This week Ann-Christine from To see the world in a grain of sand… thought we would reuse an old theme – On Display. And it could almost be about anything… from a shoe shop to a garden party.
This time many of my displays relate to food. When I first started to refine my photography I enjoyed my trips to the local Farmer’s Markets in Sacramento. My banner photograph was taken at Zabar’s in New York City. I just want to remember all the yummy foods I found there.
Mushrooms to eat and for sale
On many a morning I walk out to my backyard, and I find mushrooms. I just hope I find them before my Moxie does. Fungi are not easy to identify.
Mushroom Gills
So many kinds, but be careful which ones you consume.
Fruit & Vegetable Display
Tomato, Tomato?
Peppers in all colors
Bugs Bunny wouldn’t pass up these colored carrots!
It’s not easy being greenBoa Vista Farms, Camino CaBig Island Farmer’s Market
Ritva hosts this week’s Lens-Artists Challenge with a theme of Inspiration found in the kitchen. That is often a place I find something to photograph in an hour of need. It can be a view from the kitchen window or an interior shot of the kitchen.
I had an assignment to show Kitchen Essentials in my Color Photography class. My husband received a box of stuff haphazardly packed from my sister-in-law. It contained photographs, frames with broken glass, and some serving pieces from my mother-in-law. Strange stuff, but I knew it would do for my assignment. I got some plastic to create reflections and I got busy. I entered this image in an online contest and it was selected #1 for the week. What a boost to my confidence.
Kitchen Essentials
Happy Face
My parents’ last true kitchen in Sun City West, Arizona
Granddaughter cookingGetting some helpKitchen RemodelA new countertop was installed. Almost done.Kitchen at workNew kitchen and ThanksgivingMy current kitchen
Kitchens from a time gone by
Bodie KitchenLawsen Kitchen in Apple HillKitchen in Fiddletown, CaFound when visiting with my photo friends
Found at home and away
What’s a kitchen without some food? Essential!
Unhappy guest for dinner!
BBQTeaMaking Plum JamFood preparation and meal ready
Turkey Leg from a deep fryer. Just in time too!
Not much more to say. Except that on these hot, hot, hot days I try and stay out of my kitchen!
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!
Sofia’s challenge is called Minimalism/Maximalism. It could also be Simplicity/Complexity or Sparce/Full. It’s up to me to show how I approach this challenge. I’ll have to think about this as I look over my library of photographs.
Life during the pandemic gave me time to think. Since I was home, as many of you were, I had time to look around my house. The idea of ‘Decluttering” and “Reimagining” space in our homes found its way into the media. Television, podcasts, and how to books popped up. I think I vacillate between the two. When I have my cleaning staff come to may house, I put away many things on my counters. The house is cleaned, and when I look around I have some satisfaction. But I still need some eye candy. On my new kitchen counter I place a Nixplay Frame. In the morning I turn it on, and throughout the day I am reminded of times in my life. l love my frame, and I am constantly adding new photographs. I also have some kind of silk flower arrangement, and two plants that require little water. Anything else makes my kitchen feel cluttered.
I ebb and flow between straightening out things, and letting life happen. But then the sentimental side shows up. I enjoy having things around that bring back good memories. Some items came from my parents house from when I was younger. Other items were given to me, and I remember the occasion. And other objects just seem to fit in a particular space.
My photography finds new ways to grow. Looking over my library I discovered that the coast is a great place to create minimalist photographs.
Taken on Florida’s beaches with my Nikon D70, my first dslr
Seagull enjoying SF sourdoughLone remaining leafHangin’ OutFishermen All alone
Simple structure at Pt.Reyes
Seagull joins the family on the beach.
Many of my photographs have a busy quality. One teacher criticized me for this. I just say that it is my artistic preference. Sometimes I like to let my eye wander.
Taken on a photo shoot to Bodie, Ca. with my class. This is an example of “arrested decay”.
More from a town frozen in time, Bodie, Ca.
In the following photographs I like to look for familiar things within. Pareidolia used to be seen as a mental illness, but now is considered normal creative thinking.
A Photo's Worth 