Lens-Artists Challenge #190- Close and Closer

I wanted [photography] to be more than a document, to be something that is as close as you could possibly be to the subject. Chris Killip

A famous quote from Robert Capa goes: If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough. And
surely you win some things by getting closer – but at the same time you lose things too… For LAPC #190, Patti’s challenge is about moving closer to your subject. Post one photo or a series of photos showing what happened when you got closer to your subject!

So, get closer by moving your feet, by using a zoom or macro lens, or by cropping the photo. In my images I have zoomed in or cropped – no macro lens in these.

My inspiration was an interesting design museum in Gothenburg, which made our stay last weekend really worth while. The museum grew from a family with deep interest in oriental art into a versatile collection. We spent some hours enjoying and learning some really new things to us.

A netsuke is an artistically carved button-like toggle that was used to fasten cases for medicine and tobacco onto the belt of a kimono. From originally having been a simple piece of wood, the designs, motifs and materials changed and developed over the centuries. Ivory and wood, but also metal, horn and porcelain was used by the skilled artists.

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. – Frank Lloyd Wright

The motifs are from Japanese and Chinese mythology, and from the plant and animal worlds. Clearly it wasn’t enough with overall pictures – you had to get closer. An average sized netsuke is not bigger than 2-4 cm. The details are exquisite.

The word ”netsuke” means ”root to hang from”. Notice the opener with a snake in the pumpkin (?).

One of the rooms contained beautiful tapestries – this one from our famous Swedish artist, Märta Måås Fjetterström.

Her Swedish forest is a gem – and if you crop the image you will get either the canopy in cooler colours, or the forest floor in golden light. I find them all beautiful. Three artworks in one! Not all art will tolerate a good cropping, but this one does.

Finally, a hydrangea in winter costume – I had to have a flower too of course… The soft colours and the close-up make the skeleton petals a special treat.

Thank you, Patti, for helping us discover new things in our images! Do visit her site for more inspiration!

A special thanks to Tina for encouraging us to post our wonderful, odd, and eclectic photos. Next week, it’s my turn to inspire, so hopefully we will soon meet again!

47 reaktioner på ”Lens-Artists Challenge #190- Close and Closer

  1. Pingback: Lens-ArtistPC-190-Close-and-Closer – WoollyMuses

  2. Hi Leya

    Your netsuke examples from the design museum in Gothenburg are an excellent choice for this topic, and I like the idea of a family starting a museum! The tapestries you include are awesome. And your Hydrangea images are gorgeous. We have a Hydrangea tree with the giant blossoms and in the fall, I look forward to gathering and drying them.

    (I’ve added your link to my page, fyi.)

    Here’s my offering for LAPC 190: Close and Closer

    Beautiful Great Blue Heron… Not Just Another Pretty Face

    Best, Babsje

  3. Pingback: Beautiful Great Blue Heron… Not Just Another Pretty Face | Babsje Heron

  4. What gorgeous examples of the joys of taking a closer look at the subject. Just lovely examples from the museum–the tapestry and netsuke. I love the intricate details in both of them. You have such an eye for beauty, AC. I hope you have a wonderful week/weekend.

  5. Beautiful images Ann-Christine, I especially love the hydrangea in her winter costume 💛

  6. I shall be in Gothenburg in a few weeks’ time but only for a weekend so it may not be possible to visit this place. I shall put it on my list for future visits though, and Covid willing, I will be back again before Christmas! Lovely illustration of the uses of the crop and the close-up.

  7. Wonderful choices this week Ann-Christine. The little horse netsuke is my favorite (and thanks for introducing us to those!) and the hydrangea is glorious in its winter softness. Terrific!

  8. Love the Netsuke…..have you come across “The Hare with Amber Eyes”? And Fjetterström’s tapestries look glorious! Love your hydrangeas too

  9. This one is surreal. Thepatterns ofnature are so exquisite.Thank you for taking us to these artistic wonders in your country.
    You are so right, I think I need to be more closer when taking photos.

  10. Just love the photos, especially that of the hydrangea . . . but shed a tear over the Robert Capa quote . . . He did get too close and lost his life – have always wondered how his and Ingrid Bergman’s incomparable love would have worked out if that other war had not ended his mortal coil . . .

  11. Excellent choices for this challenge Ann-Christine, and beautifully photographed! I like how you showed how different parts of the tapestry told different stories. And now I know what netsukes are.

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