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 Box Tops came up as I was looking for a song about letters, I remember listening to this song and completely forget about it and then just wake up with it in your head? Yeah it’s the greatest. It’s like seeing a friend you haven’t seen in forever. It goes so well with todays photo of old letters I received when living abroad. I spent long times living away from my love.
First I thought I would make this post vibrate with the music of Bruce Springsteen – Letter To You , which could have been just appropriate. But as I have photos of letters addressed to me…
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane Ain’t got time to take a fast train Lonely days are gone, I’m a-goin’ home My baby, just a wrote me a letter
I don’t care how much money I gotta spend Got to get back to my baby again Lonely days are gone, I’m a-goin’ home My baby, just-a wrote me a letter
The Box Tops is an American rock band formed in Memphis in 1967, The Box Tops’ music combined elements of soul music and light pop. As the Box Tops, they entered the studio to record Wayne Carson Thompson’s song “The Letter”. Though under two minutes in length, the record was an international hit by September 1967, reaching the Hot 100’s number-one position for four weeks, selling over four million copies, earning a gold disc, and receiving two Grammy Award nominations.
At the ‘How to Survive November‘ monthly theme we will combine photo and sound. You can select a piece of music to your taste and find a photo to portray the song or you can make a drawing, painting or collage. The picture can be from your archives or you can get it fresh. Enjoy and have fun!
Nicole Atkins is an American singer-songwriter. Her influences include 1950s crooner music, 1960s psychedelia, soul music, and the Brill Building style of writing. Love the deep & honest emotion, beautiful alto voice.
Don’t tell me My love’s not the one that I want That he’s not the one that I need I’d rather find out for myself
You’re the one Who shakes at the touch of my hand
Nicole Atkins is an American singer-songwriter. Her influences include 1950s crooner music, 1960s psychedelia, soul music, and the Brill Building style of writing. Love the deep & honest emotion, beautiful alto voice.
At the ‘How to Survive November‘ monthly theme we will combine photo and sound. You can select a piece of music to your taste and find a photo to portray the song or you can make a drawing, painting or collage. The picture can be from your archives or you can get it fresh. Enjoy and have fun!
I love this song, it is the magic of this tune, the way Phoebe Snow puts it together sends feelings of sadness reflection and love. I had really hard time finding photos to go with it. But it has certain nostalgia that I thought could go with memories. Hope you listen to this beautiful song 🙂
Tell me what you’re feeling and what it all means. You could be defensive or open up and share your dreams. You can keep right on denying or face me and start crying. ‘Cause this time, when I reach out, it may be my last try. Ooohh baby, I want something real one time before I die.
Phoebe Snow was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, She was described by The New York Times as a “contralto grounded in a bluesy growl and capable of sweeping over four octaves.
We’ll cry until it’s funny, baby. And laugh our selves to tears, yeah. If you’re frightened honey, I’ll hold you through your fears. You see, I’ve had some bad relationships already and I’ve fooled around goin’ steady
At the ‘How to Survive November‘ monthly theme we will combine photo and sound. You can select a piece of music to your taste and find a photo to portray the song or you can make a drawing, painting or collage. The picture can be from your archives or you can get it fresh. Enjoy and have fun!
November will be filled with photos from the archives .
The luxurious flowers of Peony ‘Double Pink’ are ruffled and petal packed, unfurling from round buds in early summer, revealing petal after petal until fully open. Large, flamboyant blooms coupled with a sweet, light fragrance.
Peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is an exquisite herbaceous peony with ruffled, flamingo-pink, double blooms that open from large, and rounded buds. This RHS AGM variety has been popular since its introduction in 1905, and still beguiles gardeners with its sheer flower power. With a slightly taller habit than most, this beauty is one for planting towards the back of perennial borders, where its glamorous blooms will rise above a clump of deeply divided, dark green foliage.
I don’t know which one these are, I do know I love peonies, one of my favorite flowers. I some how was able to kill mine at my summer house, but then again I don’t remember planting it, it appeared and after several year it disappeared… but it was lovely addition to my very scantly garden
When I was a teenager, I loved ABBA, and my favorite was Frida. And even at young age due to having lived already abroad I had this restless streak in me. Always wanting to go, loving the journey, seeing and learning new things. This song resonated to me.
Eagle
These photos are also from my archives, from 2013 when I visited Vancouver are in British Columbia, My photography skills have improved since then also my equipment. I was very happy at the time to have captured these eagles.
They came flying from far away Now I’m under their spell I love hearing the stories that they tell
They’ve seen places beyond my land And they’ve found new horizons They speak strangely but I understand
High, high, I’m a bird in the sky (I’m an eagle) I’m an eagle that rides on the breeze High, high, what a feeling to fly (what a feeling) Over mountains and forests and seas And to go anywhere that I please
British Columbia /Canada
Flying high, high, I’m a bird in the sky I’m an eagle that rides on the breeze High, high, what a feeling to fly Over mountains and forests and seas And to go anywhere that I please
And I dream I’m an eagle And I dream I can spread my wings
At the ‘How to Survive November‘ monthly theme we will combine photo and sound. You can select a piece of music to your taste and find a photo to portray the song or you can make a drawing, painting or collage. The picture can be from your archives or you can get it fresh. Enjoy and have fun!
California dreamin’ On such a winter’s day ( a gray November day)
All the leaves are brown And the sky is gray I’ve been for a walk On a winter’s day I’d be safe and warm If I was in L.A. (San Diego)
California dreamin’ ( On such a winter’s day (November day)
This song, the sentiments are what I have during the winter months, to be anywhere warn and sunny. I lived in San Diego years back in 1990’s and I remember warmly the even temperatures during all year round. These photo I scanned from the paper photos. I don’t know if I would want to live in the states anymore, but back then I enjoyed it. The weather there in California sounds like a dream, at least during winter months , certainly worth dreaming about.
At the ‘How to Survive November‘ monthly theme we will combine photo and sound. You can select a piece of music to your taste and find a photo to portray the song or you can make a drawing, painting or collage. The picture can be from your archives or you can get it fresh. Enjoy and have fun!
I don’t know if I have enough music related photographs for a month, but we will see… here is the second one.
As Michael Monroe was mentioned in my previous post, so he s is a obvious choice for my second post. I haven’t seen Hanoi Rock in a concert, but Michael Monroe I saw at business event I attended few years back. I have to say that he is an energetic performer and took these photos with my mobile. Not the best of quality, but it is what it is.
The next song is a “It’s a tongue-in-cheek tale about letting go of the ‘good old days’ and finding the things that make you happy here and now”
At the ‘How to Survive November‘ monthly theme we will combine photo and sound. You can select a piece of music to your taste and find a photo to portray the song or you can make a drawing, painting or collage. The picture can be from your archives or you can get it fresh. Enjoy and have fun!
At the ‘How to Survive November‘ monthly theme we will combine photo and sound. You can select a piece of music to your taste and find a photo to portray the song or you can make a drawing, painting or collage. The picture can be from your archives or you can get it fresh. Enjoy and have fun!
I don’t know if I have enough music related photographs for a month, but we will see… here is the first one.
I took this photo of Stiv Bators in Las Vegas, but I’m quoting my husband’s text, as he had already written it and he is much better with words than I am. Note, I was a girlfriend then 🙂
Meeting punk rock superstars in Las Vegas in 1987. Those were the days… in the 80s you could walk into rock clubs in Las Vegas without a press card. My favorite band at the time, The Lords of the New Church, came to Vegas for a gig and the intention was to do an interview. Since I was a big fan, my girlfriend Ritva and I went outside the club a few hours before the gig to hang out. I even managed to run into Brian James, who was responsible for Lords’ songs, and his Swedish-Finnish wife. We talked with Brian, e.g. about the current tour and The Damned’s gig in Brighton in 1977, which I managed to see during the hot summer of punk. James was previously the guitarist of The Damned. I told Brian that I had interviewed The Damned a few months earlier. Brian James was responsible for the composition of the first ever punk single recorded for a major label, The Damned’s New Rose, and a large part of the band’s early punk songs.
After The Lords’ gig, we even got to greet the band in back stage. Group photos with Brian and his wife were also taken, but unfortunately they failed. After all, Ritva managed to take a few photos from the soundcheck. The Lords of the New Church was a kind of punk super band. Guitarist Brian James had previously played in The Damned, singer Stiv Bators in Dead Boys, bassist Dave Tregunna had played in Sham 69. Drummer Nick Turner was not quite as well known for his previous achievements. Stiv Bators (born Steven Bator) of the legendary band Dead Boys is once again relevant with the documentary Stiv Bators: No Compromises, No Regrets available on Netflix. The documentary is OK, but somehow superficial.
Finland was mentioned anyway, in the form of Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe. of Hanoi Rocks. After all, Bators and Monroe were good friends and also roommates. Monroe has often mentioned Stiv, for example in interviews and in his biography. Monroe is quickly ignored in the documentary, and he is not even interviewed, which I think is a big stylistic mistake or Michael has not agreed to br interviewed? The documentary also lacks a lot of other things, i.e. the music recorded by Stiv Bators for a large part. Again, it must be about music usage rights. Brian James and Stiv Bators were not rock superstars, but their meeting was important to me at the time.
Lainaan mieheni tekstin, hän sen kun oli jo valmiiksi kirjoittanut
Punkrockin supertähtiä tapaamassa Las Vegasissa 1987.Ennen kaikki oli paremmin… 80-luvulla pystyi kävelemään rock-klubeille Las Vegasissakin ilman pressikorttia. Sen aikainen suosikkiyhtyeeni The Lords of the New Church tuli Vegasiin keikalle ja tarkoitus oli tehdä haastattelu. Koska olin kova fani, niin menimme tyttöystävä Ritvan kanssa muutama tunti ennen keikkaa klubin ulkopuolelle ihan bändäreinä hengailemaan. Onnistuinkin törmäämään Lordsin biiseistä vastanneeseen Brian Jamesiin ja hänen ruotsinsuomalaiseen vaimoonsa. Tarinaa tuli iskettyä jonkin aikaa ennen kuin bändin sound check alkoi. Juttelimme Brianin kanssa mm. kuluvasta kiertueesta sekä The Damned -yhtyeen keikasta Brightonissa vuonna 1977, jonka onnistuin siis näkemään kuumana punkkesänä. Jameshan oli aiemmin The Damnedin kitaristi. Kerroin Brianille, että olin haastatellut The Damnedia muutama kuukausi aiemmin, mutta se on toinen tarina.Brian James vastasi kaikkien aikojen ensimmäisen isolle levy-yhtiölle levytetyn punksingle sävellyksestä, The Damnedin New Rosesta, ja isosta osasta bändin ekojen älppäreiden biiseistä.
The Lordsien keikan jälkeen päästiin vielä moikkaamaan bändiä back stagelle tai pieneen luukkuun, jota artistilämpiöksi huonolla omallatunnolla voi kutsua. Yhteiskuvatkin Brianin ja hänen vaimonsa kanssa otettiin, mutta valitettavasti ne epäonnistuivat. Soundcheckistä sentään Ritva onnistui ottamaan muutaman kuvan.The Lords of the New Churchan oli erään lainen punkin superyhtye. Kitaristi Brian James oli siis vaikuttanut aiemmin The Damned -yhtyeessä, laulaja jenkkiläisessä Stiv Bators Dead Boysissa, basisti Dave Tregunnan vyöllä oli pesti Sham 69 -bändissä. Rumpali Nick Turnerilla ei ollut aivan yhtä tunnettu aiemmista saavutuksistaan.Legendaarisen Dead Boys -yhtyeen nokkamies Stiv Bators (syntyjään Steven Bator) on jälleen ajankohtainen Netflixistä löytyvän Stiv Bators: No Compromises, No Regrets -dokumentin myötä. Dokkari on sisänsä ihan ok, mutta jotenkin pinnallinen.
Suomi joka tapauksessa mainittu, Andy McCoyn ja Michael Monroen muodossa.Bators ja Monroehan olivat hyviä ystäviä ja myös kämppäkavereita. Monroe on usein maininnut Stivin, muun muassa haastatteluissa ja elämänkerrassaan. Monroe sivuutetaan dokumentissa nopeasti, eikä häntä edes haastatella, mikä on mielestäni iso tyylivirhe tai sitten Michael ei ole suostunut haastikseen?Dokumentista puuttuu myös paljon muuta eli isolta osalta Stiv Batorsin levyttämä musiikki. Jälleen lienee kyseessä musiikin käyttöoikeuksista. Tärkeimpien bändien Dead Boys ja The Lords of the New Churchin levytetty musiikki loistaa poissaolollaan.Brian James ja Stiv Bators eivät olleet rockin supertähtiä, mutta heidän tapaamisensa oli minulle aikoinaan tärkeää.
According to Dictionary.com, the idiom “flight of fancy” refers to “an unrealistic idea or fantastic notion, a pipe dream. For example, ‘She engaged in flights of fancy, such as owning a million-dollar house.’ This idiom uses flight in the sense of ‘a soaring of the imagination,’ a usage dating from the mid-1600s.”
I am going to approach this theme flight of fancy by photography styles mainly strong colors or post-processing manipulations.
Maybe my fancy is to go back and see the beauty of the Australian coast… or spend time on a empty beach by myself, listening to the sea …
at the baech
Dreams, travels, dream like visions. I am mainly a photographer and a digital artist. I try to reach out with my photos rather than words, I will continue to do so, not that many explanations, make your own interpretation as you wish. Here are some dream visions. Peace is one constant theme…
October surprises with frost and colorful leaves 🍃 afters a cold night. The splash of color got my attention, here are more shots of the frosty morning.
Take a moment. Look at something, anything around you – what do you see? What do you notice? That’s right – our eyes take in the big picture, but then move in closer to see the Details. That’s just how we humans work – we instinctively want to look at things and then parts of those things.
Frost on leaf pedal
I am often post details, one of my favorite ways to show you how I see the world around me. So much beauty can found near and far in small or sometimes big details.
I have taken macro shots of nature this week and it fits this topic ever so well. The others are from my archives.
The wrinkles, special features and texture of our faces in portrait. Capturing fine, rarely seen details in a macro shot – maybe abstract, or in Nature. Maybe it’s that detail on the building you pass every day, but rarely take a moment to notice.
wrinkes around the eys
rough life?
Craft an image that shows off the details of your choice of subject. Focus, contrast and composition will play a key role , so it’s both a creative and technical challenge
By capturing an image and looking for the picture within a picture, you’ll be able to capture exquisite details that you’d probably normally overlook. When you start noticing the details, a world of new and possible images opens up to you.
I love taking photos of machinery, rust the photographic details there are to be found
October surprises with frost and colorful leaves 🍃 afters a cold night growing in the embankment at my backyard. The splash of color got my attention, here are more shots of the frosty morning.
This week we’re combining two distinct genres to form Black and White Minimalism. Black and White photos, inherently feel a little minimalistic. Using a composition that’s minimalistic, like having negative space, really adds to this unique shooting style.
Simply doors, as interestingly as I could
Negative space
Black and White minimalism usually yields a very clean and clutter-free aesthetic. A strong subject will draw the viewer’s eye, and a lot of negative space around your subject will support the main “star” of your frame.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
You can create minimalism with negative space, and you can also use light and shadow by only lighting your main subject and leaving the rest of the frame in shadow (low key) or by lighting your background bright as well to create a high-key look.
But, in particular for this challenge, do remember that: Less Is More 🙂
October landscape
Be Direct: Simple does not mean boring. try to tell a story and convey emotion with as little clutter as possible.
Negative Space: Take advantage of negative space. The “empty” space in your photo will draw the attention of the viewer towards the main subject, without being distracted by other items in the photo.
Leading Lines: Use concepts like leading lines to guide your viewer’s eye to the image.
Shoot in B/W: Many cameras have a black and white mode – use that to help make things simpler when previewing the shot you’ve just taken rather than having to post-process later.
Tones and Contrast: There are a multitude of shades and tonal ranges that can be adjusted to bring out depth and textures, especially in a Black And White shot. Consider adjusting those for different looks for your image.
I live in a country with no real mountains, I have seen few on my travels. Here are some photos I have taken. I have linked this post to Amy’s post #Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #222 – Mountains Are Calling
These first are from Vancouver – the beautiful Canadian Gulf Islands and View of Mt. Rainier from ferry coming from Victoria Island.
The second set is from Whistles mountain Whistler is located in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains,
Huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, and the world’s largest trees exemplify the diversity of landscapes, life, and beauty here. Sierra Nevada mountain range – Sequoia!
Table rock (mesa) on the Central plateau of Sri Lanka in the rain forest.
Celastrus orbiculatus is a woody vine of the Celastraceae family. It is commonly called Oriental bittersweet, as well as Chinese bittersweet, Asian bittersweet, round-leaved bittersweet, climbing spindleberry and Asiatic bittersweet.
Oriental bittersweet
Oriental bittersweet growing on our fence, needs yearly cutting.
Shooting Through Something – basically have something between your lens and your subject that “interferes” with the viewer’s view of your subject. It could be something as simple as leaves in front of your lens. Or if you wanted a more dramatic effect, you could use a piece of glass like a lens ball, a prism, a magnifying glass, etc.
I went out to to capture nature, carrying two camera’s, nearly broke the other by dropping it on the ground, if I’d succeeded it would have been my third camera I dropped and broke. I went out with the intention of trying to shoot behind the trees and leaves, I also did that. I brought some plastic wrap with me to use as a prop. I took this shot placing it on the lens, shooting towards the sun so the flare came nicely on the shot and also gave the shot a misty quality. The autumn colors play a big part in this image of an inlet in Kirkkonummi.
Through cling film
A thin plastic bag or kitchen plastic film (cling film / Saran wrap) over your lens can produce some very creative looking effects too, but you really don’t NEED any special props this week. The idea is that if something is very close to your lens, and your focus is further away, you will create a dreamy, shoot-through effect. This is of course more exaggerated with a shallow depth of fields (wide aperture, smaller f/ number). Go ahead and experiment and have fun!
You could do portraits or street photography by shooting through a window with some reflections showing up, or go the creative route and use vaseline on an old lens filter
The idea is that your foreground, even if it’s blurry, becomes part of your story. So, let’s get creative in a new way.
autumn colors through cling film
Grandchild through beer glass
TIPS:
Refraction: There are tons of ways to use glass to bend and shape light – a wineglass, a magnifying glass, a prism, a lens ball, shooting through a colored pane of glass etc.
Use Nets: A net or thin grid can add some creative effects. If you’re too close, of course, you might not see the effect, so distance yourself appropriately.
Use Plastic: Kitchen film wrap can be used creatively – you can draw on the film to make creative colors and interference patterns without ever harming your lens. How about that empty plastic bottle of water you were about to toss away? That can work too.
Rule Of Odds. Simply put, there’s a school of thought that multiple subjects in a shot are more pleasing if there are an odd number of them, as opposed to even. Think 3, 5, 7, etc.. The number “one” is technically odd, but I don’t think that’s what this “rule” is referring to.
Often an odd number of subjects creates symmetry in your shot – use an odd number of things for the viewer to focus on without making it too cluttered. If you have people subjects, go for 3 or 5; maybe food photography is your thing and you want us to check out some tacos you’ve just made. Or if you’re out and about – maybe you spot 3 birds sitting on a wire. Oh look, it’s five canoes moored together at the lake – all it takes is for you be to a touch more aware of what you see and try and train your mind to compose in odds.
Buy your tickets here
Remember not to over-crowd the image with too many elements. The average human brain has a better chance of feeling attracted to arrangements of 3 or 5 elements, but as you increase that number, this rule will be less relevant.
Still life
TIPS:
Movement: Add dynamism and a feeling of movement by composing shots with good space on the correct side, usually more space in the direction of the movement.
Cropping: Consider using cropping in your editing software to improve the composition. When done correctly, it can improve things immensely.
Positioning: Try to align vertical elements such as buildings, people walking on the street or a solitary tree along a gridline to generate more visual interest.
Less Is More: 3 to 5 objects of interest in a scene usually work best. Avoid making your image cluttered.
DoF: Use an appropriate Depth Of Field to ensure good sharpness across all your subjects.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 