Posted on by Anne Sandler · 77 Comments

Lens Artist Challenge #363: Virtual Scavenger Hunt

How many of you venture out for our weekly photo challenges? Or do you hunt through your archives? Me, I usually rummage through my archives. I will admit, it’s fun, bringing back great memories. And having a reason to do that search is even better. So, this week, I challenge you to a virtual scavenger hunt!

Listed below are 20 options. Do a deep dive into your archives, going back as far as you want to find the items. Some examples are:

Something with wavy lines:

Something with a camera:

Something with a wheel:

Something with a cool shadow:

Something with a smooth texture:

Below are more suggestions. You can choose from those or from what I’ve posted. Please find at least five images but no more than 10, and just one image from each suggestion. This would give you a maximum of 10 images in your post. Part of this challenge is choosing which to post!

Zig zag lines

Something with green eyes

Some cool jewelry

Something circular

Something rectangular

Something with a design

Something with a pattern

Something with a bumpy texture

Something with a soft texture

Something with water in it

A set of keys

Something glass

A zipper

Shoelaces

Art supplies

Now, if you have a deep desire to look for these outside, please do so. You can also mix it up between inside and outside. Just don’t post a picture that doesn’t relate to any of these items. Be creative and bold. Most of all, have fun! Please be sure to link back to my original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. I want to check out each and every post to see what you scavenged.

Thanks, Beth, for getting us in a sports mood last week. Next week Ritva will be back so be sure to look for her post. In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude.

Posted on by Anne Sandler

Trinity weekend: Geocaching

It doesn’t pay to way up early even though you catch wonderful images. I know this because by the time we went geocaching, my early morning rise was beginning to show on my body. In spite of this, I did have a good time.

Geocaching is like going on a scavenger hunt–an organized scavenger hunt. First you check out the geocaching website to find hints to where small treasures are hidden. Anyone can hide a cache and register it on the website along with hints to find the treasure.  Karen checked the website and printed out the hints at her Sacramento home (She doesn’t have a printer in Trinity.). She’s very organized and into this hobby and even has a geocaching GPS.

We followed the instructions and hints and found all the caches we were out to get. Caches are hidden in small containers (Easier for hiding.) and are small items. If you want to take something, you have to replace it with another item before you put the container back. Karen travels around with a small box of cute items just in case she wants to take something. You might find paperclips, well used pencils, and other not so useful stuff. You’ll also find a small pad of paper to sign when you find the cache. The paper, treasures and/or your replacement treasure go back into the container. The fun it in the hunt.

When you get back to your computer, you list where you went, whether you could find it and what shape the container of treasures is in. We did have one cache that the website posted as being elusive. We didn’t bother with that one because it may have been removed or moved to another location.

Sue proved to be the best hunter of all of us. I did manage to find one on my own and one with Karen’s help. The afternoon adventure also included lunch, some photo opportunities and a tube trip down Trinity River.  I declined the tubing opportunity and took a couple of power naps. Julie stayed back also and read her book by the shoreline. How peaceful it is there. When I woke, I waded in the River and took more pictures.

Dinner was a delicious taco salad, and afterward we walked down the street. The deer were out and I shot some–with the camera of course! I slept well that night and didn’t wake up at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning!

Posted on by Anne Sandler

Oh my, the wonders of photography

Highs and lows, that’s how I would describe this past week. On the plus side was a fun meetup that was a photo scavenger hunt. Marebeth Gromer of the Shoot or Go Home Meetup group gave us a list of 50 objects (or ideas) to shoot. We had 3 hours and I didn’t find everything. But, I had fun and did well with most of what I shot. I’m going to put in some images for you to see and probably finish off in my next post.

Frustration came as I bought some more gear. It all began with a Black Rapid 2-camera sling I bought so I wouldn’t have to keep switching lenses. It works well. Actually I love it because it makes field shooting easy and it’s more comfortable than the regular Nikon strap. However, I was still not using the tripod because of the inconvenience of taking off the sling’s “O” ring that fits into the camera base so I could mount the camera on the tripod. My photo buddy suggested I get a ring that would lay flat into the tripod’s quick release so I could easily go from tripod to sling.

So, off I went to Action Camera in Roseville, California to purchase the ring. It didn’t work with my tripod’s quick release. Back to Action Camera. I found out that the ring only works with Manfrotto tripod heads! In the end, I ended up with a Giottos tripod body and a Manfrotto head. I needed a new tripod, but was trying to make the old one work. Everything worked out okay, but it was frustrating.

I also bought a vest to carry my gear into the field. It came today. It’s still in the package. I’m afraid to try it on! What else can go wrong? Practice Tuesday has now turned into practice Wednesday evening because I cared for my younger grandchildren on Tuesday.

What am I learning? I’m learning that photography is like life, you need to remain flexible and have a good sense of humor to get through those highs and lows.