Lens-Artists Challenge #323 – Silence

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.

― Ansel Adams

Egidio is our silent guide this week, and silence is one of our most precious gifts in life. Please visit Egidio’s inspirational site to learn more about the challenge and American photographer Robert Adams’ use of silence in photography.

Trees, forests and water are my main sources for portraying silence. And as always, Light. My favourite places to go for complete silence – only allow the sound of wind, water or bird song.

Silence is a source of great strength.

– Lao Tzu

In silence there is eloquence.

– Rumi

Let silence take you to the core of life.

– Rumi

Silence speaks louder than words.

– Thomas Carlyle

Silence is not the absence of sound but the presence of a deeper meaning.

– Unknown

Silence is a true art; it teaches us to speak without words.

– Unknown

A massive thank you to Ritva for last week’s challenge based on Leonard Cohen’s poem. I loved the variety of responses to this creative challenge. We hope you will join us again, and remember to link back to Egídio’s original post with the Lens-Artists tag, so we can find you in the WP reader.

Next week it’s Patti’s turn, Saturday 9th November. Patti’s challenge will be In the Details, as she asks us to choose a subject (a statue, a person, a place, street art, etc.) and take a series of photos ot it. Getting closer and closer to the subject, focusing on a particular detail(s). We can vary our shots by changing perspective or angle of shooting – or even lens. Post three photos of the subject, but feel free to shoot another series on a second subject.

Until then, stay safe and creative.

Thursday Thoughts – Skagway and The White Pass Railway

A lovely adventure – but tough taking pictures from the train. I had my camera ready for landscapes, but around one of the first bends – I saw a blackbear roaming the colourful grasses! We who were sitting on the right (right!) side of the train had a brief glimpse, but my camera was not ready for this. So, the black blob over there…is a bear. Believe it or not.

I enjoyed the wilderness and the colours, the fog and the random glimpses of blue sky.

The rivers and small pools of water brightened the views and so did the mountains with newly fallen snow.

Now and then beautiful gorges opened up – you had to have your camera well prepared…

And the old train picked up hikers along the trail too. A great service!

Luckily we were not supposed to cross this one…

…but it made for a couple of nice photos.

So, we arrived back in Skagway in one piece. The guide told us she had never seen a bear on this railroad trip before – so she was just as happy as her passengers were.

An amazingly beautiful and colourful trip, and an insight into the hardships of those times – the old path from the goldrush was still visible in some places.

Thank you for coming along on the train! So grateful for that black bear … it was the only Alaskan bear saw.

Lens-Artists Challenge #271 – Contrasts

Contrast is what makes photography interesting.

– Conrad Hall

This week Amy challenges us to show contrasts – please visit her inspirational site for more ideas!

My post was mostly made from our Alaska cruise, but a couple of images are from Prague. The first thing that comes to mind is black and white, here illustrated by the hanging man in Prague (…to me B&W also is connected to horror movies) and scyscrapers in Seattle.

Next up are some contrasting colours, black and white, blue and orange.

Over to Frank Gehry’s building and the Monorail built for the World Exhibition in 1962. Interesting to see it pass ”into” the building.

This is totally another kind of contrast. Architecture is fascinating, with contrasts and juxtapositions making us see, hate or appreciate.

On the road side of the same building the contrasts are in both colours, shapes and structures. The natural world/advanced architecture.

A collection of colours, silhouettes and textures. Close/sharp – faraway/blurred. Smooth water contrasting harsh cliffs – and framed/unframed is another contrast.

Finally, a before/after – colour/monochrome from Seattle harbour and seafront.

As you can see, contrasts in photography are not limited to black and white. There are architectual structures, colours/textures, daylight/nightlight – and many more. We hope you will join us sharing the contrasts you’ve captured through your lens. Please make a link to Amy’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can find you in the WP Reader.
Many thanks for all your splendid and creative On Display – posts last week. We really enjoyed your beautiful displays. I still go back and look at them… Next week, John (Journeys with Johnbo) will host LAPC #272. Be sure to visit his site for inspiration.

Thursday Thoughts – A Piece of Porto

So, we finally went to Porto, a trip cancelled two times due to covid. I must admit it felt strange to travel again…boarding a plane, walking in the sun, taking photos, eating out… My guess is I took more photos than I usually do.

I will share my first impressions of this friendly city today.

We arrived in beautiful evening light, and it felt so good to finally be there. A stroll in the park, and then a good night’s sleep before next day’s adventures.

Early in the morning we realised people were absolutely right about the steep streets, mostly cobblestones too. Big parts of the city were under reconstruction as they were enlarging their metro system. Taking photos in the central parts were quite impossible.

The beautiful azulejos were everywhere. This church and the trainstation were especially amazing.

But, the azulejos were not the reason why we went to Porto. I knew from my blogging friend Viveka (Myguiltypleasures), that the narrow streets and alleyways, the old houses and the charm of the river Douro – and good food – was THE reason.

View from the upper part of the bridge between Porto and Gaia.

Stairs and steps…but worth the trouble!

This old man watering his flowers had a grand view of the Sé Cathedral from his balcony.

No words for this path – it was just my kind of path…

More of Porto later on – hope you enjoyed the first piece. We also went to the wine district in the Douro valley. I hope you will enjoy more of Porto later!

Thursday Thoughts – Taking a Bath

In the header, the Orbeliani bathhouse, Tbilisi.

According to the legend, the king of ancient Iberia, Vakhtang I Gorgasali, (5th C) once hunted in the forests near the first capital of Georgia – Mtskheta. After some time, he saw a pheasant, then shot and killed the bird. The king sent his falcon to find the prey, but the falcon flew away, and the king lost sight of him. In search of the two birds, the king and his hunters finally found them – in a hot water spring. Amazed with this find of  sulphuric hot springs, Vakhtang decided to build his city here.

Thus, according to legend, the city of Tbilisi was founded. The word «Tbilisi» is translated from Georgian as a city of ”warm location”.

Since then, the baths have been of great value to Tbilisi – also depending upon the city’s proximity to the lucrative Silk Road. In the 13th century there were 60 baths here, but today they are reduced to less than 10.

Famous people who took baths here are Alexander Dumas and the poet Alexander Pushkin. A plaque on the entrance to the Orbeliani Baths shows a quote from Pushkin, where he describes the baths as ‘luxurious’. The bathhouse also has got a Pushkin Suite.

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Today the baths are still used by many locals, particularly the elderly, who come to benefit from the healing properties of the sulphur. It is said to help in the treatment of eczema, arthritic pain and digestive problems.
We rented a room with a bath, shower and toilet for one hour, but, the heat made us leave after 30 minutes. On leaving, we asked in the reception how hot the water really was – 45 degrees C! Icelandic baths hold 38-42 degrees, no wonder we had to give in…

You are not allowed to walk on the domes… but many children did. And grown-ups taking selfies, of course setting good examples…

If you ever visit Tbilisi, I recommend you try the baths – for the feeling and for the beauty of the interior! If you ask, you might be allowed inside just for a look.

 

 

 

Thursday Thoughts – Mostar

One of my favourite images for 2019 was one of the Stari Most. I think its special beauty and story is worth a post of its own.

Ever since I was a child I have wanted to see this city and its magnificent bridge. But the Old Bridge was destroyed on 9 November 1993 during the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I was devastated to see the war ruining so many people’s lives, the beautiful city and the famous bridge. In my classes, I had several students whose whole family had fled this area trying to escape the terrible war. I am glad they found a new, safer home in Sweden.

Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (mostari) who in medieval times guarded the bridge. The Old Bridge is today one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most visited landmarks. They say the dangerous jump from the bridge into the cold Neretva waters is still a rite of passage for boys in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We did not see anyone jumping though, but I guess the waters are even more cold this season…

More history: When the town was fortified between 1520 and 1566, the original wooden bridge was rebuilt in stone. Stari Most was erected in 1566 on the orders of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and spanning 28 meters of the Neretva river (92 feet) and 20 meters (66 feet) above the water level, it quickly became a wonder in its own time.

A monumental project to rebuild the Old Bridge and restore surrounding structures and historic neighbourhoods was initiated in 1999 and mostly completed by Spring 2004. In July 2005, UNESCO inscribed the Stari Most and its closest vicinity onto the World Heritage List.

This single-arch stone bridge is an exact replica of the original bridge that stood for over 400 years and was designed by Hajrudin, a student of the great Ottoman architect Sinan. The two towers, Halebija and Tara, have always housed the guardians of the bridge and during Ottoman times they were storehouses for ammunition.

Crossing from the west bank to the east you’ll also be crossing the ancient point where East and West symbolically met. To the right is the oldest mosque in Mostar: the Cejvan Cehaj Mosque built in 1552.

A must is also the visit to Old Bazar Kujundziluk, an Ottoman-era market that maintains its original atmosphere with cobblestone roads and narrow streets lined with artisan shops –

– and of course – Cats.

Kroatien Bosnien Herzegovina 428-2

It may have been rainy some days on our tour, but we were very grateful to visit the Balkans during off season – letting us thoroughly enjoy and contemplate their many historic gems.

Thursday Thoughts – The Harvest is In

We happened to land in Tbilisi the day before the annual October festival – two days of celebrating the grape harvest of the year. What luck! Follow me to the market!

The whole city on its feet, night and day. The first thing we noticed was the many ”braids” of candy called Churchkhela. Delicious! (Recipe in the link.)

They make long threads of mostly walnuts or hazelnuts, then dip them in boiled/cooked grape juice. A long process for several layers, but oh…the taste! We bough many with us home – all colours.

The lovely ”Tree of Life”, by sculptor David Monavarlisashvili, offers so much to discover for children – and grown-ups… It greatly reminded me of one of my children’s favorite authors, Shaun Tan, his books and movies.

And the nights were warm, slowly walking the Rike Park and Peace Bridge. The bridge stretches 150 metres (490 ft) over the Kura River to create a contemporary design feature connecting Old Tbilisi with the new district. The official opening took place on May 6, 2010. Architect, Italian Michele De Lucchi.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #60: Framing the Shot

You don’t need a framework. You need a painting, not a frame. – Klaus Kinski

I guess most of us love things framed to help us follow lines and reveal the artist’s intentions with his/her work. At least if we put them on our wall at home or go to an exhibition. Now Amy challenges us to consider framing – and in my selection (from Stettin all except the header) I try to show some very different ones as well. An important thing to remember is, that a frame doesn’t have to look like a frame, and it does not have to apply to the whole picture either.

You don’t buy a Picasso because you love the frame – Joss Whedonm

Photography is about finding out what can happen in the frame. When you put four edges around some facts, you change those facts – Garry Winogrand

What counts isn’t the frame, it’s what you put in it – Otto Preminger

I’ve often noticed that we are not able to look at what we have in front of us, unless it’s inside a frame – Abbas Kiarostami

I have a European frame of mind and Europe is my home – Andrea Bocelli

 

Thank you for all your inspiring Angles last week!  –  and thank you, Amy, for a beautiful set of frames and for all the fun with this challenge!

 

Thursday Thoughts – Over the Pool

This hot May and half of June finally ended today. Chilly winds and some raindrops.

 

 

So…I will have a break for a couple of days…back after the weekend. See you then!