The Ateneum Museum in Helsinki, designed by architect Theodor Höijer in the Neo-Renaissance style and completed in 1887, originally served both art education and museum functions. Tall arched frames, ornate moldings, and weathered details reveal the building’s 19th-century character, while sculptural decoration adorns the façade between the upper-floor windows. These architectural elements create striking lines of light, shadow, and reflection for the camera, though the building also contains some more modern windows that mark later periods of use and renovation.
Photograph no. 26000 24 October 1991 Jouko Könönen / Central Art Archives title of the work: Ateneum building façade photographs
Ateneum is the most visited museum in Helsinki, I have shared photos from it before, but it does not hurt to share some of them again. The exterior shot is not mine, I’ve given credit were due,
It’s Thursday, but I am still silent as it is Wednesday. What a relief; sometimes it’s hard to say something when it’s a pretty image—oh well, I did end up saying something. Oh, one more thing: my imagination started to roam; I made up a village life under these roofs, and one house even has a skylight.
A cluster of delicate woodland mushrooms rises from lush moss beneath a young evergreen tree.
Brian asked for boats for Monochrome Madness: Boats, and here are some I found in my archives. Most of them are from Sri Lanka, taken during our visit many years ago. I still remember the quiet harbours, the worn wooden hulls pulled up on the sand, and the small fishing boats gently rocking on the water. The details of those days have faded a little, but the feel of the place and the rhythm of the sea have stayed with me, and these boats bring those memories back. Perhaps their boats are in better shape these days; I would love to revisit and see how things have changed. The last one is from Finland, and the two images above from Thailand.
You can link your own boat images to Brian’s post or to the Monochrome Madness main page if you would like to join in.
Colorful fishing boats crowded with fishermen, gear, and perched crows at a bustling harbor.Colorful fishing boats crowd a busy harbor, their flags and weathered hulls reflecting on the calm water.Fishermen work together aboard a colorful wooden boat on calm open waters.A spirited fishermen gathers around a boat during a in morning sun return to harbour, as they straighten the fishnet A traditional sailboat rests on the beach in silhouette beneath the glowing sunsetA colorful Thai fishing boat navigates choppy coastal waters with a forested island in the background.A traditional wooden boat rests on calm, hazy waters beside floating huts and fishing nets.A lone wooden boat glides across rippling water in a striking black-and-white scene.
A misty meadow glows beneath a softly colored morning sky, with wild grasses stretching toward a tree-lined horizon.
Misty meadow, barely waking,
Tall grasses breathe in ribbons of gold,
cool air combs their seed-soft crowns.
Fog drifts low, a quiet tide,
folding the tree line into its pale pocket
of green and embered amber.
Morning light loosens from a pastel sky,
rose and lavender sifting down—
the whole field scented with leaf-soft autumn,
with the hush of a season turning
so gently you can almost miss it.
For this week’s Monday Window, I have just one photo. It is of our builder putting up the first wall frame as I looked at him working through the window.
These piles of logs are keeping my husband busy. The only problem is that we’re still trying to figure out where to store all of them, along with two similar piles stacked behind the house.
Freshly split firewood fills a forest cottage yard beneath tall pines and colorful autumn trees.Freshly split firewood piles beside a wheelbarrow in a peaceful autumn woodland yard
Get ready to rock ’n’ roll—it’s time for some music! Don’t stress, you don’t need to know your Beyoncé from your Beethoven to join in this challenge. Whether it’s a street artist down the street, local band or a world‑famous rockstar on stage, this challenge is all about capturing the energy, excitement, and emotion of live music—or anything connected to it. Think instruments, the crowd, listeners, and most importantly, the emotions and feelings that music sparks in us all. Fun, peace, happiness, comfort when times are tough—music brings us together and lifts our spirits. A great photo should try to bottle a little bit of that magic.
One might consider this music too
Cello
Now for the fun part – just roll with the theme! You can shoot in black and white, color, with flash or without, from the middle of the crowd or right up close with the performers. Focus on the musicians, the audience, the lights, or any little detail that grabs your attention. The main thing is to let your creativity loose and capture a moment that really shows the spirit of the music. It doesn’t need to be fancy, either – it could be a macro of part of an instrument, or someone zoning out with their headphones on. Music and photography are both creative playgrounds – show us how you mash them together.
I love photographing concerts, rehearsals, and street performers – even someone simply listening to music can tell a whole story in one frame. Use the stage lights, deep shadows, and silhouettes to help create a moody atmosphere. Watch the connection between the musician, their instrument, and the crowd – that’s usually where the magic happens. And remember to capture the small reactions and expressions that show how the music really feels to people.
A shelf filled with music CDs and jewel cases arranged spine-out. Visible titles include Leonard Cohen, The Clash, The Cranberries, The Cure, Crowded House, The Cult, Donna Summer, Miles Davis, Ray Davies, Sam Cooke, Bad Vibes Lloyd Cole, and others, with a bright red Leonard Cohen collection standing out near the center. The dark shelf, varied black, white, red, and metallic spines, and slightly worn cases create a nostalgic archival mood,
I want to thank Anne for her wonderful theme. You don’t need a fancy camera to take good photographs; you just need to look, see, and move around. This was evident in the posts I saw. And about this week’s challenge: I will certainly reply to all posts linked to my post, but please don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag in your posts so people can find your challenge entries in WP Reader.
Next week, Egídio is giving us a new challenge that I am sure you do not want to miss. Check out his site and the WP reader at noon EST in the USA.
Until then, let’s keep exploring, broadening our horizons, and maintaining a positive mindset
Finding these little gems of color and detail is a joy, and there’s no need to go any farther than the front door—just step outside, wander through the yard, and let your eyes linger on the quiet corners where beauty has been hiding all along. I think this is a buckthorn leaf, whatever it is the colors are lovely,
A vibrant autumn leaf shifts from golden yellow to warm crimson against a softly blurred green background.A vibrant autumn leaf hangs among green foliage, glowing against a softly blurred woodland background.Sunlit green and autumn leaves glow with warm golden color in a softly blurred natural setting. I like the shadow that falls on the green leaf.
Yesterday, October first, was a lovely day here, where I spent most of my time outside. Sunny, blue skies and warm air wrapped around me as I sat on the patio and looked at the maple tree behind our barbecue, glowing in rich yellow. The leaves almost seemed to shimmer in the light, and I felt the need to go and take a photo.
Lately, I’ve been spending more time looking in that direction, as our yard is a total mess with all the log piles and construction going on. It’s a bit chaotic, so my eyes keep drifting toward the one calm, beautiful corner. Once again I got off the topic, rambling on, but that’s how my thoughts wander when I’m out there.
I took several directions to see which angle would be more favorable, moving a little closer, then stepping back to see how the light hit the leaves from different sides. Then I took a short stroll to find other spots of color in my yard, framing each scene so that the mess stayed invisible and only the quiet, bright parts showed through.
I liked this shot the best.
Golden autumn leaves glow among birch and evergreen trees beside a rustic log shed.
Golden autumn rowan tree leaves glow in the sunlight against field and a lush woodland backdrop.
An old log cabin with a bright roof emerges through birch trees and autumn foliage of ferns.
I took this photo of a fashion mannequin in a Louis Vuitton window display that celebrated 130 years of monogram design in Helsinki. This is not a new photo, but I thought it would work well in different edits. The image includes city reflections and artistic elements such as a red sculptural hotel boy. I did three versions of it: first is B&W with spots of color, photography style, an expressionist, and watercolor illustrations. One more thing, I enjoyed playing with this image.
A fashion mannequin stands in a Louis Vuitton-inspired window display celebrating 130 years of monogram design, framed city reflections.
A fashion mannequin stands in a Louis Vuitton-inspired window display, framed and city reflections. Using black and white edit with some chosen color effects
A fashion mannequin stands in a Louis Vuitton-inspired window display celebrating 130 years of monogram design, framed by a red sculptural shoe and city reflections. Done as a expressionist painting
A watercolor fashion illustration commemorating Louis Vuitton design, featuring a mannequin, travel bag, and vintage document.
Churches are always a treat to photograph – old ones are more interesting to me. This is the medieval church of Lammi was built between 1490 and 1510.
the medieval church of Lammi was built between 1490 and 1510.
A historic the medieval church of Lammi : a stone-and-brick church with an ornate arched entrance, round window, and steep tiled roof under a clear blue sky.
Here is so information to those who are interested.
According to current research, the medieval church of Lammi was built between 1490 and 1510. The church is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a learned virgin martyr who died in the year 307. Before this church, there were two older churches in Lammi, possibly built of wood.
Christianity has probably been known in Lammi already since the 11th century. This view is based on a burial find from the Honkaliini cemetery in Lammi. The first records of the church of Lammi date from the 1420s, and the Lammi administrative parish is mentioned as early as 1374. According to the history of the parish of Lammi, both of these references are based on the research of Väinö Voionmaa. It is likely that the ecclesiastical parish is just as old as Lammi as an administrative parish. The area of the ecclesiastical parish of Lammi was roughly the same as that of the administrative parish, and the parish boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages. The only change has been that Koski HL (now Hämeenkoski), which from the Middle Ages onwards belonged to the parish of Lammi as a chapel congregation, became independent in 1870.
Until 1918 the church had a wooden interior, which was largely destroyed by fire during the Finnish Civil War on 29 April 1918, leaving only the grey stone walls and destroying the 1692 pulpit, part of the archives, the belfry and its medieval bell. The subsequent reconstruction of the church and belfry was designed by architect Usko Nyström, the wall and ceiling paintings were created by artist Bruno Tuukkanen with assistants B. Liukko and J. Grönvall, and the altar crucifix, pulpit sculptures of the evangelists, seven-branched candlesticks and triptych were carved by Austrian-born Ateneum sculpture teacher Johan Friedl.
The large altar table, the altar rail and the pulpit were made in Lammi at Nyberg’s carpentry workshop. The pews were also carved in Lammi. The blue wooden ornamental decoration at the east end of the altar and the hymn board in the chancel were carved by the Lammi artist Taimi Nyberg. The originally wooden belfry was rebuilt so that its lower part is now built of stone. The new bells were obtained from the military church in Papula, Viipuri. The post-fire restoration of the church was completed by Midsummer 1920.
Lately I have only used my IPhone and old Sony camera with the macro lens – I have not purchased one for my new camera.
I started out with my Sony and took a bunch of shots for Anne’s LAPC, “Move Yourself.” Since my macro lens doesn’t zoom, I was literally walking around, hunting for something interesting. I was drawn to this mix of brown fallen leaves, moss, and bright green wood sorrel. Wood sorrel has these delicate, three-lobed, heart-shaped leaves that look a bit like clover, only slimmer, and they often fold downward when it’s dark or rainy. I found these tiny plants in the woods, happily growing in shady, damp patches among the moss and fallen leaves.
Rain-speckled wood sorrel leaves and vibrant moss create a lush woodland scene among autumn leaves.
This was me having fun, I was looking at the water in a water barrel, the ripples on it as I slightly pushed it and as a occasional drop of water landing on it. I caught this expression 🙄.
A blue barrel of water creates a mesmerizing abstract reflection of the sky, trees, and photographer, me, now you know what I look like.
Sharing with Brian’s Last on the Card, it is unbelievable that one month has already passed. It does seem to be true to older you get the quicker time goes by
A week with no particular theme for Monochrome Madness. So I had two choices, totally different, other than that they are both in monochrome – or black and white. One of them you might remember from a recent post, and I wanted to let you see how it converted to B&W – I thought it worked really well and gained a slightly different mood.
This is how I would describe the first image: A quiet black-and-white scene opens onto a still lake, its surface edged by a rocky, forested shore. Tall pines and slender birches rise along the right, while the far woods soften and disappear into a pale, overcast mist. The water lies glassy and mute, holding the trees and sky in a dim reflection. To the left, a small dock and, nearer the viewer, a single fishing float offer the slightest trace of human presence. The pared-back tones and unhurried composition leave the image hanging in a contemplative, almost hushed mood.
The mood is different in them the other image shows a calm lake bordered by a rocky, forested shoreline of tall pine and birch trees. The glassy water reflects the dense woodland in long vertical patterns, while a small dock extends into the lake on the left and a floating marker sits in the foreground. Soft mist or haze lightens the distant trees and bright sky, creating a quiet, minimalist atmosphere.
The third photo is a set of stairs leading to an inviting porch in autumn, full of texture and gentle light. Which is your preference, and what draws you more: the familiar image transformed, or the quiet promise of that autumn porch, mayne with some candles in lovely lanterns?
A black-and-white view of a weathered wooden porch, framed by ornate columns and leading up to a quiet double do
This café I visited feels more like a home than a café. It is so inviting and cozy, filled with the warmth and character of a well-loved, lived-in home, the kind of place where you instantly want to sit down, relax, and stay a while.
Sharing these images from some time back with Monday Window: 28 September 2026. Hope you all have a great week.
A woman in a straw hat sits beside an open window of a weathered white house, with bookshelves visible inside.
A cozy, book-filled dining room glows with warm pendant light beside an open window and a tea-set table. I did too edits of this photo the other is set as a header.
A warmly lit Cafe interior opens onto a cozy dining room filled with books, glassware, and vintage furnishings.
I took these this morning, first sunny day in a week, it was so welcome sight. This path leads to my summer house, sharing them with Johns Cellpic Sunday
A sunlit autumn path winds through a colorful birch and evergreen forest.
This week it is Anne´s turn to host us with a great theme, MOVE YOURSELVES. Photography, to me, is about showing what I see and how I compose it. You need a camera, a willingness to really look, and the freedom to move toward your subject to find the right angle, distance, and light. It is as much about quiet observation as it is about action, taking the time to notice small details and relationships in the scene. In the end, it is always a return to the basics: seeing clearly, moving with intention, and framing the moment in a way that feels true. Anne challenge is all about that.
A close-up of three glossy red wild rose hips nestled among vivid green leaves.
Last week here in Finland, we had miserable weather. Rain, drizzle, low clouds – the day never really got bright. Yet with rain come droplets, and I’m known to show a lot of love toward that subject. On days like this, I slow down and simply watch how the droplets gather on leaves, branches, , each one holding a tiny, upside‑down world inside. The light is soft and diffused, wrapping gently around every surface so that even the smallest bead of water catches a quiet glow instead of a harsh reflection. Gloomy weather also simplifies the scene, removing distractions and letting subtle tones, reflections, and shapes guide the composition.
I found these mushrooms on a tree trunk that is on a path to decay. The photo shows many sheathed woodtufts (Kuehneromyces mutabilis), but telling them apart from the highly poisonous funeral bell (Galerina marginata) requires careful examination of the stem, because the caps look very similar.
The grass was covered in tiny droplets, each one catching the light in a slightly different way. I took my time, just looking—tracing the lines of the blades, noticing how the droplets clustered, how they broke into patterns and rhythms that I felt could become a strong photograph. The way the light slid across the surface, the soft reflections, and the contrast between sharp edges and blurred textures all started to suggest a composition. Because I was working with a macro lens that has no zoom, every change in framing meant that I had to move myself, slowly and deliberately, bending closer and adjusting my position by small increments to fine-tune the focus and preserve the delicate balance of light, texture, and form in the scene.
These were easier to take, as the branches were on eye level. Closer and closer I got… Billard’s bridewort had only this one flower left all the others had turned brown.
Delicate water droplets cling to a green leaf, creating a shimmering macro scene against a softly blurred background.
Check out Anne’s original post and link you post to hers. Please don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag in your posts so people can find your challenge entries.
Ann-Christine had us thinking about HARMONY last week, and it reminded us just how deeply we need it in our lives. The challenge inspired so many different and creative ways to express harmony—quiet moments in nature, balanced compositions, gentle colors, and heartfelt stories—and the posts I saw were filled with the calm, connection, and beauty we were hoping for. Thank you to everyone who joined in and shared your unique vision; together, you created a rich, soothing tapestry of images and ideas.
Next week, I’ll be introducing a brand-new challenge, which will go live Saturday October 3rd at noon EST in the USA. Mark your calendars and stop by then to discover what I’ve been planning and how you can join in the fun; I can’t wait to see where our lenses take us next.
Until then, let’s keep exploring, broadening our horizons, and maintaining a positive mindset
A tranquil sandy Surf beach stretches toward turquoise waves, distant islands, and a bright blue sky.
After visiting the mountains, it was time to check out some beaches nearby and soak up some rays. We basically had a lazy afternoon at Surf Beach. What’s not to like: lovely views and the relaxing sound of the waves. There were not many people around, as it was not the locals’ vacation time. Ritva sat on the beach taking photographs of seagulls and the waves, while I took a leisurely stroll along the seashore. I couldn’t help myself and collected seashells again. Sea urchin shells are so delicate, but I still managed to transport them to Finland intact. The waves on the beach were quite heavy for my liking, but I managed to swim anyway. The water of the Pacific Ocean felt cool at first, but after getting used to it, it was easy to stay in for a long time.
The following morning Ritva took portraits of Heli, Rod and Baxter the dog (I think they came out rather nice). After the photoshoot the destination was Ulladulla and Mollymook Beach, where we had lunch with Denise and Tracy, who live just before Ulladulla. Denise and Tracy are Heli’s friends whom we had met a couple of times before; they are so much fun—once in Finland and the other time at Caseys Beach. We can highly recommend Mollymook Beach for the scenery and most likely for swimming and surfing as well, although we didn’t try those last two. By the way, if you haven’t driven through places like Lillipilli, Ulladulla, Tumbarumba and Tilba Tilba, at least once in a lifetime, you haven’t really lived.
Heli and I relax at a seaside bench overlooking a sunny beach, rolling turquoise waves at Mollymook Beach and a tree-lined coastal neighborhood .
Heli and Rod are wonderful hosts and letting us stay there all that time is something we’re very appreciative of.
It was so nice to have morning coffee with this view.
It’s easy to talk to Rod, for example, about politics. He is a timid and quiet ex-civil servant with hardly any opinions of his own. NOT! He’s a very loud person joking, laughing and swearing all the time. And he’s not afraid to speak his mind. However, we didn’t get into arguments or fistfights about anything. We basically agreed on most things political, at least. Rod is from a small community in Victoria, where his parents scraped by farming the land. It’s easy to understand he talked quite a bit for the rural communities and that way of living. On top of that Rod spent part of his career fighting for health services for the remote areas. Great bloke! I didn’t talk to Heli that much. Us guys had our own discussions, and the girls talked about soap operas and crocheting, I think. (I will let you keep thinking that) Actually, Heli was constantly giving us ideas about what to see and where to go. We talked a lot about families, of course. And she kept us fed with beautiful meals from morning till dinnertime. After dinner the old fogies retired to their room and went to sleep. Caseys Beach was beautiful. Our hosts’ home is only about 30 meters from the sea, and you could see dolphin just about every other day. And waves hitting the shore was so relaxing. It was easy falling to sleep listening their hypnotic rhythm our bedroom window open.
Text Mara Sillanmäki
I have posted several posts about the first half of our trip, I will add the links to them if you wish to have a look, they are in the order I posted them Sydney – Adelaide – South Australia – Victoria -NSW
Got a peaceful start to the day, after a long weekend, by walking along the beach and on the rocks. It was a good workout, climbing and balancing on the rocky beach and picking up seashells. We took it easy for the rest of the day, but in the evening we got the call that it would be okay after all to go and visit Ritva’s cousin, Kari, and his wife, Susan, in Talbingo. Talbingo is a small town in the mountainous area of Kosciuszko National Park and only 370 km, or about a 4-hour drive, from where we were staying in Batehaven, NSW. 😊
Up the Clyde Mountain again and around Canberra. We drove 3,5 hours until we stopped in town of Gundogai in a restaurant called Oliver’s. We had to stop there because one of our grandsons is called Oliver. Once again, we saw towns with cute names: Tumbarumba, Wagga Wagga and Tumut. Tumut is a town closest to Talbingo that has grocery stores. The distance is 40 km.
Some were in on the road
Afternoon and evening were spent catching up with Susan and Kari. However, I took a little walk because I knew from the previous visit that the kangaroos would appear in the close by park. Got some pictures of the ‘roos even though they didn’t allow me to get close by. And I must not forget to mention the mountains that surround the town. Lakes, mountains, quiet, what more can you ask for your retirement home. Well maybe general store would be nice, but it closed few years ago.
Talbingo at dusk
Talbingo area has couple of dams built along Tumut River and power plant that produces plenty of electricity to a wider region. Two reservoirs were formed because of the dams: Talbingo and Blowering Reservoirs. In the morning, we drove to the Talbingo Reservoir that the locals call Top Lake. On the way we drove by the power plant. The pipes that we running to it from the reservoir didn’t look like much but actually you could drive a double-decker bus inside of them.
Being off-season Top Lake was really quiet. There were only two teenager and us four. Or I should say five because Susan and Kari have a beautiful Akita dog named Nischka. She is big but so peaceful. I’m digressing. Last time our host couple’s friends, Chris and Maggie, took us for a boat ride and waterskiing on Top Lake. Unfortunately, they don’t live there anymore, and we ended up just enjoying the scenery. Susan found a beautiful piece of driftwood on the beach, and she was gracious enough to give it to us. Now it has a special place on our dresser. I can only imagine how long it had been in the water to be so smooth.
As I mentioned before, Kari and his father and maybe one or two more of the brothers were laying the groundwork for the new Parliament House. I say maybe because I heard so many stories from all Ritva’s relatives it is hard to keep up with them.
Later in the afternood we headed back to Caseys Beach we didn’t want to bother our hosts. They were both under the weather. We only stopped at Braidwood, after a three-hour drive. Heli had recommended Braidwood Bakery. We got there too late, just before closing time, and there was hardly anything left to buy and eat. However, we got to Caseys Beach just in time to one of Heli’s scrumptious dinners.
