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Photography: Old Sacramento

Yesterday I went to Old Sacramento with my mom to do a little photography. She’s headed back to Washington in a few days and this was our last outing until I visit her in the Spring. Instead of taking photos for the next challenge, I took photos of whatever I liked.

There were more cracked windows and boarded-up businesses than I remembered seeing the last time I visited. More homeless people and garbage too. For most of my life, this part of Sacramento has felt sacred to me. It’s a bit of history you can walk around and touch. It’s sad to see it declining.

It feels like a microcosm for so much in the world. Things aren’t the way they used to be (oh, that makes me sound old). “Back in my day…” But it’s true. It’s hard to remain optimistic with mass shootings and climate change disasters. It’s hard to think about where this is all heading. It’s hard to live in the uncertainty.

Meanwhile, my personal life is easier right now. My daughter’s mental health is stable and she’s enjoying homeschool. My son has graduated high school and is taking some time to rest and recover from the last few years. I’ve got some great friends who love me and a fantastic and supportive writing group.

Despite all this good, I feel trepidatious. After living in a state of constant anxiety for years my body doesn’t trust “easy”. I’ve had some panic attacks and some nightmares. The writing goals I set for the year aren’t looking possible and I walk the line between optimism and grief quite regularly.

As a result, I suppose, my blog has become filled with photography and poetry. I’ve been using these creative forms as a way of exploring joy and finding balance. I still pull out my works-in-progress and play with them from time to time. I still want to self-publish my short story collection. I still have plenty of goals, but maybe it’s not a bad thing to slow down.

I don’t know what the future brings for my family, my blog, and the world, but I do know it’s better when we all reach out and support each other. I’m so grateful to everyone who stops by to leave me a like or a comment. My friendships here fill me with so much hope. So, in case I haven’t said it lately, I’m glad you are here.

Thank you.

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  • Photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW

64 thoughts on “Photography: Old Sacramento”

  2. Very poignant snapshots with so much hidden personality – love the crisp contrasts in 2 and the exotic mystery in 7’s mannequin. Glad you had a great time to relax and unwind! ❤

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  3. Very hard to let go of trepidation, our bodies/brains are hardwired to stay in alert once activated because chilling out while evading a predator or seeking the first calories in days could life-ending. I too am trying new things to help me “let go.” On a somewhat brighter note, I have worked downtown for the past 7.5 years, including during the pandemic, so definitely see vacant buildings, trash, and the people struggling on the streets. I still miss Capitol Cafe, both Ambrosias, and others that closed during the pandemic. But today I saw that an art gallery will be opening soon in a space that was been vacant about three years. Last week I noticed that the Golden 1 branch closest to the Golden 1 Arena has a re-opening soon sign, after being closed since pandemic. So there are signs of new life emerging, though no quick answers to climate chaos or homelessness. Mixed bag for sure.

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    • You are so right, Ali. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out of flight mode that it’s going to take some time to retrain my body to believe we are indeed safe. I’d love to hear what things you are trying if you want to share sometime. Might I daringly suggest we meet in real life? 🙂

      I’m happy to hear there are signs of recovery in downtown Sacramento. I go downtown weekly for my daughter’s therapy, but I don’t visit enough of the city to see those signs yet. Cities ebb and flow, I know, but seeing Old Sacramento so damaged was a hard blow to take. Hopefully it can recover too. Seems too important to not.

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  5. Sad to hear that Sacramento has historic neighborhoods in decline.

    Your photos are beautiful.

    We were in Sacramento many years ago. We took a train down from Oregon and had time to kill before we caught a connecting train to Denver. So we walked around for a bit.

    Got a great photo of that golden bridge they have. 🙂

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  6. Absolutely awesome photos, and I love that you chose black and white! So beautiful. (I’m really drawn to #8) And, my heart goes out to you—feeling that “off” feeling because everything is actually going well is such a strange and off-putting feeling. (Although it’s so good to hear things are relatively good in your world right now!) One day at a time they say, right? ♡

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    • Thank you so much. That photo is me and my mom looking in at a restaurant that’s been a huge part of Old Sacramento for 43 years. That’s our reflection in one of the beautiful mirrors left behind. I hope another business eventually takes the location over and resurrects the historic space. Yes, things are good for us right now and I’m working hard to trust that. Yep, one day at a time.

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  7. Whatever helps you cope is all that matters. I love everything you post away.

    I do feel you when you say you feel nervous when everything is going badly but the best part about that is that nothing is going on.☺️ Best part about nothing going on is that nothing is going on. Nothing terrible, nothing good.

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    • And it’s wild to see how much improvement you’ve had with photography. My favorite one is the one with you on it. Do you ever look at your art from back then and now and just admire your improvements? Occasionally I do. It feels good.

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      • Thank you for seeing my growth—that means so much to me! Yes, I recently went back and looked at the first pictures I posted and I definitely see a difference. It’s hard to see it during the day-to-day work, but I am improving in all my creative ventures. That’s all I can really ask of myself 🙂

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    • I love this attitude. Yes. Nothing is going on. We are okay. We are safe. I have to tell myself this all the time and I’m working on getting the message through to my body.

      Thank you for the kind comment. You always make me smile.

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  8. I’m drawn most to old Zoltar.

    Thanks for all the wonderful pictures here and feedback you share with me. Maybe I’ll have to have my job send me to “audit” one of our vendors in your city and you can show me where to get some coffee. Things have gone virtual with that stuff lately, so they’ll probably not go for it, but my client might ask me to on their behalf, so who knows?

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    • Isn’t he fantastic? Those eyes are something else. Oh, it would be fantastic to meet you in real life. We could be wildly awkward together and drink some good coffee. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that happens 🙂

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  11. Good fun photos Bridgette. Great start and just went from there until I had to smile at your Mum followed by Zoltar. The way you showed the decay of Sacramento and finished with the hope of a Peacock was superb 🤗
    Family is family just that some live in here 💻😀

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    • Yes, I think all the old railroad towns have a similar feeling. We used to have Gold Rush days were they would fill the streets with dirt, have pretend gun fights, and you could get sarsaparilla for a nickel. I hope they bring those days back.

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      • once rode on amtrak from slc to portland. hated it. not a steam or coal engine. my folks and sisters rode from slc to galesberg ill in 1965 to attend my sister s graduation from knox college.

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  18. It is definitely not a “bad thing to slow down.” Everything in its own divine time.
    ✨ You share such beauty with this world, which includes your honesty and compassion. Take care of you and breathe that in for a bit. 🥰

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  19. I totally understand. I have severe anxiety attacks and enough nightmares that I need to medicate myself in order to sleep most nights. It’s impossible to live in this world with a large heart and compassion and attempt to be optimistic about life, but we have to keep trying. Always here for you 🙂

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  21. hello! The blog says a lot. Its always better to take a step back, calm yourselves and assess the situation ahead of you. You are not derailing yourself but you are taking it slow. I believe all of us have faced such moment in life. I personally think when a person is writing, photographing and putting everything out to the world, he/she IS a large hearted, open-to-suggestions and honest to herself/himself. You are not procrastinating by not writing or not pursuing your goals, you are just shifting your mind to something interesting for a while and you will restart achieving goals later. That is Productive Procrastination.

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  23. I relate to your post so much (especially the third paragraph) and totally understand about the uncertainty, I feel that very keenly at the moment. But I also feel reassured by the hopeful thread running throughout your words too, and the solace we find in art and poetry. Your shots are beautiful.

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    • Thank you for sharing that with me and I’m glad you found that hopeful thread. I hang onto it tightly and try every day to remind myself that everything right now is okay, despite everything else going on in the world and what’s happened to our family in the past. I appreciate your kindness and support. Connection is what really makes a difference and reminds me how lucky I really am.

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  26. Beautiful pictures of lovely outing, Bridgette! I’m glad you’ve entered calmer waters finally, I hope you are able to relax and enjoy them. Our goals are there to encourage and inspire us, but we are not meant to be slaves to them. Revisit the goals you have for yourself, see how they fit, and adjust to make them work for you! My goals and intentions for this year were derailed back in March, and I had to take a hard look at what I could handle and what was good for me to hold on to, and what I needed to let go of or reschedule. I hope you can find the best balance for yours and be at peace with it 💞💞💞

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