Macro Monday
Nature
Lens-Artists Challenge #279 – Magical
Magical – I wonder…what is magical to you? According to Wikipedia, Magical can mean: ”…beautiful or delightful in a way that seems removed from everyday life. ” I think that is the most common use. At least for us grown-ups. But there are of course other meanings too.
First of all, I guess we all need some magic in our lives, don’t we? Especially in difficult times like these. I try to find magical moments every day, and one of them is acorns sprouting new life, new little oak trees – in my kitchen. I enjoy looking at them growing every day.
Being alive and observing the living things on this blue planet gives my life all the magic I need. Nature has it all. I just have to walk out the door and open my senses.
Nature’s seasons are magical to me. This image shows fading Autumn by the river – and Mother Nature spreading her fairy dust in the most extraordinary ways. I cannot imagine living in a world without seasons, but unfortunately climate change is working on reducing our four seasons into two.
Often in fairytales and fantasy literature we find magical things in another sense – like roads, bridges and doors that open up to new landscapes, other worlds. We don’t really know what it will feel like or look like, or what will happen to us when we have passed the entrance. But we love that feeling of uncertainty and excitement.
Even if we know the facts, how ice is built and why – it is still magical every time the ”feathers” appear on my glasshouse or on the car.
And Spanish moss – it is fascinating to hide inside living curtains. And what child does not love to build a simple cabin in the forest? Or under the kitchen table! I still remember that magic – and I am now fully allowed to experience it again with my grandchild… We have great fun together.
Some of us feel that mystical, or maybe supernatural, is what we think of when we hear ”magical”. A dark tree with one natural lantern and one manmade. Magical, mystical, or even a bit scary?
Clearly light and darkness are strongly connected to what we consider ”magical”. But, that doesn’t mean it has to be dark – it can be soft and misty, with dew drops and colours too.
If natural magic is not enough for you, or if you like to play around with your images – Lightroom and Photoshop, Topaz, or other software programs, can turn your photo into a painting, soften it into a dream or use presets for different colour combinations. There are an abundance of possibilities. And it is fun! Magical transformations in one single click – or two. Not many years ago this was only imagination.
My final example is from this festive time of the year – the Holiday Season. Many magical wonders in the world of my little granddaughter. I believe we should try to keep that feeling alive. Let them be fascinated and filled with awe. Let their eyes glow. Let them be children. They will grow up soon enough. And we who have grown up into this tough world, would feel better with something of that magic lingering in our eyes.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
– Albert Einstein
Now, Magical might mean so many different things to us, so – What is Magical to you? Special people, places, things; nature, adventures, childhood memories… – what are the ingredients you want there to make it magical? This week we are looking forward to seeing some of Your magic! Please link to my original post and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can find you in the reader.
A big thank you to Amy for last week’s Unique – an intriguing challenge that brought us fantastic and unique experiences! Much to ponder and much to learn.
Keep well until next Saturday, when Tina will be our host again. Be sure to visit her beautiful site for more inspiration!
Wordless Wednesday
Lens-Artists Challenge #277 – Empty Spaces
Our life is full of empty space. – Umberto Eco
Who doesn’t love open, empty spaces? Unless you are hunted by wild dogs of course.
Patti urges us to look for empty space in our photography – please visit her beautiful examples to get more inspiration! In this post, I think I might have some negative space images as well – or some that can fit both descriptions.
Empty space help us to find the object easier, and it gives us room to move and breathe. My daughter and son in the speaking tunnel In Umeå.
The two of them again, but, how often do you find the metro tunnels empty? In fact I had to wait for quite a while for this shot.
An empty space like this one, in one of Porto’s wineries, makes me want to put on a pair of nice socks and go sock skating on that shiny floor. Hopefully without breaking anything… but no – I am Not too old for this!
Open land and empty space outdoors lifts your eyes and your soul – you soar over the landscape. At least I always wish I could. I was waiting for the cranes at Hornbogasjön, but it was too early in the year. No real subject or object, but I was happy to get the empty space anyway.
Seascapes are much loved empty spaces, and you never get tired of the views. Open sea at the inside passage, Alaska. Our eyes are drawn to the ship first, and then further on to the mountains.
Other examples of empty spaces are for example this lawn in front of the castle…where everything in the picture leads you up to the steps and the castle entrance.
The water on both sides of the birds……and the sky over and below the bridge. These use empty space to define the object we wanted to photograph.
Maybe my favourites are roads and animals in empty spaces. Often because I realise the vastness of these, and how small and insignificant we humans are.
Walking alone in the desert – but in good company.
A beach is of course a wonderful choice. For anyone! Visit in the off-season and you can enjoy this view outside Edinburgh. Emptiness at its best.
A mountain plateau in Iceland with a peak at the far end means empty space and slopes leading the eye further on.
I guess an empty space like this one, in Sofia, can mark out who is the leader – at least before the next cat arrives…
Then there are us, humans, in empty spaces in Denmark in the opener.
Patti points out that empty space can highlight and define the subject, create a more dramatic scene, and can convey a mood to our viewers. Hope to see Your choices this week! You can explore empty spaces close to home or from your archives. Any space is possible.
Include a link to Patti’s original post and be sure to use the Lens-Artists tag so we all can enjoy your photos. A special thanks to James for guest hosting last week, with a wonderful challenge inspiring us to experiment with perspective. Next week, it’s Amy’s turn to lead us. Her theme will be “Unique.”
If you’re new to Lens-Artists and would like to join, follow this link for more information.
Thursday Thoughts – The Butchart Gardens
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!
Wordless Wednesday
Lens-Artistists Challenge # 275 – Filling the Frame
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:
If your 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.
Thursday Thoughts – Icy Strait Point
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!
Wordless Wednesday
Lens-Artists Challenge #274 – Asymmetry
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!
Leya 
Du måste vara inloggad för att kunna skicka en kommentar.