Tankar

Lens-Artists Challenge #283 – Illustrate a Favourite Quote or Poem

/ Leya / 181 kommentarer

If you were to illustrate a favourite quote or poem, what would be your pick? Now you have the opportunity to do just that, and to use 1-4 pictures to make us ”feel” the poem or quote chosen. We will save lyrics for another challenge!

I have chosen some stanzas from the Indian Bengali poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore, and his poem The Same Stream of Life.

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day

runs through the world and dances in rythmic measures.

It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass

and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.

Thank you to Patti for last week’s Dramatic challenge! It brought us so many interesting posts and diverse ways to look upon drama. In fact many pictures I hadn’t thought of for the challenge, suddenly seemed very dramatic and fitting…

Now I hope you are going to have some fun with this challenge too. Pictures often speak for themselves, but this time your task is to let your images show/illustrate your chosen poetry or quote. Be sure to link to my original post and to use the Lens-Artists tag. We are looking forward to seeing your solutions!

And next week, Sofia will be our host – please visit her inspirational site for more!

Thursday Thoughts – The Many Colours of Winter

/ Leya / 33 kommentarer

Winter deserves its name this year – Winter in its real meaning that is. We had -20 degrees C for several days and these images show something of how cold that was.

Still, grasses and plants in this garden offers warmer winter colours.

Back to the real thing – I cannot help loving it!

Today we had another snow storm and another 10 cm snow. In fact I cannot remember when we had so many weeks of winter without thaw and rain in between. But, I admit that I prefer temperatures closer to -10 instead of -20…

Lens-Artists Challenge #282 – Dramatic

/ Leya / 74 kommentarer

Patti leads the dramatic week!

”This week, we’re asking the question: what makes a photo dramatic? Maybe it is processed in black and white, or it has vivid colors. Maybe a person, place, or object is captured from a unique perspective or it is a macro shot.”

If you wish, explain why your photo is dramatic and what you did to highlight the drama. Be sure to link to Patti’s original post and include the “lens-artists” tag. 

Dramatic – much depends on light and darkness, some photos can be naturally dramatic, and to some I have added to the touch of drama.

This tree is a natural dramatic one. The human face between the trunks was so obvious, and the light perfect.

Art often shows dramatic scenes, be it in paintings, sculptures or any other art. Beautiful dramatic art can often be found in churches.

Can a picture of a flower feel dramatic? I think so. It is the mood in the picture, darkness and light, and the strong colours. I have darkened it some to enhance the back light even more.

Dramatic waters in Iceland are frequent. Right now there are a couple of eruptions going on as well. In fact the whole country is dramatic, so it is impossible to leave out from a gallery like this. Believe it or not – nothing has been done to this image. It was taken right out of the camera.

The south coast of Iceland, a winter’s day on the black beach.

Houses can also be dramatic. Especially abandoned houses. I guess it is the emptiness and the feeling of everything falling apart that does it. Or maybe all our memories of horror movies? The photo is untouched.

Another house is in the header/opener: the Dancing House in Prague with dramatic clouds, leaning lamp posts and people hurrying by.

If we continue with dramatic skies, and add some B&W – the drama will be complete. Silhouettes of cranes also add to the drama.

Drama in macro photography is not impossible. The light comes from our Christmas tree.

As trees and forests are my favourite subjects, together with flowers, I must post from the Dark Hedges too…maybe the most dramatic beech trees I know of. And so dramatic that I did not find it best to use B&W. As for Game of Thrones – I haven’t seen it.

Last week, the entire team invited you to share your favorites from 2023. What a treat for all of us. Thank you! Next week, it’s my turn, Ann-Christine/Leya, to lead, so be sure to visit my site next Saturday for some inspiration.

Until then, stay healthy, hopeful, and curious.

Thursday Thoughts – By the Sea

/ Leya / 30 kommentarer

Yesterday we decided to drive to the sea, as the cold has kept us mostly indoors for some days, -20 at home. When we approached the sea, the snow had almost disappeared. But not the cold …

Then the sun came out! Not the warming kind of course – but the cheering up kind.

We went for a short walk in the icy wind. There were not many birds to be seen, a couple of ducks and a lonely swan in the silent seascape.

Cold puffs rising from the water, gratefully breathing in the first rays of sun.

The next morning offered a glorious start of the day. Clear, pink skies and a windless scenery, land and sea in harmony.

We are so fortunate, that winter time we don’t have to rise early for the colours…because the sun will not be up until late. Around 8.30 now. Time well spent.

Lens -Artists Challenge #281 – Favourite Images of 2023

/ Leya / 102 kommentarer

As we enter the New Year we are excited to announce the Lens-Artists team will be expanding with the addition of two new members. Ritva of Ritva Sillanmaki Photography and Egídio of Through Brazilian Eyes will be joining us. We know they will bring their marvelous photography, extensive travel experiences, and fresh insight to our weekly challenges. We are very much looking forward to having them on our team. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to them. Click on the links to Ritva and Egídio’s blogs at the end of today’s post to follow them and receive all of our upcoming Lens Artists challenges. 

Favourites can be favourites for different reasons. Some of mine are for their thought provoking aspect, some for loving memories and some for beauty and/or my admiration for the art created. And for Hope.

We went for some winter Exhibitions – Banksy among others. Shattered – maybe there is some hope still, for love and innocense…as the ripped artwork to the left becomes whole again. I like the way they are hung – in that order.

Prague in Spring, romantic places and romantic flowers bring hopes of yet another Spring to come.

Then summer arrives at home, with forest walks during soft nights. And, we had a wedding in June – bringing joy and laughter, hopes and dreams for the future.

Then, Autumn is coming …

with fruits and berries in our gardens. And before winter arrived, we travelled the Inside Passage to Alaska, starting in Seattle.

I liked Seattle – here some of Frank Gehry’s architecture and the train from the World Fair in 1963. Yes, it actually went in there…between the buildings.

Glaciers, forests, mountains, and beautiful mornings and evenings at sea – Alaska for me.

I will end my year with some beautiful and unforgettable gardens – Sofiero, Chihuly Glass and Butchart (in the opener/header). And books, and Milo, and a tiny clearing in the forest, with just enough room for a golden beech sapling.

I hope your new year has started out well, and that we’ll see you next Saturday when Patti leads!

Tina of https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com

Patti of https://pilotfishblog.com

Ann-Christine aka Leya of https://lagottocattleya.com 

John of https://photobyjohnbo.wordpress.com

Anne of https://annegeephoto.com (aka Slow Shutter Speed)

Sofia of https://photographias.wordpress.com 

Donna of https://windkisses.com 

Egídio of https://egidio.photography (aka Through Brazilian Eyes)

Ritva of https://sillarit.com (aka Ritva Sillanmaki Photography)

Today, 04.27 – The Winter Solstice

/ Leya / 37 kommentarer

The Winter Solstice is here. Today, December 22, the sun is at its lowest elevation and stands in a position that does not vary for several days. That’s the reason for the term solstice, which combines the Latin words sol, for sun, with stit, from the word sistere—which means to stand still. And then, the life giving Light returns.