Patti from Pilot Fish creates this week’s Lens-Artist Challenge. “In this challenge, we’re exploring different types of still life images, not only the traditional “created” arrangement, but also “found” still life scenes–which you might discover in store windows, in a garden or museum, or just about anywhere.”
Benches and their surroundings
Hats in still-life
I saw this display at Placer County Courthouse Museum. The answer they gave is John F. Kennedy.
Hats at the California State Fair
Red Hat Society
Antique kitchen settings
Daffodil Hill
Sacramento History MuseumSS Victory, Richmond CaSS Victory, Richmond
Food
I love to go to farmer’s markets. I admire store-front displays. Sometimes I will arrange the food for a photograph.
Stores
Zabars in New York CityVolcano CaLocke Ca.
Parts of sculptures
SacramentoLas Vegas
Town & Country Village in Sacramento
These are some still-life settings that I created.
Twelve
Have a cup of coffee
Side lighting
Kitchen Utensils
As you can tell, I love to use my camera to focus on things around me. Luckily, I use my left eye to focus. The left eye still just has dry macular degeneration. My right eye has wet macular degeneration and all is a swirly blur. Till next time, enjoy these still-life images and let me know which one catches your eye!
Sofia’s challenge is about time, and how things evolve.
Medical Advances
My first photographs were taken at the Museum of Medical History. A couple of years ago I visited this little out-of-the-way museum when Sacramento was hosting Museum Day. Once a year, the public is invited to visit and learn about all the local museums. This little gem is just fascinating, but do not visit if you are about to have a medical procedure.
Iron Lung used during the polio epidemic
Forceps were used in my first delivery. (1975)QuinineAnesthetic Machine 1960’s
This technology continues to develop into smaller devices. Yeah!
With the use of digital equipment, disposables, and computers the look of hospitals is quite different.
Nurses duties before disposablesMedical mannequin for practice
My grandson meets the computer age.
Dimise of the Telephone Booth
My next set of photographs has to do with the slow disappearance of the telephone booth. With the advent of the pocketable cell phone, the public telephone is a rare find. I wonder where Clark Kent will go to change into Superman?
These booths had doors. This allowed for more private conversations. None of these are working telephone booths. The bottom image is from the Roseville Telephone Museum.
Somewhere along the evolution, the door is eliminated. And then the booth altogether. The dial is gone, and now there are buttons to press.
This image was taken in 2008. I wonder if this bank of shiny working pay phones is still in service the Phoenix Airport? Where or when did you last see a working pay phone?
One of my early jobs, while I was in college, was that of a long-distance telephone operator. And one of my least favorite part of the job was to connect someone from a pay phone. I had to listen for the coins to drop, connect the call, monitor, and ask for additional money after 3 minutes. Often the person would just walk away without paying. I was also the person who took the many complaints if they lost money on a non-working phone. I really don’t know how the phone call is paid for now. I bought my first cell phone in 1997 (25 years ago), and that took care of my use of pay phones. And that phone did not fit into my pocket or do what my iPhone 13 pro can do.
Siri is questioning me
Thank you Sofia for giving me a chance to look back. 25 years of cell phones. Wow, I just can’t believe that. Oh well, time flies.
Patti invites me to join her this week as I explore diagonals as a way to add visual interest and depth to my photos, and a sense of action. What diagonals can you find? A line of trees or stones, a series of lights or signs, tree branches or a row of hedges, or cupcakes in a bakery window?
Looking at my library of photographs, I see that “Leading Lines” pretty much tops my composition style. So with over 400 images classified as diagonals and leading lines, I decided to first process photographs I took recently in Indianapolis where we visited family.
Trip to Indianapolis
With no direct flight from Sacramento, I had time to photographically explore the Phoenix Airport
Waiting to take off on the second leg of our trip
Looking Up
We stayed in Plainfield, Indiana at the Courtyard by Marriott. This large building crane next door helped us locate our hotel.
Building another hotel next door
Firepit outside our hotel
For me, Newfields is the best of both worlds. “A Place for Nature & the Arts.” Walking through the museum the display of colors caught my attention.
This is a wonderful little museum that engages both the young and old to really see and understand concepts of art. With the use of fun activities (puzzles to recreate paintings, beading activities) it engages the viewer.
My first image is from a day trip to Lake Berryessa, Ca. This is the largest man-made lake in California. The “Glory Hole” attracts many photographers. I wonder if it will make its appearance this year. We have been experiencing some rain lately. California certainly needs it!
I hope this post gives you a new slant on viewing the world around you.
This week Amy (The World is a Book) has challenged me to go to the mountains, and so I shall. Traveling has been limited to Sacramento lately. Not exactly sure why. But these photo challenges gives me a good reason to check out my library. The highest mountain I ever visited was the Himalayas when I visited Nepal in 1965. At the time Kathmandu had traveler restrictions, and two small hotels. The Royal Nepal Airline had 3 planes, not a modern jet plane. We traveled between the peaks. A pretty scary ride. But alas I don’t have any photographs. Sacramento is located two hours from the Sierras and Lake Tahoe. Heading east Donner Lake is a beautiful, quiet stop.
Donner Lake in the fall
Donner Lake in the winter
Yosemite in the Sierras
Yosemite
A weather change as I leave Yosemite
Flying over the Sierras
Outside Bodie located in the eastern Sierras. Do you see what I see?
Bodie California – the Sierras in the distance
Heading east the Sutter Buttes make for a rural landscape.
Northern California’s Coast range provides many photo opportunities just as long as there is a place to pull over. Otherwise commuter traffic makes this prohibitive.
Stopping on this winding road between Livermore and San Jose. Anne will always remember this drive!
A Photo's Worth 