Nature

Lens-Artists Challenge #294 – Before and After

/ Leya / 52 kommentarer

John leads us this week, and wants us to share three or four favourite photos before and after editing. It is amazing what we can do with everything from cropping to AI! Maybe editing is not my favourite thing, but in order to be happy with our photos, I think most of us do something – like increasing light or cropping.

John’s challenge was just in time for my biggest photo project ever – scanning and editing our old slides. Trying to bring back the feeling I and my husband had when we took the shot is not easy. I have started with Greenland from 1982. I guess there are software better for this task than what I have, but I will use the tools I have available. Which also tells that these photos are not favourites, but works in progress…

I always start in LR. Here I raised the exposure and added a mask for brightening of some shadows, then I reduced noise and haze. I always reduce highlight and raise the white. Then it is time to remove spots – and the slides have MANY spots. So, I will not repeat this sentence for the rest of them. Unfortunately the sky could not be altered smoothly, so I left it the way it was.

LR again, exposure up and shadows. Then masking to adjust the darkest parts, and after that, some noise reduction. I also raised the texture a bit for the beauty of the mountains. The sky was not a happy one, nor was the greenish snow on top, so I tried a new sky to match the ground colours, and reducing the saturation of green.

Some of the slides – quite many in fact, has got a thin blue line somewhere in the picture. Raising the exposure also revealed how hopeless the look of little me is here. So I removed myself as well. (That would be a useful possibility in real life too…) Photoshop is better than Lightroom to remove things you don’t want in the picture. Then back to LR and a reduction of noise and saturation (or sometimes an increased saturation) of yellow, green, blue and orange.

This looked a rather gloomy valley, but was one of the pictures I was quite happy with after editing. Maybe because there was no need to do much. Highlights and shadows adjusted, I reduced the haze a bit and calibration of the colour blue to deepen the overall colours. In PS I changed the sky, which I think lifted the whole landscape.

Finally – I would be grateful for any tips and tricks from anyone who has edited old slides!

John asks us to feature three or four images in our gallery that we tweaked for whatever reason as well as the original image straight out of the camera.

Last week, Sofia challenged us with Water in Motion – a delightful theme for all of us, with varied and creative answers! Next week, Donna of https://windkisses.com/ will host the challenge. Please visit her lovely site for inspiration, and you can find more information here if you want to join the fun.

Thursday Thoughts – Greenland Nostalgia

/ Leya / 38 kommentarer

We finally decided to get a DigitDia to be able to see our many travels from the 1980’s and onward on the computer. We started yesterday with Greenland, of 1982. Here are some of the first photos from that trip, taken with a Konica and Kodachrome 64. And yes, it is a young Ann-Christine sitting there, 42 years ago.

We went to Narsarsuaq and expected a beautiful country with untouched nature. The viking, Erik Röde, arrived here in the year 982, so 1982 was the year of celebrating 1000 years of ”discovery”. The Inuits had been here for long, but as usual – the white man ”discovers”… Erik called it ”Greenland” to get followers to settle here. And yes – it was more green than I had thought.

I know I have written these words before – but I never wanted to leave and go back home. The air was extremely clear and fresh to breathe, the nature was amazingly beautiful and the water – was the most fantastic of all. I brought back two big bottles from the glacier streams. I drank one of them, the other one was saved for a long time… It felt like the water of Life.

I am happy. I will be able to easily relive our old travels. Egypt, Nepal, Peru…I hope to post some of them this year.

Lens-Artists Challenge #293 – Water in Motion

/ Leya / 43 kommentarer

Sofia gives us a beautiful challenge this week – Water in Motion. Please visit her inspirational site for more information. I will borrow Sofia’s quote to start with… because it went straight to my heart.

There’s something about the water – that solitary kind of peaceful feeling. You’re on Earth but not quite. – John C. Reilly

Water is essential to life on Earth. I wish everybody would understand that, and work together to save it from the ongoing pollution and destruction. A simple thing like never throwing anything into the water that does not belong there, would help.

Water in Motion – yes, in many ways – and most of us find it intriguing to watch it and to listen to it – let’s start slowly the natural way…

The gentle murmuring of the levada water along the paths in Madeira. Natural Mindfulness.

And water invites birds and insects to dance, eat and thrive – which leads us humans to thrive as well. I miss the walks in Madeira, a favourite place for many years when we were younger.

The waves rolling in from the sea – a soothing and mindful sound too, even if I am not a real sea person. I believe you cannot be unless you were born or have spent much time close to the sea.

Water is of course moved by the sea living creatures too. In Alaska the seals and sea lions came up real close, catching their daily meal while stirring up water swirls.

Pattering rain against the window – that is a great sound! I can lie on my back in the glasshouse and listen to the rain while looking up at the sky – without getting wet! A privilege to be grateful for. I love to fall asleep to that sound.

When we were hiking in the Azores, 2007, we found this magical valley of nine streams, hidden in the forests of the island of Flores.

From slow streams and soft waves to explosive Geisers – a massive treat of water. This one was found in Iceland.

Another way of moving water is the warm haze rising from the hot Geiser, or from the ground.

More natural water from a singing stream in a Swedish spring forest. Soon we will be there!

Now we are arriving at the manmade waters in motion – irresistible for the little ones. And, in later years of increasing heat, also for grown-ups.

In Denmark we once visited a spectacular art exhibition in the old water tunnels below Copenhagen.

Finally – fountains spreading their Christmas glory.

This week we’re looking for Water in Motion, gentle or powerful, man-made or natural, the choice is yours. When you join us, please remember to link back to Sofia’s post and to tag Lens-Artists. Looking forward to seeing your finds!

Last week we had a wonderful challenge led by Tina, with fantastic photos of people from around the world. A truly inspiring theme!

Next week it is John’s turn to lead. Make sure you visit his site for another remarkable challenge, Saturday 6th April. Until then, take care and be kind.

Lens-Artists Challenge #287 – Sound

/ Leya / 49 kommentarer

Donna is our lovely guide this week, and she asks us for pictures that could show, or make you think of – sound. Personally, the sounds I love the most are natural sounds, from the wind in the forest or birds in the trees, the rustling of autumn leaves at my feet. And silence in between.

Listen to the sound of silence.

– Paul Simon


I don’t know about you, but, music is the first thing that comes to mind when I hear or see the word sound.

Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.

– Plato

Imagine how many different sounds of music there are in this world! So many different instruments and traditions, melodies for feast and celebration – for dancing

or jubilation for a winning game, an exam or graduation.

Did you know that at least 70% of all communication is nonverbal and that body language is a major part of this? Surely you can ”hear” what our concierge was saying?

There’s many ways you communicate. With colour, texture, sound… Even words can communicate.

– David Carson

The sound of water is worth more than all the poets’ words.

– Octavio Paz

I guess many of us has a special love for this sound, be it the rough sea or slow waves, a raging river or a trickling, merry brook. Our souls are connected, because life was born in water, and we have all rested softly in our mother’s womb.

Personally, I will be on the road for a week now, but will try to keep up the reading and answering. Please remember to link to Donna’s post and use the Lens – Artists tag so we can all find you. 

A big thank you to Anne for last week’s inspiring theme weather. In fact you showed us there were weather I had never thought or heard of…

Next week, we are excited to announce Ritva. She will host her first official challenge for the Lens-Artists, so don’t miss her inspirational site! Until then – keep warm and be kind.


Lens-Artists Challenge #284 – Day and Night

/ Leya / 55 kommentarer

Sofia says that having passed the Winter Equinox, it’s time for the days to grow longer, and to leave the never-ending nights behind us. But before we do that, she invites us to celebrate this Yin/Yang of our everyday life. Please visit her inspirational site for more!

I will concentrate on some special aspects of this, that interest me. Night and day can be so different… not only opposites. I agree with Walt Whitman:

To me, every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle.

Let’s start with a winter’s morning at home –

– it can be both colourful and cold. And the coldest time is at sunrise. That is when I go out to feed the birds so they can better withstand the cold and survive another day.

Then I walk my dog at noon while the winter sun can barely be seen above the trees.

But only a month later, the daylight is more soft and golden – and it’s a joy to stroll along the river.

When we reach summer, the nights are soft and golden too – The light! How we constantly long for it to come back to us…

There are also big differences in days and nights depending for example on which country you are in. Where on the planet and in what season. Daylight can be extremely clear and transparent – in the fresh air of Iceland.


While nights can be almost totally dark, in the wilderness or in countries where electric light is not that much used. It is sad that we humans often want to lighten up our nights (unless it would be too dangerous not to…). Try not to! The eyes will adjust to the darkness, and it is no longer that dark…instead a new world opens up.

Nature is depending on day and night, light and darkness – for food, for security and for reproduction, among other things. This is a spring cherry tree in daylight, waiting for pollinators, and a night blooming cactus in my room. So, if we didn’t have daylight, there would be no cherries…and if we didn’t have our dark nights, this flower would never unfold. (Or, be pollinated by nocturnal insects.)

We also know, that our artificial lights are bad for many of the night living animals. It can mean the difference between life and death. Newborn turtles for example, head for the light, but that could mean into the city instead of out to the sea.

Thank you, Sofia, for the brilliant opportunity to look at different aspects of night and day! Please link your post to her original post and don’t forget to tag it with Lens-Artists.

I want to thank you for all your lovely poems and quotes last week – beautifully illustrated by You alone! They told us much more about you, and maybe more than you knew about yourself too… I loved every one of your thoughtful posts and learned to appreciate more poets and famous quotes than I had heard of too.

Next week, Egidio will be your host with ”Warm colours” Be sure to visit his spectacular site for inspiration! Until then, stay well and be kind.