Posted on by Anne Sandler · 25 Comments

Down in the Delta: Heringer Family Estates Winery & Vineyards

Oh, it is tough to get back into routine after a vacation. Almost over a sore throat, I checked to see what outings I hadn’t shown you before we left for our Panama Canal trip. I found this delightful winery in the Delta region sponsored by the Yolo Arts and Ag Project.

It was delightful because of the photo and artistic opportunities the Heringer Vineyards offered. There were many photographers and artists in attendance. Although late in the season, some grapes were still on the vine and beautiful against their colorful leaves.

All wineries have tasting rooms and beautiful grounds. Being in the Delta, the Sacramento River is nearby.

And there were many painters sketching and painting the beautiful scenes.

Let’s not forget the traditional old and rusted farm equipment.

My camera always leads me to plants, and that morning was no different.

I think this was the last outing planned by the Yolo Arts & Ag Project for 2025. They will start again in Spring 2026. I do appreciate the opportunities they offer us.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 21 Comments

A lingering cold: Horton Iris Farm, part 2

I’ve been down and out with a week long cold. I guess you realize that I’m not happy, especially having to miss a photo outing. Even Gem is upset because he’s getting a very short walk each morning.

Fortunately, I do have the second part of last week’s post to show you. Last week you saw the beautiful iris blossoms at Horton Iris Farm in Loomis. Now I’ll show you the rest of the farm.

When you come into the farm, there’s this cute bird feeder.

Then there are methods of transportation.

More flowers and farm art (old machines).

It’s a large farm, so there’s plenty of space for landscape images including a pond.

So that’s Horton’s Iris Farm. Now back to nursing this s****d cold!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 40 Comments

Lens Artist Challenge #182: Interesting Objects

Of course what is interesting is in the eye of the beholder. What I find interesting are landscapes, macros, architecture but seldom objects. However, sometimes things catch my eye and I can’t resist. This week, Patti encourages to photograph or go through our archives for those objects that we absolutely needed to photograph.

For instance this old bellows camera I spotted at the Antique Trove. The flash has been made into a light source of a different kind.

When taken in context, this sign at the Folsom Prison Museum had me thinking, “Duh!” These old handcuffs must have been totally uncomfortable.

This sign as you enter the small town of Mokelumne Hill will certainly have you slow down!

A restaurant in Napa had a sense of humor when it came to identifying their restrooms.

When we visit farms during the summer months, there’s usually a pile of discarded equipment left to the elements. I love rust and all the colors it gives objects. I think these may have been some sort of stakes.

One of my favorite places to visit is Old Sacramento. On one outing I noticed this gate.

Finally, while these are not unusual; for my photographic eye, they were positioned just right. I’ve posted them in this blog before. So, some of you may know what they are. If you don’t, can you guess?

Thanks Patti for this fun exercise! I had a great time seeing all your double dipping posts last week and look forward to seeing what Ann-Christine has in store for us next week. Please be sure to link your posts this week to Patti’s post and use the Lens-Artist tag. Until next week!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

In the country with Yolo Arts & Ag: Hungry Hallow Ranch

I love suburbia with all its conveniences, but I also like to visit the forests, beaches and country sides. The Yolo Arts & Ag program allows me to take my camera onto ranches, orchards and farms that open their facilities to artists and photographers for two half days a month. It’s a great opportunity for us to wander in and out of barns, see old machinery and have a glimpse of a life we don’t live.

The Hungry Hallow Ranch in Capay was a large facility that gave us access to the entire property. But when we entered, we mostly saw machinery in barns, old vehicles, young olive trees and hay bales. Marlene, Ray and I said that there was nothing new here. Richard was excited saying that this is what he loved to photograph.

I think Richard was right. I did find a lot to photograph and learned a lesson. Don’t judge a photography shoot by first glance. I made the most of our morning. I took close ups of machinery.

Then there was an artist painting.. There were many, but I liked this shot the most.

And the olive orchard. You can see that the trees were young.

And the barns.

I also found a grape vine or two, a wood pile large enough to cover the side of a barn and an awesome tree.

    It ended up being a fun morning of discoveries. And lunch was at our favorite Road Trip Bar and Grill in Capay.

    Posted on by Anne Sandler · 16 Comments

    A Yolo Arts & Ag adventure: Oliver Farms, Woodland

    The season has begun. Each month (Not every month during the pandemic.), during spring and summer, Yolo Arts & Ag hosts local farms and orchards for photographers and artists to spend the morning, doing their art. While I don’t get to all of them, I’ve taken the opportunity to go to most and I haven’t been disappointed. In March we were invited to the Oliver Farm in Woodland. Marlene and I took the opportunity.

    Sally Oliver has left the farm buildings as was after her husband passed away 2 years ago. The almond trees are gone and she now leases the grounds to a certified organic farm, producing radish
    seeds and curly chard among other rotating row crops.

    I found the old buildings a photographic delight. Here are some images taken that morning.

    • Some buildings.
    • I think I’d rather shower!
    • Old equipment, also called farm art.
    • Inside door of a building. Maybe what used to be a bunk house.
    • Stairs leading to the second floor.
    • Front of the main house.
    • Another perspective.
    • An amazing, twisted tree.
    • Old truck in the barn.
    • Stuff left in the barn.
    • An artist paints.
    • A window in one of the buildings.

    On the way home, we stopped to take pictures of wild mustard growing in an orchard.

    The next visit is scheduled for May. Where will Yolo Arts & Ag take us?

    Posted on by Anne Sandler · 8 Comments

    Almond trees and more! Capay Valley, California

    Beautiful Almond trees in Capay Valley were calling to my small photo group. Every year we make that trek to capture the beautiful blossoms. We were a two-car caravan and stopped along the way for pictures. If we were a larger caravan, I’m not sure that would have worked.

    Starting out in the small town of Esparto, we drove along the main road through the valley. To our dismay, some of the orchards were surrounded by chain link fencing. Unfortunately, some visitors and photographers have been going into the orchards, causing problems. We make sure to stay on the side of the road, not trespassing. We did manage to stick our lenses through the chain link. It made taking pictures difficult but not impossible. Thank heavens for telephoto lenses which allowed us to get some close ups.

    When we reached Rumsey, we found yard full of treasures. Fortunately, the owner Don Hayes was there and gave us permission to take photos wherever we wanted. I think I must have been getting tired, because I missed some of the smaller items that my photo buddies shot. Well, there may be another chance!

    • Our host, Don Hayes
    Posted on by Anne Sandler · 6 Comments

    Country life: Yolo Art and Ag

    I’m not a country gal, but I do enjoy the opportunity to experience it. And, fortunately, I do get the chance. During the summer months, Yolo Arts brings together artists, photographers and farm owners in an effort to  raise awareness about the importance of preserving farmlands. This is accomplished through the Arts and Ag Project in Yolo County.

    It’s amazing how close urban and suburban Sacramento is to farms and orchards. Drive one hour and you’re in a different world. A world I often get lost in! This month we visited Meeks and Sons, Inc. farm. A large farm that grows crops. This was a much different experience than in the past when we visited small farms–maybe two or three at a time. Karen B. and I got lost driving up and down the dirt roads. We did manage to find almond pods on the trees and some old and new farm equipment to take picture of.

    Afterwards, Karen B. and I drove about 30 miles north to scout out a venue for our Tuesday group–a resting place for old busses and trucks in Williams. This is a photographers dream shoot, but not in the summer. It’s way too hot with more triple digits days than ever before. We ate lunch in the town and took some pictures.

    Take a peek at what this city gal found on the farm.

    An old barn.
    Inside the barn.
    Rusted stakes?
    Still inside.
    Shooting down the center.
    Almond pods?
    I really don’t know what this was. It made an intersting picture though.
    Old wheels.
    Old tires.
    Farm equipment.
    A little lopsided.
    Tanks and stuff.
    Lookig down a tube.
    In Williams now.
    I liked the look of this old structure.
    The towns’s hardware store,
    An old, but still in operation, motel.
    Now who’s taking that picture?

     

    Posted on by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

    Arts and Ag Project: August 2016 farm visit

    I’m not that familiar with farming, but I do enjoy taking pictures of them. That’s why I jumped at the chance to participate in the August Arts and Ag Project sponsored by the Yolo Arts. Every month there is a farm open to artists and photographers. The artists paint, draw or create in whatever their medium is and we photographers shoot. The owners give us access to most of the farm and we have the morning to enjoy their life style.

    I can’t say that I enjoyed the mosquitoes at the Voelz farm in Yolo County. They had just put down manure and it seemed to be attractive to the little buggers! We were also invited to shoot at a neighbor’s  property which has two barns and an old abandoned farm house. It’s this property, that most of us ended up at and the artists were sketching and painting.

    I totally enjoyed speaking with the artists who came with chairs, tablets, paints, etc. One even set up in the back of his pick up. We all had one thing in common–the same perspective on what we were capturing. Though, as photographers, we can capture the scene in many different ways, each with a different focal point.

    The more agriculture I shoot, the more I learn about farming. In my captions, I’ll let you know which farm is pictured. I’m looking forward to the September outing which is Thursday. I hope they don’t put manure down before we come!

    What farm picture would be complete without silos. Taken on the Voelz farm.
    This farm vehicle looks like it’s wearing a happy face!
    There was also a garden on the Voelz farm.
    This hummer was waiting patiently for us to leave.
    Just one of the flowers I shot.
    Now we’re at the other farm.
    The side of one of the old barns.
    The other barn.
    Making use of half a truck!
    Old farming equipment.
    An artist sits in his pickup.
    A woman sits and paints.
    Here’s the old abandoned farm house. I chose to process this in black and whit.
    The other old barn.
    We came upon a cattle ranch as we went back into town.
    The ranch house!
    This piano sits outside a Woodland store and was donated to the town so people could play whenever they wanted.

    Posted on by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

    Those little buggers: Rush Ranch, Suisun City, California

    Those little buggers are called mosquitoes,  and they were biting at Rush Ranch during a recent visit. We backtracked to Rush Ranch after leaving Grizzly Island and eating lunch. It wasn’t too far, and I knew there were things to shoot.

    Rush Ranch is an operating facility and is part of the Solano County Farmlands & Open Space Foundation that provides educational programs. There are hiking trails and  grasslands. And, this time, there were mosquitoes. And did they bite!

    Those who entered the barn to photograph the two barn owls were ferociously attacked. I decided the shot would not be worth the pain. I didn’t venture on any of the trails either. Nevertheless, I was bitten on my left index finger which took a little more than a week for the swelling to go down!

    I’ve been there before and there were no little buggers to feast on us. You can never predict what environment you’ll encounter on a shoot!

    Enjoy what I did get of Rush Ranch before rushing back into the car. The old equipment is there as museum pieces. All photos were shot and processed in HDR. No captions are necessary.

    Posted on by Anne Sandler

    We follow no map to reach our destination: Apple Hill

    Tuesdays with seniors is fun because while we have a destination in mind, with Greg as our guide, we take back roads to get there. And, with photographers, you just have to stop and take photographs as you drive along. The joke is that it takes us twice as long to get anywhere!

    The trip up to Apple Hill was no exception. We detoured to visit the American River and the Sailor Bar boat launch. The American and Sacramento rivers wrap around Sacramento and outlying communities. That’s why I love this area. It was amazing that we drove, more or less, straight to Apple Hill after leaving Sailor Bar.

    Apple Hill is a seasonal treat where growers have stands, activities for kids, crafting booths and more. You can’t leave the area without eating something made from apples. You can get anything apple. I enjoyed dipping my apple slices in caramel. Yum! Oh, there’s another favorite of mine–kettle corn. Richard is still enjoying his apple pie (I froze slices). And, lastly, there is wine tasting.

    But the real attraction for a photographer is the countryside and nearby towns. Take a look!