learning to edit photos – Page 8

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Going and looking back: Grass Valley, California

We are in a morphing stage. Since Greg’s passing, our Tuesdays With Seniors group hasn’t been the same. We’ve reformed and are now enjoying the company of pre-seniors. It was during this time that our two new members, Rita and Karen, and I went to Grass Valley and the Empire Mine State Park.

I had been there twice with Greg, and he was the tour guide. He mostly showed me the town, various high points and the countryside. He used to live in Nevada City and for him it was a homecoming.

I find Grass Valley old town a little less touristy than Nevada City. We went to both, but shot mostly in Grass Valley. Once again, I needed to shoot the familiar scene a little differently. I didn’t do HDR or carry a tripod as I had done on my two previous visits. I tried different angles and got in a little closer in some shots, especially at the mine.

This time our visit to the Empire Mine, where I did use a tripod and shot HDR, yielded an unauthorized brief tour of the cottage. The ranger in the office turned her head and allowed the docent to take us in. We were like children in the candy store, that is until the alarm went off. Our docent, probably feeling like he got caught with his hand in the candy jar, was busy trying to turn off the blaring sound. Soon we heard an additional but different blare–the second alarm! We took our shots quickly because we knew that once the alarms were turned off, our sneak peak into the cottage would be over.

But, the fun isn’t over, and I look forward to more adventures with this re-formed group. We will have a new name which will be decided tomorrow during our Napa visit.

This mural was on the side of a convenience store near the historic part of town.

I couldn’t get a decent shot of this beautiful library the last time. So glad I came back.

Karen and I played around with catching a sunburst on the old Del Oro movie theater.

This picture of a bank shows how hilly this area is.

Just a bunch of hanging signs on Main Stree.

Inside the cottage.

I loved the old furniture. I used HDR because I didn’t want to damage anything with a flash.

Love the old tub in the downstairs bathroom.

This is what we would call the family room today.

At the blacksmith shop.

The docents make real, usable items in this shop.

In the old machinery bone yard. Close ups.

I love old rusted machinery.

I’m sure this was used to carry stuff out of the mine.

Just one of the buildings being fixed.

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 15, 2016 by Anne Sandler

Sunday is funday: Roaming Sacramento City

Photography is definitely a stress reducer. That’s what brought Marlene and I out on a Sunday morning. Concentrating on shooting takes your mind off various stressors and allows a couple of buddies to talk it out.

Fortunately, Marlene knows Sacramento City because I took the wrong freeway and truly didn’t know where we were when I exited. All I knew was that this wasn’t where we were headed! We decided to just drive and find neat things to shoot. We eventually found our way to the iconic Tower Theater, out last stop for the day. I’m saving that for another post because I want to focus on it.

This Sunday morning was fun, sometimes challenging because of harsh lighting or total clouds, but fun. I think for both of us, photography is an escape. Whether for just a couple of hours or a full day, it takes us away, gets us concentrating on the process of shooting, and challenges our minds. It’s also taught me what wonderful places we have right here.

Yes, this past Sunday was funday.

Confession: I thought this was a water tower, but I can’t find it on the internet. It’s located close to the fire department.

The Libby, McNeil and Libby Fruit and Vegetable Cannery was a cannery operated in Sacramento, California by Libby, McNeil, and Libby. The building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A different slant on the can!

A building across from the Cannery.

Puddle shooting.

More puddle shooting captured this neat truck.

Another view.

This is the McClatchy Library. Located in the middle of a residential area, it may have been a large home at one point.

Book return boxes are located along side of the driveway.

The library’s back yard.

Shot from the library driveway.

Red doors just get my attention.

So do bright yellow chairs and pumpkins!

We had lunch at Jamba Juice before walking over to the Tower Theater.

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 15 Comments

My go to spot: Dry Creek Park, Roseville, CA

We all have a go to spot. You know, a place where you feel comfortable, familiar with and pretty much know what to expect. Dry Creek Park is that place for me. In the summer it’s teaming with families enjoying the water, wading and swimming. It’s green and lush.

However, in the winter, the trees are barren, with branches strewn all over. I wonder whether they come in during the spring and clean it out before the summer crowd hits. I thought I’d see more water in the creek because of this winter’s rain, but I didn’t notice much of an increase in height.

There is a playground, tennis courts and a covered picnic area in addition the creek separated by a concrete roadway and large grass area.

Marlene and I went for a quick shoot. I wasn’t raining and we both wanted to get out. That’s the kind of place it is–a go to spot.

Looking down the creek.

It meanders with the trees forming a natural canopy.

This sandy beach is a favorite summer spot.

What’s this alligator eating?

A big beach puddle and reflection.

I love the roots of these trees.

More creek. There’s a log and debris in the center.

Natural decay.

The sun came out for a few minutes.

Someone replaced the old tire swing.

Marlene noticed this patch of fungi.

Away from the creek, the patchy grass is now green.

A family walks along the road that separates the creek from the play area.

Look back down the road.

This beautiful sky overshadows the playground.

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

Finding new in the old: Michigan Bar Road, Sacramento County

Did you ever get the idea that you’ve been some place before? I didn’t just get an idea, I know I’ve been on Michigan Bar Road before–two times. My outing with Laura made the third time.

You can always find something new to shoot: new composition, new things to find and new challenges on what you’ve already shot. Since my other two visits involved HDR, I decided not to bracket my shots. I also looked for small details to shoot. And, believe it or not, I found new things to shoot.

We did get off Michigan Bar Road and onto Latrobe Road, but not the road we know with the same name. The Latrobe Road we know is a curvy, paved highway. This road was dirt, and after a few rainy days it was full of puddles and ruts. Laura did a great job of navigating until we came to a puddle too large to navigate. Back we went. In addition to photography, adventure is part of the fun!

We did try to catch a sunset on Scott Road before heading home, but that was not very satisfying. All in all, it was a fun day of exploring and shooting even though I had the feeling that I’d been there before!

You might recognize this. I’ve shot at this ranch before.

I like the river that separates the pastures.

I didn’t notice this shed before.

Getting a close up of the door.

Some rust and texture.

Further down the road.

There are a lot of farms/ranches in this area.

Some of the dirt road we were on. This one was more or less dry.

Rocky area in the pasture.

More pasture land.

This is where we turned around!

Coming back to the first ranch.

The sun is setting on Scott Road.

The sun is now behind the hill. This is the maximum color of the sunset.

I’ve learned to turn around when shooting a sunset. I did and look at what I saw.

The golden light illuminated this tree remnant beautifully.

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Anne Sandler

An ending and beginning: Christmas lights

Happy New Year. We ended 2015 shooting Christmas Lights, after the holiday but better late than not getting there at all. Going during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, we thought there would be less crowds. Wrong! It was crowded on Dovewood Court. I guess everyone had the same idea. This court is one where all the houses are lit up beautifully. We went there last year also, so you’ll recognize some of the pictures. I tried to shoot differently for variety. And, this year, I felt more comfortable with my ability to shoot correctly.

Also ending is the 365 photography challenge. This being January 1, 2016, I didn’t have to shoot a picture, I could walk the dog without bringing a camera and both husband and dog are breathing easier now that they don’t have to be models. I’ll talk more about the 365 soon. It was an amazing experience.

Beginning is my attempt to learn more photography software. I’m going to do the 52, meaning I’ll post a photo once a week. My twist on it: I’m going to post a before and after image, showing a new editing skill I’ve learned. And, I don’t think I want to be tied to assigned themes. I just want to learn.

This year, I’m even more enthusiastic about shooting and learning new editing techniques to bring my photography to the next level. Does that sound like a resolution? Maybe I’m just looking forward to a new beginning.

Here are some of the Christmas lights. (No captions necessary.)

Posted on December 27, 2015December 27, 2015 by Anne Sandler

When it rains; shoot indoors: Fairmont Hotel, San Jose

When it rained in San Jose, it poured. Dedicated photographers never give up, especially when you don’t often get to shoot together. So photo buddy Nicci, of niccicarreraromance.com, and I went to to lobby of the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose.

The lobby was beautifully decorated for Christmas; and, as an added bonus, we were able to photograph Christmas In The Park directly across from the hotel. I had a wonderful time talking with Nicci. This was the first time we went on a photo outing since Leanne Cole’s visit in September.

The only problem was our visit was way too short, and the welcomed rain!

The model village in the lobby.

The spinning Ferris Wheel attached to a gingerbread house.

The lobby has several sculptures placed in front of mirrors.

One of the Christmas Trees.

A zoom abstract of the tree.

Another zoom abstract shot just slightly different.

It’s me reflected in the ornament.

The lobby.

The bar.

Christmas in the park display.

One of the rides.

Another display of cute teddy bears.

A gingerbread house display.

The locomotive of a train ride.

A dragon on the carousel.

A horse on the carousel.

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

Who moved my chairs? Back to Volcano

My red chairs. The simple, inexpensive patio chairs I shot, during a prior visit, as they were positioned in front of a Volcano, California store were moved. And, I was moved. I don’t know why, but when I saw that they were not in the same photographic set up, I was taken aback! Did I want to shoot them again? Did I want to make a good shot even better? Probably not, but I did look at the composition–no, not as good.

I did take a shot from a totally different angle. Of course you’re thinking, “Why didn’t she just move the chairs back?” Good question, I’m going to have to start setting the scene when I can. I’m sorry that I don’t have the original on my laptop here in San Jose. If you want to see it. It’s archived in this blog. Anyway, here’s the shot I took.

This was my second and Marlene’s first trip to this small town. Except for the red chairs it hadn’t changed! It is full of historic buildings that have been re-purposed and still used.

Volcano was a cultural center in this gold fever valley. It was the first to have a lending library and many other civic and private offerings. I love the look of stone on Main Street’s buildings.

We had just come from the Black Chasm Cavern tour and were hungry. We were directed to the General Store and had burgers. We then walked beyond Main Street and saw more of the town.

I may go back to Volcano in the future, and I’ll definitely move some chairs!