LENS-ARTISTS

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge # 114 – Negative Space

/ Leya / 92 kommentarer

This week, Amy is our host, and she wants us to show the importance of negative space in our photography. Negative space is the area around the main subject of your photograph. (Which means that your main subject is the positive space) Check out her post, see brilliant examples and learn more about this!

Positive and negative space are two important tools for us to give an enhanced emotional feel to our images, which is essential in photography. Looking forward to seeing your choices!

Negative space is there to give your photos a sense of calmness
…and subtlety.
Well used, negative space provides a natural balance against the positive space in a scene.
But, images can also appear lonely
..or solemn (or funny…)
Most of all, I would say negative space often gives a contemplative beauty to the image, a unique possibility for us to declutter, relax and recover in this jumbled and unruly world.

Our special thanks to Rusha Sams for hosting last week’s Labor of Love. We had so many positive and uplifting experiences of genuine love and care!

Be sure to check out Tina’s Travels and Trifles post next week as she hosts Challenge #115.

And, as always – may you stay safe and well. Our thoughts these days go especially to all of you out there fighting the wild fires.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #113 – A Labor of Love

/ Leya / 70 kommentarer
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #113: A Labor of Love

First of all – thank you for so many inventive, creative and fun interpretations of last week’s challenge – Pick a Word! Fabulous!

Rusha Sams of Oh the Places We See is our host this week, and she has chosen to highlight all those people who work for a better society and a better world. A Labor of Love.

As so many of us do these days, I think of the health care workers, police and firefighters – all those brave people helping us in this unruly world. But my thoughts also go to all those who work for a sustainable world and helping vulnerable species to survive – because biodiversity is essential to us all. Without biodiversity we will all perish and our planet is lost. Even if we are living in a pandemic now, we know that other problems will not go away – we have to fight them all, simultaneously. Tough. But, the pandemic is also a result of how humans have abused and misused Nature and our only home, planet Earth.

In the header, the dotterel beach in Coromandel.

My daughter voluntered in New Zealand in 2011, working in a Nature preserving program.
She worked mostly with inventory of traps and keeping the forest open. All voluntary work is of course unpaid (monetarily…) work – A Labour of Love for the planet.
Saving the NZ Dotterel was/is a project involving many volunteers. During hatching time there was a time table for those watching the birds 24/7. We saw some Dotterels running on the beach, but also some little ones dead.
A big threat to all endemic animals, maybe especially the NZ flightless birds (the kiwi is only one of them) are the invasive possums. Emma brought home several skulls and bones from roadkills.

In 2016 we went to Ecuador, the Amazon Basin and the Galapagos Islands. Threatened already then by the oil industry and new settlers burning down the rainforest, but little did we know of the many fires that would arrive through mismanagement and the pandemic.

A vast piece of jungle was once bought by a man from the Netherlands who wanted to save it from getting destroyed. We stayed at his eco-lodge with local people guiding and lecturing about herb medicine and Amazon plants and animals. These people were born and raised here, lived here and knew the jungle like the back of their hand.

They took us out on crystal clear waters…
…silent canoe days
…and if not out on the waters – then bird watching high above the Amazon jungle.
Luis was one of our skilled guides, helping us find essential plants for cuisine and health. This was certainly a Labour of Love for him – a way of helping his people, animals and plants survive. He could also recognize and identify several hundreds of different bird sounds.
For Andi, his Labor of Love meant that several villages could survive – and thrive.
This journey is the most highly treasured one of all my journeys through 47 years. To see these people’s loving faces in preserving and teaching about their natural environment was a great joy and to learn how deep their knowledge is of Nature’s secrets was truly humbling. Knowledge and skills of this kind can only be yours if you are born and raised here. I am forever grateful to have met them all.

”We hope you’ll join us in sharing your interpretations of “A Labor of Love” whether you showcase a person or a group or an object notable for the labor or laborer involved.” Publish your post and add your link to the Comments section at the bottom of Rusha’s post. Please don’t forget to add the tag Lens-Artists so you can be found in the Reader.

Next week we will be back on schedule, and Amy will be our host for challenge #114. Until then – stay well and be kind. To yourself as well.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #112 – Pick a Word…

/ Leya / 216 kommentarer

Pick a word and illustrate it with a photo! This used to be a favorite challenge of mine when held by Paula of Lost in Translation. Unfortunately she is not running it anymore. So – how about a revival at Lens-Artists? It is easy: Choose one (1) word or more – choose all of them if you like! The words available are the following:

Comfortable

Growing

Tangled

Crowded

Exuberant

In the header – Comfortable? Yes! If you are safe and living in the Galapagos Islands!

Swimming is normal for me. I’m relaxed. I’m comfortable, and I know my surroundings. It’s my home.  – Michael Phelps
 

Gunnera

Growing

Growth itself contains the germ of happiness.

 – Pearl S. Buck

19800 Cranes at Hornborgasjön, Sweden

Crowded

In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is a failure. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.  – Seth Godin
Double exposure from my windows to make tangled even more tangled…

Tangled

A word garden blooming within the tangled weeds.
― Jazz Feylynn

Holland, flower festival at Keukenhof

Exuberant

Exuberance is beauty.

 – William Blake
 

Thank you for a marvelous response to Patti’s Everyday Objects – you really made us all open our eyes and SEE what we have around us!

A new announcement: We have the pleasure of having Rusha Sams  of Oh the Places We See as guest host for September 5, #113. Be sure to visit her! Until then – stay well and safe, and be kind, to yourself as well.

Have you seen these:

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #111 – Everyday Objects

/ Leya / 72 kommentarer

”For this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #111, we’re taking a fresh look at ordinary, everyday objects–things that you see and use in your daily life.”

Patti is our host for the challenge, and we are looking forward to seeing your creative response!

My start is the old silver box from my husband’s mother. I haven’t changed its position for the image, but, inspired by Patti, I put my garnets there, to pick up the colours of the faded rose. In the header it stands in late evening light – here in ordinary daylight. Quite a change – light and the photographer’s position sets the mood.

If you read my blog now and then, you know I have two real dogs, but also some other dogs and cats, hiding among my house plants…

These are my two favourites – both left to me by Anita, a beloved friend who passed away some years ago.

They are hiding in different places depending on what plants I have for them. The lovely blue cat was one of Anita’s special favourites – and yesterday she was hiding behind a Medinilla Magnifica. I think she loved it!

Finally, my scary friends in the blue box – always hiding – seemingly frightened – put there and painted by Lena, a very good friend of mine. Can you see just how scared they are? I even helped them look a bit shaky…

A special thanks to Tina for hosting last week’s Creativity in the Time of Covid challenge.  A great theme, that really showed us many creative ideas on how to cope with and manage these difficult times.  I think we all learned something new and picked up more tricks to stay creative throughout! Well done All of us – together we will meet the future, stronger!

Next challenge, #112, I (Ann-Christine/Leya) will be your host. Stay creative and stay well – and be kind, also to yourself.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #110 – Creativity in the Time of Covid

/ Leya / 73 kommentarer

“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.”

Paulo Coelho

And many of us tried, hard, this summer.

Last week we saw a tremendous amount of beautiful answers ”Under the Sun”, hosted by Amy. This week, ”We’d love you to share with us the ways you’ve fueled and satisfied your creative energies these past few months as the pandemic has restricted our ability to move freely.” And this time, Tina is our host.

When all this started, I had just visited my daughter in Umeå, and bought a fascinating  jigsaw puzzle with many house plants – most of which I some time over the years had grown in my house. And, puzzling hade not been on my mind for some 20 years…This was february, and we knew nothing about what would happen only some weeks later.

Emma’s birthday is in September, so we decided to celebrate during her summer vacation instead. She wished to take a short course in ceramics and clay work, together with some friends. I joined in as well, and we all had a creative day at the small farm, where the artist, Caroline, had her studio.

During the whole summer, Emma kept working on the costume for her graduation. She also made a prototype for sewing her leather spats. Much work, but I am sure it will look really good in January for her Big Day. Posing for me? Well, some minutes only – it was 37 degrees C that day…so fast I had to be!

For her birthday, of course I made her favorite lamb pies with lots of vegetables and fruit. For me it is a joy to cook for her when she comes home – I want to make her feel relaxed and having nothing to worry about. Being a student for so many years is tiresome – not least doing all the cooking yourself.

We did many other things togehter of course, but these were some of those that made our summer worth remembering. I think we worked on 5 puzzles at least, and we had so much to talk about and debate – things that might never have come up an ordinary summer. Summing up, this Covid summer went from hopeless to meaningful in the end.

Emma has left now for her final term, so maybe this was her last stay ”at home”. And the last puzzle we started together, I have to finish on my own. It has a name: Universe Creator, by artist Lora. Autumn is coming, and I sit in the warm evening light, looking at Lora’s painting. It shows a little girl cycling, and a giant panda blowing soap bubbles that sails through the air, making new planets and galaxies. I like that idea.

 

Finally, are you interested in learning more about about the team behind the Lens-Artists Challenge?  If so, we invite you to visit TCHistorygal.net where you’ll find our recent interview with Marsha Ingrao of Always Write. It was great working with Marsha and being a part of her Artists’ Interview series. We thank her sincerely for her efforts on our behalf.

We hope you’ll join us next week for Patti’s challenge #111. Until then, take care and stay safe.

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #109 – Under The Sun

/ Leya / 62 kommentarer

Last week we had the pleasure of having Xenia of Tranature as our guest host – a real treat of Sanctuary for us all! This week Amy is our host – Under the Sun.

The theme title was inspired by the book Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes (published in 1997). ”However this theme series is not about featuring the Tuscan sun, but photo captures anywhere under the sun.”

Fanö Drakflygningsfestival 245-2

As Amy says, taking photos under the sun is often advised against… but still we do that sometimes,  because sometimes we really have no other choice.

Ô, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.
― Roman Payne

I wear myself out and struggle with the sun. And what a sun here! It would be necessary to paint here with gold and gemstones. It is wonderful.

– Claude Monet

Let there always be a bright spot in your heart for the people around you. They might need a bit of sunshine.
― Ron Baratono 

These are the soul’s changes. I don’t believe in ageing. I believe in forever altering one’s aspect to the sun. Hence my optimism.

– Virginia Woolf

We look forward to seeing your Under the Sun photos! Please make sure you include a link to Amy’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can find your post in the WP Reader.

Also – stay well and safe, and be sure to check out Tina’s post next week as she hosts Challenge #110.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #108 – Sanctuary

/ Leya / 78 kommentarer

Thank you for last week’s sparkling Winter images and thoughts – showing that, despite being cold or wet it can be a season of beauty!

This week we are happy to welcome  Xenia of Tranature as our host, and she has chosen ”Sanctuary” – a timely concept for the year of 2020.

A home is a kingdom of it’s own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life’s storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary.

 – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 

I have a friend, whose home is a true sanctuary. In the hills, a kilometer away from me.

When you walk up the gravel road – of course there is a string of grass in the middle – …

…and the houses and the lush grounds meet your eye – a calm, serene feeling of harmony descends upon you.

Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life. –

 – Hermann Hesse

Sanctuaries are magical places – dare I say holy?

– Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

 

Just Listen to the sound of Mother Nature – and, only Cats know how to Live In the Moment.

Thank you, my friend, for letting me visit your house whenever I need to.

Remember, the entrance door to the sanctuary is inside you.

 – Rumi

 

Take care and stay safe and well wherever you are in the world –

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #107 – Winter

/ Leya / 203 kommentarer

Winter? Now? Totti would have loved it!

What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.
― John Steinbeck

Lake Taupo, New Zealand. Christmas Eve, 2011

Winter is not the same in any corner of the world…and maybe most significant is the difference when you compare the Northern Hemisphere with the Southern Hemisphere.  – So, your winter is not mine, my winter is not yours.

Let’s enjoy the differences! Being different and different experiences give us more strength and brings variety to our lives. This week – Winter rules.

I decided to get nostalgic about this theme – as our winters have changed much over the years since I was a child…even in the last ten years, three years, year… Climate change has also made every season more unpredictable. We live in changing times in all aspects. A bit of nostalgia comes over me quite often these days – I guess you might feel the same?

For many years we went skiing every winter, in Dalarna, Sweden. We always stayed in Fryksås, at an old mountain farm – or Shieling (Scottish Gaelic) – overlooking Lake Orsa.

Mille, our first Lagotto (Milo look-a-like, isn’t he?) was a cone collector…he could easily run with 5 (five) cones in his mouth without dropping a single one. He loved going to Fryksås every year – knowing he could play around every day in that cold snow.

The last time we rented one of these 18-19th century cottages, was in 2010. No electricity, no lamps, no technical devices…Only open fires, candle light, reading, playing card games and board games. Knitting, crocheting, discussing… The children (18 and 20 by then – and still loving this concept!) slept in the beautifully painted box-beds.

In Skåne, where I live, (the most southern part of Sweden), winters used to have at least a month of snow, and skiing was often possible. Today’s winters offer only forest walks. And this last winter, for the first time in my life, we had no snow at all.

– And no ice breaking up, letting the brooks sing and the smooth, velvety stones reflect the sun. But I am deeply grateful that we all have these wonderful memories – and that the children share them too. We still talk about going to Fryksås again. Together. Just the four of us. Maybe some day…

 

Announcement: We are happy to welcome Xenia of Tranature as our Guest Host for August 1 !

And thank you, Patti, for hosting a beautiful Autumn week! Thank you for so many colourful and beautiful posts from friends all over the world!

Despite the fact that winter will come to all of us – whether we like it or not…we are looking forward to seeing Your Winter! Meanwhile – stay safe and well out there.

 

Have you seen these:

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: #106 – Autumn

/ Leya / 86 kommentarer

Autumn used to be my favourite season when I was young. As I grow older, I am happy to experience the beauty of each season.

Patti’s challenge this week is Autumn – and never has it been more difficult for me to choose images…my autumn tributes counts in the thousands. I will let my choices speak for themselves. As usual, click to enlarge.

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.

– L. M. Montgomery

Hovdala och Hammarmölledamm 199_copy

When the autumn meets the tranquillity, there you can see the King of the Sceneries!
― Mehmet Murat ildan 

Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.
― Jim Bishop

Happiness is to get lost in an autumn forest, and not to be found is even a greater happiness!
― Mehmet Murat ildan 

When everything looks like a magical oil painting, you know you are in Autumn!
― Mehmet Murat ildan 

Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.

–  Samuel Butler 

Bockeboda november 2018 064-2

Every season has its own art and the art of autumn is to bewitch the people!

― Mehmet Murat ildan

As the season changes, we learn to adapt.
― Lailah Gifty Akita

 

A special thanks to Tina for hosting last week’s Spring challenge. And thank you all for sharing your spring poetry with us – hope and joy transmitted over the world!

Finally – Stay safe and well – hope to see many of your autumn memories! Next week it is my (Leya’s) turn to be your host – for Winter. Looking forward to seeing you then.

 

 

 

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #105 – Spring

/ Leya / 83 kommentarer

Spring invites us into a fairy land of imagination where flowers bloom with joy, butterflies fly with song, and love dances with love.
― Debasish Mridha

This week, Tina is our host on Spring. ”Noted by poets and lyricists as a season of hope and renewal, spring teaches us that despite (or perhaps because of) the hardships of winter, our world will once again blossom with new life.  As we continue to deal with the issues of the day, spring teaches us to remain hopeful despite our challenges.”

Yes, there will always be more written on Spring – the joy, the returning of the light and the renewal of life. In southern Sweden, where I live, the cranes are the first heralds of spring, gigantic V – ploughs in the skies, heading for their breeding places up north.

Magic birds were dancing in the mystic marsh. The grass swayed with them, and the shallow waters, and the earth fluttered under them. The earth was dancing with the cranes, and the low sun, and the wind and sky.

― Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Every year, in March and the beginning of April, tens of thousands of cranes return from Africa to Sweden to rest at Hornborgasjön. This day, in 2014, there were more than 19000 of them. Their trumpeting calls were deafening, but their dancing joy was pure ballet.

I watch the trees all dressed up in the Spring,
While posing as they stand in line,
Placing their best foot forward, showing off their leaves and fighting for attention,
One tree at a time
― Charmaine J Forde 

Trees are at my heart, and this forest is my home every day – not the least in May.

Spring is not a season; it is a mysterious illusionist who sets off fireworks in the depths of our soul!
― Mehmet Murat ildan

When the rapeseed unleashes its yellow flames – I am there with camera, and eyes aglow.

It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.
― Rainer Maria Rilke 

This cherry tree was planted when my daughter Emma was born, 30 years ago.

In the winter you may want the summer; in the summer, you may want the autumn; in the autumn, you may want the winter; but only in the spring you dream and want no other season but the spring!
― Mehmet Murat ildan

I enjoy the spring more than the autumn now. One does, I think, as one gets older.
― Virginia Woolf

Tina writes that ”We have been given the gift of time – to learn more about ourselves and the world around us, and to develop a new or renewed appreciation for living every moment.” I am convinced this is a lesson for us all, and even more for some. Hopefully we will come out better humans, humans knowing that we should not return completely to the old ways of living. What we need is a sustainable world – and that is the gift we must hand over to our children.

Thank you for all your funny, creative and lovely summer memories and we hope to see you next week, when Patti is our host for Autumn. Until then, stay safe and well!