landscape photography – Page 9

Posted on April 20, 2018April 20, 2018 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

Internet??: Half day at the Grand Canyon

We’ve come to rely on the internet for so much, and we take it for granted–that is until you don’t have it!

I’m on the road again with my friend Alyse. This trip was set up 9 months ago; a long time before we decided to downsize and move. It was a week retrieval in a sense. I had lost a timeshare week with RCI because of Richard’s inability to travel for 3 years. I was able to recover all but this particular week. So, after paying extra to get it back and extend it, I invited Alyse to join me. There would be no saving the week again.

So that’s why I’m on the road so soon after moving. Yes, we did finally move! I left Richard with a huge mess. It’s hard to lose half a house. Oh, getting back to the internet, it’s very sporadic here at the Sedona Pines Resort in Sedona, Arizona. I’m hoping to get through this blog post.

We stopped at the Grand Canyon National Park for half a day during our trek to Sedona. I was there about 40 years ago with Richard and the kids. Of course, we saw more, but it was great to be there again. The memories of our family trip came flooding back. If you want to see more than just the rim drive, you need to hop on a bus. We didn’t have time for that, so we opted for the South Rim Drive. It was enough to give us a taste of how vast the Canyon is.

On our way, I stopped in Seligman, Arizona. Alyse had never seen this quaint little town with it’s Route 66 allure. I was saddened to see that some of the manikins were gone, but there was enough for her to enjoy.

My internet time may be getting slow so let’s get on with the pictures!

The Watchtower. This structure was designed by Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter.

She painted the the art inside.

The architecture is simply amazing. Looking up at the floors.

Looking down to the ground floor.

An artistic sample.

The South Rim.

There are many colors and textures.

Here you can see the Colorado River.

Trees survive in the rocks.

The rocks have character high above the river.

It was a hazy, cloudless day so I concentrated on the Canyon.

Seligman Arizona.

I found Marilyn in a store.

Some of what’s left in Seligman.

Posted on March 16, 2018March 16, 2018 by Anne Sandler · 9 Comments

Not today: Michigan Bar Road Adventure

Not packing or unpacking! Yes, today is a day off. Since we decided to move, I’ve gone on two photo outings, and, even then, I packed at night. Then, the next day, I unpacked at the other house. We are painting, putting in new floors and taking care of other things at our small home. The kitchen is almost set up. The rest of the move is easy.

Today, is a rest and blogging day. Last weekend I needed to take a break, drive somewhere and shoot. So, I rounded up photo buddies Laura and Linda and away I drove to Michigan Bar Road. This road is located in a rural area of Sacramento County. To get there, you drive on Highway 16 or Jackson Hwy through beautiful scenery, and in the summer, you can buy the best corn ever at the Davis Ranch produce stand. I’ve posted images from this road before, so I tried to get different angles, etc. Then we had the bright idea to go beyond the paved road and get home a different way. I do need to tell you it’s been raining here off and on for two weeks, and I was hoping that with a few dry days, the dirt roads would be more or less dry.

Not!! Going 7 – 10 mph can take about 45 minutes to go 4 miles! I made it through three shallow large puddles with the help of my valiant crew, but was stopped by this pool. We had to turn around.

On the way back to the paved road, I had to set down the law because my pals were still wanting to stop to take pictures. No more pictures, we needed to get home. This was a fun adventure, and it rained the next few days so my car got cleaned outside. (I looked for every puddle to go through to get the underside clean.)

Each of us had a reason to get out and experience a bit of photography, so we all enjoyed our adventure. The next day it was back to moving for me, but my break was great!

This shed is showing its age.

The horse heard us and is coming to visit.

It’s curious and friendly.

Fortunately the property owners don’t mind us taking pictures.

A lone tree.

Another shot of the shed.

The river and reflection.

This farm land is beautiful.

Looking back.

Almost to where the pavement ends.

Never saw a white faced cow.

Off roading now.

In the summer, this tree provides shade for the cows.

They still prefer it in the late winter.

Before we needed to turn around.

Posted on January 8, 2018 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Leftovers: A look back at December 2017

Do you like leftovers? I do, but not when they tell that I haven’t been posting in this blog for a while. Or, maybe it’s that I’ve been out shooting and haven’t had the time to post. I think it’s a bit of the two.

In this blog post, I’ll show you some of my last visit to Mather Lake Regional Park in Sacramento County and Sly Park Recreation Area in Pollock Pines. Both tell a story of to expect the unexpected!

At Mather I did bring my 55 – 300 lens so I could capture the wildlife. During my last trip I brought my 18 – 140 lens thinking I’d be doing more landscape, but I found beautiful wildlife that I struggled with capturing. This time the sky turned dark and I still struggled but not as much. Next time, should I bring my F4/300 on a monopod?

The outing to Sly Park was to be a kayaking outing. While others kayaked, Karen B and I were going to walk the trails around the lake. We would then get together for a lunch of homemade clam chowder (Cup Of Noodles for me.) The unexpected was that the only person to bring a kayak was the organizer. So there were three of us. In the end, Karen and I shot around the dock and didn’t walk the trails. By lunch time, more people had joined us.

Will 2018 see us taking photo trips without the unexpected happening? I don’t think so. We should always be ready to be flexible on our photo outings. Sometimes the unexpected is fun and great photo opportunities. On to 2018. I’ve got some leftovers already!

Mather Lake Fisherman

There was a pelican among the cormorants.

Take my picture!

A closer look at the pelican.

Swan swimming by.

Cormorant in flight.

Two swans a swimming.

Got to get in at least one landscape.

Great blue heron.

In flight with a trophy.

Fly free.

Sly Park: Lake view from the road.

Julie’s kayak.

The dock.

Julie did come back with a shot of a bald eagle.

Karen walking the shoreline.

Reflection!

Posted on December 4, 2017December 4, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Going after a big bird: Sandhill Cranes

It’s a yearly expedition–shooting the Sandhill Cranes. They are found in and around the Sacramento Delta. This trip, Laura and I started out at Consumnes River Preserve. Right away, I learned another valuable lesson: have your camera ready before you leave home! I was going to put the big F/4, 300 mm lens on the D7100 once we got to Consumnes, but as soon as we got off the freeway we saw a flock of Sandhills near the fence. They usually like to be deep in the fields. By the time I got my camera ready–they were deep in the field.

I’m always learning lessons! For me, experience is the best teacher. I’m not crying over not having my camera ready for the best shot of the day. I did manage to get some good images as we went from preserve to preserve.

I was amazed at how many Sandhills there were this year. They were everywhere. In past years they were scarce. The drought may have contributed to that.

It was a fun day, chasing the big birds, finding other wildlife and shooting landscapes. Here are the results.

Sandhill walking.

They stick together.

In the middle of the field.

Not facing his friends.

Up close.

This Great Blue Heron was walking along.

Here he sort of blends into the background.

Up close.

Snowy Egret

I did some landscapes.

I liked the sky in this one.

This plowed field has a nice design.

Small bird helping advertise the Preserve.

Flying duck.

Still standing!

Another small bird.

Posted on November 23, 2017November 23, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 7 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving: Napa Valley

The turkey is ready so I’m taking a break. I’m getting wise in my old age: I’m doing the turkey and hosting; everyone else is bringing the rest of our Thanksgiving dinner. The everyone else is half our family. Today is the day that we pay attention to what we are thankful for in our lives. I’m thankful for my husband of 54 years, wonderful son, two daughters-in-law and my four amazing grandkids.

This year, I’m also thankful that I have a hobby that gives me brain exercise, physical exercise and wonderful friendships. Today’s images are from a day road trip to Napa Valley with Karen B. Don’t expect me to know the names of all the wineries we visited. The vines were yellowed and some were bare already. But, they were still beautiful.

We also visited the Veterans’ Home of California in Yountville. It’s nice that some of our aging veterans get to live in a place as beautiful as this campus, supported by the country they fought for–another thing to be thankful for.

It was a full day of shooting, driving, eating, and enjoying each other’s company. Yes, I’m grateful for including photography in my life. For my followers who live outside the U.S., think about your gratitude list. After all we should live in gratitude every day, not just on Thanksgiving!

A beautiful building on the grounds of the Veteran’s Home.

There’s also a cemetery.

This monument says it all.

It was foggy.

There’s also a golf course.

Out to the wineries.

It was mostly cloudy. But, the colors look more rich.

Most of the wineries had beautiful stores for wine tasting.

An unusual building that I couldn’t resist taking a shot of.

There’s still some yellow left in this vineyard.

I love the twisted texture of the vines.

This winery had a castle facade.

Here’s Karen concentrating on a shot.

An egret came out from under a small shelter.

Here it is walking the grounds.

Another look at the castle.

This peacock was showing off.

Color, color everywhere.

Wine barrels.

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 8 Comments

The more I shoot, the more behind I get: Mather Lake

Here I sit contemplating the 1 1/2 shoots I still have to edit. I’m thinking I enjoy shooting more than editing. I don’t even edit a whole lot, but I’m behind. Maybe it’s because the last two outings have been all-day road trips. You know how those camera clicks can add up!

Plus, I’ve started printing. My son wanted two of my images printed on canvas, size 32 x 48 inches. Now that’s a big number for me. I also learned that for the aspect ratio of my camera I should be printing out 8 x 12 prints instead of 8 x 10. And, then I learned how to export from Lightroom to support the pixel count necessary to print large prints.

To complicate my life, I’ve put my D7100 on back focus. After a slight learning curve, I think I like it. Now I have to get my D3100 on back focus also. It was fun on yesterday’s outing with one camera on back focus and the other not.

I thank my son and the Sierra Camera Club for pushing me to print out my images. The Club’s print competition has me gaining more knowledge in that area. I’m so glad I joined that group. I’m more charged up about photography, and more confident in my abilities.

So, maybe I’m behind because I’m learning so much–okay it’s a lame excuse! Enjoy a few shots from the small Mather Lake. I didn’t know what to expect, and brought a wide angle lens rather than a long telephoto. But I got beautiful landscapes and a few of the bird wildlife.

Fortunately I could get close enough to this blue heron so I could capture it with my 17 – 70 mm lens.

A close up.

He finally tired of being my model and flew away.

A swan with wings up.

Grassy reflection.

A wide angle of the lake.

When we got there, there were no clouds.

I wasn’t the only one who thought this thistle was pretty. A bee was hovering too.

The reflections were great.

When we were leaving, the clouds were beautiful.

If this old table could talk, what stories it would tell!

A couple fishing.

The other half of the couple.

A feather!

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

I’m crowing: UC Davis Arboretum

Yes, hens sometimes crow like roosters. My neighbor had one. So, I’m crowing because I’ve noticed vast improvement in my photographic skill level.

I happened to be looking back at the photos I took during our cross country trip in 2013, and I was amazed at how poor some of the images were. Some challenges had to do with composition, but most with processing. I knew little about each! But that’s how I learn–by doing.

In fact, that’s why I started this blog–to track my progress. My followers are great in motivating me and cheering me on. Thank you everyone. Looking back, the most significant tool for me was doing the 365. Having to shoot a photo a day for one entire year taught me many lessons.

While I’m bragging, Richard is looking into his wallet because I told him he had to take me on another cross country trip to retake some pictures. Well, he’s really not looking for cash; he just gave me a stare and said NO!

Now I’m printing some images and gaining more valuable information. Once I understand that, maybe I’ll tackle Photoshop. Digital photography is not easy to grasp if you don’t have a technical mind, which I don’t. I’ll continue to learn and share those experiences here.

One of my favorite places to practice is the UC Davis Arboretum, It’s not far, in Davis, and is great for macro, landscape and telephoto shots. Just choose what you want to concentrate on and bring that lens. This results in a great learning curve. This trip I shot with my 18 – 140 mm lens.

Here are some samples from that visit. I didn’t see any crows though, just a horse in their horse barn, but I’m still crowing.

Posted on October 16, 2017October 16, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

In search of Fall color: Hope Valley

The great migration has begun! Each year we photographers go to the Eastern Sierras to find those amazing rich yellows, greens, oranges and reds. This year we may have gone to Hope Valley too soon, but Marlene was ready for a day trip. With Linda along, we made the 2-hour trip to Hope Valley.

Linda had never been there and had never shot the famous cabin. I just went along, not expecting much color. As I’ve said before, an outing with friends is great!

By the time we reached the valley, hunger had set in. The only place to eat is Sorensen’s, a small resort featuring cabins and campsites. We love their cafe. The food is delicious. After filling our tummies, we set out to find the cabin. This old cabin has been photographed by all the photographers who come in search of Fall color.

After finding the cabin and shooting it from every vantage point, we went on a scouting trip to find anything else. We weren’t the only photographers out there. I stopped to talk to a guy who was a little disappointed in the colors. He thought it would be at the peak in a few days. I thought it would peak in about a week.

We did find a couple of other places that had nice color, and then started the trek home. It was a fun day of shooting with friends. Since we were up there, about two weeks ago, photographer’s pictures still don’t show the rich colors we saw last year. Maybe that’s the way it will be this year. Those who went further south, got better color.

This was our only trip to seek the amazing rich colors of Fall. Next year!

An old truck at a hotel along the way.

The same truck in color.

Looking through broken glass at more broken glass!

A snow plow truck.

Beautifully textured logs.

Looks like someone’s work was interrupted!

Nature’s design.

A cabin on the property.

Down by the river.

A view of Lake Tahoe in the distance.

In Hope Valley.

Yellow and orange were the colors we found.

The famous cabin!

The cabin in the distance.

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

Navigating the not so perfect: Various outings

I learned long ago that we all can’t be winners and neither can outings. I’ve made lemonade so many times recently. It’s not that the outings were truly “lemons,” but either the potential for great images was not there or I was off and not seeing opportunities.

For instance, the John Muir National Historic Site was one I had been to before, but forgot. Basically it’s a tour of his home and orchard he inherited from his father-in-law. The movie shown in the Visitor’s Center did give us great insight into his life and dreams.

His home. The movie call it a mansion.

In the kitchen.

In the living room. Couldn’t pass up this photo opportunity.

Family photos.

Another venture was to the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area a small preserve near West Sacramento. Seeing wildlife here is either okay, great or bad. The morning we went viewing, the wind was blowing so hard even the birds were taking cover! After we drove the route, Linda, Teresa and I went to see if any burrowing owls were brave to fight the wind. They burrow in Davis, California. We spotted two little owls.

This is the one clear image I got. I couldn’t find him in my bird book.

A Great Blue Heron hides from us and the wind.

One of the burrowing owls. They are so small and cute.

Looking mean!

The wind was blowing so hard he closed his eyes!

Last, is Effie Yeaw Nature Center. Summer is not the best time to view the many deer, roosters, coyotes and birds that live there. This visit was in September, and I guess it wasn’t cool enough for the wildlife to come out and smile for the cameras!

The American River

A tree lined path.

A bench with a river vista.

Even though there may not have been great photo opportunities, these outings were fun. When you’re with fellow photographers who enjoy getting out with their cameras, the camaraderie is what makes the day. I guess I’m saying a day out with a camera and friends is always a winner.

Posted on August 19, 2017 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

On the road again: Two Medicine Lake & Twin Falls, GNP

It was a lot easier coming down on twisty Highway 95 than going up. We left Columbia Falls yesterday and are now in Weiser, Idaho for the solar eclipse.

But, before we get into the preparation for the eclipse, I need to close out our adventures in Glacier National Park (GNP). The first day of no smoke we, fortunately, had arranged to take a boat ride on Two Medicine Lake and hike to Twin Falls. It was an easy 1.8 mile hike each way, but our guide was young and walked fast. We had seniors and young couples with small children with us, and he sometimes had the group lagging behind. I almost had to run to keep up–short legs!

It was an enjoyable hike with beautiful scenery. The falls were nice, but not spectacular. I tried some handheld slow shutter on the wider one. I think I’m saying they weren’t spectacular because it was difficult to shoot. Nature had put barriers in the way and kids were climbing on the rocks.

Coming back, we missed the boat and waited with some others about 30 minutes for the boat to come back. I didn’t mind because it gave me a chance to relax and rest. It also gave me an opportunity to shoot some more of the lake. Of course, I was shooting, out the boat’s open window, all the way there and back.

We had one more day of sightseeing in Montana and a day of re-stocking and cleaning before our trip to Weiser. That will be in my next post.