Tankar

Lens-Artists Challenge #340 – Portraits

/ Leya / 53 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.

Thursday Thoughts – Tutanchamon

/ Leya / 13 kommentarer

Last time we visited Malmoe, we went to see the immersive exhibition. As we went to Egypt in 1981 and saw his tomb, and the mummy and golden artefacts at the Egyptian museum, I did not expect much from this visit. But, it was a nice outing and another experience. And again I felt so sorry for this young, sickly boy, whose fate was to be farao.

I’m sharing some of the pictures – I had fun taking them.

Lens-Artists Challenge #…Life’s Changes

/ Leya / 47 kommentarer

Anne is our lovely guide this week, and she really made me think…a long time before deciding.

Let’s begin with the beginning…My grandmother is the person I owe maybe most of my interests to, and I loved her dearly. She worked hard on the land all her life, and she taught me everything about making things grow, and how to handle geraniums to make them thrive. I still have all her geraniums in my house, since 1988 when she left us. She loved everything living and loved to see me loving it too. I still miss her.

Anne made me think about the many things that have enriched my life. Nature, students, children, travel, art, painting, dogs and cats – and of course photography. Photography and blogging that have brought me so many friends from all over the world. You.

I could have picked any of these… but, what is here with me every day, making my life shine, making me useful? My plants!

Many of them comes from cuttings and seeds taken home and abroad, plants from faraway countries, from friends – living or long since gone. That is an important thing to me. Every time I water them or prune them or just look at them – I remember the friend who gave that plant to me. My plants are living memories keeping their former owner alive.

They are also my ”children” and I love watching them grow. It is about the same feeling with real children and students – making them thrive and grow makes me feel good. And whole.

My garden project is to make it a haven for flowers (especially wild flowers), plants, pollinators and birds. And my little hedgehog… Never is my smile bigger than when I see him walking around at dusk, drinking some water or poking his nose in the ground for a caterpillar or two.

These garden pictures are of course from another season, but I decided to take all the indoor photos yesterday – which means there are none of grandmothers’ geraniums as they are not flowering until April, May. But there are many others. (Text in the photos.)

Indoors I have more than 200 plants, and it takes a week every year to repot them. I usually do that in February – so they will make a good start when the sun goes higher in the sky.

I used to grow a lot of orchids, but have turned more into other species of interest, like Begonias, Hoya, Hibiscus and cacti. The ”bubbly” Begonia (begonia masoniana river) below the white Camellia is my newest and most rare one. Keeping flowers for their patterns is fun, dried flowers too. Of course I love to grow edible sprouts for the winter as well! And my granddaughter loves to see them grow that fast…

Upstairs is crammed with plants during winter when they have to reside indoors. I use special lamps to give them more hours of daylight, but I haven´t always used any extra light. I was surprised to see the difference though, and from now on my plants will have a better start the next Spring.

What has enriched and/or changed your life? That is your challenge this week. Please share with us your joys and passion of a hobby or life experience that helped you find your life’s passion! Remember to tag with Lens-Artists at Anne’s original post.

We really enjoyed your posts in response to John’s Pick A Word challenge last week. What a variety! Next week Ritva will present the challenge, so look for her post.

In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude!

Lens Artists Challenge #338 – Pick a Word

/ Leya / 31 kommentarer

John‘s challenge this week is called “Pick a Word.” You must choose a word that fits your topic and select three or four appropriate photos to share. Please visit his interesting site for more inspiration!

I have chosen ”Double-Exposures” But if John doesn’t accept it (two words…) I will go for ”Double”.

During the pandemic years, I developed a love for double exposures. And swirls. But today I will pick only double exposures. I guess it became interesting because we could not travel very far and had to be very careful where and how we went. Doubles could easily be done at home or in the garden, with interesting results.

I tried many combinations, and these are some of those I found worked best. Flowers of course,

and flowers and text together.

Why not a library… we can never get enough of books!

Buildings make excellent photos – like these wooden houses in different colours.

Finally Stockholm railway station and City Hall – where the outcome is an old favourite of mine. In fact I think I want to try some new subjects for double exposures again!

So, John says the word you pick could be for example from photographic techniques like ”Backlit, Landscape, Portrait, Minimalist” or subject descriptions like “Mountain, River, Architecture, Wildlife.”

We are looking forward to seeing what word you pick to share in your challenge response! Be sure to tag your post with “Lens-Artists” and add a link to John’s original post.

Last week, Sofia challenged us to be BOLD, and we really were! Extraordinary answers to that one. Next week it’s Anne’s turn. To be sure you get a notice of her challenge when it goes live, follow her site here. If you’d like to join the challenge each week, but aren’t sure how to get started, check here.

Hope to see you soon – and until then, stay safe and be kind.

Lens-Artists Challenge #337-Bold

/ Leya / 80 kommentarer

Your life is your canvas, and you are the masterpiece. There are a million ways to be kind, amazing, fabulous, creative, bold, and interesting.

– Kerli

Sofia is our lovely guide this week, and she wants us to be Bold – or at least send pictures that speak bold. Please visit her beautiful site for more inspiration!

Colours and patterns in furniture – can indeed be bold. I like it, but maybe not in my own house…

Gaudi was one of the most bold architects according to me. I am looking forward to seeing a Sagrada Família fully fledged in 2026.

Last Tuesday we saw the immersive exhibition of Frida Kahlo in Malmoe. The Mexican painter and artist who was severely wounded in a bus accident at the age of 19, and lived with constant pain until her death in 1954, only 47 years old. Few people and artists were that bold and colourful as she was in both life and works.

Finally, In the true spirit of it, be bold and take us all somewhere new, Sofia says. How…? Well, you asked for it…it is rather bold of me, in this famous company, to show one of my wild paintings (I don’t call it art…)for my granddaughter. Creatures.

I am truly grateful for the many beautiful and thoughtful answers to last week’s challenge – and we all managed to post only ONE image! I guessed it would be difficult, but you really made it work – and work so well, that I had tears in my eyes more than once…

So now – welcome to this week and Sofia’s magic. Remember to link back to her post and to tag Lens-Artists so we can find you.

Stay well, keep calm and make the best of your week.