LENS-ARTISTS

LAPC# 209…Surreal

/ Leya / 58 kommentarer

Tracy of Reflections of An Untidy Mind, is leading us this week into the Surreal world. Because that is what our world seems to have turned into, even more so the last few years…

About a century ago, at another time of great societal upheaval, surrealism as an artistic and intellectual movement emerged. Tracy reminds us that modern surrealistic art strives to unite fantasy and reality, and emphasises the juxtaposition of the rational and the irrational. She mentions old techniques like motion blur, unusual camera angles and rotation; double-exposure; playing with light and colour. With Photoshop photo montages and collages have become easier to do. No photoshop? – just cut some pictures and put them together as you like! Please visit Tracy’s site for excellent inspiration!

Personally, I find reality to be surreal even without photoshop…

The shadow of a dragonfly in my window – in B&W even more surreal.

In my garden I have a couple of dead trees that I want to keep for their special beauty and for all the insects living there. Autumn mornings the dew reveals just how many spiders there are…this is enhanced by the monochrome process.

A bathroom in Stettin – playing with mirrors and reflections.

My camera has got a button for double exposure – maybe yours too? And I love playing around with it at times. When I have taken a photo I can take another one afterwards and dimly see the first photo while positioning the lens for a fun result.

Surreal? Simply an umbrella with inside pattern!

At Wanås this art installation does not need any extra tweaks…this is the way it looks. Simply surreal!

And why not go close-up? This is a begonia stem and a christmas tree candle.

Or just…late evening blur.

In the header is a blurred cow parsley in front of the trees. Aliens landing or leaving?

Special thanks to Andre of My Blog-Solaner and to all of those who responded to his Summer Vibes challenge last week. What a summery riot of colour, blue skies and seas we had! Next week, Sarah Wilkie, blogging at Travel with Me, will be our guest host. Sarah’s theme is Three Favorite Images.

”It is time now to create some marvellous surrealism mayhem with photos that we can all enjoy no matter what sort of day we might be having.” (Tracy says) We look forward to seeing your responses. Please remember to link them to Tracy’s original post, and to use the Lens-Artists tag to help us find you. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.

LACP#208 – Summer Vibes – It’s always summer somewhere!

/ Leya / 67 kommentarer

Andre’ of Solander is our guest host, and wants us to show our favorite activity (yes, chilling is also accepted as an activity in this context) in summer. Please visit his blog for more inspiration!

Summer vibes starts in my own garden – where the little yellow flowers make a golden carpet to the tunes of humming bees. We never cut the grass until the flowers are ready to go.

The vacation we often need is freedom from our own mind.
– Jack Adam Weber

And they stay for weeks, I am sure it’s just to make my heart jump with joy!

Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
– William Shakespeare

Early mornings and late evenings are alive with summer vibes – the backlit geraniums’ gracefully dance for my camera eye. Flower photography is a passion with me.

It’s summer and time for wandering…
– Kellie Elmore

June is a lovely month for hiking…another favourite activity. (And I chose this walk by the sea, because we never go to the sea during the dark time of the year.)

I always make sure to choose good company. If I feel I need any company at all…

Swedish ”fika” is a must. And outdoors a summer privilege. My mother and I always had one on our long walks. And the children loved it.

By 4pm, the dark clouds are marching in – but most of us are prepared for a heavy shower.
Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.
– Van Morrison

Spending a quiet moment at the beach when the rain has passed. Silent and refreshing.

But tomorrow may rain, so I’ll follow the sun.
– The Beatles

The lady flowers unfold and shine again with the warming sun…

And the sea – knows how to rest.

Summer vibes in short would be, flowers, photography, hiking, fika – and spending time by the sea.

Many thanks to Andre for guest hosting this week and for giving us the opportunity to share some “summer vibes”. Please link your response to his original here and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Thanks also to Jez for last week’s Seeing Double challenge. Your responses included wonderful moments captured forever. We hope you’ll join us again next week when Tracy challenges us with “Surrealism” on “Reflections of an Untidy Mind”. She’ll be followed by the last of our July Guest Hosts, Sarah of “Travel With Me” who will invite us to share three favorite images. Finally, the Lens-Artists team will return in August, when Anne will lead us with her “What’s Your Photography Groove” challenge. Until then, as always please stay safe and be kind.

Interested in joining the Lens-Artists challenge? Click here for more information.

LAPC#207 – Seeing Double

/ Leya / 60 kommentarer

Welcome Jez, our guest host this week – and the theme is all about reflections. Please go to his site for marvelous inspiration – and Lensy of course…

I love reflections too, and when I looted my reservoir of memories, I found this one from a travel to Tibet. We had to go by train from Beijing, and when walking the city centre, a lovely lantern caught my eye.

The first thing I thought about, was reflections from the Amazon basin. Our canoeing through the djungle every day, searching for anacondas, cajmans, lizards, sloths, monkeys and birds. The silence and the dense forest with all its sounds (!) was an unforgettable experience.

Autumn in Sweden also makes for canoeing and colourful experiences. Sometimes so intense for short glimpses, that you just have to photograph it even if you don’t have a managable angle. Incredible light.

Then again, days of mist make beautiful, dreamy images. I used to pass this old mill every day on my way to work – but often I stopped to walk for some minutes, contemplating the beauty of this worn building. I know she is an old lady, ageing beautifully and admiring her reflection in the water.

Somewhere in Spain – and there is a red car driving on the bridge…

Art is of course a great possibility for seeing double – a contemplating man and…

Yayoi Kusama in Denmark

More of Denmark – a new complex built with different reflections…even the sky fits in.

In Denmark some years ago, celebrating my birthday. Mirror fun.

Seeing double is all about reflections – easily made into a photographic obsession. Jez wants any reflections we come across; landscapes, cityscapes or chance ones in a puddle. We are looking forward to seeing all your entries!

Last week’s responses to Aletta, Now At Home, with her challenge of Treasures, were fantastic. So many amazing and varied examples. Next week it’ll be Andre of My Blog–Solaner, thinking about Summer Vibes, so make sure you get over to his site for inpiration.

The rest of July:

July 23 – Tracy, who posts at Reflections of an Untidy Mind, has chosen Surrealism.

July 30 – Sarah Wilkie, who hosts Travel with Me, asks you to share Three Favorite Images.

A new challenge prompt is posted each Saturday at noon EST. If you’re new to the challenge, click here for more info.

Please link to the original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. And, as always – stay safe and kind.

LAPC #206 – Treasures

/ Leya / 66 kommentarer

This week, we invite you to share what you treasure. Our first Guest Host for July, Aletta, is asking us to share our treasures. If you read my blog sometimes, I am sure you know some of my treasures already – they are many, just like yours, but these are my most treasured treasures:

Everything nature …

Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

– Hans Christian Andersen

My number one friend, Milo…

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.

– Roger Caras, author of A Dog Is Listening: The Way Some of Our Closest Friends View Us

And of course my funny family –

A happy family is but an earlier heaven.

– George Bernard Shaw

Since some weeks now, I have to add a new sweet treasure to my family – my first grandchild – Myra.

Children are the keys of paradise.

– Eric Hoffer

Never sleepy, always alert – so, this is the first time I have seen her yawning properly!

Please visit Aletta’s wonderful post for more inspiration, and if joining us, remember to link back to it and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can find you.

Last week we focused on eyes and the responses we had were fun and very diverse. Continuing the tradition of inviting Guest Hosts during the month of July, next week is Jez Braithwaite’s turn with Seeing Double as his challenge. Be sure to take a look on Saturday 9th of July.

Posted for Aletta’s Lens-Artists Challenge

LAPC #205 – The Eyes Have it

/ Leya / 41 kommentarer

Tina invites us this week to share moments of eye contact – but, as I seldom do portraits…I decided to concentrate on the moment of contact – and love. This will include some precious moments with animals as well. And why not plants? We all depend on each other to make planet Earth survive.

An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.

– Martin Buber

First out are my children, whose eyes are not at all visible here…but I believe their smiles speak for them. I hope the other pictures speak for themselves…but I will give you some key names :

Cheers to Aleksandr in Georgia! Young Milo charming us all; Dearest mother with her caring green eyes; Arthur and Michael – inseparable after meeting each other in the Ecuadorian jungle (theirs is a story made into a book and right now into a movie); my granddaughter, Myra, and her father (wonderful contact already); and lastly, my most admired couple nextdoor, Birgit and Nils (91 and 92, still planting, biking, walking, sowing (the embroidered wall decoration and the bench pad made by her hands), puzzling, baking, chatting and – oh to be that active and creative late in life!), still holding hands after a whole life together. ♥

I see so much love in these pictures, in the eyes, in the contact, in new life as well as old life. Let Love into your eyes and you will be rewarded in your heart.

The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter – often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter – in the eye.

– Charlotte Brontë

I hope you’ve enjoyed my collection of eyes catching others’ eyes, and now I’m looking forward to seeing yours. Please remember to link your responses to Tina’s original, and to use the Lens-Artists tag to make it easier for all of us to find you. Special thanks to Sylvia for guest hosting last week’s Doors/Doorways challenge, and to you for your terrific responses.

Next week we’ll continue the Lens-Artists’ summer tradition of inviting several talented guest hosts to present our July challenges.  We’re sharing their themes in advance and hoping you’ll join us in the coming weeks.  They are:

July 02 – Aletta Crouse of Now at Home is focusing on Treasures.

July 09 – Jez Braithwaite of Photos by Jez is Seeing Double.

July 16 – Andre of My Blog–Solaner is thinking about Summer Vibes.

July 23 – Tracy, who posts at Reflections of an Untidy Mind, has chosen Surrealism.

July 30 – Sarah Wilkie, who hosts Travel with Me, asks you to share Three Favorite Images.

We invite you to check out their diverse and interesting blogs and hope you’ll join us throughout July. The Lens-Artists team will be back in August when Anne will host her challenge – What’s Your Groove. Until then, as always, please stay safe and be kind.

Looking for more information on joining our challenge? Click here.

LAPC #204 -Doors/Doorways

/ Leya / 53 kommentarer

I admit I had to dig deep into my archives to find images for Sylvia’s (My Colorful Expressions) excellent challenge. But it brought me back to some fond memories! Hopefully you will enjoy them as well. I will never forget that park…in the header. The whole park was made a home for stray cats. They were everywhere on the benches, stones and grass – even a little house was built for them.

I know that doors are not really my thing…rather it’s windows. To me, a door leaves everything open, but a window gives me fresh air while I still can feel safe.

These are from Tibet, Bhutan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Latvia, Georgia and Croatia.

I like many different styles, this door is simple, but ”clean” in colour and design.

Elaborate style from Bhutan and a more simple one from Spain. I love them both. Gaudís harmonies are wonderful in their natural forms. Even if this mayby is more of a vault, it was the entrance to a room.

Swedish faded green and a white ”igloo”, kontrasting Bhutan’s shop doors.

Three very different doors and doorways – I like them open…when there is a view waiting.

This left door was very tiny, some 30x150cm. I admit I wondered if there might be a dead body inside, left there hundreds of years ago… And then, there is really something special about laundry! In Georgia that was a daily treat, seeing laundry in all colours all over the yards. Painted doors are not that usual, but here is a shop with an attractive door.

Finally one of my favourites – notice the door to the left, with a lock. How I would have liked to have a look inside that house – but only through the blue door!

Please remember to link to Sylvia’s original post and to use the Lens-Artists tag. Special thanks to Anne Sandler for last week’s Local Vistas. A marvellous response – now we got loads of new travel tips! We also hope you’ll join us again next week when Tina hosts the challenge on Travels and Trifles.  

Until then, be kind, creative and sunny!

LAPC #203 Local Vistas

/ Leya / 68 kommentarer

What are your local vistas? Where do you photograph when you don’t have a lot of time or are not on vacation? This week, show us your local vistas – Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed, is our host!

Well, nowadays I almost always post on my local vistas – and here I am on my way to the forest some weeks ago. As I was driving down the gravel road, I saw a moose – who of course already had spotted me from the rapeseed field…
When landing in the forest, I bet the Lily of the Valley and me both loved the silence and the last rays of evening sun.

I think you know that nature is the most popular vista in my vicinity, but we also have several castles in our neighbourhood, all within a 30 minutes’ drive. Wanås castle with its beautiful surroundings is often visited – sometimes with friends

– here is me and Viveka (My Guilty Pleasures) a couple of weeks ago. Wanås treats include both outdoor exhibitions and…
…tempting indoor exhibitions.

Bosjökloster castle in spring glory – also known for its exhibitions and tasty food.

Without a car, my dogwalks are often photographed as well… In any season, any weather, at any time of the day. With or without a dog…

Interesting studios in a nearby town can be visited for a fee, and you will be guided by one of the artists.

Back to the castles, maybe my favourite is Hovdala, every year used for jousting and medieval fun.

It is always a treat to go there, for beautiful nature, for exhibitions – and for very good food.

Last week, Sofia lead us into an exploration of minimalism and maximalism. What a treat! Many of us discovered our personal preferences for one or the other, but some people enjoyed using both. Next week, we have a special guest host–Sylvia Bacon, who will lead LAPC #204, so be sure to visit her site. Until then, stay safe and kind.

Remember to link to Anne’s post as you share your local vistas and use the Lens-Artists tag.

 If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, just click this link and join us: https://photobyjohnbo.wordpress.com/about-lens-artists/

LACP#202 – Minimalism/Maximalism, Simplicity/Complexity…

/ Leya / 51 kommentarer

Sofia has chosen a very interesting theme for this week – please visit her blog for more inspiration! Personally I might go for Simplicity/Complexity for the most part, but the labels are not easily set… So, let’s discuss them – and I will start with a quote of my liking:

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

– Antoine de Saint-Exupery

It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly.

– Bertrand Russell

The first two images could go for simplicity/complexity as well as minimalism/maximalism – but, I feel there is a certain difference… do you feel that too? Sofia wondered if it had to do with the subject – and I think it might.

The first one shows an old boatsman’s cottage, sparsely furnished in light, Scandinavian colours. The second one is the abandoned cottage of Åke, the man who made Kyrkö Mosse famous for its car graveyard in the forest. Do you think his single room could be called complex/maximalistic? It is sparsely furnished… but abandoned and left in a mess of details and colours – which also could be a description of what maximalism is about.

To me, the first photo shows a scenery for my eyes to rest on, and in the second photo my eyes are immediately drawn to strange details instead.

You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.

– Vernon Howard

The second couple of images might be minimalism/maximalism if you compare them, but the white dress is still detailed and elaboratedly made. Simplicity? Maybe, but the right one, a man’s dress, could easily be labelled both maximalism and complexity. Both outfits were made for great feasts but in different countries of Europe.

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

– Hans Hofmann

Last week we went for a couple of days to the small town of Västervik, where we wanted to see graffitti from three years of festivals. In an art museum, they also had some old Cirkus posters from one of the world’s greatest collections exhibited. Because of their fragility though, they were now being digitalised before going to the archives. (6000 of them were already there.) Some were as old as late 18th century. In the early history of cirkus some established artists, such as Tolouse Lautrec, were engaged to make the posters.

I would call the first poster minimalistic and the second one the epitome of maximalism. The Cyrk posters were made in Poland, and Trolle Rhodin held his famous cirkus shows in Sweden. Notice the US theme. I find the Polish poster very artistic, and still telling us the story perfectly well – what it is all about – without many details.

My last example is the beach – the first one the way I like it best, and the second one I would never visit. So, what does that tell you about me? I guess I am more minimalistic then, but I still like details… And how did I manage to take the second beach photo? Well, I went there just for a photo of the incredible crowd…

Finally, like Sofia, I will end with a scene that once blew me away – a poster for a fashion exhibition by our world famous designer Lars Wallin. I still find it so ”clean” and delicate.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

– Leonardo da Vinci

Thank you, Sofia, for making me question my thoughts on the essence of these words, and what I really like the most. An eye opener.

I would like to thank you all for the wonderful challenge responses last week. Magnificent, so many inspiring and innovative triptychs! As for this week, Sofia invites us to think of which fits our narrative best, simplicity or “more is more”, minimalism or maximalism, or does it depend on the subject? We’re looking forward to seeing your posts. As always, use the Lens-Artists tag and link to Sofia’s original post.

Next week the brilliant Anne at Slow Shutter Speed will host so make sure to have a look at her blog.

If you want more information about the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.

LAPC #201 – Three of a Kind

/ Leya / 174 kommentarer

Maybe you too have experienced that one single image sometimes doesn’t convey what you wanted to say with it? This week, I thought we all would have the possibility to show more than one side of the coin. With Three of a Kind, I want you to think about things related to your main photo – maybe a book, a flower, a room, a piece of art… Almost anything will fit in here – you could make your three images tell a story too! Simply put: Your post should have three separate images that are somehow related. (Another option is splitting one photo into three parts.)

There is a special word for this art of three – triptych. The shape may be seen in Christian Iconography and became a common conventional style for altar artworks in the Middle Ages, from the Gothic era forward, both in Europe and overseas.

Ever since I visited Museo del Prado in Madrid and saw Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights, I was hooked. Even if this technique works best for painting, the triptych has provided a new layer to visual art. Let’s give it a try in photography! And let’s make it simple – the images can stand like always, below one another. The Wish Tree images below do, but you can also use, for example, the WP gallery tool.

Yoko Ono’s Wish Trees at Wanås were flowering beautifully last Sunday

Most wishes dancing in the wind these unruly days, were for peace in Ukraine
and for peace on Earth –

Plato once said that human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge. But, it is a quote from Leonardo da Vinci that comes to mind when I walk among these beautiful wish trees…
There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see.

I wish those who do not see, were given the ability to see.

One evening last week I went to the little pond where the fiddlehead ferns grow. For contemplation and some peace of mind. Soon I was lost in a magical walk, to the tunes of the nightingale. I hope you can hear him sing, despite the soundless images! Just like the ferns, he was playing hide and seek with me behind the trees. I never wanted this moment to end.

The Pond

I tried to stay with the shape of a real triptych, but found the mosaic gallery to be the best tool for my images. I kept my main image to the left in each set.

As I was cleaning these old vases, memories of grandmother made me think of using them too for this theme. All we have is our memories, and many times it is the little things that trigger us to remember…Thank you again, Amy.

Grandmother’s Chinese vases

Finally, a Wanås visit would not be complete without the indoor art gallery. The main artist, Peter Linde Busk, used a multitude of techniques and materials, (reuse is his driving force) which made for an interesting triptych story.

The Generous Gambler

Special thanks to Amy for her Little Things theme, that brought much joy and a treasure of posts reminding us that the little things are the most important in life. When everything is swaying around us, we can rest our mind and senses – in them.

We are so looking forward to seeing your Three of a Kind posts, how you chose to display your images, and their different stories! Remember to have fun with this theme, and please add the Lens-Artists tag and a link to my post.

Next week, Sofia will be hosting, and her theme is Minimalism/Maximalism–Single or Flamboyant, Plain or ”More Is More”? Please visit her inspirational site! Until then, stay calm and kind, making the world a better place.

LAPC #200 – Every Little Thing

/ Leya / 43 kommentarer

Amy is hosting Every Little Thing this week, please visit her lovely site for more inspiration! We invite you to share every little thing that makes you smile. Amy says:

”Small things around us have interesting stories to tell if we only take the time to stop, look, and listen.” With this little mixed gallery, I hope to send you some smiles from me!

The important little ones around us, are both necessary for our survival – and beautiful. Not only spring flowers and Yoko Ono art, but animals, insects (even flies)…

…and tiny worlds to get lost in.

And how about a little sun of your own?

Many thanks to John, and for your special contributions to his Mechanical/Industrial theme. I have had a trying week without my PC, but now I am here! Hope you will participate in Amy’s beautiful theme, and don’t forget your Lens-Artists tag and link to Amy’s original post!

Next week it is my turn, Leya, to be your host. May the sun shine on you – and inside you, until then!