique Trove

It’s been raining in California since late December. At first it was welcomed in this normally dry state, but now in February, with two atmospheric rivers passing through, we need a break. We photographers need some sunshine or at least a cloudy day!

Here’s a photo taken this week of the little creek in my neighborhood. It just about crested after one of the storms. Don’t worry it flows into the American River. But this happened overnight! The next day it was at normal flow.

Needing to take our cameras for a walk, we visited our indoor favorite, the Antique Trove in Roseville. There’s always something new to photograph. This time I decided to give myself a macro lens challenge. I photographed everything up close. I did have fun.

Here’s a sample.

We had a respite yesterday with just clouds. That was great. Sun would be even better!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 14 Comments

Up Close at the California Automobile Museum

The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento is a photographers challenge. They have beautiful autos, but they are behind ropes which makes it difficult to photograph. Whenever I go there, I tend to pick out a part of the car to photograph. We haven’t been there in years and the cars in the museum have changed. There’s always something new to see. This time my friend Ray and I checked it out.

I was concentrating at photographing the hood ornaments. We don’t have them any more!

I like the pieces of the old, old, old cars; (Okay I don’t know the years, probably 1920 on.) much older than me. I liked where they put the headlights, steering wheels and foot pedals.

They also had a few old race cars.

These two are from the 1950s. I remember the Chevy but not the Ford convertible. Do you?

It’s amazing how car design has changed. Take time to go down memory lane at an auto museum near you.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 21 Comments

Playing with lens and camera movement!

I enjoy doing things differently, especially when it comes to my camera and lens. Last week a small carnival occupied some of the Sunrise Mall parking lot in Citrus Heights. Perfect! I had to go and two photo buddies met me there.

When I say small, I mean not too many rides that are great for slow shutter speed photography. That coupled with my injuries from the August auto accident (They tell me it will be a long time recovery for my neck and shoulders.), helped me decide to leave my tripod in the car. You’ll see that in some cases I needed it.

Here are the pictures–handheld.

Ferris wheel, no movement.
Starting to move.
Full movement.
Zooming in on sign.
Ferris Wheel at an angle.
Ferris wheel with intentional camera movement.
More ICM.
And more ICM.
Yes, I had fun with the ferris wheel!
Again!
A try at another ride.
Zooming that same ride.
Sideways ICM. I can’t remember the ride!
More zooming fun.
Back to ICM

Some of these may not be perfect, but I had an hour’s worth of fun. Next year the tripod!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 56 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #271: Contrasts

Timing is everything. Amy’s challenge this morning is on contrasts: shadows and light, colors, hard and soft, etc. It just happens that this is the morning of the annular (partial) solar eclipse. We didn’t see much of it in California, but NASA put on a good show for us. Amy, I hope you were able to see the totality in Texas.

NASA gives this explanation of a solar eclipse: A solar eclipse happens when, at just the right moment, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. Sometimes the Moon only blocks part of the Sun’s light. This is called a partial solar eclipse. Other times, the Moon blocks all of the Sun’s light. This is called a total solar eclipse. As the Moon blocks the Sun’s light, it casts a shadow on part of the Earth.The Moon’s shadow creates a trail as Earth rotates. This trail is called the path of totality. If you want to experience total darkness during an eclipse, you have to be in the path of totality. In that path, the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s light for a few minutes. It gets so dark that it looks like night time during a full Moon!

So why am I mentioning this? Watching the eclipse unfold on my computer screen, I thought there is no better contrast between the sun and moon during this rare occasion. This took me back to the total solar eclipse Richard and I viewed in Idaho in 2017. That was an amazing experience. We were camping in our trailer, but crowds came in that morning. During the eclipse the crowd went quiet until totality. Then the clapping and yelling started. Wow!

I took pictures with my Nikon D3100, armed with a solar filter, handheld. Here are my results of nature’s contrast of the sun and moon from beginning to totality and the end.

I hope you enjoyed my cosmic contrast scenes. Thank you Amy for encouraging me to look back. When you post your contrasts, please remember to link to Amy’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag. I enjoyed seeing all your varied displays last week as encouraged by Ann-Christine. I always enjoy your unique posts and interpretations to our challenges. Next week John is presenting the challenge so be sure to look for his post.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 10 Comments

Old Hangtown: Placerville

It’s been a while since we went to Placerville to take photos. The town got the name Old Hangtown because it was known as a vigilante area. Here’s a bit of history.

The history of Placerville, formerly Hangtown and Old Dry Diggins, has its roots in mining and was once known for its notorious reputation for vigilante justice carried out by hangings. Old Dry Diggins was a gold mining camp on Hangtown Creek established in 1848.

They had hung (pardon the pun) onto the old name until a few years ago when they took down the dummy hanging from a pole where the hanging tree once stood. But the past still lingers. No more hangings; just a small tourist area with old buildings and shops.

Here are photos from our recent visit.

Dog lovers have to have one of these. Found in the Hardware Store.
Does anyone remember the Studebaker cars?

We had a great couple of hours walking Main Street and having lunch. And, yes, we did some shopping!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 35 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #253: Fragments

This is my lucky morning. I was trying to think of how to approach Brian of Bushboy’s challenge on fragments when I remembered taking my new Fujifilm XT3 camera down to Old Sacramento for some practice in May of 2020. My photo buddies and I masked up for the morning and drove down to the waterfront. I was trying all sorts of photography, like these closeups.

You can all these fragments of a train, boxes near the train depot and the gate closing in a train. I thought my new camera did well.

Could a fragment be a moment in time? Here we have some children having fun on the swings in front of the old school house in Old Sacramento enjoying their portion of play time.

Oh, I just love the candy shop and the tasty free and for purchase treats they offer. Can a candy shop be fragmented into separate bins of candy?

My final image isn’t a fragment, but an image of a train that has been moved elsewhere.

Since that day, my Fuji and I have been on all sorts of adventures. I’ve grown to love that camera, but, like life, it took some getting used to.

Thank you Brian for taking me on my fragmented memory. Looking back is such fun. When you reply to Brian’s post please remember to link to it and use the Lens-Artists tag. Last week was such fun as we saw all your buggy images. Some species I’d never seen before. Next week, look for Tina’s challenge on her Travels and Trifles blog. I wonder what she has in store for us. Until then, stay safe!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 16 Comments

A promise delayed: The WPA Rock Garden

I’m keeping my promise made in my post on May 24, It’s All Happening at the Zoo. Today I’m showing you images of flowers taken at the WPA Rock Garden in William Land Park across the road from the Sacramento Zoo.

What’s a rock garden? Wikipedia has a full history and description for you here. Our small WPA Rock Garden was built by the WPA in 1940. The WPA was an employment and infrastructure program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 during the Great Depression. In 1988 Daisy Mah, a park employee, put her vision for the current garden into fruition. Its paths wind in, out and around, and is maintained by a group of volunteers.

We enjoy walking through the garden looking for small gems. Marlene was with me and is good at finding insects, but none were found that morning. But there were many beautiful floral delights. Here are some of them.

This was a great way to end a visit to the zoo. We’ll be back!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 18 Comments

It’s all happening at the Zoo

Oh my, we were late in getting to the Sacramento Zoo and the small parking lot in William Land Park was almost full. And, the big yellow school busses were dropping off school aged kids. It was going to be a tough day of photography! I’m guessing the big cats already enjoyed their bones, because the ones that were in their enclosure were just about to nap.

One cheetah had begun to rest when the other one came over and this happened.

When we got to the giraffe enclosure, Cheyenne, the new young giraffe was out in the yard. What a treat!

Older giraffe eating.

All in all, it was a pretty good morning at the zoo after all. Next we went to the WPA Rock Garden, and I’ll show you that in my next post.