Tankar

Lens-Artists Challenge – Mood

/ Leya / 68 kommentarer

Being a teacher for so many years, I know Vincent Nichols’ statement is right: we’re losing social skills, the human interaction skills, how to read a person’s mood, to read their body language, how to be patient until the moment is right to make or press a point. Too much exclusive use of electronic information dehumanises what is a very, very important part of community life and living together.

Sofia leads us through different moods this week. A wonderful theme, very much needed in this world today. It will be interesting to see how we all react and feel – the same or differently?

The ups and downs in life, in a day, in an hour in a moment… I have tried to find some of those moods. they can change fast, we all know that. Some of them just happen…some of them we can create or change.

I love abandoned places. Walking there I often feel the place wants to tell me something. It is the same mood when I am walking in cemeteries – and in libraries. You feel the prescence of those who were there before you, the prescense of thoughts, words and lives.

What do these images tell you?

I hope they tell stories…

…of those who once lived there or worked there.

Then, let’s try some moods in the rollercoaster of life. Scary, frightening…the mood can sneak upon you when it is getting darker in the forest or in the streets on your way home. For some of us – it’s about monsters hiding under the bed or in the wardrobe.

Mood has to be controlled.
Otherwise, it’s your master.
― Toba Beta

Or, you can create a monochrome madness and play around with it – letting yourself go as dramatically as you want or dare to!

After all this tension, you will need some late evening bliss to calm you down.

But soon, back in the city’s frenzy… in order to survive, there is a need for slowing down again.

Over the years I have found that an artistic mood always makes me calm down and feel good…

… and a festive mood sometimes cheers me up – (but not too often…)

Feeling playful is a great mood for all creatures…

…and so is sheer happiness and love.


To join Sofia’s challenge this week, be sure to stop by her inspirational and beautiful Photographias site. In your own post, please include the lens-artists tag and link to her original post.

In my Backlit challenge last week you inspired me and many of us to use this type of photography more often. Thank you for opening our eyes to all creative possibilities! Next week, it’s John’s turn to lead us, so be sure to stop by Journeys with Johnbo next Saturday at noon EST for inspiration.

In the meantime, I’m hoping that your week is filled with light and creative inspiration. As spring has arrived here, there is much to do in my garden…

Thursday Thoughts – Unexpected Views

/ Leya / 22 kommentarer

These two images shows not what I had expected to find in Prague. But I loved both finds – seen on the walk to the famous Karls Bridge.

Beautiful architecture I knew I would find – and in the header is an image more according to my expectations. I love surprises though!

Lens-Artists Challenge #247 – Backlit

/ Leya / 188 kommentarer

What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are time and light.

— John Berger

Backlighting is dramatic. It often creates silhouettes, yellow halos around the subject, and/or a brilliantly bright background.

Therefore, backlighting is great if you want to create stunning, eye-catching effects. Here are a handful of specific images you can make with backlighting: Street and portrait silhouettes, bird-in-flight silhouettes, portraits and macros with beautiful background bokeh, landscape silhouettes and sunset/sunrise landscapes.

One of my favourite subjects for backlit photography is flowers. Then I rely on the sun as the light source.

Essentially what photography is is life lit up.
— Sam Abell

However, the sun is not always shining…and some plants bloom only when it is dark, so this night blooming cactus was lit up from behind with a soft lamp.

Another favourite is autumn leaves and autumn scenery. Some years we have very little sun and/or little colours in the leaves, but when everything comes together – the results can be stunning.

Winter offers different possibilities when there is snow and ice. Light and shadow can show off for example fur, uneven ground and a shining layer of frost or snow on top.

If we look at things where backlighting is a must, we will find for example aquariums, various screens (phone, TV, computer, camera, etc…). Stained glass windows are perfect examples of how backlight always have been used. And they are still, today, eye-catching beauties.

The camera is much more than a recording apparatus, it is a medium via which messages reach us from another world.
— Orson Welles

Backlight is a versatile instrument in making pictures really come alive, even if they are only silhouettes or very dark. For landscapes it can be magical.

I am not interested in shooting new things – I am interested to see things new.
— Ernst Haas

My home and my garden are always in my lens – and often in backlight. If you photograph the same things every year, you must vary your approach!

Photography is a love affair with life.
— Burk Uzzle

Finally, I was presented with some lovely roses from my husband last week – I could not leave you without them! The sun is shining in through my windows, and on top of that, I made a double exposure.

Many thanks to Patti for having us try Still Life last week – a really challenging subject, but we all rose to the occation! So many interesting and unusual answers!

Now I hope to have given you a taste of backlit photography, and we are looking forward to seeing your images and posts. Tag with Lens-Artists and link to my original post. Hope to see you soon, but until then, please be as kind as ever to others – and to yourself.

Next week it is Sofia who is hosting on the theme Mood. Places, photography styles, situations or portraits where moods are recognisable.

Thursday Thoughts – Prague Cemeteries

/ Leya / 34 kommentarer

We started our first day with some cemeteries… Somehow I love walking there, and whenever I go to a big city, I visit at least one cemetery.

Doors to churches and gates to cemeteries… Old Jewish cemeteries especially, are very beautifully ageing, because they are often left as they are. There are no relatives alive anymore who can tend to them.

Signs of Franz Kafka are everywhere in Prague, but here is his last resting place.

Maybe you like to walk in cemeteries too – the stillness and peaceful surroundings, contemplating life and the beauty of it all.

Lens-Artists Challenge #246 – Still Life

/ Leya / 51 kommentarer

Patti is our host this week – Still Life

Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.

– Dorothea Lange

Found in a rented apartment in Denmark.

Found at a design exhibition in Sweden.

Found in a restaurant in Stettin.

Once created by me.

Glass artistery at Kosta Boda, Sweden.

Glass art in Prague – local artist.

Gdansk, Poland.

Sweden – a ”real” Still Life!

A market somewhere in Europe.

An old house in the middle of Sweden.

Found in Spain, Bilbao.

We invite you to join us this week for the Still Life challenge. Feel free to include “created” and “found” still life scenes–which you might find in your archives or create for this challenge. Be sure to include the “lens-artists” tag and link to Patti’s post. We’re looking forward to seeing your diverse and imaginative responses.

A special thanks to Tina for hosting last week’s Environments challenge and we greatly enjoyed seeing your preferences and your thoughts on how our environments shape us and our experiences.

Next week, it will be me, Ann-Christine (at Leya), hosting, so be sure to stop by at my place, next Saturday at noon EST. In the meantime, I’m hoping that you still are kind, and filled with generous love.