Lake Mead

Possible topics for this weeks CMMC: reservoir, lake, landscape, brown, blue, teal, green, water, green, layers, etc. I think I got most of these covered in this post from Lake Mead, Nevada.

Lake Mead is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States. . It is the largest reservoir in the US in terms of water capacity.

This week for CMMC .

Forest Pathway Tranquility.

A serene and secluded forest path, enveloped by tall, lush green trees in Queensland. Sunlight filters through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the smooth, inviting trail. It was a delight to venture along this winding path.

I could not resist, I did two edits of this photo.

Forest Pathway

For CWWC: March 7, 2024

golden light of sunrise

I don’t know how you start you posts, but what I do is, I open a new blank post. I choose an image, them I start to think of a title and maybe some text to it. I always start with an photo. I mainly posts photos, lately I have started add some more words to my posts, but I am a strong believer that the photo should convey the message – I don’t know if it true, but it is what I want to believe.

This photo I took years ago in Koh Lanta in Thailand, this is the first time I’ve edited it. I don’t know why I haven’t shared it before.

The beautiful beach, the tall palm trees, and the serene waters all bathed in the golden light of sunrise created a truly lovely scene that morning. The untouched sandy beach and scattered rocks add the feeling of untouched natural charm, while the sky’s gradient from blue to golden yellow is uplighting the spirit. I still remember to calmness and peaceful atmosphere as I had the beach to myself, just me and the tranquility of the lovely morning. I wish I was there now 🙂

Just out of curiosity, do the words add value to the post?

Sunset behind the hilltop

Today I caught a beautiful sunset from my patio, we had huge rise in temperature in the past two days and the snow covered trees are now gone. The trees still gave a beautiful contrast against the colorful sky

Sunset

eerie yet captivating scenes

The misty air envelops the landscape, amongst the haze, the silhouettes of towering trees emerge, standing tall like guardians of the monochrome world. Their branches, devoid of leaves, reach out like skeletal fingers, creating an eerie yet captivating scene.

The silhouettes of towering trees emerge, standing tall like guardians

Do you agree the absence of color seems to enhance the mystical ambiance, as if nature itself has decided to paint this particular moment in shades of gray.

Misty hill in Monochrome

The mist weaves through the branches and settles on their trunks, giving them an otherworldly aura that is both haunting and beautiful. In this misty monochrome, the trees stand as solitary figures, adding a sense of mystery and intrigue to the landscape.

Dog walker

Mist – ethereal veil on the moss-covered hill

The gray mist gently settled over the landscape, casting an ethereal veil on the moss-covered hill behind your home. Despite the gloomy November weather, nature’s touch added a touch of beauty to the scene.

On this misty day, as you gazed upon the hill, the vibrant hues of green from the shrubs stood out, creating a vivid contrast against the muted backdrop. The moss, adorned with its emerald carpet, seemed to thrive in the dampness, adding a touch of tranquility to the atmosphere.

Misty hill top on a misty day

Amidst the shades of brown, the ferns gracefully displayed their weathered elegance. Their delicate fronds, now tinged with earthy tones, created an enchanting juxtaposition against the mist and falling leaves.

In this serene setting, the mist transformed the hill into a picturesque scene that captivated your sight. The occurrence of such beauty in November reminded you of nature’s ability to create moments of awe in every season.

Trees on Misty hill

Moody weather

Taken today from through the car window, a pine tree in our yard and elms that still have yellow brown leaves on them when nearly all tree are bare.

Pine tree in November rain

Posted for John’s Cellpic Sunday

Marina on a November day

I always liked to visit the marina on gray November days. There was something about the contrast between the white boats and the gloomy sky that fascinated me. The marina was usually lively and crowded, but on those days it was almost empty. The only people I saw were some boat owners, checking on their vessels and doing some maintenance and few people on a walk.

The sky is gray, the water is dull and the air is cold. I see the boats are moored, the sails are furled , the marina is quiet with hardly anyone around. But I don’t mind, I like it here.

These photos I took using my mobile phone and then proceeded to enhance them using the Lightroom mobile app. By transforming the gray tones into a delightful shade of blue, I managed to infuse the photos with a much lighter and uplifting mood.

Nature – Autumn Foliage

This time we focus on Autumn Colours, Autumn Leaves, Fall Foliage .. I think you get the message.

For Nature Photo Challenge #31

Keeping it short and sweet or not… take a guess 🙂

Nature – spring and woods

The CFFC theme is spring – woods.

Outside it is raining heavily and we have autumn storm with heavy winds blowing outside my window so looking for photos of spring is nice, something to look forward to. I could easily skip winter.

We have lots of woods to choose from as forests cover more than 75 percent of Finland’s land area. Add to that the share of water bodies in Finland’s surface area is large. The area of ​​inland waters is about 10% . So we have 15% left to live in 🙂

The green of spring is beautiful and the birch trees are so lovely, not complaining of the others either. Fresh new green – makes my heart sing.

Wood sorrels raising their heads in moss is a sure sign of spring

Posted for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

tapestry of golden hues

Autumn brings a captivating transformation to the fields, as the veil of summer is gently lifted. The once lush and green landscapes now unveil a breathtaking tapestry of golden hues, as the crops sway gracefully in the cool breeze. The rhythmic dance of nature’s palette, with shades of amber, russet, and bronze, creates a picturesque scene that stirs the soul. As the sun bathes the fields in its warm, honeyed light, one can’t help but be enchanted by the serene beauty that autumn bestows upon the cropped fields. Is. Amidst the rustling leaves and the scent of earth, there’s a sense of tranquility that envelops the surroundings, inviting us to pause, breathe, and appreciate the wonders of this season.

Brown and yellow – orange tones in the field
empty fields
framed view

Flow – river flow 2

Water, the essence of life, flows endlessly through the rocky crevices and gentle streams. It is a symbol of resilience, adaptability, and transformation. Just like water, we too must learn to flow through life’s challenges, gracefully navigating the twists and turns that come our way.

Movement

Imagine a babbling brook, its gentle melody soothing your soul. The water, sparkling in the sunlight, dances over pebbles, creating a symphony of nature’s music. It reminds us to embrace the beauty and serenity of the present moment.

Pebbles in flowing water
flow – flow

As water cascades down a waterfall, it reminds us of the power and strength within us. With every drop that falls, it signifies the potential for change and growth. Just as the water carves its path through solid rock, we too can carve our own destiny, shaping our lives through determination and perseverance.

So let the flowing water be a constant source of inspiration. May it remind you to adapt, to embrace change, to find strength in the face of adversity, and to let your spirit flow freely. Like a river, may you navigate through life with grace and purpose, leaving your mark on the world.

Pebbles in sunlight with water flowing over them

gravel roads

I was playing with my photo, or should I say editing my images. I shoot in raw so I can easily play with the color tones and change the mood. Mostly I stay true to the actual photo. If I don’t I mostly bring it to in the open. I usually do not like over edited and color enhanced photos. If it is beautiful – it is that with out over doing it. There are lots of images like that in Instagram, the may look lovely. but realistic is long way from them.

As I’ve opened about that… lets go. The image above is the original photo. I have edited the light and contrast.

Below you can see too mood changes as I yellows and softened the greens to get a more autumn feel to it. The one on the right I added orange tones and blue tones to the green.. autumn also , but the mood is totally different.

Then there is the monochrome image. Time well spent editing ☺

Any thoughts about these, please share, I would love to have opinions on these.

Flow – river flow

The river makes the water flow. That’s how I live. I just let everything flow. Flow with the river.

Vitor Belfort

Everything flows and nothing abides, everything gives way and nothing stays fixed. – Heraclitus

Flowing water

August End

I don’t know why I am having such a hard time getting back to the groove of posting. I have not taken many photos, well of flowers I have, as I got several bouquets for my birthday and I needed to use them to get some nice flower shots.

Yesterday was a typical Finnish August day, sunshine and rain in sequence. I went to the seaside with the idea of sitting there and enjoy the scenery and relax, and take few photos. I did take some photos, but sitting there and relaxing, no. Did not happen it started to drizzle and rain. I did get some nice shots of clouds.

August is coming to an end, this morning I woke up to a thunderstorm – a good one. Lots of rain, and flashes and the pressure of thunder made windows resonate. It was so close. I should have gotten up to take photos, but I rather continued sleeping.

After the rain

Last night after a rainy day the sunset came and it looked like this. Orange and green go together well 😊


Rain, rain and rainbow

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 😊

End of the rainbow 🌈
Dark clouds over the field

Driftwood by the sea

Achieve finds, these two sunset photographs with driftwood are from the California coast – exact location I do not remember.

Sometimes when I think of life, I feel like a piece of driftwood washed up on shore. – Author: Haruki Murakami
Driftwood

Mountain view

I was looking for a specific photo, instead I found this. I took this shot of the beautiful mountains and forest in Sequoia National Park in Three Rivers CA.

Why it has gone unnoticed before I don’t know, I rather like.

April 1st

It’s April and it still looks like winter, feels like winter even though next to a wall where the wind doesn’t blow you can feel the lovely warmth of the sun.

My grandson said to me, I will never forget the mountain next to your home 😀 ( it is a hill ) he always wants to climb it no matter what season it is. Today he conquered it with his father and grandpa

Up the hill I go
Follow me
Made it to the top

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

Glorious sky

It is against lots of quide lines as how to compose a photo, but this all about the glorous sky. I captured these shots from a moving car.

Lens-Artists Photography Challenge #239 – Finding Peace.


Lens-Artists Photography Challenge #239 – Finding Peace. Tina from travels and Trifles is hosting, and her theme – Finding Peace is so near last weeks topic, to me at least.

I am not a religious person, I do not go to church all that often, my church is the nature. My religion is more to do with my conscience – what is right and wrong. Treating everyone equally, respecting nature and the world around me. But I do find that church is a calm place to find peace .

Finding peace is different for everyone, often it is related to being alone.

Find peace, don’t waste energy wishing things were different or trying to change other people. Stay focused on managing your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Find peace, by taking appropriate accountability. Be responsible for your own choices, but also acknowledge factors beyond your control–like the state of the economy, the weather, and other people’s choices.

Focus on the things you can control.

Be comfortable in your own skin. Don’t waste your time worrying about whether other people approve of their choices. Instead, focus on living according to your values.

Striving to be the best you are is healthy. But insisting on perfection is an uphill battle. Acknowledge your flaws and weaknesses.

Inner peace comes from knowing your beliefs and the willingness to act according to them.

Forest is a great place to find peace, hug a tree, sit on a rock breathe in the peace. Sit by the sea, move your hands on the rock, get the energy of the smooth softness of te solid surface. Listen to the sea and nature around you and find your inner peace. Watch the clouds move and create beautiful art in front of your eyes.

The Sony has been in less use since I bought a new lighter one to carry around, its a Olympus E-M10 Mark II with a 14-150mm lense and I have a OM-D M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8 for street and portrait photography

#Lens-Artists #Lens-Artists Challange