Tankar

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #153 – It’s a Wonderful World

/ Leya / 92 kommentarer

Amy has found a wonderful challenge for us – because even if we all struggle some days, we can clearly see the world is still Full of Wonders, which is the essense of the word wonderful. Amy beautifully used Louis Armstrong’s world famous lyrics in her post – so please, visit Amy and get inspired!

My choice is some Midsummer Magic in the tiny worlds around us – because they are literally wonders in every sense. They also feel more safe to visit in this chaotic world…

We stayed at our summer house for a couple of days to prepare for the Midsummer celebrations next weekend. As you know, the longest day and the shortest night are very important to us in the Nordic countries. However, because of the heat, I find it difficult to sleep well, so I am usually awake around 4 every morning. This particular morning, I went for a barefoot stroll in the early garden dew.

The world is so full of wonderful things we should all, if we were taught how to apprediate it, be far richer than kings.

Ashley Montagu

This curious world we inhabit is more wonderful than convenient; more beautiful than it is useful; it is more to be admired and enjoyed than used.

Henry David Thoreau

The World is full of wonders, but they become more Wonderful, not less Wonderful when Science looks at them.

Sir David Attenborough

The European hornet and their master gallery deserves a gallery of their own. And my faithful company this morning was Milo – patiently waiting in the grass…until he got too tired of me and eagerly wanted his morning meal.

We are the inheritors of a wonderful world, a beautiful world, full of life and mystery, goodness and pain. But likewise are we the children of an indifferent universe. We break our own hearts imposing our moral order on what is, by nature, a wide web of chaos.

Colin Meloy

Thank you all for your creative and fun entries for my Shades and Shadows last week! I learned many new things from you, and was very surprised to find that not many, if any language except English, has got two words for the concept.

Thanks to Amy for her interesting challenge – we look forward to seeing your perspectives – and please remember to use the Lens-Artists Tag and to link to Amy’s original here. Finally, until next week, when Tina will be leading the challenge, please stay safe, be kind, and enjoy this wonderful world.

Thursday Thoughts – The Best Part of Spring is Over…

/ Leya / 67 kommentarer

The lilacs are gone now…but we had some glorious days in May and the beginning of June.

The loveliness of newborn, soft green leaves is fading…replaced with stronger and thicker greens.

Early morning after the farmer’s work in the field. Lovely, rich lines…

And some weeks later – we are coming up!

As the rapeseed is glowing for a couple of weeks…we have glorious days awaiting.

Showers make them lush and even more attractive.

But summer is on the march – in fact it is already here.

So, how is your summer coming along?

Lens-Artists Challenge #152 – Shades and Shadows

/ Leya / 208 kommentarer

Time for a simple, but hopefully enjoyable challenge for this week – Shades and Shadows. As the weather is fairly hot over here now, you can guess why I chose this theme. Of course it can be interpreted less literally, but as always you are free to surprise us!

In Sweden, and some other countries, we only have one single word for this…so, a neat illustration will start this week’s challenge!

An old friend of mine had his own sleeping preferences …always in the shade. This was one of Totti’s early morning surprises. He was in his prime, agile, loving and sweet.

Skógafoss, Iceland, where late evening light made long shadows and magnificent yellows.

In the Morockan desert, the tiny scarab shows an equally tiny shadow while he is scuttling between sun and shade.

We are still in Morocko, where the narrow alleys and harsh sunlight of Marrakesh makes for both shade and shadows. And difficulties for a photographer.

Finally, an image with not many contrasts, but subtle shadows and shades let the pink/cream coloured sandstone come alive. I loved this moment that suddenly turned up while looking up a side street. That cat owns the area.

Thank you, Patti, for a thought provoking, fun and diffferent challenge last week! We had great fun enjoying your creative posts! Hope to see you this week too under the Lens-Artists tag.

Finally, stay tuned for Amy’s hosting next week, and please be safe and kind.

Thursday Thoughts – A walk in my garden

/ Leya / 59 kommentarer

Time for a short walk in my garden – things are really happening every day now that real summer has arrived.

If you have got some spare minutes…welcome for a short glimpse into my world.

In the evenings, the heliotrope sends its dreamy scent where I sit in my chair outside the glass house, sipping a glass of red. Or enjoying a mug of coffee. Life is good.

But let’s go for a tiny tour, looking for some of my favourites.

Then we will have to peep into the glass house of course. Last September it finally arrived – after many years of longing to have one of my own. In the end, it was Corona that made it happen. Staying at home for such a long time, I would not miss adventures that were not to be.

My view from the chair – sitting on Totti’s favourite blanket – gives me harmony and satisfaction every day.

Now, as the soft evening fills with clear blackbird tunes, we can sit together and feel – that for the moment, Life is good.

I hope you found some joy in coming with me, even if it was only a short walk. I much appreciated your company.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #151: From Large to Small

/ Leya / 66 kommentarer

Patti invites us this week, for a different challenge. ”…pick a color and select several photos that feature that color. Start with a photo of a big subject in that color (for example, a wall) and move all the way down to a small subject in that same color (for example, an earring).” She reminds us of size constancy and the importance of easily recognizable objects for comparing. You will see some of this in my images, but in some there are no perfect objects for comparing.

So, should I go for my favourite – green, or…no, I think I will choose white! And I will tweak it my way.

I could make it easy for me and choose a B&W image – surely there will be much of white in it…

But, I don’t think that is what was expected of me. Instead I will chose a fluffy arctic white cotton grass.

The flower itself is not big, but together they make a massive impression.

And another massive explosion – of tiny water violets – makes for an almost whimsical White view… So, many small dots will finally conjure up that big wall.

Anyhow, let’s leave the wall for now, and go to the white skies over the old whaling station,

and lichen in spots. To me, white is still the dominating impression. But, are the houses Hobbit size under that big sky and can you hold the stone in the palm of your hand?

In this picture, white is no longer the main colour impression – but, the church is still a Big building…

Ribwort Plantain is a resident of my garden since long, and as a child I used to lie down in the grass, dreaming it was a star with plenty of planets swirling around it. Or a satellite sailing in the wind, the little white dots fluttering and flying in their own universe. I still love this plant, it always puts a smile on my face.

So, how is the relationship between large and small…how do we interpret what the concept says compared with the impression through our eyes? I do know one thing, that great walls are not only built of big bricks…but also of tiny and seemingly inconspicuous things. And That, is good to know.

Thank you, Patti, for a thought provoking, fun and diffferent challenge! Don’t forget to visit Patti and her inspiring site – and we hope to see you there under the Lens-Artists tag.

Special thanks also to Dianne Millard for hosting the Let’s Get Wild challenge last week. Her love of nature is passionate, as well as her photography. We were all entranced by your “wild” and wonderful photos.

Next week I will be hosting, at Leya’s, in LAPC #152. Until then, have a wonderful creative week and please stay safe.