My name is Ritva. I am an avid, self-taught photographer from southern Finland, currently living in Kirkkonummi. Interest in life is evident in my diverse subjects, capturing anything that catches my eye. Whether it’s the delicate intricacies of a plant, the breathtaking beauty of a landscape, or the compelling energy of urban life, My lens finds and celebrates beauty in all its forms. Nature serves as an enduring wellspring of inspiration for me, as I seek out and immortalize its enchanting moments. Additionally, in portrait photography I try to capture human emotion and connection , as I aim to encapsulate the very essence of each fleeting moment.
I totally enjoy playing with photos and immersing oneself in the editing process. It’s truly satisfying to have the flexibility that shooting in RAW provides, opening up a world of possibilities for editing. I’m of the same mindset when it comes to photo editing; I prefer to maintain the authenticity of the moment captured, striving to avoid over-editing and keeping the essence of the shot true to life. However, I also appreciate the occasional opportunity to explore artistic expressions through my edits, transforming images into minimalist monochrome representations that beautifully convey the essence and emotion of the scene. Or using colors to enhance the mood of the image. This delicate balance between realism and artistic expression is what makes photo editing such a captivating endeavor for me.
Inspiration and ideas change. My knowledge changes and grows. Each piece I create is simultaneously an extension from the past, where I’ve come from and what I’ve learned, as well as a preview of the future, where I’m going.
I do not classify myself as just a photographer, as some might think from looking at my work. I am a sculptor, a painter, a photographer, an artist.
If a viewer stops for just a moment to view and reflect on a photograph, a photo collage or a painting I have created, then I have succeeded in my work.
The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant with a sizeable daisy-like flower face. Its scientific name comes from the Greek words helios (“sun”) and anthos (“flower”). The flowers come in many colors (yellow, red, orange, maroon, brown), but they are commonly bright yellow with brown centers that ripen into heavy heads filled with seeds. Sunflowers make excellent cut flowers, and many attract bees, birds, and butterflies.
Sunflowers are heliotropic, which means that they turn their flowers to follow the movement of the Sun across the sky from east to west and then return at night to face the east, ready again for the morning sun.
Lovely song, two beautiful voices – vocal harmony.
And also the version from Glen Campbell -What a Beautiful voice… So gifted in his vocal range and flexibility.
Lepis is hosting Saturday Classics, you can add your own link here Saturday Classics
On Her page she writes: This blog is back with hosting the Classics after few years break. This time we’ll be playing on Saturdays and you can link straight here on this own page. Rules: There are no rules, as long as the song you play is a classic in your mind. Linking open 8 am and closes 12 pm.
Janet of This, That, and the Other Thing who is hosting this week check her beautiful images and her wonderful theme which explores how we can easily overlook treasures if we don’t stop and truly see our surroundings.
I don’t know if these are overlooked, as I have noticed them, but would your have taken time to take photos of old mattress springs. I have plenty from different angles. I like how the colors came out in this one.
A detail from a mattress spiring
Moss well the details are often overlooked, but I often look to see if there is something popping up worth taking the camera out.
Reflections, well are popular with photographers I think, I am always on a lookout for them.
Here are some odd ones, or not, we all have our own niches what we like to photograph
Remember to link to your post and use the Lens-Artists tag in the reader section. Thanks Janet 🙂 for hosting, this was fun.
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
We have had what we a typical Finnish summer lately, that’s to say, constantly changing weather, rain, clouds, sunshine and anything between.
Clouds at the harbor
Lahti harbour is where you will meet us Lahti residents, and summer residents especially in the summer. The harbour is full of restaurants and cafés. We had coffee at cafe Kariranta Located in the old Vesijärvi train station building, Kariranta is the true gem of the harbour. Pastries baked in the café will make your mouth water.
Coffee and strawberry and blueberry cheesecake
We went there after having chosen the paint to our kitchen floor. We have always thought that it was old traditional gray paint used in old houses, and apparently it is, but actually it was green with gray tones. So weird 😊
this week’s Lens Artists Challenge with a theme is unbound. Hosted by Dans departing in 5 mins 🕝 challenges us to show unbound…
I am in a middle of a huge renovation- we had a water damage in our summerhouse kitchen and have to redo the whole kitchen floor, so it is a huge hassle, so still keeping it simple. Not sure this hits the mark in interpretation, but here it goes. These could be throwback photos also 🙂
My youngest sons first day of school
The most important day of a person’s education is the first day of school, not Graduation Day.”
First grade , first day . On the top selection my youngest son and below my middle son on their own first day of school
Learning to ride the bike
Remember to link to your post and use the Lens-Artists tag in the reader section. Thanks Dan 🙂 for hosting
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
I walked around my summer house yard looking for bark, as we have lots of trees on out blot, So all new quickly taken shots for Denzil’sNature Photo Challenge #22Tree Bark
We have lots of birch tree on our yard, new and old one, that are about 100 years old. That ‘ what The photos are.
Young Birch tree bark with and ant
BirchBirchBirch (old tree)Juniper
Juniper
Maple treeMaple barkPussy WillowPussy willow barkPine treeSpruce tree barkbird cherry treehorse chestnut tree
The last two are from my archives, the first one is a from the redwoods and second one is from an old oak tree where the insects had done natures art work. To me it looks like and deer on a walk about.
Lepis is hosting Saturday Classics, you can add your own link here Saturday Classics
On Her page she writes: This blog is back with hosting the Classics after few years break. This time we’ll be playing on Saturdays and you can link straight here on this own page. Rules: There are no rules, as long as the song you play is a classic in your mind. Linking open 8 am and closes 12 pm.
I am writing to to apologize for not having responded to all your comments, I have read them and I appreciate your time that you have taken to write them and look through the photos I have posted. I thank you! Below is my excuse 🙂
Finnish summer is usually mild and warm with temperatures ranging from 15°C to 25°C. The days are long and the nights are short. In fact, during midsummer, the sun never sets in some parts of Finland.
That is a fact and due to that, I like many others, feel quilt if I spend a sunny summer day inside. Weather is topic well discussed here as it can change so quickly, from sunny to cloudy to rain and back again to sunny. As the days are long I spend most of my summer days outdoors.
On a warm sunny morning I start the day by having my breakfast on the patio, the sun is shining bright and the sky is blue. The birds are chirping and the flowers are in full bloom. I love soaking up the sun and enjoying the warm weather, enjoying the peace and quiet of nature. when the time comes to have lunch, we shall enjoy it outside. And well rest of the day is mostly spent outside. We enjoy going to the beach, swimming in lakes, hiking in the forest and having barbecues with friends and family or just sitting and reading, laying in the hammock. Summer, bliss. Basically I am outside from 9 am to 9 pm. Then I am too tired to do anything much.
I tell you all above, because I am outdoors all the time, weather has been OK, not hot, not cold. Comfortable- and I have been outside otherwise I feel like I am committing a crime. We have a long, and cold winter when we get to spend most of our time inside so you HAVE to be out in the summer.
Here are some of our summer joys to accompany this post. Nature is giving us some lovely berries from our own yard. Bilberries from the forest and we have few redcurrants shrubs , strawberries are from the marketplace.
this week’s Lens Artists Challenge with a theme is FENCES. This week Dawn Miller of The Day After challenges us to show fencing as leading lines or as an element to showcase a subject. please check her post for inspiration.
Definition of a fence; A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting.A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length.
One of my favorite views with a fence
Whenever you remove any fence, always pause long enough to ask why it was put there in the first place.
Gilbert K. Chesterton
Brick fences from Cyprus
I have to have one black and white image 🙂
Remember to link to your post and use the Lens-Artists tag in the reader section. Thanks Dawn from The Day After for hosting
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
I have been listening to Jason Isbell for some time as well as Emmylou Harris. No other reason for this song.
“Tupelo” is a song about the hope people can construct to escape their problems, no matter how false those hopes are.
I haven’t been wasted in a long time But tonight it feels just fine Riding home with the windows up Alone with a plastic cup of real good wine
When I get out of this hole I’m goin’ to Tupelo There’s a girl out there that’ll treat me fair You get about a week of spring and the summer is blistering There ain’t no one from here that’ll follow me there No, there ain’t no one from here that’ll follow me there
She said there’s nothing left to talk about At my age I should’ve figured out Which drawer to put the good knives in And the wars between the weekend store and the playhouse town
I kept her close, but way too close to me She never lived up to my memory Driving fast with the windows down A past I don’t belong to now, a mystery
I get out of this hole I’m goin’ to Tupelo There’s a girl out there that will treat me fair You get about a week of spring and then Summer is blistering So there ain’t no one from here that’ll follow me there No, there ain’t no one from here that’ll follow me there
When I get out of this hole I’m goin’ to Tupelo There’s a girl out there that will treat me fair Get about a week of spring and the summer is blistering There ain’t no one from here that’ll follow me there Well, there ain’t no one from here that’ll follow me there
Lepis is hosting Saturday Classics, you can add your own link here Saturday Classics
On Her page she writes: This blog is back with hosting the Classics after few years break. This time we’ll be playing on Saturdays and you can link straight here on this own page. Rules: There are no rules, as long as the song you play is a classic in your mind. Linking open 8 am and closes 12 pm.
Black is a color that lacks hue and brightness and absorbs light without reflecting any of the rays composing it. It is characterized by the absence of light, enveloped in darkness
He is looking for photographs of Black in nature. Guidance: The only criterion is that I would like you to photograph things in nature that are totally or mostly (so let’s say more than two-thirds) black.
Soil is the first thing I thought of, but at the moment everything is mostly green. I was not going to dig for it. Lets start with this pretty bird with a white beak. There is an another one too with a white beak 🙂 and one more. These are few things in nature that I have photographs of that are black.
The Black Phoebe is a dapper flycatcher of the western U.S. with a sooty black body and crisp white belly.
One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel.
European Male Coot
Always seen on or near water, this wetland bird is a great example of a black bird with a white beak. As seen in the picture above it has a white beak with a white patch on its forehead, also known as a frontal shield, they also have red eyes. The males and females are very similar, however in breeding season the male’s frontal shield will be noticeably wider than the female’s.
Black squirrel, black cows and a dog. Alligator – Black?
this week’s Lens Artists Challenge with a theme is SIMPLICITY. Host is Philo of Philosophy Through Photography please check his post for inspiration. He has great ideas and how to approach this challenge. He wrote: I considered selecting simplicity since the modern world is so stressful and chaotic that we are losing the fundamental clarity and simplicity that allow us to concentrate on what is really important. I agree.
Simplicity in photography is the idea of creating images that are easy to understand, clear in their message, and free from unnecessary or distracting elements. Simplicity can enhance the beauty, impact, and mood of a photograph. I kept these techniques in mind when trying to capture simplicity in photography:
Choosing simple scenes that have only a few compositional shapes and colors
Excluding anything that does not add to the story or emotion of the image, such as cluttered backgrounds, unwanted objects, or competing subjects
Using a shallow depth of field to blur out the background and isolate your subject
Using a minimalistic color palette or converting your image to black and white to emphasize contrast, shape, and texture
A simple photograph of a lone tree on a hill with negative space
A black and white street scene with strong contrast and lines
Jewelry, and simple shapes… that’s is were we can find -simple beauty. Monochrome enhance the images.
A single flowers or plant against blurred green background
Often simplicity is achieved by the composition, with negative space.
I love taking photos of old tools and machines with rough look, but there is simplicity in them.
Thank you all for participating in my kitchen inspire challenge 🙂 I was surprised that so many of you came along.
Remember to link to your post and use the Lens-Artists tag in the reader section. Philo of Philosophy Through Photography is this weeks host.
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
I have looked at so many different kitchen inspired shots, like yesterday here I am so happy sitting by the fire and kitchen table I thought I will post a new post. Mainly because the light from the window reflected in a painting I have on my summer house kitchen.
One of the evergreens in my garden and also the ferns growing in nature appeal to me. Obviously I have taken many photos of it. Here are few of my favorite ones.
We drove back to our summer house and as I was sitting by the fireplace it started raining and I went from window to window trying to capture it. These are the unedited photos 😊
It’s summertime… we are happy! Summer rain, my grandkids were having so much fun running in the warm summer rain – thus the reason for this song. Happy weekend no matter what the weather.
… Raindrops are falling on my head And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed Nothing seems to fit Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling
… So I just did me some talking to the sun And I said I didn’t like the way he got things done Sleeping on the job Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling
… But there’s one thing I know The blues they send to meet me Won’t defeat me, it won’t be long Till happiness steps up to greet me
… Raindrops keep falling on my head But that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turning red Crying’s not for me ‘Cause I’m never gonna stop the rain by complaining Because I’m free Nothing’s worrying me
… It won’t be long till happiness steps up to greet me
… Raindrops keep falling on my head But that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turning red Crying’s not for me ‘Cause I’m never gonna stop the rain by complaining Because I’m free Nothing’s worrying me
Lepis is hosting Saturday Classics, you can add your own link here Saturday Classics
On Her page she writes: This blog is back with hosting the Classics after few years break. This time we’ll be playing on Saturdays and you can link straight here on this own page. Rules: There are no rules, as long as the song you play is a classic in your mind. Linking open 8 am and closes 12 pm.
I am hosting this week’s Lens Artists Challenge with a theme of Inspiration found in the kitchen. That is often a place I find something to photograph in an hour of need. It can be a view from the kitchen window or an interior shot of the kitchen. As we know, kitchens may vary from an alley kitchen to an open plan or kitchen-diner. More importantly, the kitchen hides a huge number of small details. Here are some ideas: cultery, glasses, pots and pans. I have done my share of these shots. Food photography, recipe ingredients, as well as a cooked meal can also be found in your kitchen. The possibilities for all kinds of variations are an endless source of inspiration. Let your creativity flow.
I am lucky to have two kitchens. The following items have found their way to my summer house. As you can see from some dust and spiderwebs, these are not in use, but make for nice photos.
Now I have one request and hope you play along. Please share a photo of your favorite cup. No explanations are necessary but hoped for. My cup is old and used to belong to my husband’s grandmother. It is pretty and vintage. I like it. Most importantly, you can have a nice cup of coffee in it.
I cannot make a post about kitchen inspiration without a shot of food. Pizza, with air dried ham, mozzarella and rucola. So good.
I hope you found inspiration and share your kitchen discoveries with us.
Remember to link to this post and use the Lens-Artists tag in the reader section. Next week Philo of Philosophy Through Photography will be presenting a wonderful challenge so look for her post.
If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
Not the typical plant to Finland, so obviously these are not from here, the locations were i took these are Red Rock area in Nevada and Nice in France. The last set is from Crete with yellow flowers.
Cacti, the so important part of nature in the desert. I found these as I went through my archive for this challenge Cacti
I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s NPC #18 Cacti
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 