Category: Lens-Artists Photo Challenge

Lens-Artists Challenge #251 Buildings and Other Structures

Anne challenges me, to find fascinating structures that capture my attention, tell a story, or are just beautiful.

This gives me the opportunity to look at photographs from my New York City trip. I am originally from New York. Born in Manhattan but lived in Queens, and after the age of ten, I lived a suburban life on Long Island. Plainview to be specific. There is a vast difference between those 2 views. In 1978 the family left Queens, New York, and moved to Southern California. This was fortuitous since my husband worked on the 82nd floor of the World Trade Tower 2. Two years later we relocated to Northern California and settled in Sacramento. Did I know that my apartment in Northridge would be flattened in an earthquake? I now live in Fair Oaks part of Sacramento County for over 5 years.

In March 2020 we had tickets to New York City. At the very last minute we canceled, and New York City closed down. I don’t know why I don’t buy lottery tickets!

Leaving Kennedy Airport in Queens for Manhattan.

The architecture of the old TWA building.

But I still feel like a New Yorker, and when we visit we stay in New York City at The Lucerne.

This is a landmark building on the upper west side
The Lucerne on 79th Street
A condo was built in the space between

We made sure to visit different parts of the city each time.

Skyscrapers

The Empire State Building

On this very foggy day, we were told that there would be nothing to view from above. We came back another day for the view.

One World Trade Center

2014 was too soon to visit the site. There were still a lot of memories and a lot of construction.

One World Trade Center in 2014. Lots of construction in the area

2023

2023 we visit One World Trade Center
World Trade Center Memorial

Bird’s eye look at Manhattan

Going up to the One World Trade Observatory. Look at the view.

Amazing architecture

Inside the Guggenheim Museum
Madison Square Garden
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The Met”
This full facade was moved to The Met from Wall Street
Macy’s on 34th Street. Just think of the Thanksgiving Parade.

So much remains, and so much changes. A couple of weeks after we visited The American Museum of Natural History an addition opened up. I visited this museum often when I was growing up. My Aunt Li, Uncle Henry, and Cousin Ricky lived about 10 blocks away. And as it happened my mother selected an orthodontist around the corner. So trips to the city were frequent. Without the new addition, I was still in awe of the changes made to this museum and the Hayden Planetarium located there.

Walking up to the museum
Surrounding buildings
Hayden Planetarium
Hayden Planetarium
New Gem & Mineral exhibit in
The American Museum of Natural History

Transportation

Grand Central Terminal – outside and inside

The Oculus

2014 The Oculus under construction
The Oculus

So many memories, and so many new places to see.I hope you liked this whirlwind tour of New York City.

Lens-Artists Challenge #250 SKyscapes or Cloudscapes

This week Amy of The World is a Book challenges me to select a few cloudscape photos.

Having had a long period of drought, I value a cloudy sky. I especially like those puffy white clouds that I can imagine all sorts of stories. Usually, the summer skies can be a bit drab. Beating hot sun, and not a cloud in the sky. At that time a nice cloud cover is welcome. Sunsets and clouds are beautiful. A cloudy winter’s day can give me a feeling of moodiness. Clouds with the anticipation of rain can be welcome. Or if it goes on for too many days, it can make me want to stay in bed longer.

I often take a photo of the clouds with the thought that I might want to exchange a boring, bland sky for a cloudy one. It never happens, but I do have a fun library to look at when it can to this challenge.

Puffy clouds to imagine stories

What can you imagine is happening?
Something is up in the clouds
Can you see it?
A Sedona sky at sunset

Clouds at the shore

Maui Hawaii at sunset
Maui Sunset Cruise
Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Laguna Beach before it rains
McKinley Park

Sunsets and clouds

Sailor Bar off the American River
Wonderful cloud formations in Sedona Arizona
Another from Sedona, Arizona

Clouds take their place in landscapes

Another taken from the car on I5
Bodie Ca
Mono Lake
Traveling down I5 to Southern Ca.
Laguna Beach Ca

Clouds in winter

Sacramento winter
This moody Livermore sky would work for a scary Halloween theme

Airplane View of clouds

That is all folks. When you go outside be sure to look up! Or out, or down!

My photo collection has over 200 cloudy images. It is fun to go back and review my collection. One of the perks of participating in these Lens-Artist challenges. What are your thoughts?

Lens-Artists Challenge #248 Mood

So, for this week, Sofia challenges me to think of mood, and how to convey and create an emotional reaction to my shot. That can be accomplished by capturing situations or occasions, photography styles, or people and their feelings.  Never forgetting how moods can be perceived in different ways by different people.

Loving

Silhouette at McKinley Park
On the dock in Old Sacramento

Helping

Can you please give me directions?
Comforting
Helping his son.

Teaching

Docent at the Sacramento Zoo
Docent at the Sacramento Railroad Museum
Learning out in nature

Alone

Local carnival
A bench in Berkeley

Encouraging

At a swim meet

Tired and Broken

Attitude

Not happy to have his photo taken.
Renaissance Faire in Fair Oaks, Ca.

Scary

Animal Moods

Smiling after a spa day
Laughing face
Dinner yet? Hopeful
My Moxie’s sweet eyes.
This iguana was out for a walk with its owner. Looks happy!
What’s going on?

I imagined a story by watching these gulls on the beach.

Wolf’s Guenon shows affection, protection, and care.

I’ll end here with the hope that everyone’s mood is positive, polite, and caring.

Lens-Artists Challenge #247 Back Lit Photos

Anne-Christine tells me that “backlighting is a great way to create stunning, eye-catching effects. Here are a handful of specific images you can make with backlighting: Street and portrait silhouettes, bird-in-flight silhouettes, portraits, and macros with beautiful background bokeh, landscape silhouettes, and sunset/sunrise landscapes.”

Glass

I always enjoy looking at glass objects. I found some of these images in stores, in windows, and in displays.

I first saw an example of Chihuly glass at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The first and third photographs are examples displayed at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento.

Chihuly Glass
Seattle Underground Tour
Cary House Hotel in Placerville Ca

The next two stain glass signs are located on my sister-in-law’s property in Indianapolis, Indianna. They are created from images of the property.

Animals

Wild Turkeys strutting their stuff
A spider has cast its web at the Effie Yeaw Nature Preserve
Great White Egret found at UC Davis Arboretum

The Oakland Zoo features some interesting exhibits like fruit bats and primates.

Flora

Pets

Here my grandson is holding his pet Love Bird Peaches.

I can’t believe my grandson will be 26 years old this week.

Canine Companions starts training early.

Learning all about the leash.
Fun watching dock diving at Petapalooza years ago

Black puppies are particularly hard to photograph. Lighting is key. Libby was an English Black Labrador Retriever and my very first dog. I waited 40 years for her! It has been 4 years ago this month that we parted.

This is Liberty Love at 8 weeks.
Here is Moxie! Backlit.

Lots of images benefit from backlit lighting. I hope that you may be inspired to look at the world from a new perspective. Positive, beautiful and peaceful.