119 years ago, The Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC, was transformed from a quarry to the lush haven it is today. And it is still run by the same family. Jennie Butchart had a dream, and she made it come true – for future generations to enjoy, spending some lovely hours walking here.
The Sunken garden was such a beauty seen from the top of the stairs. And we were lucky to have delightful weather too.
This is the first gallery from our visit, but there are pictures for one more post. I’ll save it for another grey day…
Yes, everything is grey here in Sweden now, rain and sleet, winter knocking at the door. I hope you too had an uplifting and delightful walk in the gardens!
Anne is in the lead this week, and she has got a fabulous challenge in store for us – Filling the frame. Please visit her beautiful site for more inspiration.
Filling the frame offers a sense of completeness, clarity, inclusion, and comfort. We essentially “dive in” and experience the true essence of what the subject has to offer.
– Lucas Martin
So what does it mean – to fill the frame? Let’s see…
Prayer flags in Bhutan fill the frame in many respects – with cloth, letters and words.
Porto offers a staircase of sorts – it really fills up both us and the library/bookstore…
Filling the frame with a filled frame is hopefully allowed too? Beautiful stones of Georgia.
This random gallery of manmade and naturals ends with the rusty remains of a ship on a shore somewhere in Iceland. Filled with holes, but it still fills my frame. (Click to see the whole pictures)
Macro’s make us come really close, and leaves almost no empty space anywhere – maybe there is some truth in this quote from Robert Capa:
Ifyour pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.
Fernsfernsferns – they are irresistible! Even the back side of them…
And, this is key to why I love it when an abundance of small pieces fill the frame –
– like these Icelandic icicles. To me, maybe it is also a matter of colours. Few colours, all hues in harmony, make the frames complete – or what do you think? I left a monochrome in the header… for us to keep pondering – is this a filled frame – or not?
Finally, a fiery frame from our walks this weekend – Autumn filled it from ground to sky. Lucas Martin was right.
Thank you, Donna, for a marvelous asymmetry challenge last week. We’ve learned a lot and had a lot of fun, haven’t we! Next week James of Jazzibee will be our guest host, be sure to look for his site for inspiration! Remember to link to the original post and tag with Lens-Artists.
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
We had booked the world’s largest ziprider, but only my husband went for it – I read that my neck injury would not benefit from it. So, I enjoyed the landscape and environment instead – and took some photos of him coming down.
Amazing views from the top had me photograph a lot, and for once the weather was clear and sunny. The air fresh and cool.
For the ”bear walk” we were adviced to stay together in groups of ten, and to talk loudly. There was a ranger or two watching as well. The introduction though, was held by a Native Tlingit, and all profit went to their Hoonah community.
Some unspoiled wilderness was what we hoped for, and that was what we got. It wasn’t a long hike, because recent storms and rains had made fallen trees block the path in places. As there are more brown bears than people here (so they said), it would have been too dangerous to try.
The landscape was mostly open with sunny grasses and trees – but I must admit to not being totally relaxed during the walk. A week ago there had been a bear attack here. We have many brown bears at home too, but I never hike in their areas.
The beauty was overwhelming, and rather similar to our own mountain areas in Sweden. I loved every minute of this walk, and there was no wind, no rain.
Did I mention the zipride? Here we go!
And down at the beach, we strolled back to the ship, enjoying the abundance of wildlife – sea otters, seals, orcas and humpbacks. Even a squirrel. We saw a bald eagle nest too, but no eagle there now.
The sea creatures swam so close to the beach, there was no need for a boat trip to see them.
This was our most beautiful day in Alaska – and not only because of the weather. Thank you for coming along – sorry I couldn’t tell you how much fun it was doing the zipride…my husband was not impressed though. Too windy he said, and not being able to control anything. But he did it!
Donna follows up last week’s Symmetry nicely, with Asymmetry – an informal sense of balance. Asymmetry is the absence of, or a violation of, symmetry.
She asks us: ”Where do you find the imperfectly perfect?” Because, asymmetry does not mean that an image is not balanced. It just means there are different ways of balancing it.
Asymmetry is something most of our photos have, and also what makes many of our shots work. John Ruskin says : ”…to banish imperfection is to destroy expression, to check exertion, to paralyze vitality.”
In many of my own images, I use the Rule of Thirds.
Two starlings – one common in my own area, and another, maybe a common Myna, standing in the rain in a Bhutanese village.
And rules don’t have to be precisely followed either. The balanced feeling is there anyway.
Depth of Field is also a great way to showcase asymmetrical balance.
And why not an S-shaped path that draws your eyes?
Imperfections, run down areas, odd-shaped items, negative space, and light all contribute nicely. Here are some examples of those:
So glad every time I have the chance to feature one of my favourite old images – the backseat of an old wreck in Kyrkö mosse.
Harmony in the picture is the most important thing – symmetry or asymmetry. Maybe ”harmony” should sit in between those two concepts?
Asymmetry in faces are sometimes not easy to cope with. Even if we know that faces are never symmetrical, a lost eye, for example, makes a big difference to how we see the person or animal. These two friends had been playing together, when the game became too tough for the little guy. Still, he managed well for several years with only one eye. And I got used to looking at his new face when I visited my friends.
Architectural asymmetry is common in modern constructions. Harpa in Iceland, and Frank Gehry’s The Guggenheim in Bilbao and Pop Culture museum in Seattle.
Let’s finish with something from the natural world – a must of course. These two from the Butchart Gardens.
And what makes these two work? The frame and the bow shaped lines in the first one. In the second one, the nerves and then the flowers balancing colours and shapes.
A special thanks to Sofia for hosting last week’s challenge, Symmetry. She, and you, made us discover the power and harmony of symmetry. All of your posts were a feast for the eye! Next week, visit Anne of Slow Shutter Speed for more inspirational images as she leads us through the next challenge!
On the ship again – towards Glacier Bay. Lovely views of the skies and mountains.
It was of course cold close to the glacier, but well dressed it was no problem. It felt just like home.
When we reached the edge of the receding glacier, there was no clear sight, but it was ok. We don’t know, but maybe this was the last time for us coming close to a glacier – they are all receding and many are already lost. I am grateful to have walked quite some glaciers in my younger days. They are beautiful. I cannot bear the thought of my grandchildren never seeing one or walking one. It is unfathomable.
The beauty of snowcapped mountains – is still there though.
The Mendenhall is obviously a famous glacier, and we took the local bus in Juneau and walked the last miles to see it. The landscape is beautiful, but was almost invisible when we reached the glacier. We waited for some 15 minutes, and there it appeared through the fog. That’s the way of glacier areas. But, it is worth the waiting!
I love the bluish ice and the edges like melted chocolate. The exhibition inside the visitor center showed just how much the glacier has receded over the years – and now almost over the months…
The shining Nugget falls were quite spectacular and the stillness in the air was remarkable. Walking back again to catch the last bus, we realised that the Mendenhall maybe looked its best from a distance.
This week I thought we would reuse an old theme – On Display. And it could almost be about anything… from a shoe shop to a garden party. Maybe you passed a lovely market with an amazing display of fruit and vegetables, or a fancy shopping center with striking design in the windows, or maybe a garden with surprising ideas.
Luckily I was visiting Sofiero Palace because of its gardening days some weeks ago. ( With Viveka, the lovely lady in one of my Thursday posts )
You attract people with the qualities you display. You keep them by the qualities you possess.
– Unknown
The royal gardens of Sofiero has its own story, and is renowned for its extensive park with 500 different varieties of Rhododendrons. King Gustaf VI and his wife, Louise Mountbatten, designed the gardens. On our visit, the display was according to the season, autumnal, with vegetables, fruit and berries, zinnias and dahlias.
We were lucky with the weather as well, so everything still looked fresh and appealing.
The dahlias were overwhelming – still growing or already picked and on display.
It’s not our art, but our heart that’s on display.
– Gary Holland
A gigantic apple tree, decorated for lunch – like a romantic painting. I wished I could have had such a lush display in my own garden. Sitting at this table with happy friends and good food – the very thought of it made my imagination swoon. I would ask all of you to be my guest!
Karl Fredrik is a florist, gardener and interior designer who often is seen in different programs on Swedish TV. At Sofiero, he used a glasshouse to display his art, wine bottles, fruits and plants. And – as is his trade mark – there was MUCH of everything. I haven’t been to his home, Eklaholm, in Scania, so I was looking forward to seeing his arrangements here.
I hope you enjoy!
Let your personality and passions shine through in the objects you choose to display in your home.
– Jeremiah Brent
I was lucky to meet the busy artist himself in the doorway to the glass house – there he was with a new load of bottles! I just had to ask…and he gladly let me take a snapshot of him.
Many thanks to Patti for the fantastic On the Edge challenge – a joy to see all your inspiring posts! I hope you will join us this week too, and please use the Lens-Artists tag and link your post to mine – because now we are looking forward to seeing what You have found on display! At home or anywhere in the world.
Have fun and stay inspired – I cannot wait to see your displays!
Leya 
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