Photography

Lens-Artists Challenge #354 Reflections

/ Leya / 46 kommentarer

Anne is making us reflect…and our different reflections will be remarkable, I am sure! This is a much loved theme for photographers. There are so many ways to show reflections, and these are only some of my own favourites. Looking forward to seeing Yours!

My number one favourite was captured in Switzerland – the Fluela Pass. I have told the story many times…but here it is again: We drove out to a tiny little village, knowing we would pass this beautiful pass (!). We could not find the view along the road though, even if we had seen it in the guide books. Finally, on our way home, the sun stood in the right position and we stopped, overwhelmed, to take it all in. I can still feel it every time I look at this photo.

Water turning into ice is also a possibility for reflections. This is Totti walking on thin ice at Vedema. I still don’t know how he dared to…being just as afraid of water as a cat! Luckily he didn’t walk through the ice.

Buildings – I love those opportunities for reflections and possible fun distortions. This is in London, and I even got a red double decker in the picture.

Canoeing a silent morning at our summerhouse – the river doesn’t stop over there…it turns right beyond the trees. Herons usually fly up along the growing reed.

An old reflection of our first lagotto, Mille. He was patiently waiting indoors when we returned late from the sea.

A Yayoi Kusama exhibition in Copenhagen with multiple mirrors and holes to peep in through. My camera in the upper right corner!

A standing mirror in a dark room in a Danish castle.

At Vanås architecture park, you can walk on mirrors in one of the barns. Exhilarating – but some people just cannot do it…even I had to brace myself.

An installation of mirrors in Copenhagen. (Really, one of me is quite enough…)

Another old favourite of mine, taken in Beijing many years ago. I photographed a lantern in the street – and the result turned out like this.

In the opener is a whole block of houses covered in fragments of glass. Tough to look at in sunlight, but very special. Finally a favourite from a botanical garden with giant waterlily pads.

Many thanks to Anne for giving us an opportunity to enjoy the most lovely reflections. Be sure to visit her original challenge post here, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag in your response to help us find you. Thanks also to Beth for her first challenge as a Lens-Artists team member, and to all those who responded with amazing, stormy scenes. Finally, I hope you’ll join us next week when I, Leya/Ann-Christine, will lead – this time with a new Lens-Artists ”look-back” which we’ll be using again from time to time. Until then as always please stay safe, be kind and enjoy the good things in life!

Interested in joining our challenge? Click here .

Lens-Artists Challenge #347 – Break the Rules!

/ Leya / 52 kommentarer

Ritva says: ”We work so hard to learn the photography rules, at least I do but now it is time to BREAK them!! The problem is just that in order to break a rule, you must know that there is a rule in the first place!” And, as I used to say to my Swedish language students: You have to learn the rules first – then you can break them with style.

I included a short composition map, but I will also try to break some other ”rules”, (like not having a sharp focus…).

Many of us recognise these, or at least a couple of them. But do we use them? Like Ritva said, I think most of us use our instinct and emotion – and we get it ”right” that way too. So, Ritva, I’m ready to try and break some rules!

Framed – but a blurred object. Who is this? We still recognise the silhouette… so familiar to many of us. A (black)bird.

Tilting the camera for a more interesting and playful photo. I didn’t fill the frame – Empty space?

B&W for contrast – a double rose with focus in the middle.

ICM and irregular repetition, still there is rhythm and balance.

Differently framed, low perspective. No rule of thirds. It works because of the big umbrella leaves with interesting patterns and colours.

Going low with a moving object – not so good! I fell over of course – Milo is a too loving guy. Just seconds before this he was snoozing relaxedly in the grass. Let sleeping dogs lie…a good rule to follow.

For once I photographed letting go of the rule of odds – but there wasn’t any other option – these two were made for each other.

Looking through some photos with objects, I mostly had odd numbers in the pictures. I believe my two most used ”rules” must be the rule of thirds and the rule of odds. But they come intuitively – it just looks best that way! (Or – maybe I have known that for so long that it feels intuitive?)

Last week we enjoyed so many creative and cinematic photos with Sofia’s challenge. So, time to continue on the same track this week! Next week, it’s Egídio’s turn to host on Saturday, May 10th—hope to see you then! In the mean time, stay kind and keep smiling. Make someone’s day a little brighter – I think that is just what you did, Ritva!

Lens-Artists Challenge #346 – Cinematic

/ Leya / 30 kommentarer

Sofia leads this week, and we’re exploring the close relationship between photography and cinematography and how we can emulate in a single shot what movies do.

There are a few things that give a photo that cinematic feel: camera angles, bold and high-contrast colours, light, locations, just to name a few. The main objective is to take a shot that is part of a story, there’s mood and a sense of location; our image is but a snapshot of a much wider situation.

I have consentrated mostly on horror and mystery movies…where B&W plays a big part of the feeling. In fact I was surprised how many pictures I have got on that theme… But, there are some other examples too of course.

This first picture is from the Tutanchamon Immersive – loved the feeling in this one – and the colours are familiar.

Maybe not a horror movie – but the bridges and bicycles of Amsterdam is very cinematic. Audrey Hepburn? Greta Garbo? I can feel their prescence.

Did I say horror? This ominous image from some years ago, could have been used in any such movie. The following two were photographed in Whitby, where Bram Stoker lived for a while to write Dracula. The perfect place for inspiration!

This graveyard in Whitby started falling down to the sand (to the left here), with old bones spreading along the beach.

Then steam and mist are also favourites to make a photo more interesting – and cinematic. These are hot springs in New Zealand.


More scary again…this Great Frigatebird, in the Galapagos Islands, is sitting on the roof, waiting for the right moment…to steal food from another bird. Everything about this species makes it a star in any horror story.

Vast landscapes also feel cinematic – this is in Tibet. My son down by the lake – how far away is that? It’s always tricky to decide.

This is an old favourite of mine – a motor cycle gathering in Barcelona. I guess it is the spotlights behind the building that makes it cinematic to me.

What is more cinematic than a romantic dinner in Morocco?

And, of course there must be a blurry train – someone must be coming or going…

Thank you, Sofia for this energizing theme! Last week we visited the most wonderful places with John’s challenge. I’d love to visit as they were unknown to me. Next week it’s Ritva’s turn to lead us, Saturday, May 3. Until then, take care and be kind.

Lens-Artists Challenge #340 – Portraits

/ Leya / 52 kommentarer

Ritva really makes us work hard this week – Portraits! I don’t do portraits, I’m not comfortable with it… but after scrolling for half an hour to find something to post, I remembered my old students. I used to make portraits of them their last term. So, I’m using a couple of those taken so many years ago that they hardly will recognize themselves should they happen to read my blog. (I know they don’t…)

The art of freezing moments…and yes, I was so proud over my students that day!

There should be a selfie too I guess, Ritva sent one – but as I don’t do selfies either, this photo was taken by one of my students. And it’s a side portrait! The real side portraits though, all reside in ancient Egypt. (Last immersive visit in the header)


Knobbed hornbill – indeed an interesting side portrait!

In fact, my first thought reading the challenge was to use some of the bird portraits I have, or maybe my dogs? Ritva is the master of portraits, so I really had to try. Fortunately I found some more people, and in B&W, as I believe portraits are best made there.

This elderly man was sitting at the other end of my coffee table, (I remember him, but I no longer remember where it was…) reading about a Welcome into this world. I believe we all need more of this every day since this world is becoming less welcoming by the minute.

So, here comes some students I know wouldn’t mind me posting. They belonged to two of my most lovely classes from the science program. Then the distinguished, but very humourous, father of an old friend of mine when he turned 90. And, the last one – a colourful lady I met in Lodz – I have posted this photo a couple of times before.

Some years ago, I attended a gathering at a restaurant where I met this old biker that I totally loved! His white beard and expressive face just convinced me to ask for a photo – which he gladly let me take. The other biker posing with his vehicle was a happy guy, so for his portrait the bike itself was essential. These bikers were very easily approached and I felt at ease asking them – a big step forward for a shy person like me.

Every portrait tells a story...

The only person I really have some portraits of is my daughter. She always let me take her photo and loves posing for me. The left three of these were taken at Stora Hotellet in Umeå, when she graduated as a dentist. The first one through a very special mirror which made the portrait almost look broken. The right one was taken in my garden when Emma was going to one of the many masquerades she attended in her late teens.

Turning moments into eternal memories...

I am so glad I found more portraits than I knew I had, but I am afraid I haven’t followed one of Ritva’s main tips – concentrating on the eyes. I will better myself as soon as I get another opportunity! Thank you again for a great and challenging challenge!

Thank you also to Anne for Life’s Changes, that really let us know a great deal more about each other. Next week, Tina is back to host with a new inspiration. Go to her beautiful site to find another exciting challenge.

Please link your post to Ritva’s original post, and add the “lens-artists” hashtag so we can easily find you in the Reader. Until then – stay kind and creative.

Lens – Artists Challenge #319 – Setting a Mood

/ Leya / 134 kommentarer

By definition atmosphere is always what the individual objects that occupy places are not. Light, air, materials and sound.

– Stefan Vujić

Atmospheric is the character, feeling, or mood of a place or situation. It might be the mood of the mist, the collusion of clouds, or just a stunning structure. Ambience is another word for the mood a place or setting has.

The kind of music I like depends very much on my mood. – Frida Lyngstad

Let’s start with the ”natural” mood settings. A summer sunset by the sea settles your mind. It doesn’t have to be blue colours – grey is perfect too. And the sound of the waves plays an important part. Somehow I believe we search for the surroundings that lifts or matches our own mood.

Love is the flower you’ve got to let grow. – John Lennon

Love is in the air. Maybe your man or your lady brings you flowers, sets the table and lights the candles to welcome you… Although I believe atmosphere is not as pragmatic as it is poetic.

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. – Aristotle

Yesterday’s late Autumn walk with silent friends. Mist is mostly an autumnal fenomenon, created by the warmth of the day and the chill of the night. But, we’ll stick to the poetic mood. The soft light and the quietly munching sheep set my mood right for the end of the day.

I like the muted sounds, the shroud of grey, and the silence that comes with fog. – Om Malik

By the sea, Autumn brings many days of fog rolling in. In me it creates both a tension and a feeling of being hidden from the outside, troubled world. It is an inward looking mood.

Don’t tell me how good you make it; tell me how good it makes me when I use it. – Leo Burnett

Advertising is good at creating perfect atmospheres for us to take the bait…We visited a big beer company in Amsterdam – I don’t have to say which one… Instead of showing the process (which we got a professional presentation of in Ireland with another company), we were presented with a full show with party light and music. And beer. I guess it was all for engaging the younger generation.

While we still are in the mood for a party – let’s add a carnival mood too!

Like sunshine, music is a powerful force that can instantly and almost chemically change your entire mood. – Michael Franti

In September we went to Amstedam for the Dahlia Festival, where every piece of the pageant was made of dahlias (except the carriages). A fiest for both eyes and ears. Happy people makes happy spectators! (Find some mischievous happiness in the header/opener, where some boys enjoyed shooting water at us from a bridge.)

I have lived with several Zen masters—all of them cats. – Eckhart Tolle

For atmosphere and mood – this was a perfect setting at the Cat museum in Amsterdam. A combination of light, art, furniture and details. And if you know some cat lovers, cats on the table is not unfamiliar. Real cats too… I guess you have noticed there is a special atmosphere where there is a pet in the house? The first thing you will see (except for Milo) when you visit My home, is a sign saying: ”A home without a dog is just a house.” But, I assure you he is not allowed on the table…

Perhaps I am old-fashioned, but black and white films still hold an affectionate place in my heart; they have an incomparable mystique and mood. – Ginger Rogers

As a photographer, you might also use the possibility of setting the mood you want in your pictures – either with the natural environment, lamps, software or other means. An easy way is just converting a photo into B&W or sepia tones to set another mood, like this theater photo. I could almost see Greta Garbo and Clark Gable passing by in the lobby…

I love kids. I just love kids. They put you in a good mood and they are so full of life. – Carmen Electra

Very little changes can make a difference too. A park in Amsterdam housed some rabbits for the children. I smiled as I saw this little girl, who so gently patted her friend. An animal lover with the right feeling. I could easily see myself at her age.

By desaturating the colours a bit, I felt the photo fitted both my own nostalgic mood and the warmth between these two friends.

I hope you will be in the mood to join this challenge (pun intended) – as we search for special atmospheres you have met or created. A big thank you to Patti for making us see beauty everywhere – and somehow I feel this week’s challenge is a natural way to follow up. Mood and atmosphere are very individually seen, but so is beauty. I am looking forward to seeing your posts! Be sure to link to my original post and to include the “lens-artists” tag so we can find your images.

Next week Sofia will lead us, please go to her lovely blog for more inspiration! Until then, stay calm and kind.

Lens-Artists Challenge #316 – Destination: Fun

/ Leya / 47 kommentarer

Egidio has for this week chosen our destination: Fun! In fact I just returned from one of those – namely fantastic gardens. Please go to his beautiful site for more inspiration.

He asks ”What is your fun destination? What are some fun things you do? Some prefer seeing action and crowds, such as sporting events or concerts. Others prefer quiet moments with a book in hand.” I guess my answer could be: Travel and quiet moments alone. Those two can be opposites, but maybe not always…With a camera in hand, I can lose myself in photographing and shut out the world. I do need them both to feel good.

I love watching my dogs having fun – what could be better than that? And, when the children were small, we had entertainment all day from the whole family.

This is an old favourite photo of Mille and Totti, my first lagottos. They brought so much warmth, laughter, tears and joy. Talking about destination Fun! I still miss them, both had their own charming peculiarities, just like children have.

A great joy has always been hiking beautiful landscapes, especially in the delicateness of Spring and the colours of October. I am always excited to head out there for new adventures. Open landscapes and forests – they let my heart and soul breathe and my spirit soar.

Nothing beats the art of Mother Nature – but much fun is to be had at museums and exhibitions as well. I don’t have to go far away for interesting art…there is a great exhibition site just 10 kilometers away.

Being a teacher for many years, I have a natural interest in young people, their education and upbringing. I still have some students that stay in contact with me. In fact yesterday one of my students had his dissertation and is today a professor in mathematics. He contacted me, so I could follow it on zoom.

Many of our castles have jousting games with knights and horses. During my last years before retirement, I had a student who now is so skilled he won the Swedish championship several times in these games.

I often go to the nearest castle, Hovdala, that hosts these games – not just to see my old students but also to see the youngsters having fun. This sweet young man with shining eyes……might one day grow into a handsome and chevaleresque knight!

My most frequented destination is my garden – and it is always fun to see things grow, be it children or plants. Right now the grapes are ripening and soon the glass house will leave its last cucumbers and tomatoes, chili, paprika and physalis for letting my Mediterranean plants glow. I am immensely grateful for being able to enjoy the beauty and scent of acacia, jasmin, bottlebrush and camellias – despite our cold climate.

Travel, yes, that has been my way since I was 16. Destinations chosen because of architectural marvels in beautiful cities like Prague…

…for natural wonders as Catedrales in Spain

…for hiking among the glaciers in Greenland,

Iceland and Norway … and the majestic mountains of middle Europe.

But also for the opportunity to meet people of different origin and with different customs.

Back home again, there is another spot I always return to – for continuing the fun – my computer. All those photos have to be taken care of. Blogging, writing messages, making cards for birthdays, Christmas and other festivities.

To sum up my fun destinations, they are: hiking in gorgeous nature at home or abroad, visiting cities with great art and architecture, spending time with my family, working and enjoying my garden – and photographing it all. Finally – it is fun to upload and try to make the best out of my photos at the computer…

We look forward to seeing your responses and having us all share in the fun. Don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag when responding to Egidio, so we can easily find it in the Reader. Egidio is happy to say that pingbacks are finally working on his site too.

Last week, Ritva had us working on common objects. The response was terrific, and your posts were great. Creativity shines!

Tina will host a new challenge next Saturday at noon EDT in the USA. Stay tuned. Please see this page to learn more about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history.

Lens-Artists Challenge #312 – Sense of Scale

/ Leya / 66 kommentarer

Sofia challenges us to show how we give people a sense of scale in our pictures. This is sometimes quite essential… Please visit Sofia’s site to get more inspiring examples!

My take on this challenge must mainly be using people for scale, but also different perspectives as from below or above, from afar or from a frog’s perspective. Finishing with a macro, of course.

This was a waterfall in Alaska that I did not hike up to – but wow when I zoomed the lens! People walking there made it quite clear it was not as small as it seemed from where I was standing.

This picture is from a tour to the Space Needle in Seattle – where looking through the glass floor sets the scale properly…

The Nice Carnival with its many show wagons is also a way to celebrate the sense of scale and give you interesting surprises.

Some years ago we went to Barcelona under the construction of the great Sagrada Familia. The picture was taken from one of the towers. People and buildings giving you a hint of the size of this gigantic Cathedral.

Back home I was once fortunate enough to visit a statue of a harbour worker – when an elderly lady turned up and walked beside him. A sense of scale in more than one dimension.

This was the first time I visited Segovia, Spain, and I walked in awe up to the aqueduct running through the city, towering over the houses. I believe this is one of the more exciting and surprising moments during all my travels. The elderly gentlemen in front of me were very sweet, and I had no problems keeping the same pace as they did…

Next is an old favourite from the kite festival in Denmark. With kites you can easily use your camera from under their bellies… People and cars become tiny and the kites just as spectacular as they are. I think I’ll have to go there once more!

This one I have used before too – but I still love those legs sticking out of a rusty head in Riga.

Lying down on the stone floor in our apartment in Spain, I found the tiniest ants I had ever seen. A tea spoon became a valuable measurement of scale.

Then came the tiniest husband I had ever seen… In Alaska he jumped from a mountain – safely of course. If I remember it right, he is number two from the left. I let the tree tops stay in the corner of the picture to remember just how difficult this scale was to fathom.

Finally…

…in Weltfogelpark Walsrode in Germany, apart from the real birds, also the tree sculptures were greatly admired. In Bhutan the forest and trees set the scale for the golden Buddha statue. I had to finish with the tiniest of snails (5mm) in this withered flower.

A big thank you for all your garden displays last week, big and small, fancy and spectacular, creative and inspiring – and above all – Loved and Needed! It truly was a treat to read every comment and see every picture. I had a great week.

Don’t forget to tag Lens-Artists and link to Sofias original post. Next week is John’s turn to host so please visit his site for inspiration. Until then, stay well and enjoy every day.

Lens-Artists Challenge #304 – Behind

/ Leya / 44 kommentarer

Ritva is giving us a real treat this week – showing how to use the background to enhance our compositions. What makes your subject shine? A good background is essential to any picture.

Please visit Ritva’s beautiful site for more inspiration and examples!

I will choose some of my favourite techniques for the background to enhance the subject. Backlit late evening poppies create a positive, soft blur around the flowers. This is clearly one of my favourites as I often photograph insects and flowers.

Using negative space is efficient to highlight your subject against a minimal background. How lucky was I to see a woman in RED walking down the stairs when I had my camera ready?

We can harmonize or contrast colours for visual impact. Here I wanted to enhance the filmish feeling by using B&W.

Colour harmony again –

– to the left a totally green picture with an interesting, overgrown branch, and to the right the old red train running in the contrasting green surroundings.

A picture within a picture is something I really like. There are two from Japan, the first one in the header and on the left side here another one. We see a gardener talking to a young woman about ”his” garden while admiring it from the terrace. The picture filled staircase was photographed in a Danish castle, where you also can see another room through the window. There is much going on in this scene, but I decided to use it all in my image.

Lastly, two pictures from Tokyo Sky Tree, the first one taken through the framed glass floor and the second one where the city is set between window frames. In both cases, the subject is shining because of its dark surroundings. This applies to the header image too.

As I started with poppies, I will leave you with a poppy too – an enchanting flower. For this one, I was down on the ground and getting close. Deapth of field and back light make it stand out.

Last week we dwelled in the world of connections with Donna as our guide. We got lovely interpretations of connection, and many of them I had never even thought about!

A big thank you to Ritva for an innovative and excellent challenge, and be sure to link to her original post and use our tag. I am already looking forward to next week’s challenge with Egídio. Join him Saturday 12:00 EST to enjoy his beautiful photography, through Brazilian eyes.

Lens-Artists Challenge #296 – Abstract

/ Leya / 50 kommentarer

Ritva challenges us this week to think abstract. Abstract photography breaks the normal rules of realism. She explains that it focuses on the shapes, colors, textures, and patterns of the subject rather than its literal representation. Please visit her extraordianry site for more inspiration and examples!

Abstract, sometimes reality is just as abstract – this tree in Bhutan surely has an abstract quality.

Art has a voice – let it speak”
― Rochelle Carr

A gallery from the archives tells me I do like abstract…or non figurative. I think we all do, but maybe we just don’t think of our photos as abstract. We fall in love with certain qualities of the place or thing or anything that makes us create a photograph, be it abstract or not.

Techniques – and luck – used in the gallery are close-up, double exposure, collage, reflections, steam and light play.

There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.

– Pablo Picasso

The gallery above was made with ICM on a walk in the surroundings of my old school last week.

To participate in this challenge, link to or leave a comment on the host’s original challenge post and please use the #Lens-Artists tag so we can easily find you in the Reader.

And if you want even more information on the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.

Last week Donna’s wonderful post invited us to rock, and what beautiful rocks and places we got to visit! Next week Egídio is hosting, I am sure his theme and beautiful photography will once again give us wonderful inspiration.

Until then, stay calm and wait for the next bus. I will be on the road for the next three weeks, but trying to stay in touch!