I have a tendency to overthink these challenges and am stuck with choosing the photos for them. Here I am once again caught in this mental spiral, feeling paralyzed by my own expectations. To be honest, it is suitably annoying every time, as I find myself questioning every little detail. I start to analyze the colors, the composition, and even how well the images resonate with the theme I’m trying to convey. This self-imposed pressure makes the task feel more daunting than it really is, which only adds to my frustration. I know I just need to pick something and move on, but the fear of making the wrong choice keeps pulling me back into this cycle of indecision. And all this over a weekly photo challenge 😂 I am totally aware no one looks at them that closely.
I fell in love with North Norway, especially for its breathtaking mountains. The scale of the mountains is impossible to capture. The images captures Hatteng, located along the E6 road in the municipality of Storfjorden, where the impressive Otertinden mountain, rising to 1356 meters, dominates the background. This photo showcases a scenic highway, with the E6 winding through the verdant landscapes of the Lyngenfjord and Signaldalen valleys, flanked by dense trees. In the foreground, a black car drives away from the viewer, with a few caravans visible further ahead. Towering mountains with rugged, rocky peaks, some adorned with patches of snow, rise majestically under a bright blue sky dappled with clouds.
Standing on the Skibotn pier by the Lyngenfjord, you’ll be captivated by the incredible perspective offered by the vast landscape around you. The majestic Lyngen Alps loom impressively, their jagged peaks soaring over 1,800 meters, giving you a real sense of depth and scale that is simply breathtaking. As you take in the view, you can spot specific formations: Lyngen Alps (Lyngsalpene) dramatically lining the fjord’s western side, Nallagais, a notable local peak, and Imagais, the massif that rises directly above the scenery. Don’t forget Balggesvarr, which frames the area beautifully, along with Storfjellet, the “Great Mountain” that stands proud in Storfjord municipality, and the peaks around Steindalsbreen, bordering the nearby glacier valley, all enhancing the impressive scale of this stunning region.
A wide landscape photo showcases a serene coastal scene with shallow water and patches of exposed ground in the foreground, emphasizing the vastness of the beach. In the distance, a calm body of water stretches towards a majestic range of misty Lyngenfjord mountains partially covered in snow, which loom high above and are shrouded by low clouds, enhancing the sense of scale. Small boats dot the water, illustrating the scale of the landscape and providing perspective against the imposing mountains. Soft rays of sunlight pierce through the clouds, casting gentle illumination on the rugged terrain and creating a peaceful, ethereal atmosphere. The sky above is mostly clear with scattered clouds, adding to the tranquil and expansive feeling of the scene.
Last week, your replies to Sofia’s challenge showcased some awesome wonders from all over the globe, highlighting the incredible variety of natural and man-made marvels that our planet has to offer. Big thanks to everyone who jumped in on the challenge and shared their unique perspectives! I am still continuing the theme here, as the views were so wondrous that I felt compelled to explore even more aspects of these remarkable sights. The majestic mountains, the beauty of our world.
Thanks to John for this week’s great challenge. I have to say I struggled with this one. I have worked on it for days, mostly trying to find new photos for it, and that meant editing my raw files. If you would like to join the challenge, please be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to his post Lens-Artists #403: Perspective, Depth, and Scale.
Be sure to check back on Saturday, June 27 at noon eastern time when Beth will be hosting the challenge.
You can keep up with all of our challenges by subscribing to the Lens-Artists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Beth. Ritva,
For information on how to join the Lens-Artists challenge please click here.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 
Beautiful collection! Really like the long road image, draws you in! A couple family members of mine just arrived home from Norway, they too loved it! Quite the experience apparently! I can relate to over thinking the challenges as well, if anything we are passionate about our own photography!!!
A wonderful collection of scale Ritva. That long road is so good. Maybe as I am familiar with roads like that here. The last photo is a wow
Ritva, you’ve truly met the challenge. Scale, depth, perspective; all are showcased in your selections.
Your struggle paid off. I’m drawn into all these photos, and now find that my love affair with Sweden is going to have to extend to all of Scandinavia (you had already sold me on Finland).
Excellent Ritva. I always check out your blogs, in fact, I go out of my way to do so because they’re always good to read and illustrated with great photography. Well, Just like this post 🙂
Wonderful series in answer to the challenge, Ritva.
I particularly liked the last image. Not necessarily in answer to the challenge, but I love the dreamy atmosphere it creates. The faint image of the high mountains in the distance and the flat, seemingly unending stretch of water and sand in the foreground. Clouds have a great way of suggesting distance too.
I can also resonate with your introduction to this post. I’ve had to give a miss to the last 3 challenges due to my indecision with my choices in these Lens-Artist challenges. I can’t restrict my number of images either. I spend so much time asking myself whether I’ve answered the challenge I run out of time to actually upload a post.
I know, not the best photos for the challenge, but I had not edited most of my images and wanted to share new ones. Making the cut is so hard. And this only a fun, not that serious challenge. No prices are given.
I can assure you that I do look closely, Ritva, but I know exactly what you mean. I rarely find anything to fault in your challenge photos. I wouldn’t dare! Happy weekend, hon xx
Perfect choices for the challenge. My favorite is the second one, the long and winding road.
Ritva, your stunning images are perfect for the challenge!
Ritva, your artistic dilemma makes me grateful that I’m not artistic! I just find a picture I like. Your choices are beautiful. I agree that the winding road is an amazing image.
Beautiful vistas. All of them so well photographed.
Ritva, your choices are magnificent. I’m sorry you had to worry about which photos to use. The mountains, the lines, the colors, and the whole gallery were simply beautiful. I share some of the worries you mentioned in your post, but a year or so ago, I made a decision to pick one theme for my responses and stick with it. That way, I don’t have to select too many photos. I often go with 4-6 images only. Many remain in my catalog, but I know there’ll be other chances to use them.
Those mountain ranges are beautiful
Epic scenery, Ritva. We are our worst critics, most of the time, it just shows how much we care.
A wonderful gallery – as always! And I love Norway ever since our first visit there when we were young. We have kept returning…in the beginning every year. Your serene pictures make me want to go soon again – it’s been some years.
The mountains fascinate as well as the valleys and the sweet people. I always watch a Norwegian program called “Där ingen kunde tro att någon kunde bo”. Don’t know if you have it in Finland? A translation might be something like: Where nobody would beleive anyone could live”.
Thank you for your lovely pictures!