Ana provides the challenge this week. “I would like to encourage you to participate, in any way you want. You can show us some of your pictures that you would send as postcards to someone you love. Or you can simply share with us images of your favorite places.”
As a child I was a collector of things foreign. I collected coins from around the world. I loved to look at picture postcards. I spent time separating them by subject, or country. In my high school years I lived overseas, and I thought that travel would be a larger part of my life than it turned out to be.
Bee enjoying the flower
In May I thought I would be traveling around the state of California with my Australian Labradoodle Charlie. I’m glad we were able to take a trip to Pacific Grove with Charlie. Sadly, Charlie now plays across the Rainbow Bridge.
When it is very hot here in Northern California, and my friends grab their cameras and head over to Green Acres, a local nursery. My photography friends and I feel welcome to bring our macro lens and take advantage of the great defused lighting. The following would make a great postcard to brighten up someone’s day.
Some of my postcards spell out exactly your vacation destination.
Postcards with amusing animals may find themselves in a mailbox.
These are some of the postcards I would be glad to receive in my mailbox. How about you?
I have accepted Beth’s (Wandering Dawgs)challenge to get out and look for a change of scenery. It is officially Spring, and that means the natural world around me is changing. This is especially true here in the Sacramento area.
Almond Trees blossom in the Capay Valley orchards.
Almond trees blossom anywhere from February to March
Camelia showing off its beautiful flower
We have some late ripening oranges ready to pick from our tree.
This year instead of planting tomatoes, squash, and peppers my husband is preparing to plant a lemon tree (very pretty), and a mandarin tangerine.
Mustard blossoms all around
My Subí Blue ready to search out a change in scenery!
Patti says, “For this week’sLens-Artists Photo Challenge #136, we’re circling back to the alphabet. This time, we’re going to focus on the letter S. What images can you find that feature a subject that begins with the letter S? Here are some ideas to get you started.”
My friends and I visit sunflower fields in Yolo County.
Shadows on my Sunflower!
In Sacramento, there is the Museum of Medical History. An interesting place to visit when it reopens after CoVid. So my first letter S is for Skeleton with its funny sign.
Is this the result of too much touching?
So many things that shout out to me, “Pick me! I start with the letter S!”
Smilie Face Cookie
Shadow Friends
Sunset on Tower Bridge
Sailboat
Shadow on a leaf
Another Skeleton
Variety is the Spice of Life!
Silverware
Staircase
Smiling
Silly Signs
Swimming
Singing
Did I really need to caption these photos? Could you guess my S word?
The story of my new purchase. It started about a year ago when my friend asked if I was interested in parting with my Nikon D7100. A perfectly good, solid camera I have been using for many years. Well along came my mirrorless Fuji x100f. Fun camera and great for grab n go, street photography. This led me to reconsider my Olympus mirrorless that I did not find any happiness with. So KEH (company buys used cameras) came along and purchased all my used Olympus stuff. I replaced it with my Fuji xt2 and some lenses. I found my system. Oh, so back to the Nikon. Well, I still used it, but not as much. I hate to have a camera sit unused. So I sold the camera to a friend of a friend. Now I had a lot of additional lenses I have collected over the years, and along came KEH again. This time buying all the rest of my Nikon gear. I now had credit at my favorite camera store, Action Camera in Roseville. And I let it sit since I did not really need anything. CoVid strikes, and I have too much credit at a small retail establishment. Fuji just put out the xt4 so I decided to use my credit and order this new camera.
Meanwhile, my friend Anne purchased a Fuji xt3, and she wanted to try out her new x100-400mm telephoto lens. To be a real birder you need a long lens, big muscles, money, and lots of patience. I lack big muscles so I shy away from a lens I am not willing to or have the ability to hold. But I can’t say my interest wasn’t piqued just a bit. Especially. if my friends were going to be out shooting birds, peacefully. My longest lens x55-200 wasn’t going to be long enough for birds,, but since we would primarily be in a car I also took my wide-angle lens and my macro lens. My Subi Blue needed a wash so I offered to drive.
The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area is located along the causeway on Interstate 80 between Sacramento and Davis. Nice and close to home. In natural settings, you never know what you will find. But anytime I get away with my camera in hand is a good day. There are some impressive upgrades to this camera, but I just set up the basics this time out.
President Clinton designated this floodplain in 1997 as a wetlands to be restored. It serves as a flyway and home for many birds.
3,700 of the 16.000 acres have been transformed into a wetlands. The summertime dirt road is easy to navigate. Restored wetlands demonstrates “leading lines”
I was interested in capturing landscapes, Anne had her long lens and her focus was birds.
Caught this Great Egret busy preening!
Quietly got out of the car and hunted flowers and insects.
Pay close attention to all signs!These reeds caught my eye.25 square miles just off Interstate 80. Peaceful!
My Fuji xt4 performed well in the field. The feel of this shutter is amazing. Hard to describe but it is different is a wonderful way! I was happy to capture these images to remind me that nature is not too far away!
P.S. My friend decided that she would return her long xf 100-400mm lens, and get the xf 80mm f2.8 Macro that I just love. So I will also save myself some money.
A Photo's Worth 