Weekly Challenge

Lens-Artists Challenge #162 – It’s All About the Light

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Tina has chosen Light for this challenge –

I am forever chasing light. Light turns the ordinary into the magical.

–Trent Parke

The most crisp and serene light ever, is to be found in Iceland. So, for a starter, an image from north western Iceland, that I have posted before. I have done nothing to enhance or change the original. It has it all – natural, clear Light.

I could have chosen so many images from Iceland – but only one more pick – the graveyard. There is the light, and the beauty of flowers, mountains and water. A well chosen place to rest.

A couple of days in Denmark last week was refreshing. We visited the biggest sandcastle in the world (- now in the Guinness Book of Records). It was raining when we arrived at the sculpture park, so I took a photo before it would get even worse… The second photo was taken about two hours later – as when we were leaving the park, the sun came out! The most significant difference is the colour of the sand, and how much more alive the feeling is in the second photo.

In Aarhus we wanted to visit their famous art museum, ARoS – but also the harbour area with its modern architecture. They were still building new there, and at a traffic light I opened the window and photographed some of the constructions. The next morning we went there again to see more of this interesting area. This time we parked the car…To our great delight, now the light and the clouds made the visit an almost surreal experience.

I leave you with a favourite image made at the Fluela Pass in Switzerland. At our hotel they featured a big poster of bikers riding along the spectacular pass road, and we were eager to see this the following day. While we were aiming for a couple of interesting villages, we were also on the lookout for ”The View”. To our great disappointment, there was no ”view”…there was only a lake and a mountain. Quite ordinary. But, when returning to our hotel in the afternoon, taking the same road, this magnificent view suddenly opened up. Magical! The right time of the day, the right angle, and the right light. I learned something that day. About patience, and waiting for the magical moment to arrive.

We hope you will join us this week for Tina’s inspiring theme for LAPC #162: It’s All About the Light. Many thanks for last week’s fun Feet and Shoes. There were many smiles as we saw the variety of your responses! This week your challenge is to share images that illustrate the power of light – even better if you also include the same or a similar scene at a different, somewhat less beautiful time. Remember to link your post to Tina’s original, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Finally, we hope you’ll join us next week as Amy leads us on her Share and Connect post. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #161 – Feet and Shoes

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Going barefoot is the gentlest way of walking and can symbolise a way of living – being authentic, vulnerable, sensitive to our surroundings. It’s the feeling of enjoying warm sand beneath our toes, or carefully making our way over sharp rocks in the darkness. It’s a way of living that has the lightest impact, removing the barrier between us and nature.

— Adele Coombs, “Barefoot Dreaming”

Summer usually means many bare feet around, and light shoes. Here in Scandinavia we have had a lovely summer, sunny and filled with water time, rolls in the grass and much laughter. This year we had a first-time-ever-dipping-feet-in-the-sea at our summer house – with a new little girl in this world. So I thought – why not celebrate summer fun with some Feet and Shoes? Even science tells us about the importance of letting our feet be free…

To start with, some fancy shoes, many decades ago in Holland – wedding clogs. Surely there are many hours of work behind these. But how comfortable are they?

Now, more fancy shoes – from today. Still not very comfortable…? A poster from a Lars Wallin exhibition.

Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world. – Marilyn Monroe

Comfortable shoes and the freedom to leave are the two most important things in life. – Shel Silverstein

As for me, soft leather boots and shoes are comfortable favourites. (Maybe most young people would say sneakers or trainers?) I have always wanted a pair of green ones…but never got to buy them. But someday I will!

I always judge a man by his shoes and his watch. – Tamer Hassan

I know people still do, or at least did, judge you by your shoes (and your whole appearance of course). But shoes. When my mother was young, boots should be impeccably shining, and so should any pair of shoes. She was very particular about her dancing shoes.

But there are still places in the world where not everbody has got a pair of their own.

A fun example of the importance of shoes is Crakows, they had extremely long toes and were very popular in15th century Europe. The style was thought to have originated in Kraków, Poland, but were used much earlier in Asia. To stay in shape, they were stuffed with moss or horsehair in the front. The richer and more important you were, the longer your shoes … sometimes their tip had to be chained to the wearer’s calves to let him walk at all.

Have you ever tried wearing such shoes? I have. Stumbling headlong on your face is a highly possible result…

But there are other feet to meet…a beautiful big beetle climbing up the foot of the abandoned glass. His slender legs and many feet work perfectly well – he is good at manoeveing them.

Finally back on the beach again. First a rainy blue day…shoes abandoned, and then our new little family sweetie, barefoot, grandfather carrying her shoes. She did not wear them for the rest of that day…left them waiting all alone on a stone. I bet they were missing her tiny, soft toes…

If we were to actually walk a mile in the other person’s shoes, there’s a good chance that we’d end up opting to live the rest of our lives walking barefoot.
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

I admit I would live without shoes – if it were possible. How about you? And now it´s your turn to share any feet and shoes – we’re looking forward to your treats!

Thank you Patti, for letting us indulge in so many inspirational posts last week! On August 21 Tina will be our host for Challenge #162- hope to see you then as well. Until then… stay calm and be nice.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #160 – Your Inspiration

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This week starts with Patti at the helm, and then the other Lens-Artists too will be back from the summer break.

But first, we’d like to send special thanks to our 5 guest hosts who led the challenges so wonderfully and
skillfully in our absence –

John Steiner of Journeys With Johnbo, Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed, Rusha Sams of Oh The Places We See, Beth Smith of Wandering Dawgs, and Ana Campo of Anvica’s Gallery. Your themes inspired
some terrific photographic fun for all of us!

Please visit Patti’s inspirational post, where she also uses quotes from artist Agnes Martin.”Agnes Martin pinpoints two key elements of inspiration–the quality of light in a place and our feelings at that moment.” As I see it, there is no need for further explanations. Light is everything and through natural light I feel inspired.

My main inspiration is Nature, and always has been. I guess many of you already know. Patti continues: ”For Martin, happiness and beauty are interconnected. Both are conduits of inspiration.” I totally agree. Both of these I need, and also get when I am alone in Nature.

Other than light and nature – I would like to say something about us, humans. Because, other people and their work get me inspired to make things, produce things, invent things…Good people, dedicated, accurate and meticuluos people are always inspirational – I admire every one of them. They make it an Art whatever they do. I was rather good at this when I was younger, but age, retirement from work – and then a year and a half with corona – unfortunately have made me less meticulous. Some things just seem to have lost much of their importance.

Creativity and creative people – are hopefully inspirational for everyone of us.

I am fortunate to have several creative people in my family and among friends. In little things as well as bigger things.

Is this ordinary laundry (not on a lamp this time ;-D…) swaying in the wind? No, it is installed there by the owners of the house, instead of a hedge or a high fence. There is a road some 20 meters behind it, and this is an efficient way of pleasing the eye from both directions… Even the colours are carefully chosen.

And in their garden you will find a beautiful grand lit placed among the wildflowers. They call it their ”sunbed”. What the owners do, is relax on that bed whenever they feel like listening to the sound of crickets, birds and all the busy insects in their haven… And silence. The best of rooms under the sky ceiling.

Maybe after your rest, a short walk down to the lake for an early morning- or late evening swim? Inspiration arrives with the water enveloping you. (The image below was made around four o’clock in the morning – and so is the opener)

This week, we are inviting you to share photos of Your inspiration. It can be a place, a subject, a person, or a book, for example. Actually, it can be just about anything that inspires you.

Please include a link to Patti’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can find you in the WP
Reader. Your creativity is always inspiring and your continued support means so much to us.

Looking back – thank you Ana for a real postcard treat, (you made me find my old box of memories!) and ahead to August 14, when it is my turn to lead the challenge for LAPC #161. Hope to see you then too! In the meantime, have a wonderful and creative week and please stay well and be kind.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #159 – Postcards

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This week Ana invites us to the world of postcards! I am old enough to have received and sent hundreds of postcards, but I admit I haven’t kept them all. – Ana says: ”You can show us some of your pictures that you would send as postcards to someone you love. Or you can simply share with us images of your favorite places.

If you have a garden full of flowers, show us a beautiful and colorful collection of floral postcards. It doesn’t need to be your garden, It can also be your neighbour’s.

If you have some real postcards it would be great if you would like to share them with us, I’m sure they have a nice story behind them.”

I was so thrilled by this theme, that I immediately went looking for my box of postcards – even though I knew I had not kept but a fraction of all I got over the years. As we have rearranged everything in the cellar the last year, they were not easily found – but finally I did.

I will start though, with a couple of my own images, that I would have loved to send as postcards to my friends – from the Verzasca valley in Italy and from Reykjavik. They have something important to say about their place, with no words needed on the picture page – only on the other side of the picture. I used to write quite a lot when I sent my cards, loving to reveal details and experiences. Nowadays the joy is not the same – I agree with Ana – sending an mms is another story…

My box opened, I sat for hours today, in memories, reading messages from near and far, from people long since gone, old friends, collegues and relatives. Birthday greetings, words of wisdom…the upper card on the right saying:

Life is not about the days we have lived, but the days we remember.

I picked some different cards, from people I love and loved, and remember some places where I have been a visitor myself as well. The Acores I have been to several times – and always loved it. But this card comes from our neighbours who toured the world (in 2003 I think). Sometimes the cards are not dated, and the stamp not clear enough to read.

Tenerife and Teide was a yearly visit when the children grew up. Wonderful nature and not much snow wintertime…We often went with friends and children the same age as ours. The lovely Moomin valley in Finland was such a treat – for us grown-ups as well! Many Swedish families visited Finland when the Moomin series were on TV.

Bretagne shows a postcard in a postcard – rather beautiful I think. And then Kashmir, my cousin worked for many years in Pakistan and the area around there, as an ambulance nurse. He sent me cards to calm me down – showing he was still alive. So, the reason for sending cards vary!

The green, middle card, is from a painting made by a local artist – now dead since long. But I met him several times, a very special man. He had a nice pottery too. The forest motif was painted from my home forest.

The last two cards both came with encouraging messages from dear friends. One soft and sweet, the other one fiery – Cards And Senders… In fact I find it interesting to notice how different people pick so different cards to send. And handwriting – that is no more – was an amazing way of showing your personality. Times gone by…

As for the opener, I have featured a postcard from my daughter when I finally had set up my glass house – Oh, the joy! So, in my family, we still send handwritten messages to each other. Feeling the warmth!

Thank you, Beth, for taking us along so many lovely country roads! Please visit the excellent work done by all the previous guest hosts this month:

John Steiner of Journeys With Johnbo – “On the Water”

Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed – “Black and White”

Rusha Sams of Oh The Places We See – “Getting Away”

Beth Smith of Wandering Dawgs – “Along Back Country Roads”

Remember to link to Ana’s post and use the Lens Artists tag. Next week, we will return to our regular schedule.  On Saturday, August 7, Patti will host LAPC #160 Your inspiration, which can be a place, a subject, a person, a book–just about anything that inspires you.

Until then – stay kind and safe.

Lens-Artists Challenge #158 – Along Back Country Roads

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Beth is our guest host this week, and for this challenge she is asking us to show our interpretation of going along a back country road. It can be any road that’s off the beaten track.

My opener is a photo taken long ago, of one of my favourite roads ever. It was a late summer evening, and the last warm sun rays made the whole world golden. I can still feel the air that night.

Last week, as we finally went for a short trip to dear friends some 300 miles from home, we had to drive far out along lovely country roads. We had some trouble finding their house this time, because the world becomes so different when all the trees are cut down…

They live on a beautiful lake named Grecken, and luckily their window lights were easily discerned in the soft darkness falling. So, we found our way.

I have tried to assemble some of my favourite country roads, and I easily realise that almost all of them go through pure farmland. Not surprising at all… Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong…

The most lovable country road should be a gravel road, with grass in the middle. I am lucky to have some of those special roads close to me. As Beth mentioned – I would have wanted to follow every one of them to find out where they are leading to.

Last autumn we walked some new roads nearby. (There are always new old roads!) This one is said to be one of Skånes most beautiful country roads.

My forest in winter, and the tractor road.

I have to finish with a real winter road. The winter roads in powdery snow always make my heart beat extra hard – because we don’t have them every year anymore. And, they can be dangerous too. Careful driving!

Hope you are inspired to come along! If you do, in your post, please include a link to Beth’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag so everyone can find your post in the WordPress reader. Be sure to check out the first three guest hosted challenges.

John Steiner of Journeys with JohnBo – On the Water

Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed – Black and White

Bert and Rusha Sams of Oh the Places we see – Getting Away

Thank you, for letting us get away with Bert and Rusha last week! Next week on July 31, please visit Ana Campo of Anvica’s Gallery for her challenge – “Postcards.”

I’m looking forward to seeing where your back country roads have taken you!

Lens Artist Challenge #157 – Getting Away

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Rusha and Bert at Oh, the Places We See are hosting for us this week, and they say… ”whether you head to a favorite place each year, or you like to travel to destinations far and wide, show us what “getting away” means to you.”

I started traveling, together with my boyfriend, in 1975. The first trip was by car to Germany, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Lichtenstein and the Netherlands. The next year we went by car again, for 5 weeks through France. After that, we went outside Europe too. One of the first getaways was Nepal, where we biked in the Kathmandu valley and hiked around the Anapurna, and also got a glimpse of Mount Everest. We continued traveling for 44 years. Then came the pandemic.

You can never really get away you can only take yourself somewhere else.

– Charles M. Schwab

I don’t know how to explain what made me travel from the start. I guess that was a youngster’s ”getting away” in the sense of experiencing new cultures and places dreamed of as a child. And, my boyfriend had a car! What were we waiting for?

A major getaway was going via China and the train on permafrost to Tibet. A childhood dream come true.

But my getaways can also be hiking – preferably in hidden areas – this time in Spain. This was a hidden valley for a long time, which had kept its flora and fauna spectacular with many endemic species.

Get away from the crowd when you can. Keep yourself to yourself, if only for a few hours daily.

– Arthur Brisbane

I walked alone on my track, and my husband walked another track. Important criteria for getting away – being alone to really savour it all.

Another excellent means of getting away is reading. Or finding the inspirational places used by famous authors! This little picture shows the path over the moor to the farm in Wuthering Heights. Who doesn’t love Emily Brontë’s story of Heathcliff and Catherine…?

I’d like to get away from earth awhile. And then come back to it and begin over.

– Robert Frost
The ordinary getting away plan used to include a flight. I loved flying – the feeling of adventure imminent…but now I am not so sure about that anymore.

No matter how far you travel, you can never get away from yourself. – Haruki Murakami
Art is another means of getting away – and it makes it easier to stay close to my home. Interesting exhibitions – or just painting, drawing, singing…

In fact I have found that the tiny worlds around me are my everyday getting away…and I love photographing them. Marvelling at their beauty and complexity.

Thanks again to Anne for the marvelous B&W theme, and to Rusha for #157: Getting Away. Please go to her site for inspiration, and if you join us, please include a link to her original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

We invite you to join us again next week when Beth Smith of Wandering Dawgs leads Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #158. Her theme is “Along Back Country Roads.” Until then, stay well and safe and be kind.

Lens-Artists Challenge #156 – Black and White

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This week, Anne Sandler leads the challenge –“Black and White”.
“What I love about black and white photographs is that they’re more like reading the book than seeing the movie.”
– Jennifer Price

That said, I am not a keen B&W photographer, but I greatly admire those who are. Perhaps I am a late bloomer and just not there yet?

I almost only use black and white with people. Portraits and street photography are extremely well balanced for B&W.

Bhutan and Morocko. Old faces with character – I wish I was less shy and more open to ask for a photo. The opener, the header, shows my all time favourite from Bhutan.

When I go through my files, I notice that I mostly use sepia instead. I hope Anne will not mind if I add some of these…

My work flow is similar to Anne’s – except I don’t shoot in raw. I do sometimes, but usually not. Except from portraits and street, sometimes my landscapes fit the bill – when clouds and structures are appealing together.

So, stay well and hope to see you here next week too with our next guest host, Rusha. Thank you Anne for hosting an interesting challenge, and thank you John for last weeks beauties!

Lens Artists Challenge # 155 – On the Water

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This week we are happy to have John as our host, with the theme On the Water – please visit his inspirational post to get started! And he writes:

The theme “On the Water” encompasses whatever manner of water floats your boat (or doesn’t).

We all know that Water is the centre piece of all life. No water – no life. And whenever I listen to the murmur of a brook, the cascading waterfall or the rolling waves of the sea – I must agree with Octavio Paz: The sound of water is worth more than all the poets’ words.

Water can carry Light

– carry Ice and Snow.

It is alive in Rain
Mist

Dew

Water gives Life and a Living

It is a source of Energy – so this old mill tells us

Water is for Sports and having Fun

But also a source of Natural Beauty – On the Water

May we remember that We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.— Jacques Yves Cousteau

Sincere thanks to those who responded to last week’s “One Photo Two Ways”. It was really interesting to see the many interpretations. Now we look forward to seeing your responses to John’s challenge this week. Please remember to link them to his original post and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. Finally, a reminder that next week’s guest host will be Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed who will challenge us with Black & White. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.

Note: I’ll spend some time in our summer house – with no internet – for a couple of weeks but will try to stay in touch!