LENS-ARTISTS

Lens Artists Challenge #338 – Pick a Word

/ Leya / 29 kommentarer

John‘s challenge this week is called “Pick a Word.” You must choose a word that fits your topic and select three or four appropriate photos to share. Please visit his interesting site for more inspiration!

I have chosen ”Double-Exposures” But if John doesn’t accept it (two words…) I will go for ”Double”.

During the pandemic years, I developed a love for double exposures. And swirls. But today I will pick only double exposures. I guess it became interesting because we could not travel very far and had to be very careful where and how we went. Doubles could easily be done at home or in the garden, with interesting results.

I tried many combinations, and these are some of those I found worked best. Flowers of course,

and flowers and text together.

Why not a library… we can never get enough of books!

Buildings make excellent photos – like these wooden houses in different colours.

Finally Stockholm railway station and City Hall – where the outcome is an old favourite of mine. In fact I think I want to try some new subjects for double exposures again!

So, John says the word you pick could be for example from photographic techniques like ”Backlit, Landscape, Portrait, Minimalist” or subject descriptions like “Mountain, River, Architecture, Wildlife.”

We are looking forward to seeing what word you pick to share in your challenge response! Be sure to tag your post with “Lens-Artists” and add a link to John’s original post.

Last week, Sofia challenged us to be BOLD, and we really were! Extraordinary answers to that one. Next week it’s Anne’s turn. To be sure you get a notice of her challenge when it goes live, follow her site here. If you’d like to join the challenge each week, but aren’t sure how to get started, check here.

Hope to see you soon – and until then, stay safe and be kind.

Lens-Artists Challenge #337-Bold

/ Leya / 80 kommentarer

Your life is your canvas, and you are the masterpiece. There are a million ways to be kind, amazing, fabulous, creative, bold, and interesting.

– Kerli

Sofia is our lovely guide this week, and she wants us to be Bold – or at least send pictures that speak bold. Please visit her beautiful site for more inspiration!

Colours and patterns in furniture – can indeed be bold. I like it, but maybe not in my own house…

Gaudi was one of the most bold architects according to me. I am looking forward to seeing a Sagrada Família fully fledged in 2026.

Last Tuesday we saw the immersive exhibition of Frida Kahlo in Malmoe. The Mexican painter and artist who was severely wounded in a bus accident at the age of 19, and lived with constant pain until her death in 1954, only 47 years old. Few people and artists were that bold and colourful as she was in both life and works.

Finally, In the true spirit of it, be bold and take us all somewhere new, Sofia says. How…? Well, you asked for it…it is rather bold of me, in this famous company, to show one of my wild paintings (I don’t call it art…)for my granddaughter. Creatures.

I am truly grateful for the many beautiful and thoughtful answers to last week’s challenge – and we all managed to post only ONE image! I guessed it would be difficult, but you really made it work – and work so well, that I had tears in my eyes more than once…

So now – welcome to this week and Sofia’s magic. Remember to link back to her post and to tag Lens-Artists so we can find you.

Stay well, keep calm and make the best of your week.

Lens-Artists Challenge # 336 – Only One Picture

/ Leya / 172 kommentarer

This week it is my turn to present a challenge – and I mean to give us all a real” test”. I tend to use several pictures in my posts, and some of us often do – so the challenge is to use only ONE picture. One that you find important, meaningful to you, maybe sending a message – and then explain why you picked just that picture. It is not meant to be a ”favourite” picture of yours, not at all…so…

– here is mine.

This is a 13 year old picture from Segovia, Spain. I was walking this city street, eagerly looking for the famous aqueduct… and suddenly it appeared in front of me, the impressive, Roman construction going right through Segovia. I was left standing in the middle of the street, gasping, filled with awe. How small the modern buildings seemed! After some 5-10 minutes, two men, old friends I guess, came slowly walking by. Three legged – but strong.

Two major thoughts entered my mind. The importance of knowledge – never stop learning – and stay open and curious. (I was a teacher…) Then my thoughts started wandering.

I have seen several aqueducts on my travels – but nothing like this one. My greatest love is Pont du Gard in France, from a trip in 1976. The old Romans were skilled architects and builders, and although they had better mortar than ours, the Segovia aqueduct was built without it, just stones on top of stones. It was built in the first century AD to carry water to the city from mountain springs 17 kilometers away. The complete archade consists of 167 arches – and it was in use until 1973! Incredible.

Nothing we build today has the strength to last for 2000 years… I am sure. It should trouble us that we are losing old knowledge every day, and one day, maybe there will be no computers to ask. – Someone or something, someday will surely pull the plug. During my last working years, many of my student’s turned to Google instead of learning from books. Sad. Critical reading is taught in every subject in school, but somehow young people seem to believe too many things found on the internet…and forward things without checking their credibility. I also think it is wise not to stop learning things by heart – even the smallest things – and you will be exercising your mind and brain, keeping them alert.

My eyes followed the two old friends – how I would have loved to ask them about their lives, their world and their thoughts about the future! But, unfortunately I don’t speak good enough Spanish. And that is another thing we are losing – languages. It’s a fact that, if we lose a language we lose the culture connected to it as well. That is the way cultures are lost – in Sweden we are losing the Sami culture, because not many people speak their language anymore – despite diversity treasures like having more than 100 words for describing snow, and words from their nomad life with reindeer.

I wish we would listen more to older, experienced people. There is so much collected knowledge to treasure. Instead, if we listen to what they have experienced and what history has to tell us, we don’t seem to care about it and we certainly don’t learn from it. We should try harder to change that.

I believe parents have a great responsibility. Please take care of the knowledge handed down orally, written and worked by hand! Don’t wait until it is too late. Once gone – forever gone.

A big thank you to Patti for last week’s challenge Colour vs B&W – a brilliant possibility to exchange thoughts and experiences of how to look at editing and photography! In fact I decided to use B&W in this post because of what I learned. Life long learning is essential not to wither and grow old too early!

Don’t forget to link to this post when you participate, and use the Lens-Artist tag. We are looking forward to seeing your choices! Next week Sofia will be our host – be sure to visit her inspirational site to find out what she is up to!

Until then – please stay safe, kind and curious

Lens-Artists Challenge #338 – Colour vs Black & White

/ Leya / 43 kommentarer

Patti sends us this week’s challenge – and it is an interesting one – because it is a choice we make many times, at least I do, when I visit Lightroom. Will this photo be good as it is in colour – or would it be better in monochrome or B&W?

Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.

— Elliott Erwitt

I often land in colour, as I am primarily a nature photographer. Nature is so much about colours. Some pictures though, like the butterfly above, make a lovely B&W as well. For the light and the structure it works well. Kontrasts make B&W pop, so generally I would choose B&W for portraits. I love portraits from olden times with people’s clear faces and all dressed up in their best clothes.

When you reduce life to black and white, you never see rainbows.

— Rachel Houston

Architecture often goes well without colour because the structure, the light and shadows become more obvious and we can easier see the artist’s intention. Which one do you prefer of this house? Personally I think both work well.

The special factor about black and white photography is that it doesn’t just copy the reality, but it represents it with its own language. — Gian Marco Marano

Some weeks ago I posted the colour photo of this cellar restroom from upstairs. When you turn it into B&W it suddenly looks more coherent and maybe even possible…It all depends on what you want with your photo. My intention last time was to show how ”impossible” this combination was, that’s why I chose the coloured one over the B&W.

So, when is it best to use one vs the other? This challenge gives you an opportunity to explore the difference and the impact of using color or black & white photography in your selected photos. We hope you will join us! Post pairs of the same image in both color and black & white. Limit the number of images to 3 pairs. Compare the differences in mood, texture, and light and share your thoughts on how the processing impacts each photo. Tell us which one you prefer. Be sure to visit Patti’s inspirational site and to use the lens-artists tag and leave a link on her site.

Last week Tina challenged us with her dogs and cats theme – who could resist that one? Thanks to Tina and all of you who shared your photos and stories. It is heart warming to realise how much our pets mean to us. Next Saturday it is my turn to host, so be sure to visit Leya next Saturday, February 15th at noon EST. Until then, have a peaceful, inspiring, and joyful week!

Lens-Artists Challenge# 334 – Cats and Dogs

/ Leya / 41 kommentarer

Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.

– Anatole France

Tina has chosen a theme close to my heart – and I guess to many of us this will be a feast of memories!

In the first gallery you will find my own dogs, (I just had to…) the Lagotto Romagnolos. Originally waterdogs, but as Romagna (Italy) lost many of its water- and marsh lands, these dogs were taught to find truffles instead. The breed is known to be very harmonious and friendly, and these dogs never shed any hair.

Next gallery shows some of the unforgettable dogs I have met on my travels. Often it is the eyes that does it, but they all have their own stories.

The first one was a cosy dog we met on a hike in the Pyrenees. He was chained to his little house, which is forbidden in Sweden. So we stayed some time to talk and pat. In the middle are two ”mustcuddle” dogs from Scotland belonging to a blogger friend of mine. Before our Lagottos, we had a Bearded Collie in excactly the same colours. Then, there is a shop assistant in Bhutan…

The blue-eyes was a stunner in Lodz – never seen anything like those eyes. I know I have posted this several times – but how could I not? In Georgia we met many dogs, but this was the sweetest, most harmonious picture of a young boy and a stray dog, relaxing together in the sun. I saw a lovely story in this one…the two of them seeking each others’ company, maybe after school? Even if the boy is on his phone, his hand is resting quietly on the dog. And they breathe together. In silence.

The last gallery is for the cats! We always had cats when I grew up, so there is a special bond…even if I nowadays prefer dogs. (Or my husband does…)

Cats and dogs generally go well together- if they grow up together – but if not…well, in this meeting the dog turned stiff as a statue and the cat froze with lowered ears. Again we visit Tblisi, but also Norway, Iceland, the Amsterdam Catmuseum and lastly, Sweden.

The two siamese cats belong to a very good friend of mine. (Borrowed photos!) They are a Siamese and an Oriental Shorthair. Those two finally became good friends ( after half a year or more… ) and are now inseparable. Just for fun, my friend used one of her apps for deciding animal species – and the Oriental Shorthair is…according to AI… a bat! True enough by his looks! But he is very social and sweet, and ”talks” very much to us all.

Be sure to visit Tina’s inspirational site for beautiful wild cats as well – I cannot provide you with any (except Aslan in the header) and link to her post including the Lens-Artists Tag. We thank Egidio for last week’s Complementary Colors challenge, and all of you who responded with your beautiful images. Finally, we hope you’ll join us next week when Patti leads us once again on her terrific Pilotfish blog. Until then as always please stay safe, be kind and true to yourself.

Lens-Artists Challenge – Complementary Colours

/ Leya / 42 kommentarer

Egidio works with colours this week – please visit his colourful site for more inspiration!

Complementary colors are those that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel. Using them in your photography or painting creates the best colour contrast, and your images will pop. For example, red and green, magenta and green, yellow and violet, orange and blue, and so on. And just like the color wheel transitions from one shade to another, you can use nearly opposite colors to make your images stand out. Naturally, the best results will be with the exact opposites.

Soft colours pop in their own soft way…

– and strong colours don’t need any further presentation. Then there is red and green, where red is THE chosen colour of Swedish old houses, farms and cottages –

– naturally with a different hue and intensity than in flowers. Green is not the most natural combination with red in our houses though, it is white.

Do you have favourite combos? I guess I have yellow and violet – especially as we can find those two in one single flower – melampyrum nemorosum – the Night and Day flower. When I saw her for the first time, in 1973, it was immediate love. Surely a Swedish, modest wild flower could not look like that? Ever since then she holds an honourable place in my Midsummer bouquet.

She often stands in the forest, in shadowy places but close to the sea. So I cannot find her in my own forest, only close to our summer house. A truly shy beauty.

These colours look great in abstracts as well as in carnival outfits. They simply cry out: SEE ME, here I am!

Walking home late, the sky above this beautiful boardwalk in Nice kept flashing its carnival colours hroughout the night.

Finally, I guess you know I love poppies! Meconopsis betonicifolia – the blue mountain poppy – is an old love of mine…but, I don’t have it in my own garden as I don’t think I will manage it. It is very expensive and fragile, so I would hate to see it die.

Last week, Ritva got us to shoot from above. I enjoyed it very much – just as I believe you did. There were so many interesting posts!

This week, Egidio asks us to share images with complementary colors that create interest and make your photos stand out. Don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag when creating your post so we can easily find it in the Reader. Looking forward to seeing you here!

Next week, Tina returns with her first new challenge for the year. It will go live at noon EST in the USA. Tune in to find out another exciting challenge. Please see this page to learn more about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history.

Lens-Artists Challenge # – Shoot from Above

/ Leya / 57 kommentarer

This week Ritva invites us to a very interesting challenge – Shoot from Above. Not my ordinary way of shooting, but certainly outside the box!

My first thought for a fitting image was a photo taken in a restaurant in Amsterdam, where the restrooms were in the cellar. On my way down I could not avoid noticing the unusual tiling. Rather spectacular… to my eyes at least!

Then a gallery from my garden and glass house. The shells are from New Zealand, then you find what is left of my favourite flower pot, one of last summer’s flower bowls, and one rusty, decorative ball. Lastly a collection of my daughter’s tinfoil balls ( I get one now and then…) in a glass box.

I love these flowers – or their foliage. The swirling shapes look their best from above. And in the header/opener is a collection of Legotechnic figures put in a box by my granddaughter.

Resilience was last week’s theme and your posts to Anne’s wonderful challenge really showed its importance in our lives. A massive thank you to you all. This week, Ritva presents us with this incredibly interesting theme, and I enjoyed seeing things from above again, although that is not an ordinary winter game. Ritva’s post is beautiful, and it will inspire you to join in. Remember to link back to her original post and to tag Lens-Artists.

Next week it is Egídio’s turn to lead so please make sure to visit his colourful site Saturday 25th January to find out more. Until then, be good and take care.

Lens-Artists Challenge #331 – Resilience

/ Leya / 51 kommentarer

Anne‘s theme this week is Resilience. And that is what we all have to show to survive. Resilience is the ability to maintain psychological well-being in the face of adversity. It’s the ability to “bounce back” from difficult experiences.

There is so much trouble in the world today, so we have no other choice. The most obvious example here in Europe is the Ukrainian people. When everything seems hopeless and impossible, they rise again and fight back. The fires now in the US, the war in Gaza – somehow most of us manage to go on – Life works that way. Be resilient – or break.

I guess you all know my love for Iceland, its landscapes and its strong inhabitants – people, animals, plants. Living in constant danger of disaster molds you to be resilient. And it is not only people and homes, but their whole livelihood – cattle, horses, sheep. They must be resilient in a volcanic area that often ”comes alive” We have visited Iceland several times, and sometimes soon after eruptions too.


This is Eldfell volcano after the big eruption on Vestmannaeyar, 1973. We went there in 1979, when the surface had cooled down and it was allowed to walk everywhere. Then we returned in the summer of 2019, from when these photos are.

Some of the half buried houses were left as a reminder of the disaster. This is Heimaey, the main town on the islands.

Luckily their whole fishing fleet was in the harbour those days because of a storm – so within 6 hours 5300 people were safely evacuated. Only one life was lost – a man who walked into a house to get medicin, but was poisoned by the gas.


Krafla erupted in 1984, and Hekla’s last one was in 2000. Hekla is a well known volcano that always displays a trail of smoke – erution or not. The picture shows Eyafjallajökull during the first day of eruption in 2010. This eruption caused a stop in the air traffic in the whole of Europe. The planes could not safely fly because the ashes could destroy the engines.


One of the gigantic lava fields in Iceland. You should not risk walking out there – holes deeper than 200 meters hide under the moss. Here resilience from nature is shown in flowers, grasses and mosses that came back rather fast.

The newest volcanic island, Surtsey, was created from an eruption in the ocean in 1963, south of Vestmannaeyar. Now it is a World Heritage site, but only scientists are allowed to visit. In 1965 the first living plants were discovered there and today birds are living on the island too.

Horses, I have to mention the Icelandic horses, they are among the toughest and sturdiest – and most resilient breeds on Earth. They stand close together in the winds on the open plains, often with their backs to the wind, and don’t seem to suffer at all. For this Viking people, they are priceless treasures.

This week the hosted Lens-Artists Challenges are resumed, after the fantastic Favourite Images of 2024 last week. Anne is leading us with this timely theme and her post is truly inspirational. Please visit her beautiful site and when you join us, please tag Lens-Artists and link back to Anne’s original post.

Next week it’s Ritva’s turn to host so make sure to visit her magnificent site Saturday 18th January. Until then, take care and stay curious.

Lens-Artists #330 – Favourites of 2024

/ Leya / 66 kommentarer

I hope you all had some Happy Holidays and are now ready for posting your favourites of 2024! As has become our custom, we are asking our followers to select their favorite images of the last year – whether they’ve been included in previous posts or not. This week, no single host will present the challenge. The entire team will share the challenge topic.

Here are mine – difficult to choose, so, of course I could have chosen other ones… but some of these just had to be in this gallery. I guess you know which ones I am thinking of…

Sometimes you find a door in the place you least expect. In a garden along the road, a short glimpse to the left, and I had to stop – to look, love and take a photo.

Somehow these two are look alikes – at least I think so. Take pride in yourself and let it shine! The Nice Festival was a feast to remember.

A walk in the forest close to my old school always brings many memories. Although I retired many years ago, I still love this place. It’s peaceful, and as always the forest is my temple.

The most wonderful moments of 2024 were captured in Japan. A serene and beautiful country where they highly treasure beauty and create beauty in everything.

My love for Wisteria did not fade in Japan – it reached unknown heights in the gardens we visited.

Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden in Kitakyushu was the most impressive one. I left a piece of my heart and soul there in its unprecedented beauty.

We also went to Holland again this year – but now for the Dahlia Festival in the Autumn. Holland is the Mecka of flowers, mostly bulbs like tulips – but wild poppies too.

To savour even more flowers and nature – an English garden tour came true in July. The beauty of an English garden is hard to beat.

And, in one of the castle gardens I fell in love with The Stumpery. It made my creative nerves tingle… and I have already started on my own project!

Swedish Autumn around my well known waters – is a must every year. I passed here every day on the way to my job, and enjoyed these waters and forests in every season. This truly is Autumn at its best.

Walking the cobbled streets of Saint-Paul de Vence in Alpes Maritimes can surprise and mezmerise you in many ways…

This lady unexpectedly showed up on my right side – she looked so relaxed. I secretely wished I could rest like that myself…

Lastly, I love the modern version of ”The Thinker” by Joseph Klibansky. It sits opposite to Rembrandt in Rembrandtplein, Amsterdam. It has got something to tell us, make us think about our ”modern” times, what, where and why…

We thank all of our followers for continued support and look forward to seeing the images you choose as YOUR favorites of 2024. Please remember to link your post to any or all of the Lens-Artists team members. Also, remember to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you.

We offer our best wishes for a New Year filled with peace, happiness, love and friendship. Anne will lead us next week on her lovely Slow Shutter Speed post. Until then, stay safe, be kind and and find joy in the simple things.

Last Chance 2024

/ Leya / 55 kommentarer

Luckily we all have a last chance for forgotten pictures or those that just did not fit in. My chosen pictures are from a glorious poppy field in Denmark this summer. I already posted one or two from that day, but there were so many more that I loved. I had a delightful hour in their company. Lying down was the favourite position, even if it is a bit harder to get up again these days.

While driving down a small gravel road, I caught sight of this wonderful field and urged my husband to make a photo stop. And he did – he too loves poppies and their irresistible colour. There is something special with this flower…it only thrives where it stands. Pick it up and it will die in a few minutes. Its slender and fragile beauty is otherworldly.

Treading slowly into that field was one of those dreams come true that I always have at this time of the year.

The red poppy is a symbol of remembrance of those who died or suffered in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. And aside from the connection to war, the red poppy symbolizes resilience and hope. These flowers are known for their ability to grow in not-so-good conditions. In this sense, the red poppy points to the resilience of the human spirit, even in the face of adversity and tragedy. Maybe that is why I wanted to lie down among them –

A big thank you to John, for last week’s Challenge – Winter. That challenge brought me more lovely Winter than I have had looking out of my windows these last weeks…

As we approach the close of 2024, the Lens-Artists team will be on hiatus, returning on Saturday, January 4. As is our tradition, we will open the New Year with our Favorite Photos of 2024. 

Thank you all for a great year of photography, creativity, support, empathy, thoughts and discussions – I am so happy we can meet here and stay in contact! This world is not always a comfortable place, but You make it warmer, friendlier and a better place to live in.

Wishing all who celebrate a Happy and Joyful Christmas, and everyone Happy Holidays! One last wish I have – that of a better New Year for us all on this planet, Earth. Imagine…