Tankar

LAPC #230 – Last Chance

/ Leya / 55 kommentarer

Tina is our host this week, with the theme Last Chance. This means we’re given the opportunity to include images (on any and all subjects) created in 2022, but not previously published.

A brilliant idea – let them shine!

You could say that all of life is a series of last chances.

– Cynthia Voigt

Everybody wants to shine a little bit, even a wallflower.

– Phyllis Smith

Look, I want to love this world…

…as though it’s the last chance I’m ever going to get
to be alive
and know it.

– Mary Oliver

There is one, and only one solution, and we have almost no time to try it. We must turn all our resources to repairing the natural world, and train all our young people to help. They want to; we need to give them this last chance to create forests, soils, clean waters, clean energies, secure communities, stable regions, and to know how to do it from hands-on experience.

– Bill Mollison

In vīnō vēritās, in aquā sānitās

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.

– Douglas Adams

Ask me to show you poetry in motion and I will show you a horse.

– Unknown

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Thank you for your interesting and inspiring responses to my last week’s challenge, Perfect Patterns. I think we all opened our eyes just a little bit more to find a world filled with patterns! Now I’m looking forward to seeing your Last Chance photos, please link back to Tina’s original post and tag Lens-Artists. Tina’s challenge this week is a great opportunity to go back to this year’s photos and give some of them a new chance to shine.

We’ll be off for the Holidays and will be back 7th January with John at the wheel. We are immensely pleased to announce that Donna Holland from Wind Kisses will be joining us then as a new team member. Donna has been a loyal follower of our challenge, has previously Guest-Hosted, and consistently delivers thoughtful and beautifully illustrated posts. Be sure to follow her at her site, windkisses.com.

We wish you all a Happy, Healthy New Year!

Thursday Thoughts – A Snowy Denmark?

/ Leya / 40 kommentarer

We who live in the southern part of Sweden often visit Denmark. Good food, nice people, lovely architecture and several great art museums. This time we had a nice surprise – snow! I have never seen a piece of Denmark in snow, and some Danes hadn’t either it seemed…

The walk from the train to Louisiana art museum is a treat with the lovely architecture – different in every house.

The park at Louisiana was the main attraction this time – not only because of the snow. We had excellent weather with a cold sun and no wind.

People were photographing everywhere, the snow and the calm sea. It is Sweden at the other end of the water. 20 minutes by ferry.

We spent a lovely hour walking around the grounds. Sculptures, installations and special art spread out everywhere.

A day of serenity

The small island at the horizon is a Swedish piece of land. Hven, the home of the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe. His observations are generally considered to be the most accurate of his time. (16th century)

LAPC #229 – Perfect Patterns

/ Leya / 182 kommentarer

Of course there is no such thing as a ”perfect” pattern…but it could be perfect in Your eyes, perfect for camouflage or perfect for its purpose…or simply radiating ”perfect”! This week we challenge you to find perfect patterns and it would be great if you wanted to tell us why you think they are perfect.

For me, the first thing that comes to mind is the natural world. Seemingly perfect, and more often than not – pleasing to the eye.

In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.

– Alice Walker

A giant lotus at Kew Gardens, and DNA strands –

The more perfect a thing is, the more susceptible to good and bad treatment it is.

– Dante Alighieri

I went to Copenhagen in search for more patterns, and found Musselmalet Ribbed, the first tableware decor of Royal Copenhagen. It was designed in 1770, and today, centuries later, it is one of the most famous and coveted porcelain decorations in the world. Every piece is still painted by hand. So,…they cannot be perfect…or?

We often think that a perfect pattern should be symmetrical…but does it really have to be? These are licorice bottles.

Many more patterns would be almost perfect, if humans did not mess with them. I never walk on newly fallen snow – if I am not forced to do so… but I have to feed the birds!

A room in one of the wineries of Porto. Surely designed to look perfect – but as it showed up in my computer – I realised it is not. The lines are asymmetrical, but somehow we don’t notice that at first. What can we learn from this?

To understand is to perceive patterns.

– Isaiah Berlin

Why do I believe there are perfect patterns in this shopping window? I liked the white trunks spreading out just like the photo model’s hair, and the dots of snow and her blouse are corresponding. The scale of colours too suggests a Nordic/Scandinavian thought from the decorator. I guess it’s the harmony of different patterns that makes this window perfect in my eyes.

Back to nature again – a young eagle owl being released in freedom – as you can see, the feathers are not completely perfect – but,

I think every single imperfection adds to your beauty. I’d rather be imperfect than perfect.

– Sonam Kapoor

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.

– Jane Austen

Did you know that if you destroy a spider’s web too many times, it will not be spun as meticulously perfect anymore?

For my knitted caps, I make up ”perfect” patterns according to what I know about the person who is going to wear them. Most of these were my children’s, but the sheep cap with mittens I made this autumn (Christmas gift) for my little granddaughter.

Finally – nothing is completely perfect – at least never when a human is involved. But, let your own eyes and feelings decide what is perfect for you!!

Many thanks to Patti for last week’s Diagonals – your creative and thoughtful posts really made us think, and maybe even revise our approach to photography.

Now we’re looking forward to seeing what patterns you will find! Be sure to include a link to my original post and to use the Lens-Artists tag so we can easily find you in the Reader. If you’re new to the challenge and want to join us, click here.

Next week, it’s Tina’s turn to be our host, so be sure to visit her inspirational site for LAPC #230. Have a great week ahead and hope to see you soon!

LAPC #228 – Diagonals

/ Leya / 50 kommentarer

We invite you to join us this week as we explore diagonals as a way to add visual interest and depth to our photos, as
well as a sense of action. Our host for this intriguing challenge is Patti.

I enjoy searching for lines that will enrich life, and images. Informally, any sloping line is called diagonal, but the word diagonal derives from the ancient Greek diagonios, ”from angle to angle” (from dia-, ”through”, ”across” and gonia, ”angle”, related to gony ”knee”); later adopted into Latin as diagonus (”slanting line”). Many years since I took Latin and Greek, but they are still interesting and very useful – with the help of Wikipedia too.

The line of life is a ragged diagonal between duty and desire.

– William Rounseville Alger

Before the plants had leaves…the shadows were diagonal.

The Segovia aqueduct is forever a favourite with me. Put together with only the stones themselves, and in perfect lines with diagonal shadows. Where is your focus?

Beaches create perfect diagonals and all other lines…The water pool is leading straight to the two dogs.

Spanish water – alive all the way to the end of the image.

The marvelous construction of Harpa, Iceland, took my breath away. Bold lines, diagonals and a concoction of materials.

The simplicity of these lines – is soothing.

Walking on diagonals to the spa.

Umbrella diagonals!

Last week, we had wonderful tours of your home country, town, village or any place that you call home. A special thanks to Tina for her Home Sweet Home theme. Your posts have given us food for thought and wonderful ideas about new places to visit all around the world.

Patti ask us to consider if the diagonals add a sense of depth, or action, or invite the viewer to explore the scene.

We’re looking forward to seeing what you can find! Be sure to include a link to Patti’s post and the Lens-Artists tag so we can easily find you in the Reader. If you’re new to the challenge and want to join us, click here.

Next week, it’s my turn, Ann-Christine, to take the lead, so be sure to visit Leya next Saturday for LAPC #229 as we continue our December challenges. Have a great week ahead and hope to see you soon!