Weekly Challenge

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.

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.

Lens-Artists Challenge #245 – Environments

/ Leya / 47 kommentarer

City, country, suburb, small town – this is our chance to highlight the environments we’ve experienced and enjoyed (or not!) Tina leads the challenge, and finally I’m back from Prague – just in time to join in.

The environment in which we grow up, make us who we are. A Swedish gallery from home shows where I truly belong.

So, I am not a city person, I guess most of you already knew that. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t like visiting cities – I really do. I love especially big cities with a variety of possibilities to enjoy: art, architecture, music, etc. …For a week, that is perfect. Then I gladly head back back to nature again.

Iceland provides almost everything I could want from a country, any time of the year. So these two galleries are from Iceland. Then, my city example is Prague, a gem of architecture. Somehow I have managed to avoid going there…until now.

Kafka in every corner, magnificent architecture, good food and extremely friendly and helpful people – of course we had a great week!

This week Tina leads the Lens-Artists Challenge, so please visit her wonderful site for inspiration. The different environments we live in and enjoy are part of who we are. We are looking forward to seeing what kind of environments you have experienced. Please remember to link back to Tina’s original post and tag with Lens-Artists so we can easily find you.

A massive thank you to Siobhan for guest hosting with Glowing Moments, which sent us wonderful responses from all of you. Next week, Patti is our host, so make sure to visit her amazing site. Until then, take care and be kind.

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

Posted for Tina’s Lens-Artists Challenge

Lens-Artists Challenge # 244 – Glowing Moments

/ Leya / 65 kommentarer

This week we are honoured to have Siobhan from Bend Branches as our host, and she invites us to share those special, glowing moments in our lives.

Yet, taught by time, my heart has learned to glow for other’s good, and melt at other’s woe.

– Homer

Now I will share some of my glowing moments with you. Some are literally glowing…some of them yearly glowing, and some are for once in a lifetime.

The glowing reeds on a warm summer’s night – a treat every year at our summer house. The warm wind and the soft sound of the waves, the mosquito bites and Milo taking the last swim of the day.

Another way of glowing is the wine in my garden – a treat to the eye.

Spring! A glowing moment every year, and without it, life would be rather miserable.

When you have light in your mind, you shine.
When you have light in your heart, you glow.
When you have light in your soul, you rise.

― Matshona Dhliwayo

Some people stay with you forever…especially old people who have been through the ups and downs of life, and then share their wisdom with us. They make their golden years a gift to others as well. This is Stig, the father of my childhood friend. He was always funny and clever, wise and sweet…and I bet you can see it in his eyes as he is smiling over the reading table.

Another golden moment was when Milo moved in with us – who could resist those eyes? I still can’t…

Te Matua Ngahere

New Zealand was full of glowing moments, but maybe the most spectacular one was the first time we met one of the endemic Kauri trees in their North Island forest. We could not even see the top of the tree in the dense forest – only the gigantic trunk. Majestic, and holy to the Maori.

When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things – not the great occasions – that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness.

– Bob Hope

Late evening in the orchid meadow. I visit every Spring, and lying down on the sun warmed boardwalk, looking up at the sky – are moments to treasure.

The most wonderful of all things in life, I believe, is the discovery of another human being with whom one’s relationship has a glowing depth, beauty, and joy as the years increase.

– Hugh Walpole

There was a special glow that day, when this little lady made her entrance into this world – and the contact between her and her father was instant and loving. Every moment with her is golden. But I guess it is the same for every grandmother!

So, now we are looking forward to seeing your own glowing moments! Be sure to link your contributions to this post and include the Lens-Artists tag.

Special thanks also to Donna of Wind Kisses for her “It’s Tricky” prompt last week. So many fun and “tricky” photos, including reflections, artistic effects, and different perspectives. It’s great to practice thinking outside the box!

Next week, Tina of Travels and Trifles will be our host, so be sure to visit her site and enjoy her amazing photography.

Until then, stay calm and be kind.

Lens-Artists Challenge #243 – It’s Tricky

/ Leya / 48 kommentarer

This week Donna is our host – and yes, it is this tricky time of the year… she is so clever… but I have chosen tricky things that still are real and true…or most of them are.

Life is tricky – you never know what’s going to happen.

– Dito Montiel

My two dogs (both gone now) posing as ”The Town Musicians of Bremen” from the fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm.

Life is really pretty tricky, and there’s a lot of loss, and the longer you stay alive, the more people you lose whom you actually couldn’t live without.

– Anne Lamott

And what is this? Tricky…but soon coming to us in the northern hemisphere…

That’s the tricky thing these days: being able to surprise people.

– Joseph Kosinski

…and so are these little wonders.

Ideas aren’t magical; the only tricky part is holding on to one long enough to get it written down.

– Lynn Abbey

These two furry friends used to have a lot of fun together – and indeed we all had! Talking about all the tricks they played on us…

I think human beings are funny, tricky things.

– Amy Landecker (or Mille and Totti)

I have posted this image a couple of times before – but it is still truly tricky…which one is an animal and which one is a twig?

Double vision makes reading the prompter very tricky.

– Shannon Bream

Earthquake or…no, just modern architecture.

I find it tricky to make plans.

– Isabel Lucas

Time for a dog again…WANTED – dead or alive!

I just like having creative solutions to tricky situations.

– Simone Giertz

This is the fascinating remains of a basilica in Tblisi, Georgia. I walked past it and noticed you could touch the debris through the window, and see across the whole building to another window. Enigmatic.

Making peace with one’s choices is always a tricky feat to achieve.

– Sameera Reddy

As you may have understood, I am not the really tricky sort…so, I will borrow some of Erik Johansson‘s works. He is a Swedish artist based in Prague, who creates surreal images by combining images to what looks like a real photograph, but with logical inconsistencies. The trickiest guy I know… enjoy!

Thanks to Donna for this week’s tricky challenge. Be sure to check out her amazing post, and to link your responses to it here. Thanks also to Anne for last week’s New Experiences challenge. A fabulous trip to Australia, and many interesting responses and tips what you can do and where you can go.

Next week we’re excited to welcome Guest Host Siobhan of Bend Branches so be sure to check out her post at noon EST next Saturday. Until then, please remember to stay safe and be kind.

Lens-Artists#242 – New Experiences

/ Leya / 48 kommentarer

Anne is leading us this week, looking for New Experiences.

Every day there are new experiences, but some days there are fantastic new experiences. Looking forward to that experience can create overwhelming feelings, and even more so when the experience is something you wished for but thought would never happen.

Anne went to Australia and had a long wished for photographic tour with Leanne Cole. An amazing adventure! I too have chosen a dream come true – The Amazon Forest and the Galapagos Islands. In 2016 we left Sweden for the great adventure. Here – some memories from the Amazon.

Arriving at the lodge!

We went to Ecuador, lived in the jungle for a week and then sailed the Galapagos Islands. Every day was an adventure, something I had dreamed of since I was a child. To fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle, to walk high above the gigantic canopy of trees… fighting mosquitos in the morning, but wow, these are unforgettable memories.

Trees are a passion with me, and at Sacha Lodge on the Napo River, I lived my dream in every moment. The birds, the flowers, the hilarious monkeys shouting through the jungle while jumping over our canoe. And, watching the sunset over the Amazon from a Kapok tree, to all the sounds of the jungle – is hard to beat.

From the canopy down to the forest floor, everything was fascinating. The night walk was intense…no light, only sounds. Our excellent guide knew where to look, and he spotted Tarantulas, lizards, snakes and frogs – effortlessly. We were so impressed, but of course – he grew up in the jungle and was well acquainted with every creature there.

Every day we spent many hours in the canoe, ”looking for anacondas”, but we felt (rather…) safe. Immersed in the dense jungle and its many sounds, I just wanted to stay forever.

When we returned home in the evenings we always felt we’d been blessed with new, exciting experiences. I wished we could have stopped the time there for a while.

But today, your challenge is to show and tell us about a new experience You had. It could be a trip, the birth of a child or grandchild, a road trip to a new place, the possibilities are endless. Please link to Anne’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

We all enjoyed your responses to Sofia’s challenge of Spring. Your beautiful images made us all long for spring wherever in the world we live. Next week, April 1, Donna Holland will be challenging you so …Be ready for anything! Go to her lovely site for more inspiration.

Thank you to this week’s host, Anne, for encouraging us to share our New Experiences. Visit her site to see photos from her travel to Australia. Amazing!

Interesting in joining the Lens-Artists Challenge? Click here for for information.

Lens-Artists Challenge #241 – Spring

/ Leya / 25 kommentarer

This week Sofia invites us to show what Spring means to us. As winter refuses to let go of its grip this year, I will give you my feeling of ”vårvinter” or ”spring winter”. These are our days between winter and spring, and they belong to March in Sweden and Finland. Sometimes it is called ”the fifth season”.

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.

– Henry Van Dyke

This means that ice is melting during the day, but the cold night brings it back again. Mist often occurs.

The first cranes arrive – not many yet, only about 1000 at Hornborgasjön this week. And faraway they were from the view point…but I managed to find some of them.

More birds arriving to the lake, and in a couple of weeks there will be around 20000 cranes and thousands of other birds.

Spring winter brings a very special, magical light – a light filled with promise.

There is a faint chiming in the air, and bird calls, soft ones and strong ones. When all cranes have arrived, you cannot even hear your own thoughts…

But until then, the stillness over the landscape rules, peaceful, powerful.

Back home again, spring is even more in the air. Soon, soon the anemonies, the daffodils and all colours will arrive and once again we will be swept away by the miracle of spring.

New beginnings, Nature reborn or a new chance to go and enjoy the outdoors? For me, spring means all of this. We look forward to seeing what spring images you will come up with, so remember to link back to Sofia’s original post and to tag Lens-Artists.

Last week John took us on a journey through most often travelled roads, where our photography is most comfortable. It was fascinating to see the differences, but also how they all lead to the same destination. Next week it is Anne’s turn to host so please visit her beautiful site and join us if you can. Until then, take care and be kind.

For more information on the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.

Lens-Artists Challenge #240 – The Road (Most often) Taken

/ Leya / 51 kommentarer

Now it’s time for you to show us your favorite “road” in photography. Consider a favorite photographic style like low key/high key, monochrome, etc. Maybe a genre of photography like a preference for architecture, still life, portraiture, etc. Whatever your preference, we’d love to see your images captured in your favorite style or genre.

John Steiner

I will keep it short:

Flowers – Dead or Alive

Mostly in colour, sometimes processed with a painterly effect

Thanks to Tina for last week’s beautiful challenge, Finding Peace, and now we are looking forward to seeing your road taken for this week.

Next week, Sofia will be your host. If you would like to join in on the challenge but aren’t quite sure how to get started, click here for details.

LAPC #239 – Finding Peace

/ Leya / 51 kommentarer

Learning to distance yourself from all the negativity is one of the greatest lessons to achieve inner peace.
― Roy T. Bennett

Tina is our host this week, and she wants to know how we find peace in this busy world. For me, it’s a struggle, but in short, I need alone time and to immerse myself in Nature, Beauty and Art.

A combination of architecture – old and new – and books, is just perfect. It is enough for me to enter a library – any library… But, an exquisite one, like the Long Room in Trinity College, Dublin, is unforgettable. There is an atmosphere around all these books, the authors’ aura peacefully descending on you.

Art – especially otherworldly and fantastic art, like this of Yasec Yerka, expands my mind and thoughts. Yerka’s Surrealistic art is inspired by old masters like Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel. I often sit in my armchair and wander through his books, resting in peaceful wonder.

On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it.

– Jules Renard

Looking at beauty in the world is the first step of purifying the mind.

– Amit Ray

Lose yourself in nature and find peace.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Time spent amongst trees is never time wasted.

– Katrina Mayer

Wander often. Wonder always – Anonymous

Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.

—John Muir

Thank you for all your inspiring images and words on Alone time! I enjoyed every piece of them, and I think we also got to know each other a bit more. This week Tina is taking last week’s theme a bit further – hopefully we will get many ideas on how to find peace in this busy world. Please visit Tina for more inspiration, and don’t forget to use the Lens-Artist’s tag when you link to her original post.

Next week it is John’s turn to lead, make sure to visit his site for more about the challenge.

LAPC #238 – Alone Time

/ Leya / 175 kommentarer

Some journeys in life can only be traveled alone.

― Ken Poirot

Alone time means time spent by an individual or a couple apart from others. It is often used to ground oneself, or to do something creative.

In the northern countries we are known for this need of alone time – but I strongly believe we all need it. We just have to watch for the signs… even if they are not always easily recognized. You might for example need some time away from other people when you are feeling short-tempered or getting easily irritated by minor things; feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated; having trouble concentrating or getting anxious about spending time with other people.

My own reasons for needing alone time originates from being an only child, and growing up close to the forests and fields – Nature holds all the beauty I need in life, and I have been given the gift to see and to listen, and to rejoice in it. I am very grateful.

Grounding yourself is when you stay connected to the present. Instead of getting lost in anxiety and reviewing a made-up version of reality in your head, grounding allows you to experience the moment you are in. It requires being connected to yourself and provides stability and calm even in challenging situations.

Nature is an unequalled source to pour from – turn off social media, open your windows and let your eyes and mind wander with you on the path you choose. Personally, my favourite path is the one with grass in the middle…just like my childhood paths.

I feel better when I am surrounded, not by humans, but by trees.

― Michael Bassey Johnson

For many of us books and reading fill this alone time well. Reading gives us the possibility to wander into other worlds, while sitting comfortably in our own chair.

For me, photography, writing and sketching works well too, and so does painting.

I know that I need serious alone time to be able to function. For this purpose, I finally realised an old dream – A Room of My Own.

We need solitude, because when we’re alone, we’re free from obligations, we don’t need to put on a show, and we can hear our own thoughts.

― Tamim Ansary

Finding time to be alone can have a number of key benefits. Some of these include personal exploration, creativity and social energy. If you are not used to spend time alone, plan that time into your schedule and make sure that other people know that they shouldn’t interrupt you during that time. It might be helpful too if you plan out what you want to do –

This week in February, every year, I want my husband to travel for some days, so that I can replant my houseplants, alone. I can plan it as I want to, I can emerge myself in facts on the different species…

…and end up with revived plants and cuttings en masse – cheers to new life!

This year I also bought some airplants – they need no soil, just a piece of bark, some Spanish moss, and some sprinkling of water. At the same time I get the joy of creating interesting new arrangements.

New projects are always around the corner, but, I also try hard to just BE. Do nothing. Exist here and now. This is difficult. I wonder – do you manage it? Some good advice would be much appreciated.

Blessed are those who do not fear solitude, who are not afraid of their own company, who are not always desperately looking for something to do, something to amuse themselves with, something to judge.

~ Paulo Coelho

When I am completely by myself, entirely alone or during the night when I cannot sleep, it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly. Whence and how these ideas come I know not nor can I force them.

~ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

A Special thank you to Bren for her soft and magical challenge last week! We learned new things and new experiences make us grow. Now we are looking forward to seeing your Alone Time posts. What are your thoughts, and what do you use your alone time for? Be sure to tag Lens-Artists and link to my original post.

I have been made aware of pingbacks not working, so please, send your link in the comment section! It seems the reason it’s not working might originate in the change to JetPack on my phone.

Next week, Tina will be hosting, and her theme will be – Finding Peace. Please visit her beautiful site for inspiration.