LAPC #234 – Messages

31 januari, 2023 / Leya / 43 kommentarer

Welcome Donna! Hosting this week with Messages.

Enjoy your search for messages in photography this week. The options are endless. ”Does the message from your last fortune cookie resonate with you? Clouds? Is there street art, neon signs, or store fronts that grab your attention? What about the underlying messages from marketing logos, or the message you want to portray in your photography. Just have fun”. And then, please link your post back to Donna and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can find you.

Ever since life started on earth, messages have been essential for our communication. Every living creature depends on the ability to communicate. Here are some different messages that I have found…mostly they speak for themselves.

Who left this place, seemingly only some seconds ago…? A dear friend who used to love lying in frosty grass. Happy to have captured his message now that he is gone since long.

I was here! Territorial messages can be marked in many ways.

I have never driven one of these, but many youngsters around here have one…Good message for the police to know what kind of car this is…

You don’t have to know the language if there is a message like this on the building. Pictures delivering messages are essential. This one represents one of our oldest theater forms, a craft almost forgotten in many countries.

One of my dear students is a Swedish champion in Jousting…

– taking a break maybe? Or, did he lose or win? I am sure he will return though, for his coat of arms, sword, armour and mask.

Play of words gives me great pleasure – here at the newest aquarium in Denmark – The Blue Planet. I will come back in a year or two with my grandchild.

Art almost always carry messages for us. With open eyes and senses we will understand. The problem is – will we learn?

A special thank you to Anne as she inspired us to take a One Lens Walk last week. Your interpretations to the challenge were creative and inspiring. Hearing more about what lenses people prefer was also interesting. Not surprisingly a zoom lens was very popular.

Now we are looking forward to your messages! Next week, Patti will lead with Shadows & Reflections in Monochrome. Make sure to visit her at Pilotfish for more inspiration.

Interested in joining the Lens-Artists Community Challenges? Click here for more information.

Wordless Wednesday

11 januari, 2023 / Leya / 8 kommentarer

Thursday Thoughts – Lars Lerin, again!

5 januari, 20234 januari, 2023 / Leya / 34 kommentarer

One year ago, we went to visit one of my favourite artists, Lars Lerin’s, gallery. I posted on some of his work in February. But, I believe he is good enough for many posts. His Värmland shows the old countryside where he grew up and used to visit old farmers, portraying their daily chores.

Somehow I feel these cupboard fragments are reminding of his paintings of daily life moments. The colours, the mood.

Driving home in the late evening, this view through the car window seemed to share the same harmony and mood. And for the light, in the header, a piece of Lofoten.

Thursday Thoughts – A Snowy Denmark?

15 december, 202214 december, 2022 / Leya / 40 kommentarer

We who live in the southern part of Sweden often visit Denmark. Good food, nice people, lovely architecture and several great art museums. This time we had a nice surprise – snow! I have never seen a piece of Denmark in snow, and some Danes hadn’t either it seemed…

The walk from the train to Louisiana art museum is a treat with the lovely architecture – different in every house.

The park at Louisiana was the main attraction this time – not only because of the snow. We had excellent weather with a cold sun and no wind.

People were photographing everywhere, the snow and the calm sea. It is Sweden at the other end of the water. 20 minutes by ferry.

We spent a lovely hour walking around the grounds. Sculptures, installations and special art spread out everywhere.

A day of serenity

The small island at the horizon is a Swedish piece of land. Hven, the home of the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe. His observations are generally considered to be the most accurate of his time. (16th century)

LAPC #229 – Perfect Patterns

10 december, 202211 december, 2022 / Leya / 182 kommentarer

Of course there is no such thing as a ”perfect” pattern…but it could be perfect in Your eyes, perfect for camouflage or perfect for its purpose…or simply radiating ”perfect”! This week we challenge you to find perfect patterns and it would be great if you wanted to tell us why you think they are perfect.

For me, the first thing that comes to mind is the natural world. Seemingly perfect, and more often than not – pleasing to the eye.

In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.

– Alice Walker

A giant lotus at Kew Gardens, and DNA strands –

The more perfect a thing is, the more susceptible to good and bad treatment it is.

– Dante Alighieri

I went to Copenhagen in search for more patterns, and found Musselmalet Ribbed, the first tableware decor of Royal Copenhagen. It was designed in 1770, and today, centuries later, it is one of the most famous and coveted porcelain decorations in the world. Every piece is still painted by hand. So,…they cannot be perfect…or?

We often think that a perfect pattern should be symmetrical…but does it really have to be? These are licorice bottles.

Many more patterns would be almost perfect, if humans did not mess with them. I never walk on newly fallen snow – if I am not forced to do so… but I have to feed the birds!

A room in one of the wineries of Porto. Surely designed to look perfect – but as it showed up in my computer – I realised it is not. The lines are asymmetrical, but somehow we don’t notice that at first. What can we learn from this?

To understand is to perceive patterns.

– Isaiah Berlin

Why do I believe there are perfect patterns in this shopping window? I liked the white trunks spreading out just like the photo model’s hair, and the dots of snow and her blouse are corresponding. The scale of colours too suggests a Nordic/Scandinavian thought from the decorator. I guess it’s the harmony of different patterns that makes this window perfect in my eyes.

Back to nature again – a young eagle owl being released in freedom – as you can see, the feathers are not completely perfect – but,

I think every single imperfection adds to your beauty. I’d rather be imperfect than perfect.

– Sonam Kapoor

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.

– Jane Austen

Did you know that if you destroy a spider’s web too many times, it will not be spun as meticulously perfect anymore?

For my knitted caps, I make up ”perfect” patterns according to what I know about the person who is going to wear them. Most of these were my children’s, but the sheep cap with mittens I made this autumn (Christmas gift) for my little granddaughter.

Finally – nothing is completely perfect – at least never when a human is involved. But, let your own eyes and feelings decide what is perfect for you!!

Many thanks to Patti for last week’s Diagonals – your creative and thoughtful posts really made us think, and maybe even revise our approach to photography.

Now we’re looking forward to seeing what patterns you will find! Be sure to include a link to my original post and to use the Lens-Artists tag so we can easily find you in the Reader. If you’re new to the challenge and want to join us, click here.

Next week, it’s Tina’s turn to be our host, so be sure to visit her inspirational site for LAPC #230. Have a great week ahead and hope to see you soon!

Thursday Thoughts – Cirkus Art and Posters

1 december, 20221 december, 2022 / Leya / 25 kommentarer

We visited Västervik this summer, and we happened to visit on the last days of this excellent exhibition of original cirkus posters. They were rather worn, and were to be digitalised and saved for future generations. These original posters come from one of the most extensive collections of cirkus posters in the world. Amazing.

From my childhood memories, cirkus posters mostly looked like the left one, Trolle Rhodin’s cirkus. But here, we found an interesting collection of Polish posters from Cyrk and the Polish School of Posters. See the stunning difference between these two. I just had to post a gallery with some of them. I don’t have to say that my most loved one is the lion having humans jump through the ring… As a child that was my greatest wish…, and a wish for bulls chasing humans in the fighting arena too.

I just loved the simple and clean approach in these Polish artists’ hands. And the hidden messages. I also learned that long ago the cirkuses often had ”real” artists making their posters. Like this left poster by Tolouse Lautrec. The middle one is a poster from a time when ”strange and abnormal” people where shown to the audience. These two girls were albinos. (19th century)

The last advertisment is about Cirkus Madigan (also 19th century) and the beautiful Elvira Madigan. I guess some of you have heard her story or seen the movie on her tragic loveaffair with Sixten Sparre. It is always strange to realise that some movies were built on real persons, and real fates. We will never know the true story of course, but seeing her name there made her come alive to me. I loved that movie.

Thursday Thoughts – Porto’s Sister, Gaia

27 oktober, 202226 oktober, 2022 / Leya / 35 kommentarer

On the other side of the Douro river, is Gaia. Home to the wineries and the good food, the salesmen and the old boats – and great street art. Let’s pay the area a visit.

My first impression was of a rather run down area, nothing fashionable at all. The best thing was the lovely views of Porto on the other side of the river.

Walking along the Gaia waterfront, you can see the slender old port boats and even a vintage tram rattling along the Porto streets.

At Taylor’s Port, we were showed around among the impressive barrels, and the wine tasting was excellent. A couple of bottles in the bag could not be resisted.

Bacalhau! A national dish in Portugal. We got a first taste of it here, with a glass of port of course…The neighbour was a spectacular sardine shop. You could even buy a box of sardines with your year of birth on it – luckily the fish was not the same age… I bought a box for my father, who turned 89 two weeks later.

There was excellent street art all over the city, for almost every new block we walked a surprise was waiting around the corner.

A marvelous work was this rabbit, or hare, made of debris and I guess whatever found… We met him at a corner and could not stop looking at all the details. I told him how amazing he was, and he nodded gracefully – I am sure!

Thank you for walking along with me in Gaia, and now, a glass of port – cheers!

LAPC# 209…Surreal

23 juli, 2022 / Leya / 58 kommentarer

Tracy of Reflections of An Untidy Mind, is leading us this week into the Surreal world. Because that is what our world seems to have turned into, even more so the last few years…

About a century ago, at another time of great societal upheaval, surrealism as an artistic and intellectual movement emerged. Tracy reminds us that modern surrealistic art strives to unite fantasy and reality, and emphasises the juxtaposition of the rational and the irrational. She mentions old techniques like motion blur, unusual camera angles and rotation; double-exposure; playing with light and colour. With Photoshop photo montages and collages have become easier to do. No photoshop? – just cut some pictures and put them together as you like! Please visit Tracy’s site for excellent inspiration!

Personally, I find reality to be surreal even without photoshop…

The shadow of a dragonfly in my window – in B&W even more surreal.

In my garden I have a couple of dead trees that I want to keep for their special beauty and for all the insects living there. Autumn mornings the dew reveals just how many spiders there are…this is enhanced by the monochrome process.

A bathroom in Stettin – playing with mirrors and reflections.

My camera has got a button for double exposure – maybe yours too? And I love playing around with it at times. When I have taken a photo I can take another one afterwards and dimly see the first photo while positioning the lens for a fun result.

Surreal? Simply an umbrella with inside pattern!

At Wanås this art installation does not need any extra tweaks…this is the way it looks. Simply surreal!

And why not go close-up? This is a begonia stem and a christmas tree candle.

Or just…late evening blur.

In the header is a blurred cow parsley in front of the trees. Aliens landing or leaving?

Special thanks to Andre of My Blog-Solaner and to all of those who responded to his Summer Vibes challenge last week. What a summery riot of colour, blue skies and seas we had! Next week, Sarah Wilkie, blogging at Travel with Me, will be our guest host. Sarah’s theme is Three Favorite Images.

”It is time now to create some marvellous surrealism mayhem with photos that we can all enjoy no matter what sort of day we might be having.” (Tracy says) We look forward to seeing your responses. Please remember to link them to Tracy’s original post, and to use the Lens-Artists tag to help us find you. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.

LAPC #203 Local Vistas

14 juni, 2022 / Leya / 68 kommentarer

What are your local vistas? Where do you photograph when you don’t have a lot of time or are not on vacation? This week, show us your local vistas – Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed, is our host!

Well, nowadays I almost always post on my local vistas – and here I am on my way to the forest some weeks ago. As I was driving down the gravel road, I saw a moose – who of course already had spotted me from the rapeseed field…

When landing in the forest, I bet the Lily of the Valley and me both loved the silence and the last rays of evening sun.

I think you know that nature is the most popular vista in my vicinity, but we also have several castles in our neighbourhood, all within a 30 minutes’ drive. Wanås castle with its beautiful surroundings is often visited – sometimes with friends

– here is me and Viveka (My Guilty Pleasures) a couple of weeks ago. Wanås treats include both outdoor exhibitions and…

Bosjökloster castle in spring glory – also known for its exhibitions and tasty food.

Without a car, my dogwalks are often photographed as well… In any season, any weather, at any time of the day. With or without a dog…

Interesting studios in a nearby town can be visited for a fee, and you will be guided by one of the artists.

Back to the castles, maybe my favourite is Hovdala, every year used for jousting and medieval fun.

It is always a treat to go there, for beautiful nature, for exhibitions – and for very good food.

Last week, Sofia lead us into an exploration of minimalism and maximalism. What a treat! Many of us discovered our personal preferences for one or the other, but some people enjoyed using both. Next week, we have a special guest host–Sylvia Bacon, who will lead LAPC #204, so be sure to visit her site. Until then, stay safe and kind.

Remember to link to Anne’s post as you share your local vistas and use the Lens-Artists tag.

If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, just click this link and join us: https://photobyjohnbo.wordpress.com/about-lens-artists/

Thursday Thoughts – Västervik Street Art

9 juni, 20229 juni, 2022 / Leya / 16 kommentarer

Västervik town had three big street art festivals 2019-2021. We went there for a couple of days to enjoy the beautiful town and its art. The weather was not the best, but good enough. Some works from the festivals collected here. In the header we have an Ollio/Curtis Hylton.