Posted on by Anne Sandler · 39 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #420: Looking Back to #125 You Pick It/Wabi Sabi

Sofia found perfection in choosing imperfection–Wabi Sabi! This was difficult for me because I tend to toss out my imperfect photos, keeping the best to use in blogs. So I chose to look for wabi sabi in nature, old things and things that are no longer useful and to concentrate on the imperfect definition of wabi sabi.

Let’s start with nature which never disappoints with life cycles. We lost many trees in a big wind storm a few years ago, photo number one is a toppled tree in Effie Yeaw. Every autumn our trees lose leaves as they dry up and turn brown. Cut logs even turn color as they dry. Lichen finds a home on a vine that is encircling a pipe. Talk about symbiosis! Fire turns a beautiful forest landscape found in Lassen National Park into devastation.

Age causes metal to rust creating that beautiful texture and patina. Yes, I love rust!

Finally, what happens to things that are no longer useful? During our photo outings, we find many abandoned items left to rot. In the country we find lots of old trucks on farms. One of my favorites is the old Point Reyes near the town of Point Reyes. Since this picture, a group of photographers decided to play with steel wool, lighting it up and catching the back of the boat on fire. There’s not much left of this old landmark. Old buildings with broken stucco and dirty windows are plentiful in the country (Yolo County.)

So there is my attempt at wabi sabi. Sofia I hope I got it right! When you respond to this challenge, please link to Sofia’s original post and use the Lens-Artist tag. Last week, Next week Patti will be leading the challenge, so please look for her post.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 40 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #419: Landmarks and Monuments

My camera takes me places I wouldn’t ordinarily visit or think of visiting. However, early on my in my camera toting days one of my groups arranged an outing to the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, and I’ve been hooked ever since. This week, John has given me a platform to show you some of the beauty and history hidden at this cemetery.

The cemetery was established in 1849 when Sacramento founder John Augustus Sutter, Jr. donated 10 acres (4.0 ha) to the city for this purpose. It was declared a State Historic Landmark on May 5, 1957, by the State Historical Landmarks Commission. The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

Let’s start with the most poignant sites that touched my heart. We can accept when an adult passes, but our hearts go out to the families who have lost children. Note that on Eddy’s gravestone, they put how old the child was in years, months and days.

You don’t see monuments as tall as these in cemeteries any more. These are in great shape, but some are broken and in need of repair. I guess it’s up to the families to do upkeep on monuments. I would assume the families have passed away also.

Some family groups are gated off, and are given fancy farewells.

My last monument is dedicated to those who lost their lives and homes in the devastating Camp Fire in 2018. One resident who lost his home to that fire and relocated to our community took us up there to see the devastation first hand. The blame for this fire landed on Pacific Gas and Electric. The company now turns off electric during high wind storms. The community built this monument to never forget.

The 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California‘s Butte County was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. The blaze began on the morning of November 8, 2018 when hardware on a poorly maintained Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) transmission line in the Feather River Canyon failed during strong katabatic winds. Those winds rapidly drove the Camp Fire through the communities of Concow, Magalia, Butte Creek Canyon and Paradise, mostly destroying them.

My camera continues to take me places familiar and not. This year we haven’t been too active because of a back injury–me not the Fuji! But my Fuji keeps whispering that it wants to be taken out. I guess I’ll have to listen! When you share your monuments and landmarks, be sure to link to John’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

Thanks John for this monumental challenge! Last week we shared memories and beautiful pictures of them. Next week, Sofia leads the challenge, so look for her post. In the meantime, stay safe and be resilient.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 39 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #418: Memories

Memories, yes, I have lots of them. This week, Tina encourages us to share some memorable moments. But my photographic memories don’t start until 2013 when I got my first camera. I got it just in time to record our cross country road trip. Here is the trailer we lived in for 3 months and the truck that pulled it for 16,000 miles.

Visiting our relatives was an important part of the trip, especially given our ages. Pictured is me and my cousin Irene who lives in Long Island, NY.

Getting further into my new hobby, I joined a photography group, mostly to learn. I did ask a lot of questions. Fortunately, photographers are patient and enjoy sharing information. One of the most memorable outings was photographing light trails. This was taken on the walkway next to the I-5 freeway.

Photographing the Milky Way the first time was another memorable night. This was taken at Blue Canyon where my husband’s observatory is.

I quickly learned to seize the opportunity while we were camped in the foothills. I was walking our dog when I saw this sun rise in the mist. Fortunately, I had my camera with me. After that experience, I always take my camera when went on a walk.

I’m so glad to have captured the lotus while they planted them in the pond at Land Park in Sacramento. They have since stopped this yearly attraction.

I’ve written about my yearly April visits to the nesting tree in Lincoln, Calif. There are so many egrets and herons building nests that my only challenge was the length of my lens: 300 mm. The tree was across a gully and nestled between two shopping centers. This egret is bringing back a twig for its mate that was guarding the nest.

Finally, a favorite from my visit to the Santa Cruz Arboretum.

I’m so happy to have these photographic memories. But memories are made every day. What does the future hold for me. We will see!

Thanks Tina for taking me down my own memory lane. When you respond to her post, remember to link to her original post and use the lens artists tag. We were certainly led down many roads last week. Thanks Egidio, for that creative challenge. John will be leading next week’s challenge, so be sure to look for his post. In the meantime, stay safe and be resilient.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 38 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #417: Where Does It Lead

This week Egidio led me down memory lane and to my photo buddy who passed away almost 10 years ago. Why? Because he would take us on weekly camera outing adventures. We would never know what road Greg Morris would take us on. The only thing we had control over was the time. We women needed to be back by dinner time!

He would drive and pay for the gas, and we (Marlene and I) would buy him lunch. He knew all the back roads; and if he didn’t, he would take them anyway. The three of us had the same camera, Nikon D7100, but only Greg would use a tripod–consistently. One of his favorite places was Jackson, a town in the Gold Country. His favorite stop was a small diner where he would get hot dogs. For Greg it was the hot dogs and conversation with the diner’s owner.

The Diner
The Diner’s Owner

Sometimes the road took us to another of Greg’s favorites the small town of Locke. Locke is known for being the only town in the United States built by Chinese for Chinese. In 1912, three Chinese merchants constructed three buildings – a store and saloon, a gambling hall, and a hotel and restaurant. It’s still there, but some buildings are falling down.

The toilet garden in Locke
Hungry?
Greg Morris

And then there was the “getting there.” We saw sights along the road and pulled off somewhere safe.

A brain tumor took Greg from us. We could never replicate the road trips, but we did our best. We still try to go out with our cameras weekly. Sometimes we will head out on a Greg Morris road trip, seeing where the road will take us. But it’s not easy when you don’t know the area that well.

I’m dedicating this post to GM. We still miss you!

Thanks Egidio for taking me down the memory lane road. When you post your responses, please remember to link to Egidio’s post and use the Lens-Artist tag. Last week Ritva challenged us with music and it’s meaning to each of us. Your responses were wonderful. Next week Tina will challenge us. Look for her post. In the meantime, stay safe and be resilient!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 76 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #415: Move Your Body

I love my 18 to 300 mm lens. I use it all the time because I don’t like to change lenses in the field. How many of you use a zoom lens? Now what would happen if you had a fixed lens and had to walk forward, backward or sideways to get the shot?

You would have to think a bit more before you decided to squat down. It depends on how difficult it would be to get up! For me, it’s very difficult and not very pretty, but sometimes I do it to get the shot. Your challenge this week is to move your body up, down, forward and back.

Here are three photographs that I bent down and stood up for. This was my first time out with my Nikon D3100 and were taken at a balloon festival. It was the first time using my camera in the field. How excited I was. In the beginning, I laid on the ground, then got up and at last looked up. The first two are the same balloon, the third is not; but you get the idea.

Next, we are going to start close to the subject and then walk back to get a different view. Moving back does tell a different story. These were taken at Ananda Village during their tulip festival that they hold every April.

Now for the lotus blossoms. One was taken while I was squatting so I could get the light on the petals. The other was taken standing over the flower so I could get the bud.

Next at Lassen National Park’s Sulphur Springs area, I walked back for a shot of the Sulphur pool and then came up to the fence and looked over the area for the bubbling Sulphur.

Fortunately, the smell wasn’t as bad as the Sulphur pools at Yellowstone National Park!

These movements are one reason I like photography for seniors. It’s exercise! Younger folks can also take advantage of extra exercise! So, get out there and squat, bend down, and walk!

When you post your response to this challenge, please link it to mine and use the Lens-Artists tag.

We built a lot of bridges with Beth’s challenge last week, and I thoroughly enjoyed the variety. Next week, Ritva will be leading the challenge, so look for her post. In the meantime, stay safe and be resilient!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 44 Comments

Lens-Artists Challenge #414: Harmony

Such a simple word with different meanings for everyone. Typically, harmony is associated with music. However, Ann Christine associates it with color: Harmony is the combination of separate but related parts in a way that uses their similarities to bring unity to a painting, drawing, or other art object.

I see harmony in nature, and I find joy in capturing it with my camera. During a photo outing a few years ago, we were driving along on curvy Highway 49 and saw this field of golden poppies–the California State Flower. Oh the harmony of orange and green. Add in the rugged rocks on the hillside, it was just beautiful.

I’ve been on that road many years since, but have not been able to find the same scene. I’m so glad I have these images.

We were heading to a town in Gold Country called Jackson, and on the way back we stopped in another small town, Dry Town, to capture some more poppies.

Here it was the placement of the poppies that created a harmonious scene. Again yellow, green and brown. Just lovely.

So there you have my harmonious joy. Thanks Ann Christine for helping us notice harmony in our lives. When you post your response, please link to her post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Oh the bridges we crossed last week. They were just great. Thanks for all your contributions. I’ll be leading next week’s challenge, so stay tuned. In the meantime stay healthy, safe and be resilient.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 40 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #413: Bridges

I’m late! I’m late! But not for a very important date–for my blog post on Beth’s Challenge of Bridges. I was caught by a bad cold, and this is the first clear headed day I’ve had in almost a week.

I don’t have to look far for bridges because with two major rivers, the American and Sacramento, there are plenty of bridges to choose from.

The most famous bridge spanning the Sacramento River is the Tower Bridge linking Sacramento to West Sacramento (which is in Yolo County.)

Here’s a view of one bridge framing the I Street bridge.

Now on the American River we have another famous bridge–The Rainbow Bridge near Folsom.

Let’s take a trip to the city of Roseville to see the walking bridge over Linda Creek. It’s a pretty bridge, especially in Autumn.

My last bridge is the Fair Oaks Bridge in the town of Fair Oaks.

There are more bridges, but my energy is leaving. Thanks to Beth for initiating a wonderful week of bridges. I’ll have a more robust post next week when Ann Christine leads the challenge. In the meantime try to stay healthy and be resilient.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 53 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #411: What is it?

For us older seniors, the best advantage of doing photography as a hobby is that it helps you remember where you’ve been and what you’ve seen! Sofia’s challenge is a prime example. I had to go through many photos and memories to grab what I did!

Let’s start with a sculpture.

This sculpture is located at the Cornerstone Sonoma gardens in Sonoma, California. It is a large, house-shaped outdoor art installation created using hundreds of recycled plastic forks.

Next are two from the Manetti Shrem Museum, University California, Davis

Could you guess that the picture on the left was a curtain covering a door to an outside eating patio? The right image is the fantastic patio cover for the museum entrance that wraps around the building.

IKEA has lots of odd things to photograph. We go there with our cameras when it’s raining or hot. What’s your guess?

If you guessed a stack of shopping carts, you’re correct. I’ve only seen them stacked this way, vertically, once.

Let’s go for some color.

Here’s a hint: I found these at a garden nursery during Christmas time. Do you see the iridescent balls?

No hints on this next one.

It’s a ship’s propeller!

My last two are easy since you know I enjoy moving my camera and lens when I have the opportunity.

Left: Tall grass; Right: Ferris wheel

Thank you Sofia for helping me travel down memory lane. I had a great time and hope you do also when go on you own memory trip. When you do post, please link to Sofia’s original challenge. Thank you Ritva for last weeks challenge. I enjoyed seeing all your edited pictures and learned from your processes. Next week John will be leading the challenge, so look for his post. In the meantime stay safe and be resilient.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 36 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #154/410: One Photo Edited

I just love to take my camera out for a walk. Editing is not something I truly enjoy. That doesn’t mean that I don’t edit. It just means that I’m not that good at it and rely on programs like Lightroom, Topaz, Color Efex and Silver Efex. Photoshop is too technical for me. So, Ritva’s challenge is truly a challenge for me!

Through the next three examples, I will try to explain how I use these editing programs. I’m sure I can use them more expertly; but this is my hobby, and I want to keep enjoying it!

Example 1 (original is on the left/edited is on the right) Fun at a neighborhood fair.

I like to stop by local fairs when I can catch them. It’s one of the few times I use my tripod because I like to catch the rides in slow motion. This picture of a ride that brings seated riders into the air as the chairs spin around.

First I changed it into black and white in Lightroom. Then I cropped it on the left and removed other rides on the right. I brought up the highlights and contrast to accent the twirling chairs. I wanted to draw attention to the blurred chairs and riders. Lightroom was the only program I used.

Next we were in a small town and I liked this tree that formed a tunnel over the sidewalk. I’m so glad that no one trimmed it!

I took this photo into Silver Efex and chose one of their templates. I usually stop editing in Silver Efex at that point, sending it back into Lightroom. Once back in Lightroom, I worked on the highlights, darks and contrast. I like how it came out looking almost like a sketch.

On a visit to an Iris farm, we had so many beautiful flowers to photograph. I was in photo heaven!

Because I wanted to accent just one petal, I cropped in closely. Now you can definitely see the interior and striations of each petal. I also softened the background. This was edited in Topaz Sharpener just to make sure the image was sharp when cropped. It was then brought back into Lightroom. I masked out the background to smooth it out. I’m so glad Lightroom now has a masking feature. I also saturated the colors a bit.

I doubt I will totally enjoy editing as much as I enjoy taking the picture. For me the goal is to get a good composition to begin with. Please link your challenge response to this post, and to Ritva who showed, through her artistic ability, how editing can enhance our pictures.

And thanks to Steve Hyde, Steve Hyde Photography Blog, for challenging us, last week, to choose our best images. Wow, that was tough and it was fun to see what you all chose. Next week, Sofia will be leading the challenge. Until then stay safe and be resilient.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 47 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #409: Best Images Ever

Why do you take your camera out, hold it to your eye and press the shutter? I perform this ritual because I enjoy getting out, composing the picture and editing it on the computer. If you journey out once a week, how many thousands of pictures do you think you’ve taken? YIKES, Steve wants us to pick just five favorites. Steve, this is a real challenge! The selected pictures are all from the Sacramento Area except for the first. I’m sure I’ve shown these at one time or another. I hope they are worth a second look.

I’ve gotten it down to five–with difficulty. Here’s the first.

I was at a Toastmasters conference in Redding, California. My goal was to get there one day ahead of time to capture the Sundial Bridge at night. The Sundial Bridge is a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge for bicycles and pedestrians that spans the Sacramento River in Redding, California, forming a large sundial. The sundial at the end of the bridge is operational. At night it is lit up and is a photographers dream of lines, light and beauty!

Now let’s roam around Yolo County, just north of Sacramento County. This is our access to the countryside. We enjoy getting lost, finding interesting photo opportunities. I don’t remember where we (my small photo group) were when one of us yelled, “STOP.” Could that have been me? I liked the open fence accenting the road and the golden hillside. The sky was accommodating also. Was this worth turning around for? Could nature be more accommodating?

You know how I love to photograph flowers with my macro lens. This was probably taken at one of our local gardens–maybe the McKinley Rose Garden in Sacramento. I liked the water drops on the budding rose and its red-orange color. For me, it symbolizes an emerging beauty. Unfortunately, nature gives us beauty for just a short time. Whenever I see a volunteer in the garden, I always thank them for the gorgeous opportunity they give us.

Now for a little controversy. I come from a journalistic background, and when I see a photojournalism opportunity, I take it. The controversy is does it belong in a photo blog. One of my followers said “It does not.” I think it does given that it is an image of life and all is not rosy (like the above image.) We were walking from Discovery Park to Old Sacramento when I saw this man asleep on the ground. It’s sad but it is a sign of our time. What do I like about it? It tells a real story. What do you think?

I want to end on a happier note with this sunset image. This was taken at one of our night trips to Old Sacramento. Taken from the Sacramento side, it shows the Tower Bridge and a little of West Sacramento, Yolo County in silhouette. The setting sun was very cooperative with glowing reds, purples and oranges that night. The Sacramento River also cooperated with its glassy reflection.

So these are my five picks. Thanks Steve for sending us through our archives, helping us review wonderful memories. When you respond, please link to this post and Steve’s post. Remember to use the Lens-Artists tag. Last week, Egidio sent us “Over the Top.” What fun, reading all your posts. Ritva will be challenging us next week, so look for her post. In the meantime, stay healthy and be resilient!