Posted on by Anne Sandler · 22 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #153: It’s a wonderful world

With all that’s been happening in the world this past 1 1/2 years, it’s important to live in continuous gratitude and remember that there is still a lot of beauty in the world, mostly provided by nature. In her challenge, Amy reminds us that there is a lot around us locally to be grateful for. Photography brings me into that world. At least once a week I go out with friends to capture people, places, animals and things that bring joy into my life.

I’m happy to share some of them with you from this year alone. Please read the captions for information.

This scene in Port Costa presented a beautiful and natural frame around the bridge emerging from the fog in the distance.

  • Donner Lake in the winter delivers an awesome relaxing snow scene.
  • A shadowed path always relaxes me as I walk.
  • Oh, do I love tree canopies!
  • White lilies growing near the ocean. Unbelievable!
  • Unusual trees grab my attention. Different can be beautiful!
  • Even when disaster happens, nature provides. This bridge is only seen during a drought season.

  • Love in a dog’s eyes!
  • A working farm gets us out of suburbia into a quiet natural setting.
  • A little lady bug going about her business on a small poppy helps us understand that we all have a mission.
  • Only once a year do we get to see the beauty of the lotus flowers. This teaches us to savor the moment.
  • The Great Egret in flight is graceful and beautiful.

Thank you Amy for helping us to remember that there is a wonderful world out there, and I’m especially thankful for my photo buddies who see it with me.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 18 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #152: Shade and Shadows

Before Ann Christine posted this challenge, I hadn’t thought of the difference between shade and shadow. But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered whether we sit in the shade of the tree or the shadow cast by the tree! Here’s a definition I found on line, “Shade is the darkness of an object not in direct light, while shadows are the silhouette of an object’s shape on another surface. Created by the same light, shades and shadows react differently, and both influence how one perceives space, color, and feeling.”

Here, some trees cast their shadows to give us shade!

This is building situated so it casts shade.

Here mushrooms grow in the shade. As the sun almost intrudes.

In these examples, shadows create patterns. We photographers love patterns!

Lastly, the sun helps two buildings to cast both shade and shadows.

    So which comes first, the shadow or shade? Only the sun knows. Thanks Ann Christine!

    Posted on by Anne Sandler · 18 Comments

    Poppy field? Not this year! Mokelumne Hill & Jackson

    Maybe we didn’t go far enough last time we went in search of a poppy field. So we drove further south on Highway 49 to Jackson. No poppy field. It was then I decided that there would be no golden orange field for me this year. Little clusters of poppies were along the road. We even went further than Jackson to Mokelumne Hill, a quaint little town that Marlene and I had been to before. No poppy field!

    So here are some pictures from Mokelumne Hill.

    • A spotless Lady Bug?
    • You can’t miss this sign!
    • A quaint small church.
    • I liked the trees in front of this house.
    • Take a nap?
    • The very old part of town.
    • A secret society?
    • These stores were here a few years ago. Nothing changed.
    • So was this wagon.
    • These windows grabbed my attention.
    • A cluster of poppies

    Now on to Jackson and lunch.

    • In an antique store window.
    • How much would you pay for this?
    • A model trailer made from wood.
    • We didn’t go downstairs.
    • Timed reflections.
    • The old courthouse.
    • I’ve taken pictures of this church before. It’s still beautiful.
    • This gentleman was walking with his banjo in a case. He seemed glad to have his picture taken.
    • Cute little dog!
    • I call this picture “Feed Me!” What would you call it?

    Next year will be the year for me to find a poppy field! In the meantime I did have fun taking photos with my photo buddies.

    Posted on by Anne Sandler · 14 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

    All’s well that ends well! Miners Ravine Trail

    Sometimes when a planned outing goes awry, it can work out well anyway. That’s what happened when my photo group decided to walk along the American River starting at Folsom Dam.

    Our organizer gave us an address to meet at. Easy? Not when you don’t follow GPS directions. My bad! But when we got there we (Donna and I) arrived at the Miners Ravine Trail parking lot. This was not the shopping center meet point. We had the wrong address. Even with the right address, we got lost. Finally we met our group who was past the patience point. Marlene had brought her dog (almost a year old) who was doing okay with the loud traffic, but would he do well walking across a busy street and along the dam? One member (Jean) was still lost and hadn’t arrived yet.

    I told the others to go ahead; I would wait for Jean and maybe follow them. I told Marlene about the Miners Ravine Trail head we found, and she agreed it would be more suitable for her dog. I ran to take a picture of the dam. Jean gave up and went home!

    Are you frustrated yet? I was! Marlene and I did one end of the trail before she headed home. I was soon joined by the rest of the group who had walked the American River Trail. We walked the other side of the trail.

    In the end, I had a good time and don’t think I missed anything along the river trail. Here are some images from that walk.

    It’s good that I love trees. Without leaves to disguise their structure, they are so expressive. So, all’s well that ends well!

    Posted on by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

    Fog, trees and pond! Boulder Ridge and Coyote Pond parks

    I’m not too fond of fog when I’m driving, but when I have my camera in my hand, I love it. On one foggy morning we (Marlene, Linda, Ray and I) ventured out to two local parks hoping to get foggy images.

    The fog was lifting when we arrived at Boulder Ridge park in Rocklin, but still thick enough to block the visual of most of the park. This time of the year, the trees are bare and stand tall against the fog.

    This large park is popular with locals. But it was damp and cold while we were there, and the hillsides weren’t visible. When we couldn’t see the rest of the park, we left and followed in our cars to Coyote Pond in Lincoln. The fog had lifted there and the beauty of this small neighborhood park was waiting for us.

    • Ray happened to be sitting, looking at his camera.

    It’s great that we have such beauty easily accessible in these COVID days.

    Posted on by Anne Sandler · 8 Comments

    Strolling along Putah Creek: UC Davis Arboretum

    Camera, check! Lenses, check! Waist pack for when walking, check! Hat, check! All ready for a nice stroll with photo pod buddies along the trail at the UC Davis Arboretum. It’s been a long time since we’ve been to this end of the arboretum, so I was especially excited to see scenery I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. The arboretum didn’t disappoint.

    There’s a lake where Putah Creek widens. It’s simply beautiful and one tree drew my attention.

    And here’s the lake from the other side.

    In the Spring, there are more blossoms on trees, but the bridges and pathway colors were beautiful.

    One bridge had locks fastened on its wires.

      It was serene and beautiful. People were relaxing like this young couple.

      We did drive to the other end of the arboretum. We couldn’t walk because part was closed off. This was the end we were more familiar with. The flower garden was almost bare but the light on the gazebo offered great shadows and patterns.

      Just as I checked everything before I took off on our walk, I checked it all again as I put the camera, lenses, waist pack and hat in the car. It was another great photo outing.

      Posted on by Anne Sandler · 12 Comments

      Am I repeating myself? World Peace Garden, Sacramento

      It just feels like I’m repeating pictures. When you post in different clubs (like Sactown Photogs), online challenges (like Lens-Artists), repetitive image are the result. So here we are at the World Peace Garden in Sacramento. Some images may seem familiar to you, but you haven’t seen the entire beauty of this small park just across from the State capitol.

      On the morning Ray and I met there, I arrived at 9 a.m., and the park had few visitors. It was quiet and peaceful. I fell in love with the place instantly! As people came, it remained quiet and peaceful. I actually came to take pictures in the rose garden, but there was so much more.

      Let’s take a tour!

      First the roses. This garden is not as big as others in Sacramento, but the roses are just as beautiful.

      In the middle of the garden were two memorials. One was for the fire fighters, who in additions to normal duties during the year, fight our large fires during the summer. This year an unusual dry thunder and lightning storm sparked several fires across California. They have called these “Complex fires” because they are fires next to each other in certain areas of the State.

      The second memorial is dedicated to the veterans who fought in the Vietnam War. This was particular moving for me because it was so well done and my husband fought in that war.

      And the grounds were just beautiful.

      Remember I said the park was across from our capitol building. Here’s the awesome view!

      I’ve shown you a lot of images, but I just had to show you this beautiful garden as I totally saw it. Take care everyone!

      Posted on by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

      Triple digits will get to you: William B. Pond, Carmichael

      Get up early, walk the dog (2 miles), do outside chores (if you have energy left), have breakfast, shower and then prepare for a day inside. That’s my typical day in this triple digit heat wave we’re having in the Sacramento area. It’s been a week and my camera is calling to me. I need to ignore it. I don’t want to ignore it. I would give anything to take it out and shoot with it.

      Yes I’m complaining, and that’s okay! But I did get out locally to William B. Pond Recreational Area in Carmichael before this heat wave. It is located along the American River and is easily accessible for handicapped individuals. Marlene met me there and then we took off on foot.

      I had never been to this part of the park before, and I saw beautiful trees.

      The paved roads in the park were not open to autos, but only biking and walking. And, there were a lot of bikers (the peddle kind). As they were coming up behind you, they would let you know which side they were going to pass you on. They also let you know if you were walking on the wrong side of the road!

      There were fishermen in their favorite spots and families enjoying the beach.

      I did manage to find a few other things to photograph. You know I can’t get away without shooting some sort of flower. The phone pole caught my eye. And the last couple of shots of the River from the bridge.

      I also noticed that hardly anyone was wearing a mask! I don’t want to get into the to wear or not debate, but if there is the slightest chance that it can protect you and others, why not put one on!

      I’m hoping for better weather next week so my camera and I can be out and about. When you’re in triple digits, the 90s sound cool!

      Posted on by Anne Sandler · 4 Comments

      A lonely park: Rush Park

      I knew that there wouldn’t be children playing on the three playgrounds, skate boarders enjoying the skate park, swimmers in the pool, kids playing baseball at the diamonds, adults using the tennis and pickle ball courts but I thought we’d be able to get on the grounds of the historic Rush Home and Gardens. At least that’s what one of the Sunrise Department of Recreation told me the day before. He said the house was closed, but that we could take pictures of the grounds. He didn’t tell me that we’d be shooting through the fence!

      So off three of us went to this large park in Citrus Heights. Just looking at my images will show the lack of activity in an otherwise jammed park. It was sad. We didn’t walk the entire park. What we saw was enough.

      The Historic Rush Home is normally used for weddings, meetings and other special events. The gardens, at least what we could view through the fence, didn’t seem spectacular.

      Some pretty flowers and water in the park.

      The unused fun areas that are now empty.

      I’m hoping the next time we visit Rush Park it will be full of laughter, families and people enjoying their sports.