Throwback Thursday

We all have these photos … throwback photos! Don’t we just… so many. It’s described as ‘nostalgia-inducing pictures … from a different era of your life”.

This week (#TB Thursday). We visited Karhulinna ( bear castle) in Korkeasaari Zoo in 2015. I got some nice shots of the bears enjoying a smim and playing together.


Korkeasaari got its first bears already in 1888, i.e. a year before the zoo was officially founded.

Today’s Karhulinna is home to two bears, Sofia born in 2001 in Ähtäri Zoo and her female cub Yulia born in 2006 in Korkeasaari. They look very similar, but there are some differences in behavior – for example, the younger one of the bears likes to swim, but its mother is content to wade. Bears hibernate indoors in their own dens, usually from November to the beginning of March.

The bear is Finland’s largest predator, but it mostly eats plant food. It tastes soft shoots, leaves, roots, berries and grain, but also all kinds of animal food such as small mammals and fish. Despite its large size, the bear moves nimbly, climbs and swims well.

In Northern Europe, bears hibernate, when their body temperature drops a few degrees and their vital functions slow down. Hibernation is the bears’ way of surviving the long winter, when there is little food available. Before going to sleep, the bear gets fat, eating a lot of sugary berries in particular. Bear cubs are born during the mother’s hibernation in January-March. Their birth weight is only 350-500 grams. The cubs emerge from the nest in May-June, and stay with their mother for a couple of years. When the female has her young cubs with her, she avoids the males when moving, as they can kill the foreign cubs. The female does not have offspring every year.

Spring 2023

Well it has been cold lately, but hopefully it will in coming day warm up a little bit. Hoping. I got inspired when I found my old photos from the Botanical garden and took on myself to visit the place again.

You can see the spring is not all that advanced here, because the trees are just about to bloom, is that the appropriate here, maybe not, but the are nearly ready to glow in vibrant new green leaves. And some red leaves also could be seen.

Early sign of spring

Different types of Anemones were also in bloom, some fading away.

The Senate Square

We worked up the Sofia street to get to our car that was parked by the church to see all these people enjoying the sunny day on the steps of Helsinki Cathedral Church. The have put up these stupid black lights around the chuch, that in my opinion are very annoying, too modern and obstract the view of this lovely church. I always have an uge to take photos of this square, many times I fight it, this time well I did once again.

The Senate Square and its surroundings form a unique and cohesive example of Neoclassical architecture. The square is dominated by four buildings designed by Carl Ludvig Engel (1778-1840): Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the main building of the University of Helsinki and the National Library of Finland. A statue of Alexander II (1894) stands in the middle of the Senate Square.

Helsinki Cathedral is arguably Finland’s most famous and photographed building. The oldest stone building in Helsinki is the Sederholm House located on the southeast corner of the square. The blue building behind the row of bikes 🙂

Easter

Long weekend, we were so hoping to be able to go to spend this weekend at our summer house, but still too much snow, we would not be able to drive to to our house, plus not much to do as everything is under snow. So instead we stayed home, the weather was lovely and it really felt like spring.

We spent time on our patio, had this year’s first barbecue, basically we watched the sun melt and loved the feeling of sunrays on our faces. We did get out of our house, went to Helsinki to see loads of people come out of their homes to welcome a warmish day in the city.

First we went to Kaivopuisto is situated right at the tip of the Helsinki peninsula. It is one of the oldest and most popular parks in the city. There from the dock I took this shot of Suomenlinna. The coast quard was on the lookout

Café Ursula is popular livingroom on the shore of beautiful Kaivopuisto Park. The seaside café Ursula was founded in 1952, the same year as the Olympic Games took place in Helsinki. The cafe has since the beginning steered it´s profits to charities, nowadays as well. I took these photos next to it.

Lots of people walking by the shore, sitting on the rocks. I was surpised about the amount of tourist we had at this time of the year. Lines to buy ice cream were long… spring.

The Canada goose was very much visible in the park

Mid-week Monochrome #126

I have a soft spot for black and white photography, it is expressive and minimalist in and very mood enhancing.

Light continues tobe the theme, as it is the thing that uplifts me the most at the moment. I posted yesterday shots of advancing sping yesterday. Today it is raining, slush and snow. Well they do say, new snow is the death of old snow this time of the year. Today I converted few into monochrome images.

“The eye is always caught by light, but shadows have more to say.” ~ Gregory Maguire

Reflections on water

“There is strong shadow where there is much light.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Shadow play on ice

“There’s something strange and powerful about black-and-white imagery.” 

Ice and water

Compare to edit, color versus black and white version. But I also with the shadows…

Posted for Bren’s Mid-Week Monochrome 

Such vibrant colors

Humaljärvi during a beautiful and sunny day is so vibrant in colors.

Well, sunny and a clear day. Now is a great to be ice fishing…

Reflection

I took this a couple hours ago, after rainy and very misty days, the sun is out, and lots of snow has melted. I went for short drive to Humaljärvi (Lake humaljärvi) it is still covered with ice. This part where the water flows it was open and I got these artistic reflection shot.

Simple, but I like them. What do you think?

SIMPLE but effective

Blue water and trees and ripples

Happy New year !

I wish you all a very New year!

I will leave this year behind with some quotes I can relate to and someone has worded them better than I could.

Here are some winter scenery ro celebrate the holiday season.

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” —Paulo Coehlo

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” —Carl Bard

Winter Solstice

With the winter solstice, and these citylights I am now starting Christmas preparations and I take this opportunity to

I wish you and your loved ones a Happy and Peaceful Christmas.

I want to thank you all who have taken the time to look at my photos, press like and I really appreciate all the encouraging comments I’ve gotten this year.

These I took yesterday when doing my last minute shopping. The cobblestone streets in Helsinki with the rain made it hard to get really great shots of the season lights in the city from a moving car, but I ended up with moody, artistic shots and with a little help from the editing they came out OK.

Beautiful in Black and White 14

 

I took several winter wonderland photos last week, so I thought I’d try them as monochrome. Misty fields and snow-covered
roads with trees heavy with snow surrounding it. 
This is how they turned out.

It is nearly Christmas, and I hope that
these winter shots will help you to get into white Christmas spirit.

Snow covered lane

The way that light hits objects, I think, is one of the more important things that sculpture and photography share. – Rashid Johnson

 

 

Spruce trees by the side of the snowy road

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #230 – Last Chance

For this week’s challenge is hosted by Tina Schell from Travels and Trifles  Lens-Artists Challenge #230 – Last Chance we’re show casing our forgotton or should I say our not yet published shots. Now, the challenge is remebering if I’ve posted them or not. I discover that I have not taken all that many photos this year… sad but true. It obviouly also depends how people defines much.

The image above is new from last week. winter can be beautiful

She wrote; But what about the images that are among our favorites but have not fit any of the categories? This year we’re giving you an opportunity to include images on any and all subjects that are personal favorites – BUT, they must have been created in 2022 AND must not have been previously published.

Here are my Last Chance photos, please link your post back to Tina’s original post and tag Lens-Artists if interested in participating in it.

Hailuoto was one of my favorite places to visit this summer, I posted several black and white images from that trip, here are some with colors. I love watching clouds and they played a big part in the photos I took there.

My summer house and the nature is a constant inspitation to me – below

Details from nature are often important things to photograph to me at least as they are found near and are beautiful,

I have taken still life shots that I have not posted lke these pearls

And I found this 🎅 Santa resting on a bench during summer…

Posted for Tina’s Lens-Artists Challenge

Minimalist winter scenery

I have been away from my computer, and photos for a long weekend visiting my son and his family. So obviously I have missed a lot. Here are some more winter wonderland shots from last week

Pastel hues
Small shrubb in the field of snow

Wahat a calm view

Frosty trees at dusk

White trees

Somewhere in Kirkkonummi
Closer look at the scenery

I stopped several times to capture the beauty of the moment of lovely winter views with snow covered trees and hovering mist

Snow covered lane

I am just going to put this here, as I went out today to take winter photos, I need to go through them. This is the first ones I am going to post. At this moment the sun was still shining. This Lane/ road looked so lovely I ad to stop to photograph it. Hope you enjoy it too.

Snowy lane
Nature is beautiful

Snowy nature

It looks lovely for sure, blueish skies and white snow, with a a subtle mist hovering over the landscape.That is it nothing elso to say about these photos.

Snow coverd birch trees by the road

A subtle mist hovers over the landscape on these two shots

Sunny winter day

The joy of sunshine, the past weeks we have not been blessed with lots of sunlight, but today, of the glorious weather with snow coved trees, blue sky.

I stepped out and took shots to all four directions from or house, and it looked lovely everywhere,white powder snow, blue sky and even the temperature was not that bad -7C ( 23 F ) I am going to post a shot also when its not shining and it looks OK, but there is a difference. On this happy note I wish everyone reading this post a lovely weekend!

10 AM looking east towards the road
at 10 AM View to our south facing backyard
10 AM looking North, this is the view from my office

10AM facing west looking at the spruce and birch trees on a upward hill

AND WHAT A DIFFERECE A DAY MAKES

Independence Day

Today we celebrate our Independence Day in snowy surroundings! Lanterns give beautiful light to the darkness on my patio

Just before darkness

How to Survive November 2022 – 29

I saw Kristoffer Kristofferson oin Helsinki in 2016

KRISTOFFERSON’S Singing has always been low and conversational, but that time it is even more so. Age and kilometers could be seen and heard both in Kristofferson’s singing and guitar playing, but it only brought more humanity to the show

It’s also due to his age that this time the legend didn’t talk as much as before, and it seemed like he was going through the repertoire of his familiar songs with a bit of automatic gear. Still with feeling and a style tempered by self-irony.

Don’t look so sad, I know it’s over
But life goes on and this old world will keep on turning
Let’s just be glad we had some time to spend together
There’s no need to watch the bridges that were burning

Lay your head upon my pillow
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine
Hear the whisper of the raindrops blowing soft against the window
And make believe you love me one more time for the good times

Rain on the window

Thanks PARALLEL LINES |in scale for hosting How to Survive November once again.

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!

How to Survive November 2022 – 28

Let’s try something else. WINTER

Antonio Vivaldi is a genius and truly stands out as the most creative among the host of composers who brought the Italian Baroque style to its zenith. His works ooze the perfection of the 17th-century Italian opera and concerto formats.

Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” or “Le quattro stagioni” in Italian is a set of four concertos. The generalized views suggest concertos as a conversation between – a solo instrument or multiple solo instruments and a wider ensemble. Antonio utilized the violin as the sole instrument in “The Four Seasons.”

Winter blue sky

Winter

The concertos end with “L’inverno” or “Winter.” The opening movement resembles a shivering person, stamping his feet in rhythm to stay warm. The middle movement portrays the pleasure of getting warm inside through a crackling fire. The final movement offers people outdoors walking down icy paths, while people inside houses feeling the relentless chill finding its way inside. 

At a basic level, “The Four Seasons” is extraordinarily authentic, an association with profound elegance and luxury. It is full of glistening and brilliant sonorities, ingenious innovations with vivid solo lines capturing the essence of nature. The most important factor that renders its popularity is the fact that it incorporates the basic human elements – the passage of time, the cycle of years and nature. The program incorporates seasonal images and sounds spectacular, without constraining the imagination. Each season offers a “point of departure” for a diverse range of metaphors.

Thanks PARALLEL LINES |in scale for hosting How to Survive November once again.

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!

Lens-Artists Challenge #227 – Home Sweet Home

Tina wrote; On the other hand, there is much to love here in my own country. This week, let’s give that some extra thought. If a foreigner were to spend a week or a month traveling your home country with you, where would you take them? What sights would you tell them to be sure to see? Where have you found some of your own favorite images?

Tina from Travels and Trifles hosts this weeks Lens-Artists Challenge #227 – Home Sweet Home

I live in Beautiful Finland, coutry with four seasons. While I embrace Spring, summer and autumn and winter, I detest November, the greay month. So I will not be posting shots from that month.

Finland, or Suomi as we call it, this is my introduction to of it to you.

First few shots from Helsiki, were I would obviously take you

Finland, officially the Republic of Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland across Estonia to the south. Finland covers an area of 130,678 sq miles with a population of 5.6 million. 

Helsinki is the capital and largest city, forming a larger metropolitan area with the neighbouring cities of Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa. Finland is one of the world’s northernmost countries. Of world capitals, only Reykjavík lies more to the north than Helsinki.

Finland’s climate varies from humid continental in the south to the boreal in the north. The land cover is primarily a boreal forestbiome, with more than 180,000 recorded lakes.

First few shots from Helsiki, were I would obviously take you. There also several other cities I would take you too, Porvoo, Hanko, Tampere and Turku and also to Oulu. If I posted shots from them well, no one would look through my post.

Lakes are lovely at all seasons, so I would take to one or two of them

Forests, woods…have asrtong place in Finns hearts, a place walk and calm your nerves.

Pick berries and mushrooms as we have Everyman’s rights. Public access rights, or so-called everyman’s rights, refer to the right of everyone in Finland to enjoy outdoor pursuits regardless of who owns or occupies an area. You do not need the landowner’s permission, and there is no charge. However, you must not damage the environment or disturb others while exercising public access rights.

Posted for Tina’s Lens-Artists Challenge

Beautiful in Black and White 12

Amalfi Cathedral is a 9th-century Roman Catholic structure in the Piazza del Duomo, Amalfi, Italy. It is dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew. Predominantly of Arab-Norman Romanesque architectural style, it has been remodeled several times, adding Romanesque, Byzantine, Gothic, and Baroque elements.

Amalfi Cathedrals Pilars in the garden

The Exterior, the Romanesque style bell tower is off-center. The structure includes four small towers of Arab architectural type that are adorned with arches and are covered with majolica tiles. During times of war, the bell tower was purposed for defense.
The garden contains colonnades, arches and sculptures. My photos this week are of the garden area.

More ℹ https://www.livesalerno.com/amalfi-cathedral

Amalfi Cathedral garden

Posted for Bren’s Mid-Week Monochrome and Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

Street Photography in Helsinki

The November streets look, well what they look like. This is what it looked liked on a November afternoon and and early evening (between 3pm -6pm) I haven’t taken the camera out since then. But I thought I would share some fresh photos today.

Some season lights were already adding light to the bleakness of this time of year. The boy looking at the display window while his parents were in line to get into the store was a nice pop of colors as was the Cartier window display with the reflecting lights from the street.

We had the first snow on Friday last week, so obviously these were taken prior to that. The snow will melt but for few days it will give us a little bit more light.

Views from around the Helsinki railway station, and Aleksanterinkatu.

Helsinki – Keskuskatu and the corner of Mannerheimtie

Colorful window display

Visiting Cafe’s

I have not been taking many photos lately, last weekend I made an exception as I went to Helsinki.

I was even too lazy to take my camera, just my mobile. Here are some street photographs. These are focused on cafe’s that all seemed to be full, we had to wait over 40 minutes to get our coffee 🙂 That time we spent people watching

My favorite image is the header.

Beautiful in Black and White 11

I have a soft spot for black and white photography, I was once again reminded about the importance of exposure, light. It is the key element in these photos.

Sunset in B&W is it’s own thing to capture once again it comes to the light, lowlight in this case. How it enhances the shapes and creates shadows.

Sunset in Naples Pier. Unfortunately it was destroyed in Hurricane Ian, but I have a memory.

Naples Pier, Florida
Sunset in Miami

The way that light hits objects, I think, is one of the more important things that sculpture and photography share. – Rashid Johnson

Key West sunset

Posted for Bren’s Mid-Week Monochrome and Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

Beautiful in Black and White 10

I have a soft spot for black and white photography, I was once again reminded about the importance of exposure, light. It is the key element in these photos.

“Available light is any damn light that is available!” ~ W. Eugene Smith

Above is so importat during these gray November days.

Older trees have so much character
Mist in the forest in autumn

The way that light hits objects, I think, is one of the more important things that sculpture and photography share. – Rashid Johnson

when all the leaves are gone

Beautiful in Black and White 9

I have a soft spot for black and white photography, I was once again reminded about the importance of exposure, light. It is the key element in these photos.

The photographer is a manipulator of light; photography is a manipulation of light. – Laszlo Moholy-Nagy

the nature is gorgeous even without color
Ogegon coast is really beautiful and mostly it shines best in colors but in black and white photography the structure and shape are in important role.
Oregon coast with its rock formation