Readers Photo Challenge: This land is your land

Clifford Oto, The Record
Updated ·3 min read
Susan Scott of Stockton used a Canon Rebel DSLR camera to photograph a carpet of wild mustard in a walnut orchard near Linden.
Susan Scott of Stockton used a Canon Rebel DSLR camera to photograph a carpet of wild mustard in a walnut orchard near Linden.

Landscapes was the subject of the latest Readers Photo Challenge and it gave you the chance to get out and answer the call of the wild. Some of you ventured as far as Alaska while others found their photos no farther than their own backyards. Twenty five Readers sent in 63 photos. Here are the best examples.

While on a drive to Linden, Susan Scott of Stockton noticed one of the many walnut orchards along the way but it wasn’t the trees that caught her attention. On the orchard floor lay a lush carpet of wild mustard. With her Canon EOS Rebel DSLR camera she captured the bright yellow sea of flowers which jumps out at the viewer against the neutral gray of the still dormant trees to make for an eye-catching photo.

Moris Senegor of Stockton used a Nikon D6 DSLR camera to photograph Mt. Edgecumbe in Sitka, Alaska.
Moris Senegor of Stockton used a Nikon D6 DSLR camera to photograph Mt. Edgecumbe in Sitka, Alaska.

While on a whale watching expedition in Alaska Moris Senegor of Stockton could not help but to take photos of the breath-taking scenery as well. With a Nikon D6 DSLR camera, he shot Mt. Edgecumbe, a fishing boat off the coast of Sitka, Alaska. The snow-covered dormant volcano provided a stunning backdrop as a humpback whale’s tail lifts out of the water in the vastness of the Gulf of Alaska.

Keeret Gill of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 12 to photograph the cloudy sky over Palm Springs.
Keeret Gill of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 12 to photograph the cloudy sky over Palm Springs.

Stocktonian Keeret Gill’s photo is all about subtleness. With her Apple iPhone 12 she photographed slate grey clouds filling the sky as a mist covers nearby mountains in Palm Springs. Palm trees at the bottom of the frame provided a visual stop to anchor the image.

Jacob Mamaril of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 13 to photograph geese at the Brookside Country Club golf course in Stockton.
Jacob Mamaril of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 13 to photograph geese at the Brookside Country Club golf course in Stockton.

Jacob Mamaril and some friends took a shortcut on their way home after as school dance and were privy to a beautiful sight. On the Brookside Country Club golf course in Stockton they saw the last remnants of an orange and purple sunset. With his Apple iPhone 13 Mamaril captured a small flock of geese silhouetted against the sunset on a small hill on the course.

Bob Hallanger of Acampo used an apple iPhone 13 to photograph a rainbow over a vineyard along East Jahant Road in Acampo.
Bob Hallanger of Acampo used an apple iPhone 13 to photograph a rainbow over a vineyard along East Jahant Road in Acampo.

On March 28 a heavy thunderstorm showered down on Bob Hallanger’s Acampo home. Just after the storm passed He was greeted with a beautiful sight. Hallanger used his Apple iPhone  13 to photograph a brilliant rainbow which graced a nearby vineyard. According to Irish legend, leprechauns hide gold at the end of a rainbow but Hallanger didn’t need to looking for it, His treasure was right in front of him.

Charlotte Soung of Stockton used an Apple 13 mini to photograph wild radishes near the Pacific Avenue bridge over the Calaveras River in Stockton.
Charlotte Soung of Stockton used an Apple 13 mini to photograph wild radishes near the Pacific Avenue bridge over the Calaveras River in Stockton.

Charlotte Soung of Stockton photographed wild radishes growing along the Calaveras River during sunset in Stockton. Using an  Apple iPhone 13 mini she got a wide angled closeup shot of some of the purple and white flowers. And while they were in shadow, the Pacific Avenue bridge in the background is bathed in the “golden hour” light and adds warmth to the overall image.

All of the photos sent in can be seen in an online gallery at recordnet.com. An new challenge assignment will be issued on April 25.

Record photographer Clifford Oto has photographed Stockton and San Joaquin County for more than 38 years. He can be reached at coto@recordnet.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Readers Photo Challenge: This land is your land