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.
This year instead of planting tomatoes, squash, and peppers my husband is preparing to plant a lemon tree (very pretty), and a mandarin tangerine.
This week Tina reminds us that we should appreciate our days. She wants us to look beyond the life-changing events and share some everyday special moments and what they mean to us. This is not an easy task, but I will try and be selective of the special moments.
Looking back over my photographs always brings back all those special moments for me. This box camera started my desire to capture a lifetime of moments. I soon learned how to use my father’s 1940’s German 35mm fully manual camera. I don’t know where that camera went, but my uncle had the same one. I used a separate light meter, needed to screw in the shutter release, set the manual focus, and f stop. I never got into film development, and I mostly used a natural light source. My tiny black & white images are in my photo album. When my father moved up to a Canon 35mm I got his Yashica Lynx. I used this one through my college years. With each camera, the taking of photos became more automatic. Around 2002, I purchased my first Nikon N80. In 2001 I entered the digital age with a Sony Mavica. In 2004 the Nikon D70 became my camera of choice. Upgrades followed with Nikon D200 and D7100. After many satisfying years with Nikon, I made my move to my current mirrorless setup with Fuji xt4 and Fuji x100f.
I now look at the 45,000 images and the ones that really stand out have either people or animals as the subject. I am not a portrait photographer, but my memories are sparked by the images of people. So I will introduce you to some of my memories.
These images were taken in Old Sacramento along the Sacramento River. Some subjects posed for me, others I captured in the moment.
I attended The Scottish Highland Games held in Woodland, Ca. with my photo friends.
Often I meet up with fellow photographers at Effie Yeaw Nature Center along the American River, or UC Davis Arboretum, or at the monthly Yolo Art & Ag Days.
These days are special to me because I learn more about places close by that I may overlook if I didn’t take the time to explore.
With my camera in tow I get to spend time with friends, discover new things about life around me, and I get time to stop and smell the roses or lotus flower!
Different parts of the day are something I can relate to. Different parts of the world are harder for me. My days of travel occurs when I was in high school. My father, a civil engineer, was working in Karachi, Pakistan. After a few months, the whole family joined him there. I attended Karachi American School (KAS) for two years. I visited London, England; Delhi, India; Katmandu, Nepal; Bangkok, Thailand; Hong Kong; Israel; Rome, Italy; Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; and The Netherlands. I returned home to New York for my senior year and my travels stopped. I did visit Niagra Falls, Canada for my first anniversary. About 3 years ago my husband and I got passports, and then life happened. So no travel photos from me.
I thought this challenge would be an easy one. My photographs are carefully cataloged in Lightroom. I can find my sunrise and sunset images. But looking over my catalog I am reminded of all the beauty I have captured, and all the times I spent with my friends and family. I am grateful for this.
I am not usually an early morning person. Though once I am up I appreciate the stillness I feel as the sun fills the sky.
My sunsets demonstrate variety. I like being near the ocean. Originally, from New York and now living in California most of my sunsets are reflected on water.
Light makes such a difference in creating an image. Do you have a favorite time of day to take in the world?
My next Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is Soft. Anne-Christine asks what does the word Soft mean to you? Is it something that you touch? Is it the undefined notion that is the opposite of hard? Is it the contrast to sharp from a photographer’s point of view? This is not so simple a concept.
My first thought was that of a baby. We want everything about this new being to be soft. Soft blankets, soft toys, soft skin, soft colors, and soft sounds Nothing hard, or harsh. We want the world around us to be soft and welcoming.
Only a week later, my Charlie joined the world. We follow his first developing steps on a webcam.
Nature softens the world around me.
My most favorite photographic technique is shooting with a large aperture setting. This narrow depth of field clarifies the subject. This blurred background is called the bokeh. I pay particular attention to this when deciding to purchase a lens for my Fuji x system.
My featured photograph is that of clouds. Soft, fluffy and white. What do you see? When you hear the work “Soft” what comes to mind?
A Photo's Worth 