orangutan – Slow Shutter Speed

Posted on May 17, 2025 by Anne Sandler · 41 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #349: The First Thing I Thought Of

I know I’m not first to tell you the great news that Beth of Wandering Dawgs has joined the Lens Artists Challenge team. She’s been a long-time participant and has done a lot of travelling. I’m sure she will be giving us exciting challenges. In other not so great news, Patti will be on hiatus until November. She broke both her wrists and has a difficult time typing or holding a camera. We wish her a speedy recovery.

In this week’s challenge, Tina wants our immediate reaction to a picture we are about to take, or it can be the first thing we think about a photo from our archives. She’d like us to concentrate on humor–yes we can all use some of that these days. So here’s my attempt.

Orangutans at the zoo are so entertaining. I’m sure they think we are too!

A lion’s yawn can seem awfully menacing.

**Why did you wake me up?? You know I get cranky!**

Birds offer a different type of humor.

Someone left a hat behind.

And what does the bull say to the cowboy at the rodeo?

**If I told you once, I’ve told you twice. GET OFF MY BACK!!!**

We do need humor these days. Thanks Tina! I’m looking forward to see more from all of you. When you post your pictures, be sure to link back to Tina’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Last week we found peace with Egidio’s challenge on Serenity. I’m presenting the challenge next week so who knows what will happen! In the meantime, stay healthy and live in gratitude.

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Anne Sandler · 51 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #285: Warm Colors

Welcome Egidio! I absolutely love your choice of Warm Colors as your first challenge because I enjoy the warm tones over the cool tones. So, let’s get started with my examples.

Up first are zoo animals. the giraffe and orangutan are my favorites. They are so expressive. The orangutans are playful, and the giraffes make such funny faces.

My next image is of a squawking cormorant with his yellow beak wide open. I wonder what he’s saying!

I enjoy photographing covered bridges. This one was recently redone. Its shingles are warm colored, blending in with the natural surroundings.

Cool in temperature, but warm in color are the Luray Caverns in Virginia.

You never know what you’ll find when you’re driving down a country road! But you know in October you’ll find pumpkins.

Finally, who says warm colors can’t be photographed at night. This image taken in Old Sacramento has warm written all over it.

Thank you Egidio for challenging us with warm colors during Sacramento’s damp, overcast and rainy weather. When you post your response to this challenge, please remember to link your post to Egidio’s and use the Lens-Artists tag. I enjoyed seeing your days and nights last week, especially the comparisons. Next week I will be challenging you, so stay tuned.

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Anne Sandler · 28 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving: Some changes at the zoo!

Happy pre-Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! There’s a new animal at the Sacramento Zoo: meet the White Rhinoceros. That’s his keeper behind the fence. She just kept feeding him. I wonder how much he eats in a day! He’s a big guy!

An orangutan was enjoying a snack of romaine lettuce.

The alligator was patiently waiting.

This meercat was the lookout guard at the top of the small mountain.

This raven (I think) caught its meal.

One of the cheetahs posed for me.

The flamingos are back. They are being housed in the former enclosure of the chimpanzees after they were sent to different zoos that had more space for them in a jungle like enclosure. The flamingos are still kept in a glass enclosure because of the avian flu.

What was this zebra trying to tell me?

These are the changes at the zoo. They are planning a move to Elk Grove in a much better location with more space for more animals. It will take about 4 to 5 years. So stay tuned.

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Anne Sandler · 47 Comments

Lens-Artists Challenge #196: Humor

“Why did the camera stop dreaming about a career in photography? He couldn’t remain focused.

What did the woman think about her friend who was a photographer? She wished someone would shutter up.

Why did a man always rave about how great his digital camera was? He couldn’t think of any negatives.”

From the Kidadl Team

This week, guest host John of John’s Space has challenged us to post images of humor. It’s not that I don’t have a sense of humor–I do but it’s mostly sarcastic. So do I usually take humorous photos? No, but I do find some situations funny, especially at the Sacramento Zoo. If you go to a zoo enough, you’ll find the animals either look funny or are in funny situations. The following are examples.

Are these flamingos fighting, kissing, or what?

And, what message is this snow leopard sending? Is he smiling?

I’ve never had a lion stick his tongue at me before!

Watch out this orangutan is getting ready to kiss someone!

The okapi have beautiful markings on their rear ends, but maybe this one didn’t like my taking a picture of it!

This zebra is just taking care of an itch, maybe!

I’ll end with the giraffes. They have such expressive faces.

Thank you John for helping us find some smiles in today’s tense world. As you answer this challenge, remember to link to his post and tag Lens-Artists. And thank you everyone for joining in on last week’s colorful challenge. I enjoyed seeing and reading all your responses. Next week Tina will lead our challenge. Be sure to stay tuned.

If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, just click this link and join us: https://photobyjohnbo.wordpress.com/about-lens-artists/

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Anne Sandler · 8 Comments

A zoo morning: Sacramento Zoo

It wasn’t our first outing of 2020, but it was a great zoo morning. In my January 13 post, I told you that Marlene and I had planned to go to the Sacramento Zoo for our first outing of 2020, but I left my D7100 at my kid’s house. So we went on January 14 instead, and had a great time.

I left the F/4 300 mm lens at home and just carried my walk around 18 – 200 mm lens instead. It was lighter and much more manageable. To capture a group of flamingos, I didn’t have to stand a block away! Best, there were no school tours!

I’m still getting used to shooting through glass enclosures. It’s a challenges with reflections, but the animals come right up to you, hence no need for a prime 300 mm lens.

To add to my excitement, I was able to photograph one of the two jaguars. They are difficult to capture via the camera because when they are out, they are in constant motion, but this morning one stopped for a few seconds!

The lions were out enjoying their larger enclosure. The docents told us that once in the new estate, Kamu, the male lion, has been roaring more often. We heard him several times. Here are both our lions in their new habitat. Do you think Kamu is trying to tell me something?

Next are one of my favorites, the Wolfs Guenon. They are so cute.

And speaking of cute, we have the Meerkats!

Fairly new at the zoo are two males Okapi. These are normally solitary animals, but the zoo docents told us that these two have formed a friendship and visit over the fence.