LENS-ARTISTS

Lens-Artists…Best ever

/ Leya / 15 kommentarer

A massive thank you to Steve for guest hosting the Lens-Artists Challenge this week. Please visit Steve’s brilliant site where you can find his best ever photos and so much more. I find his photography both unique and impressive, and extremely inspiring. We look forward to seeing your choices. Please remember to link to Steve’s original here and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you.

Well, I honestly cannot choose ”best ever” photos from my own archives, so I guess if you asked me next month, they would not be the same. The best I can do (!) is to choose some of my own favourites that I love, and try to tell you why. I am a very emotional person, so, first of all they must touch my heart.

Easy criteria would be prize-winning photos – as this one. But, this is the only picture that I have ever entered into a competition – and in fact – won. It was about very special trees in our life, and this old beech tree that stands in ”my forest” was not already in the book of trees. So, I was the one who filed it in the national site for old trees. I walk past it often and I report if anything has happened to it – like a storm making old branches fall. I do love it.

About the photo: Autumn is the most beautiful time up here, and as this beech is very big, I could see the smaller trees behind it from an interesting angle. Irresistible opportunity.

This caravan spotted in Morocco several years ago was exotic to me at that moment, but what more makes the photo one of my favourites are the lovely memories of that trip and everything about it. The food, the people, the desert itself and its animals.

About the photo: Sheer luck to be in the right place at the right time. This also goes for the next one.

How can I not choose this big yawn? I love cheetahs and had the camera ready when this happened – not a perfect shot, but such a beautiful animal and a fun surprise!

Greenland offered an abundance of spectacular moments and I came back with thousands of photos. The midnight sun among the icebergs was an unforgettable experience, and picking only one photo has been almost impossible. Finally I decided for this special iceberg, not because it is the best photo, but because it took me awhile to figure out that the brownish part on top of the ice must come from a frozen kayak that probably once was lost on the glacier. When? Amazing.

About the photo: I had seen this iceberg when we headed out in the late evening, and kept thinking about it the whole trip. Finally I took some photos because of its mysterious and intriguing history.

Finally, posted a couple of times – but still a favourite – is this family in Bhutan, sitting on the stone wall, looking at a cell phone. I am not sure who is the most fascinated one here, but clearly the thing was not new to them.

About the photo: I seldom take photos of people, but this family was so preoccupied by the phone, that I clicked without asking…

Last week, Egídio asked us for over-the-top photos, and I loved them all. It was great to see such variety and thinking outside the box. We hope you’ll join us next week when Ritva leads us once again. Until then, as always please stay safe, be kind and enjoy the adventure.

Lens-Artists Challenge #408 – Over the Top

/ Leya / 30 kommentarer

This week Egidio takes us over the top – please visit his site for more inspiration! I hope my examples will fit the bill…because I really had to think hard, and search even harder. I seldom take photos in this category and honestly thought I would not find anything to post.

Let’s start with a literally over-the-top picture – taken many years ago at home. I belong in this category of loving moderate and real things, unless it’s a novel like Gabriel García Márquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude. I love magical realism. And fantasy.

Here’s my try to go over the top:

Pimp up your car – maybe a bit too much? In New Zeeland they had a thing about this. Every day we saw cars with a special look, or a plate with a funny name. Lovely people with a special set of humour.

As much as I love Chihuly – sometimes maybe less is more. In Seattle we visited his gallery and were totally fascinated.

A tram car in Gdansk…how surprised I was to see this old lady inside! The intense shine was almost impossible to look at, and at home I had to turn down both light and highlight to even be able to see the outlines of the car in the photo.

This window in Riga hardly made me understand what was on display…still I somehow liked it, and stood outside for a long time – in fact I even walked inside. (I didn’t buy anything though…) One must admire people who can find such great variety. love it and somehow put it all neatly together.

If you look closely you will find matching lines and colours. The lavender blue and yellow/golden and the chequered parts. Splashes of red to top it up. Quite cleverly done.

Finally, I see that I have mostly chosen artworks in my post, and that is of course the easiest way to go about this theme. Art is judged in the eye of the beholder, so there will be many different thoughts on what is over the top.

I love Dali’s work, but even I believe he sometimes is a bit over the top! This is his house in Figueres, Spain.

A huge thank you to Patti for the Celebrations theme and for all your wonderful responses from around the world, and thank you, Egidio, for helping us over the top this week! A truly clever and interesting challenge.

Next week, we will feature a guest host. Steve Hyde (of Steve Hyde Photography Blog) will lead the challenge starting at noon EST in the USA. Be sure to tune in and visit his site for inspiration!

Lens-Artists Challenge #407- Celebrating the National Day

/ Leya / 40 kommentarer

Patti leads this week, and I was happy to find the prompt to be Celebrations! In Greenland they celebrate their National Day on June 21, and we were there. It is always fantastic to see how other countries and nationalities celebrate. This time it didn’t look much like any other National Day I have attended.

In voices clear and strong, the songs were performed by a small but well trained choir.

Then, there was an hour of sermon and more singing in the beautiful Zion’s Church in Ilulissat.

On marching in, some of the people wore the traditional clothing in red, white and black. When we visited Greenland in 1982, everyone wore the national dress for the visit of Queen Margarethe. In former times the Inuits only wore clothes made from animal hides or skins. When the Europeans came, and began to trade using glass beads in the 17th and 18th century, these beads gradually were incorporated in their festive attire.

After church, everyone gathered on the shore, and many small boats arrived… There was anticipation in the air! What was everyone waiting for… ? Some kind of competition or performance was expected.

We didn’t know exactly what, but finally one participant was spotted, and someone told us that first out would be kayak rolling.

He started preparing…and soon they were ready for the show. It was this man and a young girl performing. The water held approxiamtely 2 degrees C and they rolled for half an hour…

It was a big day for the young woman´s mother as well. She stood right beside me so I could admire her elaborately made seal boots. She coached her daughter on when and how to do different, difficult rolls – which the girl performed to perfection. ”My daughter!” the mother smiled at me, shining with pride.

The last activity was the seal hunt. After the kayak rolling, the motor boats roared and headed out between the icebergs. The one who came back first with a seal would win a rifle. We didn’t stay to see the results of the competition, because this event could take a couple of hours or more – and we were hungry. Rumours had it they might have hidden a seal already caught somewhere…so cheating was maybe allowed!

Tradition still means much to the Inuits, and we were so fortunate to get the opportunity of joining in this day. An adventure to be remembered, and the many smiling faces too.

Finally, this young couple made it the perfect day to get married!

A huge thank you to Anne for letting us rest in a summer daze. and to all of you for the terrific responses! Also a huge thank you to Patti for the fun challenge and for giving me the opportunity to show pictures from Greenland’s National Day.

Please remember to link to Patti’s original post and to add the Lens-Artists tag!

Finally, we hope you’ll join us next week when Egidio leads us once again. Until then, please stay safe and enjoy your week.

Lens-Artists Challenge #406 – Summer Daze

/ Leya / 19 kommentarer

First of all – huge thanks for sharing your many interesting adventures last week! I finally found about 15 of them in the spam folder…but I did find them! Loved the variety and that you shared adventures from long ago too. I could recall the feeling of adventure from my own youth – that original feeling doesn’t come easy nowadays… Age and life experience has taken away part of it. We have to take that.

This week Anne has got some really good tips on how to enjoy, or cope with, the summer heat…please visit her lovely site for more daze inspiration!

To me, summer means late nights and early mornings, the only time when it’s not too warm. My absolutely best temperature is 23 degrees C – unbelievable to some, but that’s when my body works the best. When we stay for a longer time at warm places, the body gets gradually used to it after a while.

When evening comes I might go biking in the soft air…

Or walking by the sea to watch the youngsters fishing or swimming.

Early mornings we can take the canoe down to the lake, watching the great herons lift from both sides of the canal.

In the middle of the day, we all stay in the shadow, reading or playing games – or just relaxing with our dog. Except for my husband, who always has loved the sun and can sit in a chair just letting it wash all over him.

The best thing is a short, cooling swim. The water temperature seldom rises above 20 at our summerhouse. This year, I haven’t jumped in the water more than once – 11 degrees is far too cold for me!

A warm thank you to Anne for letting us soak up the summer daze this week – next week it is Patti’s turn to lead – see you then!

Lens-Artists Challenge #405 – Adventures in Kalaallit Nunaat

/ Leya / 117 kommentarer

I am all for adventures, and I think many of you are too! So, this first week after our break, I want to welcome us all back, and, to adventures we remember – from long ago or lately have experienced. Big or small. Personally, I think every day is an adventure, but indeed some feel a bit more vivid and easier to describe. And that goes for the adventure I am going to share with you today.

You can show adventures from one place only or from more places, and I am convinced adventures can be told in fewer images than this…but please try to stick to a maximum of 10 pictures.

This June, we went to Greenland, a country we fell in love with it at first sight in 1982, when we were young. Those memories are still with me, and on reviewing old slides from then, I was hooked again.

So, what adventures await you in this beautiful country? I will take you on a short visit to some of them. Luckily (!) we were stuck for five extra days in Greenland due to fog, so the dogs and the boardwalk wouldn’t have been pictured here on the ordinary trip.

Of course this is all about water and ice…but, should that not be your cup of tea, I still hope you are inspired for the challenge!

As there are no real roads in Greenland, (the first ones were built in the 1950’s-60’s) every Greenlander owns at least one boat and one snowmobile. Many Inuit people own a dogsled as well, and some 5-10 dogs to do the job.

During summer, the dogs rest from their hard work, and live in colonies on big slopes – grass or stone. The grown-ups are all chained, (they are no ”house dogs”, and prone to fighting) but the young ones are totally free to roam their environment. Indeed an interesting experience to see them on ”vacation” in the summer. I had a collegue who owned 15 huskies, and he built a sledge with wheels so the dogs should be easily excercised during the warmer part of the year. According to knowledgeable people, the dogs are happy as long at they are held outdoors.

Nature is of course the greatest adventure in Greenland – icebergs in the fiords and gigantic glaciers. Eqi glacier (above), is 200 meters high and 4 kilometers wide, and the boat in the picture is waiting a kilometer or two away from it – just in case the glacier decides to calve. You lose all perspective close to these giants!

As we travelled mostly by boat, whales were often sighted – we saw several humpbacks spouting and diving. I never got a really good shot of them, but here are two friends diving together.

You should of course go hiking and just take in the breathtaking landscape. You will never know what is hiding over the next hill or behind the next corner – but surely it is a new adventure! Not all hikes include climbing, this was a very friendly, boardwalk one.

Kayaking is popular in Greenland – a silent and contemplative sport. In the old days the Inuits hunted from both kayaks and canoes. I guess every family have at least a couple of kayaks. And, just as with the motor boats, the were very skillfully handled!

And then, finally, my favourite adventure –

– going on a midnight sun tour among the impressive icebergs – unforgettable. Cheers with thousands of years old ice in the glass!

I hope you have had a great break from us (!) and that you enjoyed my adventures. Now we are looking forward to seeing new or old exciting adventures from you!

A big thank you to Beth, and don’t forget the Lens-Artists tag when you post! As usual, stay well and be kind!

Anne will lead next Saturday – see you then!

Lens-Artists Challenge #403 – Tools of Composition

/ Leya / 26 kommentarer

Last week John invited us to explore the photographic composition tools of perspective, depth and scale. I borrowed Tina’s conclusion:

Perspective – the angle or viewpoint from which you photograph a subject

Depth – Creating an illusion of 3-dimensionality through depth of field or perspective

Scale – The relative size relationship between objects

As I’ve been away for two weeks with no possibility to post or comment, here’s a late, quick entry to join in the fun!

Deapth enhanced by a hole into the next room.

Deapth in every direction of the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

Scale of an Icelandic crater.

Scale in Lofoten, Norway.

Perspective in Segovia.

Perspective in Rome.

Thanks to Sofia for her 2018 Looking Back challenge, “Wonder” that made us go back to and enjoy gems from a long time back and learn about other wonders.This week, Beth was ready with a new theme. We look forward to seeing your responses. Be sure to link to her original post in the comments section, and tag your entry with “Lens-Artists” so we can find you.

If you’re sharing a Lens‑Artists Challenge response for the first time, welcome—we’d love to visit your post. To participate, publish your take on this week’s theme, link back to this page, and add the Lens‑Artists tag so others can discover your work. You’ll find more details on how the challenge works here.

Lens-Artists Challenge #403 – Looking back #1-Wonder

/ Leya / 61 kommentarer

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.

– Albert Einstein

Sofia asks us for wonders. In post number 1, I featured the endemic Elliots Storm-Petrel galapagoensis; ”Elliot” after the man who discovered the bird and “Petrel” refers to Saint Peter walking on water. ”Storm” was the part given to it by the sailors, who believed the birds were warning them about a storm coming their way. To get three OK photos I spent hours on deck and clicked hundreds of shots. I still think it is one of the greatest wonders I have witnessed.

The whole world is a wonder, and so is everything in it. It’s wondrous to see the tiniest ant at its daily work, it’s wondrous to see the sun rise and set, it’s wondrous that we are here, on planet Earth. I only wish we took better care of her – the only home we have.

From the greatest mountains…

…to the endless plains,

from the waves of desert …

… to the deepest jungle –

from the oldest creatures…

…to the youngest member of a family.

And from different religions to different peoples.

When we understand that everything is connected, it’s clear we must live in peace and harmony with each other in order to preserve our home and to survive.

Sofia says: ”We’re looking for the moments, places, people that we treasure, the little stories behind a shot that stuff our lives with meaning and joy.” Remember to link back to Sofia’s original post and to tag Lens-Artists so we can easily find you.

Last week we had Patti’s challenge on the importance of how to focus on our subject. A great, technical theme that rendered fantastic photos and differrent approaches. Thank you all for the inspiration.

Next week it’s John’s turn to lead us, Saturday 20th June. Until then, stay well. I will be in Greenland from tomorrow.

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

Lens-Artists Challenge #401 – More Tips on How to Focus on the Subject

/ Leya / 33 kommentarer

Patti is back with a new Challenge! Please visit her beautiful site for more inspiration and joy!

As the wedding cake was the star, I had to Get in closer!

In the dark forest, I used Selective focus to make these buttercups shine. And some negative space…

Leading lines is a trick to use whenever possible. This is a Japanese garden in Sweden.

We invite you to join us this week as we explore more tips for creating engaging and memorable photos. Here are the guidelines from Patti:

Select 2 or 3 tips and compose your photos. Try to limit them to 4. Identify what tip you used.

Looking back…last week, Tina explored the rule of threes and how our minds linger longer on an odd number of objects. Fascinating! Next week it will be Sofia’s turn to challenge us, so stay tuned for her great post on Saturday, June 13th. In the meantime, stay curious, be nice, and find beauty in unexpected places!

Lens-Artists Challenge #400 – The Rule of Three

/ Leya / 35 kommentarer

Tina reminds us this week of the rule of thirds, and points out another ”rule” to try, the rule of 3. Please visit her beautiful site for more inspiration! I decided to give my morning dogwalk the first try. And three beautiful birch trees were my choice – but, they were impossible to catch in only one photo! Here they are, three in two – top to bottom.

The magic number is three

At noon, we went for a visit to one of our nearby castles, Bosjökloster, where we found several exhibitions giving possibilities within the rule: here some beautiful straw vases and straw bags.

Straw craft reminds us that true beauty is grown from the earth and shaped by patient hands.

— Anonymous

Close to the playground, there were some colourful hens walking. I waited a while to see if they would come together for a photo, but this was the closest they got to each other. I could not resist a photo anyway.

We’re not just friends, we’re family

“Three things are needed
For humanity to co-exist:
Truth, peace and basic needs.
Everything else –
Is irrelevant.”

― Suzy Kassem

Another exhibition at the castle featuring Ukrainian artists’ quilting (Ukrainian Quilters Association) – was totally fascinating. Their skills, the motifs honouring damaged cities and villages – and some places that don’t even exist anymore.

They are a strong people, Ukrainians, and they will never be defeated. Even the war pieces breathed of hope and a peaceful future. They are also assembling quilt patches from more than 36 countries over the world, making a1.1 km long quilt to be rolled out on Kyivs main street, Khreshchatyk, when the war is over.

Thank you, Tina, for another interesting challenge! I hope you’ll join in exploring the concept of 3 in photography. If you cannot find examples in your own work, maybe head out like I did, to see how many 3’s you can find once you start looking! Please remember to use the Lens-Artists Tag in your response and to link to Tina’s original post to help us find you. Many thanks to Egidio and to his respondents for last week’s beautiful explorations of being “stuck in place”. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope you did too. Finally, we hope you’ll join us next week when Patti leads us once again on her P.A. Moed site. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.

Lens-Artists Challenge # 399 – Stuck in Place

/ Leya / 36 kommentarer

Egidio has a new adventure for us, he wants us to pick a place to stay put for thirty minutes to an hour and take photos of things that catches our interest and curiosity. A good way to spark creativity again! So, please go to his sparkling and creative site for more about how to get started!

I thought I would wait for an opportunity to appear…and not go searching for it. This is what happened two days ago when we went to our summerhouse to clean up and make it ready for Midsummer – a perfect spark for me! Back today – a bit late, but still here!

When we arrived, I (as I always do) went down to the shore with Milo. But the sight that met me was an unusual one this time – there was a stranded sailing boat lying with its sails torn by the winds. This has never happened in all those 50 summers I have spent here. I immediately knew – this was the place to get stuck for Egidio’s challenge. My husband brought Milo back to the house, and I brought my camera from the car. Excited, this would be fun.

At this time of the year, the water is not very warm – maybe 10-15 degrees maximum. But dogs love it, and luckily one of them got stuck in my camera focus…

As I looked around for more photo opportunities, I noticed the magical scent from white cow parsley by the old gate, filling the air with summer joy.

Then I walked a few steps up to Milo – he had returned to me and lay basking in the sun. I guess wondering what I was up to… I could clearly discern the dark strings of colour in his thick coat after the Pit-bull´s attack in October. All his scars have grown darker brown hairs, making him partly look like a Dalmatian. Handsome!

Further up some more steps and I finished my 40 minutes with our table in sun and shadow.

Ritva’s challenge last week got us all looking at single colors. I loved the variety of colorful responses! We hope you will join this challenge too. Please don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag in your posts to help people find your entries.

Next week, Tina will feature a new challenge. It will go live at noon EST in the USA. Tune in to find out more about it. Until then – stay kind and be well.