Month: August 2010

"Bees are out to sip the dew, And the nectar from the clover,Buttercups and daisies blue."~Nettie Squire Sutton, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004.

Copyright © 2010 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

I needed to do some weeding today so decided to take my camera out with me. The bees obliged.
I saw a new sparrow all fuzzy but didn’t get a good shot. I hope it comes back. It’s eying my Hummingbird feeder. I’ll keep the bird feeder full to tempt it too.

Bees, Gathering, Pollen, Blossoms, Agapanthus, Lily-of-the-Nile, Nikon, Nikkor, San Jose, California, Backyard Gardens

"In a summer season when soft was the sun." ~William Langland, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004.

© Copyright 2010 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

After scouting out a couple of other locations my friend Alex and I headed to Wilder Ranch to check it out too.
The houses were closed for the day, but there were still a few barns open and some farm animals were still out in the pastures and paddocks. This scene I shot through a window in barn that housed old horse drawn carriages, lumber, and machinery that is used on farms.

For the Historians-
The park covers approximately 7,000 acres, with 34 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails winding through coastal terraces and valleys. Several buildings once belonging to the Wilder family have been restored. You can explore the history of early ranchers and farmers along the Central Coast through tours and living history demonstrations. The site was originally the main rancho supplying Santa Cruz Mission, and later became a successful and innovative dairy ranch. The grounds include Victorian homes, barns, shops, gardens, and a historic adobe. Major wetlands restoration projects have attracted some of the original flora and fauna back to the area.

PP- Vibrance, clarity, contrast, brightness, cropped and resized.
Nikon D300s
Nikkor 17-35 AF-S f/2.8

An altar by the Sea, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004.

© Copyright 2010 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

“I found an alter by the sea;
I walked around it eying every
angle, marveling at the beautiful
gifts placed there by those who before
me stopped here long enough to reflect on nature,
life, and the things that matter.
Did those who built it gain strength,
Hope, faith, their centered place?

I found an altar by the sea,
I added nothing, but took away
a memory of how it looked today.
An open temple full of grace.
~ Deborah M. Zajac

Ano Nuevo California State Park
Pacific Ocean
Bones
Shells
Driftwood

Nikon D90
Nikkor 80-200mm AF-D

Mission San Antonio de Paqua, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004.

© 2010 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

What an exciting evening we had! I and 2 friends went out for a last shooting hurrah! with a friend who is moving out of state.

I think I’ve mentioned before that this particular Mission is surrounded by an Army base. Well, not too long after darkness set in we were shooting our star trail sequence when we heard over the loud speaker coming from the base an announcement telling all personnel to get to their places. Then a few minutes later we heard gun fire, and tanks, and big vehicles moving around. Then there was another announcement which was followed by a fire truck blazing down the road that runs by the Mission, the more gun fire, and tanks moving. We think the artillery started a grass fire. You can imagine our wonder right!

Then a bit later we heard over the loud speaker bugles playing reveille but not really reveille because it also had a “charge” vibe to it. As this was playing Coyotes started to howl and sing in the trees behind us!! Oh my gosh. We weren’t worrying about rattlesnakes after hearing them!
Then right after the music stopped we heard a loud cheer from the soldiers.
Then a few more rounds of gun fire, and tanks moving about then all was quite again out here in the middle of Central California at Mission San Antonio de Paqua.

What an exciting evening and great farewell shoot with my friends. Jason I miss you already!

Nikon D300s
PP- 2 frames- Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 @ 17mm, f/5, 60seconds, ISO 400

Vibrance, clarity, saturation, mid-tone curve adjustment, and resized.