Macro Monday
Arkitektur
Wordless Wednesday
Macro Monday
Thursday Thoughts – Poznan Ice Festival
For many years we have kept an eye on the ice festival in Harbin, China, but oooh…the cold (-25) is just too much. This year we went for the small Ice Festival in Poznan – the Midieval beauty that once was the capital of Poland. Unfortunately no snow, but the festival is always held.
Poznan is a big city of about 1 miljon inhabitants, but we stayed in the old center with its typical architecture and beautifully decorated facades.
A festive feeling lit up the grand square, where they also had arranged a skating rink.
People of all ages enjoyed themselves – and treated the audience to lovely moves as well as spectacular falls…
The Christmas market was in full swing as well and we were still lucky with the weather. But, This was what we came for:
There were participants from all over the world, about 30 couples all in all. They circled the whole square. It was good to see great cooperation between people of different countries and nationalities. Iraq, Spain, Canada, the Philippines, Germany, Poland…The Ice Team worked hard to serve them all!
The artists were very skilled, and it was a treat to see them handling the ice. Some of them had made a sketch to follow, but some not. Their tools looked similar to those used for tree sculpting, but how do you work with a material like ice? We saw no big mistakes though, and the ice blocks seemed to tolerate almost any treatment…
The finished sculptures were fabulous works of art. Most of them rather small sized, but some the size of a grown human.
They were put on pedestals and lit up in different colours. We didn’t stay to see the winner, but these two were my favourites.
Art is a wonderful thing, it makes your heart glow and your mind grow. Thank you for walking with me, I hope you enjoyed!
Wordless Wednesday
Favourite Images of 2025
I hope you all had some Happy Holidays and are now ready for posting your favourites of 2025! As has become our custom, we are asking our followers to select their favorite images of the last year – whether they’ve been included in previous posts or not. This week, no single host will present the challenge. The entire team will share the challenge topic.
Here are mine – difficult to choose, and, of course I could have chosen other ones. But, with some for the beauty, some for the fun, some for the surprise and some for Love – I hope you will find something for yourself too!
This picture is my absolute favourite of the year – an endemic chaffinch sitting in a young girl’s hand in the forest in Madeira. A moment of peace and total connection with Nature. It fills my heart with gratefulness just looking at it.
I think I wrote in another post, that this year I didn’t do much photography – because I have started painting again. That is why one of my paintings is here in the gallery too.
Spring is the starter of Life – and everything…also my joy in photography. But it must be Spring at home, in Sweden.
In June we returned to Madeira, our hiking paradise for many years in the 70’s and 80’s. It was a joy to come back to the lush and beautiful nature there, but in the city so much had changed that I hardly recognized it. Despite the changes of time though, the country feeling remains – suddenly close-up cows in the middle of the road. Loved it!
Back home to Autumn, Winter and bird feeding in the moonlight. I do love my sweet sheep meetings every day on my dog walks – Milo believes they are his cousins.
Finally, a trip to the ice festival in Midieval Poznan, Poland. This is Restaurant Ratuszova with its amazing paintings in the cellar vaults.
We thank all of our followers for continued support and look forward to seeing the images you choose as YOUR favorites of 2025. Please remember to link your post to any or all of the Lens-Artists team members. Also, remember to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you.
We offer our best wishes for a New Year filled with peace, happiness, love and friendship. Anne will lead us next week on her lovely Slow Shutter Speed blog. Until then, stay safe, be kind and and find joy in the simple things.
Lens-Artists Challenge # 371-Street Details
This week, Ritva wants us to reveal the often-hidden, magical world, of the details we never take the time to notice anymore. I knew I didn’t have that many small details – but some bigger ones…
A surprising detail on a church in Spain…
More of Spain – Toledo if I remember it right! He really frightened me…
I did not see the cat at first, but loved it as it blended in perfectly among the stones in the wall.
What station is this in London? Of course it had to be London! Love British humour.
Sitting under a parasol somewhere in the world – this little visitor decided to pause on top. I could follow him jumping around – a bird trampoline!
New Zealand street – of course! They are very aware of environmental issues, trying their best to convey important messages to us all.
Turn Right…in Lodz.
Loved this gate – somewhere in the Mediterranian. The vine was a perfect match.
An old hand painted gem seen in Switzerland.
Somewhere in Madeira on a seaside road.
Thank you for this great challenge, Ritva! Last week, Sofia took us around the world on a journey to ancient sites, as she explored the details of architectural marvels and let us all join in the fun.
Next week is Tina’s turn to host, please go and visit her lovely blog Saturday 1st November. Hope you will join us again. Until then, keep smiling and stay positive.
Important; link your post to Ritva’s original post and Remember to tag Lens-Artists so we can all easily find you.
If you’d like to know more about the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.
Lens-Artists Challenge #…- Country Mouse/ City Mouse
Tina asks us to post on the classic Aesop fable ”City Mouse/Country Mouse”. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, its moral is that no matter how appealing someone else’s life may seem, there really is no place like home. (That is what Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz, famously said too)
I love visiting interesting big cities with all their possibilities for
culture
and architecture,
and thriving technology, like the Shinkansen in Japan.
But – as much as I love this, there are always crowds, all these busy people that never let you sit alone and contemplate. Each single person can make a wonderful meeting – but crowds…
So, after every trip to a big city, I am completely happy with coming home. Musing in my own little corner of the world. I guess this is what most of us feel. Balance is the word.
Crowds of flowers are OK with me – a morning in my garden makes my heart melt. The simple things are the best.
And a walk with Milo a silent Autumn evening, like today’s (exactly this minute when I am posting) Autumnal Equinox, has my heart as well.
Then, about the mouse… I could not find one, but maybe two very good mice catchers might do?
We hope you’ll join us this week, remembering to link to Tina’s post in addition to using the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Many thanks to all who participated in last week’s Longing challenge, by Egidio. We enjoyed all of your creative and very varied responses. Now we are excited to announce next week’s guest-host: Joanne of Joanne Mason Photography, we hope you’ll join us again then. Until then, stay safe and be kind.
Lens-Artists Challenge #344 – Abandoned
“The Abandoned
Did you ever wonder
Why abandoned houses looked so sad
Much like the people
Their exterior was only for the function
We would not feel so sad
If we recognized
That the spirit of the house
Had already moved on
The dream remained”
― Maria Lehtman, The Dreaming Doors: Through the Soul Gateways
Anne has sent us one of my – and many others’ I know – favourite themes, Abandoned things! Personally I love abandoned houses and places, and for some time I joined my son in searching and photographing our finds.
My thoughts on Abandonement? A great theme it is, and an opportunity to dig out precious things from the archives – thank you, Anne! I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, with only a short title on each of them. I don’t want to think of abandoned people though…that feels too sad. And, I have never photographed anyone in that kind of situation.
Tjernobyl
The saddest photograph in the gallery is of the Jewish cemetary in Warsaw. Walking in the silence there, knowing what happened to all these people and that there are no relatives left to remember or to tend to the graves… It is hard to fathom all the sadness and tragedy, but somehow there was a comforting feeling in walking alone in the silence, reading on the gravestones. Many of them still so beautiful.
Two homes – one in Norway, Lofoten, and a little bird’s nest in my forest
The stray dogs in Tblisi, Georgia, were many, but in a way they were not totally abandoned. Every dog had a tag in their ear, emitting medicine, so they were all castrated and friendly. They could also find food at a special place built for them in the city centre.
Sweden. A library in the forest – unfortunately an abandoned, unfinished octagon building
Agricultural machinery from an abandoned farm
Two abandoned factories that I visited with my son when he too was into photographing
The challenge is to tell and show our thoughts on abandonment. Please visit Anne’s beautiful site for more inspiration. I enjoy being alone, but that is my own choice – being abandoned does not sound that positive… When you respond, please link back to Anne’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.
Last week, I had the pleasure of being your host – thank you for so many fun and original responses of your last outings! I enjoyed seeing the varied places you visited and things you saw. Next week, look for John’s post as he will be leading our challenge.
Until then, stay safe and be kind. To yourself as well.
Lens Artists Challenge #338 – Pick a Word
John‘s challenge this week is called “Pick a Word.” You must choose a word that fits your topic and select three or four appropriate photos to share. Please visit his interesting site for more inspiration!
I have chosen ”Double-Exposures” But if John doesn’t accept it (two words…) I will go for ”Double”.
During the pandemic years, I developed a love for double exposures. And swirls. But today I will pick only double exposures. I guess it became interesting because we could not travel very far and had to be very careful where and how we went. Doubles could easily be done at home or in the garden, with interesting results.
I tried many combinations, and these are some of those I found worked best. Flowers of course,
and flowers and text together.
Why not a library… we can never get enough of books!
Buildings make excellent photos – like these wooden houses in different colours.
Finally Stockholm railway station and City Hall – where the outcome is an old favourite of mine. In fact I think I want to try some new subjects for double exposures again!
So, John says the word you pick could be for example from photographic techniques like ”Backlit, Landscape, Portrait, Minimalist” or subject descriptions like “Mountain, River, Architecture, Wildlife.”
We are looking forward to seeing what word you pick to share in your challenge response! Be sure to tag your post with “Lens-Artists” and add a link to John’s original post.
Last week, Sofia challenged us to be BOLD, and we really were! Extraordinary answers to that one. Next week it’s Anne’s turn. To be sure you get a notice of her challenge when it goes live, follow her site here. If you’d like to join the challenge each week, but aren’t sure how to get started, check here.
Hope to see you soon – and until then, stay safe and be kind.
Leya 
Du måste vara inloggad för att kunna skicka en kommentar.